CHRISTCHURCH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3917, 5 September 1874, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

August 31st,

I suppose aboufc the biggest thing I have to chronicle on the present occasion is the opening of the railway between the Rakaia and the Ashburton, which took place last week. Ifc is formed, as you are aware, upon the narrow gauge system, that of sft. 3in. terminating at the Rakaia ; bufc as the former is being laid down throughout the entire distance, the break will soon be obviated. I have already given my opinion of this detestable narrow gauge—an opinion backed by every competent and independent engineer in existence—and fche more I see of the working the less I like it. About forty people were in the lirst train, and the Ashburton celebrities stood a champagne breakfast at J. AY. Oram's Ashburfoa Hotel, where the usual amount of rotten speechifying took place. Of course the visitors were the noblest representatives of humanity extant, and Lr all time, and the natives were—just one peg more noble still. And the advantages that were enumerated thafc would accrue to the district would be so enormous: the neighbouring ranges—visible with the naked eye—aboundin every mineral fchat was ever discovered, co.uldnowbe "tapped" so splendidly, and oceans more of such arrant twaddle. While now for a short prophecy. When the wool and grain seasons are in full swing the line will nofc be able fco do a tifche of fche work required of it, as a main trunk—to say nothing of innumerable " feeders " —aud then the general refrain of those interested will be, " A song for the time when the sft. 3in.," or, "Oh ! hang this ! The horses and waggons again." Bah! lam getting poetical. So much for our anticipations of the working of the t/rand trunk line under the pre=ent conditions.

The above paragrajih loads me to a highly interesting balance sheet showing receipts and expenditure upon the railways for threequarters of the year, from the lst of October, 1873, to the 30th of June, 1874. Tliere was a balance in the first place of £1705 (shillings and pence always omitted) : goods freight from Lyttelton to Christchurc'r>, £20,445; from Christclmrch to Lyttelton, £10,253 • passenger traffic both ways, £9511 ;—total, £40,210. On the Great South Line:—Goods freight up to Christchurch from all stations;' £7324; down from Christchurch to all stations, £5916 ; passenger traffic both ways, £9041 j—total, £22,282. On the Great North Line:—Goods freight up to Christchurch from all stations, £2998; down from Christchurch to all stations, £2137; passenger traffic both ways, £7136 ;—totd, £12,272. To these totals are to be added the following items :—Wharfage, £4798 ; storage, £570 ; labour, £1604; water, £314; commission, £146; rents, £502—which, with sundries, reach a total together of £90,125 7s 3d. The expenses for the same period amounted to £07,459 10s 2d, so that consequently the sum of £22,665 17s ld was paid into the Provincial account. A peculiar interest attaches to some of the foregoing figures, inasmuch as they give a fair criterion of the relative proportions of our imports and exports, ©ur august legislators no doubt, considering that the above amount was rather too much to clear out of the public during nine months for the simple carriage of their goods and persons, have determined to lower the rates both for goods and passengerp, and the modified tariff came into operation last week.

A writer in one of the papers here has thought fit to administer a severe castigatim to the Dunedin representatives of the com-, mercial traveller eleintnt. I must, however, honestly confess that, speaking from my own ixieriences, I hold views somewhat antagonistic to his own. A certain hotel— not far from the Bank of New Zealand—is Btated to be their rendezvous; that they are always boasting of the "lines" they have "done" ; as, for instance, that one will offer to bet " hats round " that he has done more lines that day than anyone in the room, and all the rest of it, and that they are accustomed to the use of indelicate remarks, and are for ever growling about the cookery. The consequence of all this was that the commercial traveller element was a bore to the writer. I nuroly reproduce the above statements for the edification of the employers of these particular individuals, at the same time remarking that I consider they are, as a class, most unjustly maligned. Those particularly interested in educational matters may like to know that, acting upon certain suggestions of the Provincial Auditor, the Bo rJ have agreed to make out quarterly imprests for the payment of salaries, to be paid into the Bank to the credit o£ tre chairmen of the respective districts, the said imprests to be based en the attendance for the previous quarter; and, further, that the salaries of the schoolmasters and misV tresses may be paid at the end of each month's service. It will at once become apparent that the opposite of all this, as previously obtaining, was objectionable in the extreme.

A noticeable remark was made the other day, in a local stock and station report, wherein it was stated that the term during which good moat was not procurable, and which has been gradually narrowed year by year, has now ceased to exist at all; and this in a great measure is attributed to the increased cultivation of rape and turnips—a branch of industry " which promises to work even a more favourable change in the agriculture of New Zealand, than it has done in the old country." This may be all very true, but for my own part with regard to the butter that we get at this time of the year, all I can say is, that it is simply execra'le.

At a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society held the other day, the curator referred to certain improvements which were being carried out in the fish hatching and rearing departments. One of the glass tanks had t*en finished, and the second, which was reirly completed, would be a'l that was at present required in the fish-house. Some of the young salmon parr showed signs of changing to the smolt phase of their existence, and representations were made that it was absolutely necessary to get the floating cage ready afc the very earliest opportunity. With regard to the trout, spawning boxes have been sunk in the Avon, and nests have been taken with great success, the total number of eggs obtained during the season being estimated at about 10,000. A resident here has written some rather severe strictures upon the manner in which acclimatisation is earrie:} on iv Canterbury, and says that the entire affair should be-under Government control, otherwise it will culminate in a failure and a disgrace to the Province. And, 1 stiy. while on this subject, I may mention that Mr Bills has been commissioned to bring oufc 500 leeches for the benefifc of the Society.

Professor Bickerfcon made the following homely allusion the other day in one of his lectures, when illustrating "Kinetic energy." He said thafc there were few men who could not remember the experiment of rubbing a brass button on a form till it was well heated. Furthermore, while another waa endeavouring to compass the conventional "forty winks," his companion was watching the closing eyes and diligently rubbing his button. At length a howl of pain told that the experiment had succeeded;- Kinetic energy of the mass had been converted into kinetic energy of the molecule—or, friction had been converted into heat, Thislieat, causing too violent a motion of the particles of the hand, a tremor of the nerve took the information fco the brain, and the involuntary howl was the result.

i must apologise for a villainous specimen of composition is my last letter; not quite so bad, howerer, as an instance upon which I often delight to ruminate A man named Eastes was plucked for his degree examination several tiaiea in succession, and ifc was

stated that, with one exception, the subjects had been so thoroughly drilled into him that be could have passed easily enough. This exception was English composition, and on one oci-asion, on ascertaining the usual result, he was heard to exclaim to a friend, "Me and Lor.l ltoyston is plucked again." There was a neat little episode connected with the narrow gauge business tliat I must not omit. One of these new-fangled engines was about to start from the Rakaia on a trial trip when a youinj urchin—having trodden, perhaps, upon the blossoms of some eleven summers—sung out to tho driver—" I say, mate, I'll run you for a hundred yards for a fcg of tobacco."

One of the newspapers here made a most horrible printer's (of course) error in Colonel Gordon's Volunteer Report. He was made to aliude to three corps in condemnatory terms, whereas tbe word used was commendatory. The members of the said corps wore of course up in arms (so to speak) until the paper in question had apologised in the following issue for their gross misrepresenta-

Tlie Christchurch City Council lias attempted in several places lhe concrete side channelling. The specimens that I have seen are thoroughly satisfactory, and, beside 3 doing their work so well, they impart a compact and very uniform appearance to the footpaths. Two vessels with immigrants arrived from home on Saturday last—the Cathcart and tlie fet. Lawrence. On board [the former a mutiny occurred during the voyage, and the captain fired three shots with a revolver among the mutineers. No lives were taken. +i.amff" able to Sive y°u the particulars of the aflair, but 1 may say that I saw one of the immigrants yesterday for a few minutes, ■t.-r % toltl me the caPtain was perfectly justified in the course he adopted. The worst feature of the case is that a man who was lying quietly in his bunk, and was in no way involved in the fracas, received one ot the bullets in his groin, and I understand Uiat up to the present time all attempts to extract it have been unavailing I hear of another valuable "quarry having lately been opened up within only a few miles of Christchurch, and furthermore, that the stone is of admirable quality, and excellently suited for building purposes. A terrific thunderstorm passed over Christchurch on Friday night, and appears to have been even more severe at Kaiapoi, where sundry miraculous escapes from the effects of the lightning are recorded. Luckily it only lasted for a short time, but the flashes were as vivid as any that I t ver experienced. It is stated that a certain Volunteer Rifle Corps were assembled at the time for inspection parade, but that after the first -flash they beat an ignominious retreat—in other words skedaddled.

The Germans here obtained three bells from Prussia for their church. But "ding donj.', bell" is not a musical tintinnabulation, of whatever quality the bells may be. I understand, however, that the peal is to become a public one, and is to be increased to a respectable complement. The last football match of the season was played in Latimer Square on Saturday, and I presume our athletes are commencing preliminaries in the boating and cricketing line. The following admirable sentence appears in one of our morning papers :—" On the arrival pf the coach from Hokitika at Kelly's Creek on Thursday, it wan found to be very much swollen through the iate rains." What an unfortunate roach!

The Steele-Keogh Dramatic Company opened a short season at the Theatre Itoyal, on Saturday night, and 1 have no donbt that with tolerable representations, they will succeed in attracting very fair houses: It is announced this morning that, before handing over the reins of office to his successor, the Mayor of Christchurch intends inviting the Premier to a grand banquet. Larrikinism here is rampant. A gentleman being about to change his residence, has taken his wife and family for the nonce down to Sumner. On Saturday night twentjr-six panes of glass in his old house were smashed, and sundry other deeds of Vandalism are reported.