The Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 585, 18 March 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1878.

The population of the town as given by us on .Saturday wis not entirely correct. It -eeuis that, in adding up the figures on the various >hei ts, one of them was passed over, and this wa-> not noticed until alter Sub-lu-«ii« ctor Smith had given us the information. The population of Oamaru. as as-; rtained by the census, is 4!>77, consisting of 20T1 males and 2MM females. This s-hows an increase of 2b">S during the past four years, the population on the Ist Match, 1574, having been "2819. It must be borne in mind that a very large number of perso s usually resident in the town were away harvesting when the census was taken, and that consequently the population, as given above, in somewhat lower than what is actually the case. We may fairly conclude that the population of the town is over fiiiOl). The number of inhabited houses is 060; uninhabited 41 ; and in cour-e of erection 13 ; making a total of 1014. Oamaru lias no occasion to be ashamed of tiie amount of progress made during the past lour yens.

The Oamaru portion of the San Francisco mail arrived by the p.s. Samson yesterday fr.m Dunedin, and was delivered about town this morning.

We have been shown a private telegram which entirely contradicts a telegram from the Press -Agency quoting wheat as linn in Christchurch at .">=. The i>rivate telegram shown us says that wheat is dull at 4s. 6'il.; and the author, a gentleman wlio.se veracity cannot lie called into question, further s-ays that the {'rices will he -still lower. It is a matter of regret that the Press Agency is not more careful in compiling: its telegrams, more especially on such an important subject as the price of grain—a matter in which a very large section of the community are greatly interested.

A memo, received from the Telegraph Office yesterday informs us that the Port Darwin line is interrupted north of Port Augusta.

"We regret to have to record the death of Mr. George Thomas Fenwick, which occurred at his residence, Whuf-street, on -Saturday. Mr. Fenwick who had reached the good old age of CS, had been a resident iu this district for some time, and had made many firm friends. He was a quiet, unassuming gentleman, who, though not taking any veiy prominent part in public affairs, always came to the front when any work of charity had to be performed. lie had been ailing for some time, and his death was not altogether unexpected.

We understand that several gentlemen have interested themselves in regard to providing the necessary funds for giving the whole of the school children an opportunity of visiting Cooper and Bailey's wild be ist show. Already the proposal Ins been favourably received and promises made of subscriptions, .ind we doubt not that if a canvas were made the public would respond liberally in aid of a proposal that would afford the children an opportunity of learning much in connection with natural history from personal observation which they would oth- rwise have to obtain from mere book-reading. Such an opportuity is not likely to be again afforded them for many years, if ever, and tiie gentlemen who have taken the matter in h.-md ire deserving of every credit for their etforts to afford the childreu at once a treat and a amount of practical knowledge. The matter will, we believe, be brought before the School Committee to-morrow evening.

An accident, fortunately unattended with *uch serious results as was at first believed, occurred on the North ltoad, a little hevond che toWD boundary, this morning. Messrs. P. Dooley and J. Lemon were driving along the road in a buggy, when the belt fastening one of the shafts to the bnggy broke, tiie .onsequence being that both gentlemen were thrown on to the road. The wheel passed »ver one of Mr. Dooley's legs, but without doing any -serious injury. Mr. Lemon did not fare quite so well. By some means his right shoulder was severely injured, one of che small bones being fractured. Both gentlemen were pretty well shaken, but hevond those named, they did not receive any other injuries of consequence.

" Fools rush in where angels fesr to tread.'" The Dunedin Star has endeavoured o he at once fuuny and severe at our xpenso. In refer nee to a paragraph which ppeared in our columns with regard to th>>urchase of Eclipse by Mr. T. M'Kay, the •iter says in effect, that the credit of tinscratching of Eclipse for the Hurdle Ilace in lamaru is du-i to Mr. M'Kay, and not to Mr. Mason, the former having purchased he horse some days before the Oamaru aces took place. Wo are perfectly aware that the purchase was made in Dunedin, >ut we also know that one of the terms oi •he sale was that the horse was not to be .elivered until after the conclusion of the )amaru races, so that Mr. M'Kay had no omrol over the horse, and could not conoqitcntly have any participation in the •eratehing swindle. The facts we have .iieutioued will tend to show that the whole jransae iou in regard to the scratching of the hnrse was even blacker than it previously appeared, for it clearly proves that the buyi:g oil" of Kelipse must have b. en efl'ected a Dunedin. and thaD Mason deliberately uaiutained a possession of him, and brought aim to Oamaru for no other purpose than to carry out hi i delightful understanding with the bookmakers.

There were no ca?es down for hearing at the Kesident Mag.strate's Court this morning.

The acceptances for the principal events of the Timaru race meeting will close this evening. The Assessment Court for the Kakanui Road District will sit at Mr. D. Booth's woolshed, l.'eidston, at 10 o'clock to-morrow.

The monthly meeting cf the Hospital Committee will be held at the Secretary's office this evening, at 8 o'clock.

A special meeting of the Oamaru Schools Co.-i mittee, for the transaction of important business, will be held at the Secretary's office at half-past 7 o'clock to-morrow evening.

Many of our readers will regret to learn that Mr. A. Thomson, of Kakanui, suffered a severe loss on Friday through the death ■ f his greyhound slut Maid of Florence, which was coisecl by tier running agaiust a sharp piece of iron. She was a cup winner in Victoria, and was highly prized by her owner, who refused LGS for her a few days ago.

A Parliamentary paper which lias reached us gives some notion of the cost of maintaining a sta!f of land purchase officers employed in the North Island. The list given 13 as follows :—J. W. Preece, LSOO a-year; James Mackay, commission of fourpence pei acre on lands purchased ; H. Mitchell, LSOO a-year; C. O. Davis, L2 2s. per day ; T. W. Porter, Ll5O a-year; S. Locke, paid salary from vote for native purposes; J. Hamlin, L2 2s. per day while employed and a halfpenny per acre commission ; J. Booth, 1.500 a year ; C. Brown, paid salary from vote for uative purposes. Truly, a niee staff ol officials to perform a very small amount of work.

A Wellington telegram in the Brute Herald says that the late Hon. W. B. llhodes left LSO to each church in Wellington.

In giving judgment in a sly-grog appeal case in the District Couit at Hokitika, Judge Weston remarked on the high court fees. He characterised them as enormous. He intimated that he would make it his busiucsr to write to the Minister of Justice on the subject. Courts of law were not supposed to bring in revenue. Poor men were almost kept out of court in consequence of the ver\ heavy costs.

We hear (says the CCc.fha Leader) that the late winds have greatly damaged the crops in the surrounding districts, many having sustained a considerable siiake. Those too green to shake have baen so slackened at the roots that they will now ripen without tilling. Harvest is now about half through in the district.

Mr. Barton's case lias been considered by his professional brethren in Christchurch (seventeen being present), who, after a little more than halt an hour's discussion, carried the following resolution :—•' 'I hat tin's meeting having hoard Mr. Barton's statement, without expres ing any opinion upon the leading to his recent imprisonment, considers that the fact of a severe and degrading punishment having been inflicted upon a member of the bar for contempt of Court, calls for an inquiry."

The Daily Times says : —'•' As showing the good fueling existing between Mr. Coiiyers, Cominiss.oner of Hallways, and the railway employes—particularly those in Dutiedin, with wlioni he formerly came more frequently into contact—it is worthy of mention that, during his recent visit to Hunedin, the members o- the Railway Band turned out in full force one evening, and proceeding to the Fernhill Club, where Mr. Couyer* had taken up his quarters, there entertained him during the dinner-hour by the performance of some of their liveliest airs. The compliment was a graceful one, and gives good evidence of the kindly feelings always known to be entertained towards Mr. Conyers by the men under his charge."

During the present month (says the Tapu>iui Coin-i' r) harvest prospects have been exceedingly gloomy. Heavy gales of wind, accompanied by rain, have tried tiie patience of our farmers soiv-ly. In the regions of the northern parts of the county 7 the crops were foatunatcly reaped before the bad weather set in, and have been well saved. In the C'rookstown, Spyiaw, (ileukenich, and Greenvale districts the farmers are, however, not ao fortunate, and most of the crop is still standing. Wheat and oat crops that gladdened the eyes of the growers a month ago, promising an abundant yield, now stand "as green as grass." Tnere are exceptions, however, and in some favoured situations the reaper lias already done good service. The ensuing fortnight will decide whether or not a large percentage of eroj) will ever pass through the threshing mill. Bishop Parker, of Sydney, has given offence to some people by contracting wh:<t is considered an ill-timed marriage. C 'iiceniing the event the Sydney 7 correspondent of the Brisbane Teleyraph writ.-s :—" The reported marriage of Bishop Parker, our Metropolitan, has had the effect of shocking the religious folk considerably-, and if it turns out true, of which no one has the slightest doubt, he will get but a cold reception on returning to Sydney. His marriage under different circumstances would have passed without comment. But it was only recently that he buried a most excellent wire, whose grave, -ide lie quitted with the affecting words, 'Farewell till the resurrection!' He was ever praising her, and his health failing him on account of his bereavement, he was recommended a change, particularly by the ladies. He left for England, where, in his sixty-seventh year, he fell a victim to a dashing young damsel of two-and-thirty, -he is willing to accompany him to the heathen in Australia. But the Jadies do int care for the expected favor, and the iiost respectable and influential Churchmen .eel themselves unable any longer to cooperate with their 'flighty' Metropolitan."