EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26542, 18 August 1947, Page 4

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

" FROM THE FILES OF THE ©tago E>atl? XWmes DUNEDJN, AUGUST 18, 1862 “The change in the weather at the beginning' of the week and the fine dry weather we have had during the last few days has caused a much more cheerful feeling in business circles and decidedly more has been doing.” The census of New Zealand for 1861 shows that of the population of the province of Otago 8849 were born in Scotland, 7494 in England, 3454 in Iveland, 167 in Wales; 2720 in New Zealand, 777 in Australian colonies, 140 in other British possessions, 309 in the United States, 80 in France, 194 in Germany, 366 in other foreign countries, and 79 at sea. The birthplace of 2834 was unknown and there were.j3ooo unenumerated miners. , The Dunedin Improvement Ordinance 1862 provides, inter alia, that immediately after the passing of the ordinance the city shall be divided into wards or districts. There were tp be three members of the Town Board elected from each ward. There were 61 clauses in the ordinance. The Daily Times states that the separation movement of the Middle Island from the North Island is “ being conducted with caution and prudence. . . . The League is earnestly working to remove the suspicions that interested persons have industriously raised that it has only the selfish interest of one province in view.” “The-even tenor of life in Otago has been considerably disturbed during the past month by a series of events of singular and absorbing interest. Shocking murders, fire, fatal accidents, sudden deaths have divided the interest in the public mind with elections, theatres, horse races, billiard matches and other matters about which the public is wont to excite itself.”