The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 496, 30 November 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1877.

The immigrants destined for Oahiaru, who arrived at Port Chalmers in the ship Waipa, on the 21st instant, were passengers by the Waitaki to-day. They are equal to fiftyfour adults, consisting of 7 families, 21 children, 13 single men, and 18 single girls. Among them are—carpenters, ploughmen, farm laborers, cooks, laundresses, and general servants. They appear to be in excellent health, and a most respectable and welcome addition to this, district.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, James Hardy was fined 10s. for allowing his horse to stray at large. Several civil cases were heard, none being of much interest excepting to the parties concerned.

We understand that a. rifle match will shortly take place between the Otepopo and Hampden companies of volunteers. The monthly-inspection of the tojvn companies of volunteeis takes place this evening.

The quarterly meeting, of the Waitaki branch of the Educational Institute will be held at 11 a.m. to-morrow, in the' Grammar School.

We understand that Mr. J. L. Hall purposes again bringing his capital little comedy and burlesque company to Oamaru. They will, 'we believe, give' a couple of performances during next week in the Masonic Hall. Since the company was last here it has received some very valuable additions to its strength. • The adjourned annual meeting of the North Otago Rifle Association was held last evening at the Royal Hotel. The President (Mr. A. J. S. Headland) occupied the chair, and there was a very fair attendance of members. The minutes of the last annual meeting having been read and confirmed, the annual balance-sheet, showing a small balance to the credit of the Association, was read and adopted. The election of office-bearers took place with the lollowing result:—President, Dr. De Lautour; Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. E. Atkinson; Committee —Messrs. Eoulston, MCorkindale, Morris, A. Headland, and E. Harding. After some discussion as to the advisability of altering the day on which the monthly competition should take place, it was agreed that the Committee should communicate with members of the Association on the snbject, and ascertain, whether it would be agreeable to hold the matches on tne third Thursday in each month, instead of the first Saturday; or, if that is not convenient, to alter the day to the third Saturday. A vote of thanks having been accorded to the retiring ofncerbearers and to the Chairman, the meeting terminated. The following joke is told by the Wellington correspondent of the New Zealand Herald: —"It appears that, some days since, whether by accident or design, the alarm button which communicates with the two Fire Brigade stations was depressed, and as a natural consequence the electric bells were rung, and both Brigades turned out to assist to extinguish what they thought was fire in Parliament Buildings. In order to prevent a repetition of this mishap, the button has been boxed : in, and a glass front fixed to it, on which is painted, 'To ring the bell, break the glass.' One of the Maori noticing the fixing, asked a newspaper man well versed in Maori.to translate t! e instructions on the glass. ' " Break the glass "is written on the box,' said the Press man, and then walked away. Shortly after that the Maori procured a stick and aimed a determined blow at the box, and he was repeating the dose when the Attorney-General informed him that it was only in case of fire that Government property was to be destroyed. The Maori went away, exclaiming that the pakehas were all alike : they write one thing,, and-mean another."