Untitled

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 329, 14 May 1877, Page 2

The heavy rain which has fallen during Saturday night, yesterday, and to-day, as might be expected, has done a considerable amount of damage to several of the railway lines. About two chains of the northern line, between the Waiho and the Waimate Junction, has been washed away, and the 9.15-train from here had to return in consequence. A special train was, however, despatched from Oamaru to meet the northern train at the place of the break of the line, while lb was deemed advisable not to ran the 4.30 at all. Considerable damage has also been done through the floods on the Maerewhenua and Waiareka lines, which prevented the running of trains on those Ifnes. We have not been able to ascertain the full extent of the damage done, but it is expected that the necessary repairs will be effected very speedily, and that the trains will soon be able to resume work. In town the effects of the heavy downpour of rain have also been felt to some extent. The creek has been flooded very much, and neai Uessrs. Lees and Moore's it rose to within a few inches of its banks. Owing to the great volume of water which was rushing over the fall near the bridge, fears were entertained for the safety of the surroundings of that structure, the water washing away a large quantity of earth at the town end of the bridge. It was deemed necessary to employ a number of men to stop the encroach of water by placing bags of sand at the place where the river was encroaching upon the abutment of the bridge. So far we have heard of no serious damage being done. We announce with regret the death of Mr. John Souness, hotelkeeper, Waikouaiti. He expired this morning, after a lingering illness, whilst comparatively a young man. Fie has left a widow and six children to mourn their loss. The late heavy and incessant rains are beginning to have their effect upon our creeks and rivers. The Kartigi creek was almost impassable at an early hour this morning, and as it has continued to rain ever since, it is to be feared that the coach will cross with difficulty, if at all. Such a contingency would, doubtless, cause considerable inconvenience, now that the heavy weather at sea has caused a cessation in water communication between Dunedin and this port. We should think that a stone bridge could be easily and. cheaply constructed over this, the only likely impediment to overland communication between here and Dunedin, more especially as the material is on the ground. The peaceful bliss which usually characterises Waikouaiti, in common with others of our country towns, was ruthlessly disturbed on Friday last. We will say that two gentlemen met—one slender and gentlemanly in appearance ; the other physically coarse and uncouth in demeanor. An altercation ensued, language more powerful than elegant was made use of on one side, till, at last, as the position became more and more unpleasant for the person of gentlemanly instincts, he raised his whip and belabored his opponent. A horsewhipping match in Waikouaiti is an exciting event that will probably linger in the minds of its inhabitants for many a day to come, more especially as the castigator is said to be a gentleman in the employment of the Government. It will, we understand, form the subject of a prosecution for assault at the local court. Owing to the inclemency of the Treather yesterday, the Eev. Mr. T«dd did not preach his eighth anniversary sermon, as announced, but postponed its delivery till next Sunday, the 20th inst. The sailing for Dunedin of the p.s. Samson has been postponed until to-morrow morning—passengers proceeding to the Breakwater at 11 a. m. The South School will be opened to-mor-row, under the mastership of Mr. Eice, recently second master of tke Grammar School. A special meeting of the Municipal Corporation will be held this evening at eight a'clock, for the purpose of opening the tenders for the Laudon section of the proposed tvaterworks, and to decide the whole question. "*" : " " •"" "*"

The return rifle match between the Oamaru and Otepopo Eifles has been postponed until further notice, owing to the wet weather. It will be seen by a telegram elsewhere that the Wairaate people, like ourselves, an suffering from too much dampness, and thai it has been found necessary to postpone tin Wairnate Steeplechase meeting until the (>'tr June. This is a matter for regret, as the arrangements made for the meeting were oi a very complete nature. The alphabetical match which was to have been played by the Oamaru Football Clul on Saturday, did not come off, owing to the absence of a large number of players. A scratch match was, however, got up, the sides being chosen by Messrs. E. Booth and Walls. The former's side won after a good struggle. At the conclusion of the game, a meeting was held on the ground, when Mr. Walls was elected captain of the club, in the room of Mr. G. M illington, resigned. The Mayor of Naseby has convened s public meeting for the purpose of "cooperating with Oamaru in the projection oi a central interior railway." The meeting will be held on Monday next. The Mount Ida Chronicle, in writing on the subject, says : "We know of no proposed step of public advancement which has ever occurred in oui young history of equal importance in its bearings upon the luterior Goldfields and Oamaru." We notice that the Rose Brothers, whc lately performed successfully in Dunedin the rope-tying feats, Ac, which made the Daven port Brothers famous, are travelling throrgl: southern portions of the province, and giving entertainments, which are highly spoken of, It is said that after doing jSTew Zealand, thej purpose leaving for Victoria and elsewhere. The failure of Mi*. James O'Shea, a pro duce merchant, causes great uneasiness ir Wellington commercial circles. His liabili ties are about L 21,000, and his assets abou L 13,000. Heavy portions of the loss fall 01 some badly able to bear it, and some othe failures will, it is feared, follow. Bad debt; and loss on wool shipments are the causes o Mr. O'Shea's failure. In the last Gazette a statement is publishec showing th'j number, amount, &c, of mane; orders and savings banks transactions in tin several postal districts of the Colony clurinj ing the quarter ended 31st March. Then were issued 20,512 orders, value L 80,795 and paid 16,202, value L73,3G5. In tin savings banks 2,557 accounts were opened and 2,2(i3 closed ; the withdrawals number ing 9,G54, value L 179.106, and the deposit: 14,524, value L 170.211. The excess of with drawals over deposits was L 7,595. A boat containing three fishermen was up set in a squall off Somes Island, Wellington on Wednesday. One swam nearly a mile tc another boat, and was picked up in a verj exhausted condition. The boat he reached immediately bore down for the scene, and another man was seen just sinking. He was caught by the hair, and pulled on board, bul J just gave a gasp and expired. Nothing was seeu of the third man or the boat. [ The Waikaka diggings, though of circumscribed area, are likely to afford remunera tiv' employment to a good numb- rof men during the winter. We (Clutha Leader) heai that several parties have been rewarded for patient sinking with good prospects by striking what is supposed to be the Chinamen's lead. Pulling a man's nose would appear to be rather an expensive " luxury." At Dunedin last Friday a man named John M'Guire was charged with the offence mentioned, and in default of payment of the £5 imposed, got a month's imprisonment. The " Intelligent Vagrant," writing in the 2Sfew Zealand Mail, says : —"Amongst the fruits of our native industry and enterprise in New Zealand, I am pleased to note ' Bachelors of Arts.' They are turned out by trie* New Zealand University, and from the calendar of that admirable institution, recently issued, I notice that during the few years it has been in existence, it has admitted ad eundem gradum a good number, and has absolutely of its own exertions produced two. Will some one fond of figures find out how much this couple of interesting conversions of the raw material into the highly finished article has cost the country ?"