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Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4540, 2 December 1889, Page 2

The last meeting of the New Zealand Rifle Association, as many ot oar readers are no doabt aware, did not prove a financial success. Many things militated against the success of the gathering, and, as an unfortunate oonsequenoe, the state of the lundß was not Bnch as to warrant the ÜBual vote to the Chairman (the genial and generous Captain Sommerville), upon whom the work of carrying on the Association and making arrangements for ths gathering then, as in many preoeding years, devolved. The performance of this work Involved the expenditure of a good deal time and money, and Major Purnell determined that an (flirt should be made to reoogalße the good services of Captain Sommerville. Through the members of the Council he appealed to the marksmen present for subscriptions to a testimonial to the Chairman ; but hia effort has not been suooeasful, the only places from which favorable responses were received being Oamaru and Wanganul. In a letter to Major Headland, returning the cheque he sent, Major Purnell writes as follows : —"I have returned the oheque with many thanks, The faot of receiving it will, however, keep green in my memory as another pleasant reminiscence of Oamaru—a plac3 where we all received the ntmost courtesy at the shooting in 1888, and at which we made many friends. Kindly convey to Messrs Kay, Butt, Barnes, Hardlog, and Kiddie my thanks for their response, and also that I have their names Btnok np In my office as the ones—and the only ones — that considered Captain Sommerville'a services worth anything," The monthiy inspection and annual muster parade of the garrison volunteers will take place on Friday first. A trout weighing 141b, caught by Mr J. Johnston, was on view in Mr Famiitoa'a shop this morning. We have received from Mr J. T. Brooke Hickson, a number of lithographed plans of the Nenthom quartz olaims, and it is amazing to notice the enormous distriot embraced v y the reefs, Altogether there are about 88 claimß, and as eaoh olaim embraces an area of about 23 chains in length, by about two-thirds that distance in width, our readers can form some idea of the amount of ground pegged out. We have several plans, which are at the disposal of those who may require them. A Sydney paper praise] the members of the National Orchestra of that city for having determined to rehearse onae a week without pecuniary remuneration, There is nothing extraordinary in this. The majority of our brass bands practise, cn an average, at least three times a week.

At the last meeting of the Auckland Education Board, it was unanimously agreed to place Mr Fidler'a name on the list ft.r employment. Mr Fidler'a Oamarn friends will be glad to learn that he is so far recovered from the slokness whioh neceesifcattd his resigning his inspectorial position as to be able to resume school work.

| A painful accident happened to Mr J. D. Familton as he was going home on Saturday afternoon, by whioh he sustained a compound fracture of the right leg. Mr Familton waa riding down the hill into South Oamaru, when he aaw a lad running after a horse which waa on the road, and, in order to assiEt the lad, he rode up and headed the animal, which, aa it turned, kicked Mr Familton on the teg just below the knee. Mr Butcharb; who was also returning to Kakanui with pasßengerj, came up immediately afterwards, and, with assistance, lifted Mr Fs mil ton off his horse and brought him in to Oamaru to £>r de Lautour. In the evening the sufferer was taken to Mr Jamea Familton's residence at Newborough, and ia now progressing towards recovery as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

Messrs Tonka and Co., one of the oldest auctioneering and commission agency firms in tbs oolony, recently filed a declaration in bankruptcy, They attribute their failure to the long-oontinued depression and the high rent of their premises, which amounts to LI2OO a year, and has yet about 20 years to run. The liabilitiea amount to about 013,000 and the assets are estimated at LIO.OOO or MI,COO. Much sympathy is felt for Messrs Carr and Tonks. Mr Carr has paid this district a yearly visit for some time past, and haa done a good deal of business with our merchants, Mr T. A. Reed, one of the best shorthand writerß In the United Kingdom, and who, during a long professional oareer, is believed to hive reported more popular preaohers than any other man, has contributed " Some Reporting Recollections" to the Christian World, and as might be expected, i he has some good stories to tell. Here ia one: "Many years ago, a Presbyterian minister requested me to report for him a course of evening sermons that he was delivering. The firßt of the series appeared to terminate in three-quart era of an hour, and I was about shutting my note-bock, when the preacher quietly said, 'Having made these few introductory observations, I now proceed,' eto, And he did proceed, and continued remorselessly for two hours and twenty mioutes." In an artiole on Sir Harry Atkinson's health, and the necessity for hia retirement for a time from aotive politics; the Auckland Herald sayß :—"For Instance; it ia known that some of them [the Ministers] are exceedingly eager in the matter of the Otago Central Hallway. They may simply, during the Premier's absence, ' plunge' in that direction. If it is imperative that Sir Harry Atkinson must leave the helm of State for four months, we should think that he would feel it his duty to resign." A meetiog of the Oamara lumpers was held in St. Andrew's Hall on Saturday night. The members of the Union, having deolded to join the New Zealand Federated Wharf Laborers' Union, thirty-eeven signed the constitution, and the roll book will be open for a week for the admission of new candidates, Ths step taken by the Union will serve to strengthen the Federated Union and assist in making the claims of labor respected as they have a right to be. There are branches of ths Union open now ,in nearly all the seaports of any importance | in the colony. The members of the Walshe-Seymonr Company arrived here from Danedin to-day. They appeir to-morrow night at the Public Hall in Lea Cloches de Corneville. A number of oivil cases aame before Mr Stratford, R.M., to-day, In the case of Carl Dlehl, a claim for part oost of a fence brought by him against James M'Donald, judgment waa given by default with coats, !he oase H. B. Crawford v. W. M'Gill, claim some £22, waß being heard when we went to press. The plaintiff conduoted hia own case, Mr Harvey defending. The adjourned meeting of the MartiniHenry Rifle Club will be held in the Coffee Rooms to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock, The Railway Department announoe that Satnrday return fares from Oamarn to Palmerston will be issued on the 6th, the occasion being the Palmeraton and Waihemo Show.

An effort is being made to float a company, with a capital of LSOOO. to take over the Bawke's Bay News, the paper that was started in the liberal interest, and was a few years ago purchased by Mt Ivess, who nsed it without avail to assist his candidature against Mr Crmond, Thera are two other papers in Napier, both of which are conducted in the Interest of the landocracy, and which seem to prosper. In. spite of all Its endeavors In the advooacy of liberalism the News gets but meagre support, and its history is another evidence that, no matter what the policy of a paper nuy be it la a h»rd struggle, and almost ja forlorn

hope, to Ingratiate itself amonpat those who, by means of their wealth, are the chief supporters of newspapers, and to firmly establish itself in a field where there were alreadymore newspapers than the pnblio oonvenienoo demanded.

A meeting of the Martini-Henry Rlflo Club is oalled for to-morrow evening. We le*rn that the Rev. Thomas rpurgeon, who recently resigned the charge of the Baptist Tabernaole at Auckland, will relieve the Kev. Mr North, at Dnnedln, for a month, after which Mr Spurgeon proceeds to Tasmania.

It is notified that nominations for ths various events of the Oamaru Tradesmen's Racing Club close on Thursday next at 8 ,P;m.; and entries for the Derby of 130 on Thursday, 19th. The place for receiving nominations Is the Royal Hotel, Further particulars as to value of stake?, etc , are givea in an advertisement. It is hardly oreditable to Oamaru, possessing as it does two of the beat bands in the colony, that It has not loDg ago provided a rotunda for the use of the bands. Were the matter taken in hand we feel assured that there would be no difficulty in finding the recesaary money—about LSO. It has occurred to us that the right plaoe for the rotunda would be just inclde the entrance to the Chelmer-street gardens, where on Thursday afternoons promenade concerts oould be given alternately by the City and Garrison Bands. While no obarge could be made for admission to the grotini, yet those bo minded could give a trifle, whioh would soon provide sufficient to defray the ccst of the struoture. In the meantime wo would suggest thai: the matter be taken up by the two bands, and the first concert given next Thursday. The beautiful lawn inside the gardens would provide a capital spot for dancing, Prom a oopy of the Cape Times Weekly Edition, dated Ootober 24, we learn that Johannesburg his been suffering from prolonged drought, causing great soarolty of food, A correspondent, writing from Johannesburg on Ootober 18, Biys Three I thousand white men to be discharged tomorrow ; 10,001) natives from the mines. The lo»f of bread costing 4d In London,_ six shillings here ; everything else in proportion. Coaoh fares raided ; water and food for man and beast getting soarcer every day. Eggs are quoted at 4s; firewood, L 5 to L 1 0; potatoes, 14 to L 5 ; flour, 15 5s ; parrsfln, L 6 per caße; butter, 33 6d to 53 6d. So serious had the situation beoome that on October 22 the Government of the South African Republic announced a bonus of li2o each to the first 250 waggons with provisions reaching Johannesburg. The Dunedln Exhibition jurors are to be appointed by the superintendents of courts as follow Tuesday, jurors for classes Ito 9 ; Wednesday, 10 to 18 ; Thursday, 19 to 27 (which inoludea agricultural produots); Friday) 28 to 35. The judging will take place aa soon after the appointments as possible.-

A report of the orlokefc matoh played on Saturday between town and country, and won easily by the former, reached us too late for insertion, Our advice to thoßO of our settlers who intend to visit the Danoclin Exhibition is to defer the trip till after the holidays. Good as the Exhibition Ib, it is not neatly so good as it will be when all the exhibits are put In their places and everything has been got into order. We would also strongly recommend visitors to leisurely, with catalogue in hand, inspect the pictures in the Art Gallery. Tht y are in every respect remarkable productions. Such an opportunity of saciog real pictures eeldom presents itßelf to a colonist. Every parent who oan afford the expense should take his children to the Exhibition and let them Bee all that oan ba seen during the time he can spare, and in nccord»noe with the length of his parse. There are many things in the Exhibition that oar rising generation should see, in order thit their minds should be enlarged and educated. The people of Dnnedin are highly favored in having so effectual and practical a means at their very doors of enlightening their children. But there are certain matters in connection with visiting the Exhibition that ought to bB attended to. It may be assumed that, in the majority of caseß, those who take families to Dunedin will make the trip within a single day, so as to avoid the great inconvenience and expense that would be consequent on staying In Dunedln overnight; We suggested the other day that ths Hallway Commissioners Bhould make such train arrangements as to render this economical proceeding possible, and we understand that thereis a probability of the suggestion being aoted upon. We would also warn thoße who Intend to visit the Exhibition that It would be wise to avoid, as much as possible, the necessity of patronising the Dunedln tradespeople. Everything seems to have been appraised st Exhibition values, and shopkeepers appear not to know how to open their mouths wide enough. The moral of this is that country visitors, who seem to be known at a glance by the Dunedln shopkeepers, should be on their gaard lest they should, by extortion, be made to contribute to the harvest whioh the Dunedin people seem to be intent upon making during the Exhibition period. " With here and there a lusty trout." The London Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News of September 21st writes bb follows New Zealand must certainly be the place of all others for trout fishing. Let anglers ponder on thefollowlng fromOamaru, Otago, New Zealand. "W. J. F." writes : "It has occurred to me that if people were only aware of the capabilities of Bport in this colony, we Bhould see more of those lucky oneß here who oan afford to travel over the world in search of amusement. Our trout fishing cannot be beaten, and the Waltakl, Clutha, Molyneux, and Avon rivers will compete with any trout water in the world. Very many of the creeks, too, are fall of tront and afford excellent Bport with fly or minnow. I enclose a faithful °and acourate, if roughly drawn, outline of a grand trout weighing 171b which I oaught at the end of last season in the Waltakl. at Clarkefield, a station 12 miles below Kurow. It was a beautiful golden yellow all over, and I believe a Thames trout, some of which were liberated into the river by the looal acclimatisation sooiety a few yearß ago. It was one of eight taken one morning with spinning minnow, and was a noble fish In snperb condition, It was the champion fish of the past season, and give grand sport, finally being landed by aid of a frienldy and shelving bank of shingle, on to whioh I managed to run him out of the deep water, Laßt jfsason I was lucky enongh to get the good bag in the one day—of ten fish weighing 481bs, and loßt seven more through having no gaff. This has twlco been beaten by others this year, by one bag of nine fish weighing 631bs, and one of eleven fish weighing 791b. When at Clarksfield reoently I observed 43 large tront in a backwater or false bed, and sent word to the local acclimatisation society, who sent up two men with ft net with the view of getting ova, bub, alas I the net waß unsound, and the whole of them sailed Into and through It and away. Three of these were, in the judgment of several persons, four or six inches longer than the one whose picture I have sent, and must have weighed 251b eaoh; and this river simply swarms with these large trout now busy spawning. Our season opens again on October Ist, and continues till end of April, when the shooting season begins. Durlog the time, too, the Exhibition at Dunedin, which we fondly hope will rival, if not exoe), that at Melbourne, will be open. Surely this [grand fishing and the Exhibition, to be followed by the excellent and varied shooting to be had, present sufficient inducement to some of the lucky and moneyed ones who search for sport and amusement. The large trout mentioned above was eaten and pronounoed excellent by Dr Wait, of this city, and that my statements are not in any way exaggerated can be csrtified by my friend, the manager of the Union Bank of Australia, or msny others of undoubted veracity. Until I came here two yearß ago I had never taken a trout of more than three pounds' weight, so Imagine my delight on being introduoed to the Hew Zealand beauties.

Tuesday next, Deaember 3rd. being the first Taesday of the month, Mr Geo. Robinson will pay his usual professional visit to Waimate, 899