THE EVENING MAIL. MONDAY, MAY 28, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 341, 28 May 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL.

MONDAY, MAY 28, 1877.

Words are things, and a drop of ink falling upon a thought may produce that which makes thousands think."

A deputation from the Railway Committee waited upon the Municipal Council this morning to request that body to vote a sum ! of money in aid of the funds necessary for the procuring of data iu connection with the proposed line of railway from Oamaru to Naseby. After considering the matter carefully, the Council agreed to vote LSO as donation from the public in aid of the object in view, the Council at the same time expressing its willingness to vote an additional LSO, provided that the County Council gave a contribution of L2OO. A report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere. Ratepayers are reminded by advertisement elsewhere of the necessity of making immediate payment of all rates due to the Corporation, in order to have their names placed on the Citizens' Roll. The sittings of the Licensing Courts of Hampden and Maerewhenua have been adjourned. The former will sit at Hampden on the 13th June, and the latter at Livingstone on the 20th June.

j\-: - . VV. JVI. Hodgkins, Revising officer, heh. a Court of Revision at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, for the purpose of revising and correcting the Electoral Roll for the Bouse of Representatives for the Waitaki District. The names of persons known to be dead were struck off the roll, as were also those of persons objected to on the ground of having changed or parted with their qualifications. In several cases where the nature of the qualification had been insufficiently described, the matters complained of were rectified, and the names retained on the roll. The number of names struck off the roll were very few, and are more than counterbalanced by the number of fresh names to be added thereto ; in fact, the roll for the ensuing year will contain a far larger number of persons entitled to vote than heretofore. The number on the roll last year amounted to 1155, while that for this year will, we believe, exceed 1200.

The settling in connection with the Oamai u Steeplechase Club's meeting took place at the Empire Hotel on Saturday evening. There was a goodly sprinkling of "horsey ' men present, and a large number of champagne corks were drawn on the occasion. The following amounts were paid over to the different owners of horses :—Mr. Swanson, LI 20; "Mr. Lunn, L4O ; Mr. W. M'Kay, L2O; Mr. T. M'Kay, LIS; Mr. Evans, L 3, making a total of L2Ol. In reference to the j last item, we may mention that the L 3 won by Mr. Evans was the half of the amount collected for the Hospital Eace. Only one horse competed for this event, the amount collected being too small to induce others to run. We understand that Mr. F. W. 0. i Grant, the owner of the horse run in Mr. Evans' name, has instructed the Secretary to hand the L 3 won to the funds of the Hospital, making in all LG obtained for the institution. In the case of the horse Will-if-I-can, who won the Consolation Eace, and against whom a protest was entered, on the ground that his age had been wrongly stated, the matter was left in abeyance, in order that professional testimony might be obtained. We believe that the matter has been referred to Mr. P. Eobertson, veterinary surgeon, to give an opinion upon.

The inward Suez mail was to leave Melbourne to-day, and may therefore be expected this day week.

We learn that Oamaru is to be favoured with a second visit from the Chicago Minstrels, who will give an entertainment in the Masonic Hall on the evening of the sth June.

A special meeting of the Committee of the North Otago Benevolent Institution will be held to-morrow evening, at 7 o'clock, at Mr. Church's office, when some important business is to be brought forward.

A meeting of the Calcined Corkonians will be held this evening, when the request of the Hospital Committee for a performance by the troupe in aid of that institution will be taken into consideration. We have not heard what action is likely to be taken by the Corkonians, but we trust that they will see their way to comply with the request, and give an entertainment at an early date. The Hospital is unquestionably more deserving of public support and sympathy than, perhaps, any other institution. Of late, great demands have been made upon its funds, which have been reduced to a very low state. It would be a pity to see the sphere of usefulness of so deserving and so necessary a public institution curtailed for the want of funds, and we therefore trust that the Calcined Corkonians will shortly give one of their entertainments in aid of the greatly-diminished funds at present at the disposal of the Oamaru Hospital Committee. That they will do so, we have little doubt, and that their efforts will be thoroughly appreciated by the general public, we feel confident.

A scratch match at football was played on Saturday afternoon, notwithstanding the threatening appearance of the weather and the slippery state of the cricket ground. Sides were chosen by Messrs. Blackburne and Corliss. The ball was set in motion shortly after three o'clock, and play was continued till five. Some very good play was shown on both sides, but neither side obtaining a goal the game was therefore a drawn one. The following is a list of those players who are selected to play against Dunedin on the 9bh prox.:—Booth, Walls, A. Y. Smith, Caverhill, Ferens, Otterson, Sno.lgrass, Burnett, Blackett, Chancellor, C. Fen wick, M'Glashan, Finch, Thompson, Wait. Emergency men—Hickey, Blackburne, and Corliss.

Mr. De Maus, of Port Chalmers, has lately written an operetta bouffe, entitled "La Fille de Madame Brown." It was performed at Port Chalmers on Thursday night last, and is said to have been very successful. An original song, by the same gentleman, was also sung during the same entertainment.

In view of the large works in course of construction in Oamaru, in which cement is used, the following paragraph, taken from the Daily Times, may not be without interest :—"Mr. H. Baxter has now on view at the British Hotel, George-street, a specimen of concrete manufactured in Auckland with Mahurangi hydraulic lime. In a letter accompanying this sample, the manufacturer, Mr. Nathaniel Wilson, says :—' I send a sample of concrete, made from Mahurangi hydraulic lime, and immersed in the sea for 20 years. A better proof of hydraulic qualities I cannot give you. This lime is welladapted for the construction of concrete buildings, cellar and verandah floors, &c. It is being used in all the Auckland Harber Works, and in the new Graving Dock, in the place of Portland cement.'"

In a series of pigeon matches at Dunedin. on the Queen's Birthday, Mr. George Ed wards took three out of four sweepstakes, killing 14 birds out of 15.

During the quarter ending 31st March last, 292,30S telegrams were transmitted in the Colony, being an increase of 21,996 over the corresponding quarter of last year. The revenue was LS67 ss. 2d. more, and the value of Government telegrams L 214 15s. 7d. more. The total cash revenue for the quarter was L16',337 9s. Id.

A marriage license was taken out in Nelson last week for a young couple wKo are about to enter into the bonds of matrimony. Their united ages reach the respectable total of 126 years. The Auckland correspondent of the Daily Times says:—"Thomas Walker, trance medium, is said to have received a present of LSO from Dunedin Spiritualists. He will leave for Dunedin next Tuesday. His Committee have prepared for publication an account of his life, in explanation of remarks made in Auckland, and certify that they have gathered it from his private letters. Walker has been challenged to discuss his claims to credence at a public meeting by an Auckland paper, which offers a stake of LSO for local charities on the issue. The chalwa» not accepted,' ,

The owners of the barque Catalpa, which recently rescued the convicts from Western Australia, in a fit of fanatic admiration of the successful enterprise of their servants, have presented the vessel as she stood, with her whaling inventory, to the three men who commanded the expedition, and made a handsome present to Hathaway, Chief of Police, the originator and superintendent of the scheme.

As a boy named Samuel Price, about 15 years of age, was pulling weeds in the garden of Mr. Brumby, Harwick, at Longford (reports the Cornwall Chronicle), a good-sized carpet snake fastened on his fore finger. Feeling the fangs of the reptile, the lad flung him off, and without hesitation lifted an axe close by and chopped off the first joint of his finger. He was quickly conveyed to Dr. Mason's surgery, who used ammonia, cauterants, and other suitable treatment, detaining the boy until all danger was over, when he drove him home. Dr. Mason attributed the boy's escape to his plucky severance of the wounded part, the end of the finger having turned quite black."

The agricultural statistics for Victoria, just taken, show the total area of wheat under crop to be 401,417 acres ; oats, 115,209 acres—showing an increase in wheat of 80,016 acres, and a decrease in oats of BS9I acres. Of field wheat, they show 300, SOO bushels increase, of oats, 425,570 bushels decrease ; barley, 170,342 bushels decrease ; maize, 11,26S bushels decrease. The total wheat yield is estimated at 5,279,730 bushels, being an average of 13 bushels to the acre.

That irrepressible Editor of the Lydl Argus is to the fore again. This is his very latest deliverance : " Matrimonial. We hear that Little Cupid is np to his usual pranks agaiu. Three well-known bachelors having caved in and a heavy wager has been laid by a Buller Squatter—That he gets married before Ye Editor. (If its to that Red Headed Nelson Girl, that I saw him squeezing the other day at Hampden hy gum old chap you can have her and welcome....e.a.)"