The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 826, 5 December 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1878.

The Secretary of the Now Zealand Rifle Association has forwarded a circular to SubLieutenant Morris, tho member of the .Kxeoutivo Council of tho Association for this district, in which the writer states that lie has made arrangements with the Union Steamship Company to convey members of tho Association from any port called at by the Company's steamers to Nelson and back, to : vt-'iid the annual meeting in February, :it ■■: iiLflts fares for the double journey, either in the saloon or steerage. He also states that there are about 100 Whitworth smallbore rifles in the Government store at ■Wellington, and that members of the Association can purchase these for L2 each. Tho writer also urges the very great necessity for his being placed in possession of information as to the number of members joir. ; •!.'.■' the Association, and trusts that " Volunteers will not umbarrasa the working of the Committee by holding off inxtil the

last moment, but come forward and assist them to secure to the Association the firm basis given to it by the Conference." The writer concludes by saying:—"You must bo awaro that it will be useless for me to ask any pecuniary assistance from the Government until I am in a position to prove that a sufficient number have joined to warrant them in complying with a request to that eff«ct." Ws trust for the credit of the district that our Volunteers will show greater interest in the New Zealand Association than has hitherto been displayed. We possess some of the best marksmen in the Colony, and should gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity of trying conclusions with the crack shots of the other places. The railway accident, which we briefly mentioned in our last evening's late edition ;is having occurred to the express train, does not appear to have been of a serious nature. It seemß that owing to some negligencce the points at Hampden had been left unlocked and unpinned, and being opened by the vibration of tiie approaching train, the engine ran off the line. Arrangements were speedily made for taking forward the passengers for Dunedin. The Committee of the St. Paul's Young Men's Association have, we are pleased to learn, made arrangements for Professor Salmond delivering a lecture in Oamaru on the 19th inst. The subject to be discoursed upon is "Samson, a Warning Example to Young Men." The fortnightly meeting of the Municipal Council will be held this evening. Those who had the pleasure some time ago of witnessing the performancs of Baker and Farron will be glad to learn that these clever artistes, with a strong company, will pay Oamaru another visit. They appear at the Volunteer Hall for a short season, commencing on Saturday evening. The fortnightly meeting of the Harbor Board will be held to-morrow morning. The Rev. James Mirams will deliver an address at the service in the new Tees-street Hall this evening. Jurors summoned to attend at the Courthouse on Monday next will be pleased to learn that their services are not required, there being no criminal eases down for hearing. The civil and bankruptcy business will be taken on Tuesday next. The residents of Duntroon will regret to learn that thero is likely to be some little delay in the erection of a school and teacher's residence in that township. The whole of the tenders received were in excess of the amount authorised to be expended, and fresh tenders are now called for the work. The following is the Church of England arrangements for the country townships for the current month :—Bth inst.—Otepopo, 11 a,m. ; Hampden, 6.30 p.m. 15th inst. Duntroon, 11 a.m. ; Otekaike, 7.30 p.m. 22nd—Otepopo, 11 a.m. ; Maheno, 3.30 p.m. 29th—Hampden, 11 a.m. ; Otepopo, 3 p.m. A billiard match will be played at the Empire Hotel this evening, at 8 o'clock, between two well-known local players—--1000 up, LlO a side. A shocking accident is reported by the Christchurch papers. A girl named Hurst, aged thirteen, was trying on Saturday to catch a horse in a paddock, when the animal in running round got one of his leg* twisted in some flax. Miss Hurst stooped down to unwind the flax, and the *nimal immediately launched out with both hind legs, catching the poor girl fair in th« front of the face. She was immediately brought to town and received into the hospital, where it was found that both bones of the upper jaw were completely separated, the nose torn right away, both lips very much out, and the skull fractured as far as the base of the brain. Though the girl is so young she bore hei sufferings like a little heroine, calmly telling Dr. Prins and the house-surgeon how the affair happened, while they were attending to her injuries. According to the New Zealand Herald, the Australians say they never could have got through their work in England had they not maintained the strictest temperance. "Some of them never drank spirits at all. The error they committed was in doing too much. The fatigue of the frequent and long journeys was very great, and they say that only on one occasion could they get sleeping accommodation in the railway carriages. Every other time they had to doze sitting, or lay thcmielves down on the floor of the carriage, They were thus at many of the matches noi in a condition to play; and one of them told us that he has fallen asleep with the bat in his hand waiting to take his turn at the wickets. They say that they would get intc good fettle, and keep their condition up foi a day or two, and then they would all fall away, as it is impossible to maintain the system long at a high strain. In respect tc the Cambridge match, one of them told ue they would confidently tackle the same eleven again if they had a spell and were in condition. When all this is remembered, the surprise must be greater at the great success of the Australians. All the tean: speak enthusiastically of the cordiality of their reception in England." A sad accident occurred in Dunedin yesterday, by which the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Almao, of Princes-street, lost hei life. The child fell out of the chair in which it had been placed, and on being taken up was found to be insensible. Medical aid was sent for, but the child was quite dead before any assistance could be rendered. The Evangelist says that letters from Mr. Macintosh, of the Colonial Committee of the Free Church, announce that the Rev. R. M. Sutherland has been appointed for Otago, and was to sail from Glasgow on November 9. The survey of the Strath-Taieri railway is now complete, and tenders will be called, and the work put in hand at once. Many years ago a discovery of plumbagc was made in the Perseverance mine at Collingwood, but it was estimated that the mineral would not pay to work. Bettei hopes seem to be entertained of a similai discovery just made on the West Coast oi the North Isiand. The Wanganui Herald says :—An important discovery on the Waimate Plains has come to our knowledge. A recent visitor to that part of the Colony was shown a piece of plumbago, the findei stating that it had been picked up in one oi bhe streams watering the plains. As the quality of the mineral is excellent, and the sredibility of the gentleman who found it indisputable, we trust soon to hear something more of the discovei-y, A small piece jf the plumbago can be seen at this office.