SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2157, 27 June 1895, Page 21

SOUTHLAND NEWS NOTES.

I (From Our Own Correspondent.) Invercargill, June 25.

Still bad weather, but judging from telegraphic accounts no worse than you are having in Dunedin or th m they are getting in Christchurcb, and even Wellington y Out of Southland's earliest and most prominent settlers, Mr Christopher Bnsstian died yesterday morning at St. Luke's Hospital, Gala street, j aged 77. Only for the last mouth had Mr Basatian been confined to his bed with some painful complaint affecting the bladder. Mr Basstian came with his family from Tasmania about the year ■ iflcfrw 1H57, and at once took a prominent part in pastoral puisuits aud an active aud lively interest in the public concerns of the district. In the earlier days ho was a member of the Southland Provincial Council aud afterwards represented the Wall >cc constituency in Parliament. He wa3 one of the first members of the Wallace Cmuty Council, and continued a member up to the time of his death. Last year he wag chairman of that body. He was also one of the oldest mombera of the Southland Hospital Tiust, the Acclimatisation Society, and other local public bodies, and for many years past had been president of the InverCiugill Club. He at one time owned the Woodstock e3tate, near Woodlands, and until a few months .ago was the owner of Duorobin station, having purchased it shortly after his arrival in thu colony. Mr Basstian, like several others of the early station owners, suffered severely by the rabbit plague, but with his usual energy and activity he fought with nio-e or 1e39 success against this scourge until the commencment of liis late illness, la Mr Basr,tiau's more palmy days he took an active interest in sporting nutteis generally, and imported from Tasmania from time to time some thoroughbred aud cross country stock. He took a specially active interest in the development of the frozen meat industry when first inaugurated in Southland. Whi'c the Dean case was in progress and the court crowded at times almost to suffi -cation print the wily pickpocket was at hia nefarious work One woman in the body of the court was relieved of a purse containing £5 in notes and a t-inall nugget of g'lld. Mrs Demi still maintain? tlwt callous, unconcerned demeanour she has exhibited from the very commencement of her ! trial. She eats and sleeps well in gaol, but I continues the reticent manner which has been |so marked throughout. She is visited daily by j the Rev. Gjorge Lindsay, p'sbir of St. Paul's Presbyterian Cnuroh, but, so it in reported, com- ! plains to the gaol authorities that one of the women attendants is distasteful to her on account ! of her constantly questioning her about her j spiritual fiaine of mind and reminding her of the near appro»ch of her death. It is said, too, tbat I her husband came to town last Saturday to see ! liis wife and bid her a final good-bye. Few or no inquiries seem to have beeu made about those poor unfortunate children who were not heard of aguin. There were many children besides those mentioned in the evidence at the trial who disappeared mysteriously from The Larches, but the police are vow aware that many young babies were handed over to Mrs Dean that never reached her home at all. There arrived from Preservation Inlet lai>t week 22 tons of quartz from the Mori. ing Star Company's claim, which is to be forwarded by the s.s. Talune to-day for treatment in Melbourne. Ten tons of stone from this company's retf crushed at Messrs Wyllie and Scolfs battery here gave a net return of 350z refined gold. The engine and the balance of the battery will go down to the company's claim next Thursday. Mr Wyllie i* going down with it, and Trill remain there a month to see it erected. The Wyndham and Edendale ploughing match iB to be held Hear Wyndhara on J uly 10. Handel's great oratorio " Judas Macobaeus " is to be given by the Invercargill Choral Uuion in the Theatre Royal on 'Jhursday evening, the 27th. There is a probability of Mr George Darren's Dramatic Company, now playing in Dunedin, doing a six nights' season in Invcrcargiil. Arwntiementß with a local syndicate are now pending. In viow of the scarcity of work his Worship has been in communication with the Piemier. In the first telegr.tni Mr Scandrett mentioned that the corporation empbyed 30 extra men one day last week excavating gravel, and have fully a dozen breaking stones, and suggested that work on the Seaward Bush railway or Forest Hill tramway should be gone on with. To this Mr Seddoa suggested that Invercargill should follow the example of Dunedin and Chris- church, and promised the usual subsidy of 24s to ea:h pound raised. The council then vo^cd £100, and it was re-olved tlwt the mayor should arrange to band over £lUO to the chairtnan'of the Charitable Aid Board on condition that the couucil acted as agents of that board to carry out works to the extenr of £200. The chairman of the Charitable Aid Boaid (Mr W. II Hall) was then interviewed, a&cl he at once authorised the mayor to employ men on suitable corporation work up to an expenditure of £201). Out of 50 applicants 18 were chosen to cut a daep drain at the cemetery, and 17 of the most nec?«fcitous applicants were selected to do similar work on the park and avenue to Gladstone ; several were to be set to ston--break-iHg. It wts decided that the mayor should convene a rueutiriK of the mayors of suburban boroughs with the view of inducing them to vote a certain sum to meet the want of employment, as most of those engaged belonged to the smaller townships adjoining Invercargill. Speaking on the subject of prohibition at Inverciix 11, the Rev. Gibson Smith, of the First Presbyteiian Church, said he did not believe alcohol was a poison, and while there was much cheap Ecience quoted to that effect, the great mass of experience proved that there were multitudes who used alcohol in moderation without suffering harm. If prohibitionjsts ragirdei it as a poi3on there was no sacrifice in abstaining from it ; but they stultified themselves when they urged moderate drinkers to give up the indulgence for the sake of their weaker brethren as a matter of sacrifice. From the way some prohibitionists talked they seemed to think that if they "ained prohibition the millennium would 3awn and there would be no more crime nor trouble. He had a different idea, for there would still be sin and misery until the human heart was changed. He thought there had been an erection of the temperance movement over Christianity instead of its being suboulinated to it. In the course of a lengthy speech Mr Gibson Smith advocated the hhifting more of the responsibility on to the shoulders of the drunkard himself, who deserved it most: the discontinuance of abuse of the moderate drinker and the securing of his help by moral suasion on the ground of the help that would be given to weaker brethren by giving up the liberty to use liquor, and the putting into the hearts of young men the principle that they should conquer the evil passions of their nature and thus strengthen them>elvee to resist temptation. The second round of senior football matches was completed on Wednesday last, when the Star beat the Pirates by 11 points, T.hi« leaves the Star

team with 4 points, Invorcarffill 8J points, Pirateg >} point, and Riverton 0 points. An Association club ha? been formed, and the season is to be com* mcnccfl on the Northern reserve to morrow. Th« Celtic Socinty's Hall (Brown'o) was opened last Wed nesday by a concert and. ball. Despite) the exceptionally rough wi-ather there was a large attendance, including representatives from all paitaof Southland. An apology for nou-atten-dancc waa received from Mr James Mackintosh, M.H.R. The hall was tasttfivly decorated, and ou the wall were 12 steel engravings presented to the society by Mr Cameron, of Nokomai, and illustrative of the life of Otsian. Mr Thomas Patteieon opened the concert with tho chainnsn'a address. The songs following were well jeceived, eu cores being the order of the evening. The voca-li-ts were Mrs Wilson, Missas Morrison aud Sl'lllwiick. MtsacaJ. Wilsop, R. Wilson. M 1 Alpine, Wright, Rn.ith, Jenkins, and H'Willnm. Miss M'lnerney and Mr Latimer accompanied. Mr Wright received a double eccoretoboth songs. Mr M'Ltan, of Caroline, gave a Gnslic eong which wasgieatly appreciated, aud Mr nurst rendered a comet solo with taste and efftct. Master Gcddos danced the Highland fling, and Mr Holloway tho sword danca, Messrs John Murchison and M'Rae supplying pipe music. At the ball following 40 couples took part in the grand march. Dancing continued till daylight, and all present thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Mee&ra J. Wils m (puno), Nonis and Brown (violins) were the musicians, and Meiers M'Rae and M'Maater otticiiited as M C.'s. The takings amounted to nearly £25. The train service was well arranged, trains running from and to Winton in connection with both concert aud ball. The hall, which is built on a pita presented to the society by Mr 'Ihoinas M'Lean, measures 46ft by 24ft, 10ft being cut off for state and aate rooms. JNVKnCAIIGILI, STOCK SALES. The J. G Ward farmers' Association of NewZealand (Limited) report :— We held our regular fortnightly sale at the yards to-day. There was ft full entry ©f fat cattle, which was expected considering the rare market last sale day. There was, however, brisk demand for all forward, butchers securing the bulk of the entry, the balance going on turnipa. 'J he quality for the most part was good, some few pens of extra quality bting forward. Best bullocks brought up to £8 12s 6J and j£9 ss, while medium torts rangrd from £8 7s Cd to £7, and cows from £7 IPs to £5 10a each. Our entry was 25 head, which were cleared at medium prices. We had no heavy weights forward. Only a small entry of Rtoie cattlo forward, and j prices were without chaDge. Yearlings, 20a to ' 25s ; two-year-old steers and heifer*, 40a to 50s. | bairy Cows.— We sold two pens at £i 10s to £7 j 103— the latter price for prime animals, also the calvii-g cows. Fat Sheep.— ln this class the entry was fair, and included come prime pens. The demand for these, and in fact for all the sheep forward, wob extra brisk at a clear advance of Is to 2-» a head all round. Best sheep" reached lis 3d, while many pens reach, d 9. Bd, Qi 3d, 9a 5«.1, 9s, 9s 7d, and one other pen 10s 9d. The smallest prices ruling for fat sheep were 7s to 8?, and these prices were mostly for OWO3. • Store Sheep.— The entry was rather bare, but all forward sold in prop irtion to fat and at quite an advance of Is tinco the last sale. Lambs, for tho most part, were small. We sold a line of over 100 at Gj, and a pen of first-class Borts (for Mr Georgo Brown, of Wallacetown) at 8i Id ; other lots we cleared at equal prices. ' The sale throughout was a great improvement on any sale hold at these yards for months, aud all went home satisfied except some farmers who still require turnip shef-p. They cannot clearly see where profit is to come in, considering present price of stores. 1 Horse M«rket.— On Saturday we had again a large entry, including Mr W. Baird's contract lot. These especially nold well all through, buyers being evidently sit'sfie-i they were all good woikors. The highest price waß £23 for a gelding, several reaching £18, £17 10s, »nd £16; and old boi ts £8 to £15. We sold others at up to £21, £18, £15, and £12 Hacks and light horses aro rather neglected at present, and will be during tho winter months. Duriug the last fortnight Wo have told cose on 100 draught hoMes at various centred from Balfour and \Vaik»wa and our town yard, and all over we find the demand improving aud prices a shade better than they were a month back.