LOCAL & GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2268, 19 August 1897, Page 22

LOCAL & GENERAL.

The eighth month of 1597 has now been entered upon, but it is in Thursday's Gszette that the statistic? of the rainfall for 1896 are first published iv the colony. Rain fell last year in Auckland on 198 days, in Wellington on 185 days, in Christohurcli on 107 days, and in Danedin on 181 day 3. The total fall in inches was : In Auckland, 3779; in Wellington, 57 5* ; in ChrUtehurcb, 25-52 ; and in Dunedin, 4-8 54-. The maximum fall on any one day was : In Auckland, 2 - t>6 ;ia Wellington, 2-90 ; in Chriitchurcb, 2*15 ; and in Dunedin, 2-78 inches.

A somewhat unusual case connected with the administration of the licensing law is creating discussion at Wanganui. Mr K>itle, as chairman of the L : censing Committee, refused to give Mr Tasker, who for 17 years has beea a resident of Wanganui, and for nino has been a licensed publican, the certificate of character re-quired by the act. Some fcima ago he was charged by the police with Sunday trading, bub there was no conviction or endorsement on his licbuse. Recently ha sold out of his licensed premise 3 and bought into the Rutland Hotel, bub before doing so ascsrtaiaed that ths police would offer no objection to his request for a license. Me Kettle, however, refused his certificate, and also declined to discuss the matter with the mayor and a deputation of residents which, waited on him wit a a petition in Mr Taiker's favour, bayond statiDg, iv reply to the representatives of the . deputation, that they could not know the facts. Mr Norbhcroft, S.M., who was present at the interview, agreed that with the facts before him Mr Kettle could not have acted otherwise than he did. In commeat'icg on the enormous power which is entrusted to a magistrate in a case of this kind, the Hawera Star raises the poiut as to whether there ought not to b9 a right; of appeal in such cases. It is true, it points out, that one magistrate is not bouftd by thd decision of another in such & case, but it would be very inconvenient to have magistrates giving contradictory decisions on precisely the same* fac««. la this instance, as two magistra'es. so entirely agree, the fads are apparently against the applicant, but there may be case 9 (says the Star) where it would be very advisiblo to have a review of a magistrate's decision by a higher coutt.

The Fecond of a series of leclures on " Browning's Philo»ophy of Life" was given by the Rev. Dr Waddell on tbe 10 h, in connection with St Andrew's Litirary Institute, at tha' Church Hall in Walker street. Tbe lecturer dealt with " Life's Disc'pliae," and pointed ou 1 ; that to Briwning the world was * divinely arranged resting school or battlefield where mnn was pub to make himself. His circumstances were tbe schoolmasters to discipline i him in love — to develop and nurture the j spiritual part of him, o£.v?h ; ch love wa^ ah once the test- nod the fruity Wuhoub temptations, the poet taught, the uio.-t p?eoio«s faculties ok' the sjul would have no existence. Pain afid discontent were the conditions of the moral life, ■without which progress would stap and j life would stagnate aud corrupt. They called iuto activity against wjrong the Divine faculties in man — the faculties of love, of sacrifice, of pity and compassion. They baevme the way through .which God atfd'marr were merged in a common Jifo and a common effort for sue ultimate victory of good' m the universe. The lecture appeared to be greatly enjoyed by (he audience, who showed their appreciation of it by marked demonstrations of approval.

The New Zealand wcollen goods referred to in our cables of last week as presented through the .Earl of Glasgow to her Majesty the Queen, tLe Marquta of Salisbury, aud thu Right Hon. J. Chamberlain were manufactured by the Moagiel Woollen Factory Company (Limited), aud consisted of'flanne's, blankets, and ruga. Wfl are glad to find our local production so much appreciated.

The labours of the committee of the Free Kindergarten Association in oonaeofcion with the Record Reign festival terminated on the 10' oh inst., when Mr H. Baron, who acted as honorary secretary to the festival, was presented with a gold albert and Maltese cross, suitably inscribed, as a memento of the occasion aud in appreciation of the excellent manner in which he carried s out . his extremely arduous duties. The presentation was made by Mra Reynold?, and acknowledged by Mr Bsron.

Pursuing the course abe hw successfully adopted m several of the Australian centres, Mis« Summers, a recent arrival here, parposes establishing in Duuediu in artists' agtnsy. The precise object of such an institution will be the formation of a studio in a central parb of the city, where viiitors and othfrs who may take an interest in art will have an opportunity of inspecting the wprka of the local artists. Thu* art; connoisseurs will be brought into direct relation with those who are desirous of disposing of their pictures. Mi?s Summers has had a wide experience in her capacity as an artists' agent. As previously indicated, she has established such agencies in other places iv the colonies, and they have baen found to supply a much-felt want. With a view to bringing the project under public notice, she intends to dispose of a number of pictures by act union. These are now on view in rooms which she has engaged in she A.M. P. Buildings, and they ioclutfe the works of Messrs Mo al tray, Wi)6on. Nerli, Sinclair, Lloyd, Mra Strack, and Slifs Blacke.

The Taita School and teacher's house on the Hutt road, 14 miles from Wellington, were burned down about midnight on the 9h. Nothing was insured. The or:g\n of the fire was a defective chimney. Ti. m teacher (Mr Williamson) saved a portion of his furniture.

The District Committee of the M.D.1.0.0.F. (Obago D. strict) held a 3pectal meeting on Tuesday, and completely revised their rules, which hare not; been amended for a period of about 20 years. Experience had shown that a number of them were unworkable, and they have now been revised to bring them into touch with later rules of the order at Home, and also to meet Legislative provisions and decisions which necessitated alterations in many respects.

A social meeting of the members and friends of the W.C.T.U. was held iv the Y.W.C.A. Rooms on Tuesday evening, 10th, and was very largely attended. Misses Gairdner and Dunlop contributed sacred songe, and Mrs Ba.llant.yne (from Melbourne) gave a short account of the work being dona by the union in that city. Several members spoke very strongly on the subject of the reformatory and inebriate itsylum, and it was unanimously resolved by the meeting that " a reformatory was urgently needed, and that Government aid should bs asked to carry out this plan." At ths ssme time it was pointed out by several of the women that a reformatory uader Government would not meet the case at all. It was also resolved "that in the opinion of this meeting it is very desirable that two women at least should be appointed to serve upon our Charitable Aid Board," and it was decided that the members of the other branches of the union should be asked to assist iv this matter, and that letters

should be sent to all prominent public men who would be likely to aid the women in the furthtrauce of this project. The meeting was most enthusiastic, and several new members joined at the close. The Cromwell Argus considers that if ths Otago Central is to be constructed the colony musb borrow, and until that is done both the press and the public of the interior are almost certain to remain apathetic on the subject.

A large number of students from the Otago University, accompanied by Mr F. B. Stephens (lecburar on metallurgy), visited the Otago Iron Rolling Mills at Burnside on Thursday eveniug and witness»d the first process of manufacturing iron. Considerable interest was manifested by the visitors in witnessing the various machines at work, particularly that of an enormous hammer which strikes a blow of 30 tous. ,They were courteously showa through the premisss by the genial manager (Mr John Stnellie), who took great pains in explaining matters of interest to the visitors.

Between £15.000 and £16,000 is s«d to have been disbursed by the Maoris who have attended the sitting? of the Native Land Court at Wanganui since January l%st. A petition wh'ca is in circulation by the Natives asking for the removal of the court to either Upokortgaro or Pipiriki is consequently looked upon by the tOTraspeople with disfavour.

The Hon. Mr L-srnach is of opinion that the proposed Hariot-Roxburgh line, if taken in hand, should bu on a 2[t gauge system. This does not suit the Tapanui Courier, winch sees no reason why the Government should not put the line through to the Molyneux Valley without further loss of time, and not, iike the Otago Central, fritter half the money away in engineering and inspection, and ke«p the work going for as many years as months shou'cl suffice for constructing a public work. Our contemporary further, says :—": — " There is no reason in the world why a 20-mile .extension of the Tapanui branch railway into the valley of the -Molyneux could not be mads with graders and other modern appliances inside 12 months.' Now that the d ifficalfcies in the Otago Central line are pretty well overcome, and * stretch of level country is ahead, the employment of graders might be adopted with advantage to run the line through qu : ckly to A'exandra or Clyde, 80 that advantage might be taken of the large trade incident on tae dredging boom which is about to commence. Tbe number of births in Auckland and suburban boroughs in the month of July wan 129, and the number of deaths 55. the proportion of the latler to the 1000 ot the p9pnlation being 1-26. Iv Wellington and suburbs thera were 90 births acd 43 deaths, the proportion of deaths to 1000 if the population being 1 03 ; in Chrittchurch and suburbs the births were 69 and the deaths 50, the proportion of tbe latter to 1000 of the population bstng 1 21 ; and in Duiiedin and suburbs there wero 91 births aud 50 death?, with 1-06 as the proportion of deaths to 1000 of the population.

An action was brought in the -Palmersbon North District Couct last wetk, in which Samuel Lindsay, jockey, claimed £50 from William Tufuer, railway guard, as damages for assault and illegal imprisonment in having the plaintiff removed by a, constable from a, firstclass railway carriage, in which he was talking to some friends -while the train was under way, to a second-clacs carriage, for which he bad taken, out his ticket. Judge Kettle decided (the Post reports) that the guard had exceeded his duty, as he should have given plaintiff the chance to pay the difference between the two fares, and in case of refusal have reported him to his superior officers, who couIJ prosecute for breach of the by-laws. Judgment was given for £1 and costs.

Additional subscriptions for the Victoria Children's Ward fond h«.ve been received from Stone, Son, and Co.. £1 1? ; J. C, 104 ; K»ikorai Presbyterian Church, £5 ; Mr J. Ness (Port Chalmers), 10s 6it ; collection on s.s. W&ikare (per Mr Ness), 19s 6d ; collected by Mrs Lewis G. Fenwick, of Olarks : Mrs Nichol, 5? ; Mrs Gibson, 33 ; Mrs Searl, 2s ; Mrs Borfchwick, 3s ; Mrs Johnston, sa ; Mrs M'Djnald, ss ; Mr L. G. Fdnwick and family, lQs— tota), £1 13 i; Mr W. Patrick, £2 2a.

According to the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelbon Times, it ia nob thought likely that Parliament will be called together much before the first or second week in October.

On the authority of the Hon. J. G. Ward, who arrived in town on Friday evening from the south, we are requested to contradict the raoneur, communicated to us by our Wellington correspondent, "that Me Ward's friends are endeavouring to persuade him to resigu, sow that his constituents have by such a largp. inajarity thowo. their confidence in him." Mr Ward also authorises us to contradict the statement that; another effort is to be made to bay up* his liabilities, so as to obviate the conseqtitncf s of any proceedings that may be taken in bankruptcy.

So far as Duuediu is concerned, the four

Bb. Johu Anibulance classes for this winter have, with the exceptions of the eximiuations, finished this week. The women's first aid class showed that they appreciated Dr Jeffco&t's services" by presenticg him with * solid silver cigarette case *ith au appropriate inscription. Miss Armstrong, in handiog the memento to the doctor, said that it ir&a only & small evidence of the estimate formed by the das 3of the value of the doctor's services. Dr Jeff>;oat, in thaokiug the clas.«, eaid that the great interest showc by the cla3B was iv itself sufficient reward He hoped that tvery one would pass the examination with credit. On the same evening Dr W. M. Stenhouss was the recipient of a handsome oak-mounted dinner gong. Mrs Fi zhardinge Jones, in asking the doctor to accept the memento from his nursing class, wished to thank him on their behalf for his nelpfnl lectures. The doctor, thanking the ladies, encouraged them to farther themselves in their nuraiDg work. The examinations commence on Wednesday, when the mining students will meet at the University.

Mr David H'Kea Wright has won the prize offered ab tbe Olago University for an original poem, bis subject being '*Quaen Victoria, 1837 — 1897." iVofeagor Gilivay, in announcing the result of the competition, expressed a high opinion on the winning paeaa. Mr Wright is about to publish in book .form " Station Ballads " at present appearing in the columns of the Witness.

The late Mr Thos. Legan, whose funeral took place on Friday, was an old resident of O :ago. Born at St. Bee?, Cumberland (England), in 1836, he arrived in Victoria in the osrly days of the diggings. Ke came to Orago at the commencement of the sixties, and made his way to the Cromwell district, where ho opened up the firat quartz mine in Ofcago. He followed this occupation for years, and afterwards engaged in contracting, one of his partners & few jears ago being a man well known in Danedin —Me David Proudfoot — whom he joined in the prosecution of several important works in New South Wales. At one time he was sossessed of great wealth, his fortama

running considerably into six figures, with (some say) a five at the beginning. He waa of a generous, good-hearfced disposition, aud many a man in Obago and elsewhere to-day has to thank him for valuable assistance in time of need. About 12 months ago Mr Logan returned to Duaedia from Australia ; and although he had been ailing to some exbent for ye« 3, it was not uatil lately that his illness took a severe form. He was then proitrated with an attack of jaundice, which carried him off on Thursday morning, at the age of 61.

The following changes of officers on board the Union Company's steamers are reported :—: — Me Lundje, chief officer of the Taupo, to the same position on the Poherua, in the place of Blr R»wnley, who has resigned the service ; Mr. Sparks, second officer of the Liddesdale, promoted to be chief officer of the T&upo ; and Me Watson, first officer of the Hauroto, to the same capacity on the Waihora.

The Rev. Edward Walker, of the old New Zealand Alliance hns accepted a six months' engagement to conduct Congregational Church services at Newtown, Wellington, aud will leave Dunedin by the Tarawera ou the 24th inst. to take up residence in Wellington. He expresses tbe hope that his past experience aa parliamentary agent for the Alliance may stilt be of some service there in respect of temperance legislation.

Lord Brassey, Governor of Victoria, in the courss of evidence given by him in Melbourne before the commission on Old Age Pensions, said : • ' The problem ol poverty »nd its relief seems inseparable from all human conditions. We hear something of it in Bomer's ' Odyssey/ and during a recent trip to New Zealand, ths second great wonder of the rising city of Invercargill to which I was tnken by its mayor was the Home for the Aged Poor, which was not distinguishable from a workhouse in the. old country ; and this was in New Zealand, where fertile land cau be had in free grants, where food is cheap, where wages aro at the highest standard, and where the Government hss shown no hesitation in trying bold experiments to secure the greatest happ'.ness to the greatest number. It would seem necessary, therefore, even in new countries, to fa.cc th« question which* confronts us in the countries of toe old world." Mr Hancock, M.L A., subsequently put this question : " With regard to the remarks nboub cue institution in Inverca-gtll, does your Bxcel-L-ncy think that tha'; was the result of the pronounced legislation in New Zealand, or do you thick legislation is likely to be a preventive ? " Lord Brassey replied : " I did nob think of tho matter w,th reference to any legislation in New Zealand. The words that passed tbr-iugh my,'mi-nd when I saw the building were, 'Ths poor you shall always have with you.' "

As was locally surmised at the tima of the receipt; by cable of the news of the death of Mr F. J. Townsend, mauagerof the Dunedin branch ot tbe B.tnk of Australasia, while ou hia way to England, cha cause of the death was heat apoplexy. It appears that on the second day oi the Ked Sea pannage in the P and O. Company's steamer Himalaya Mr Totvnsend felt unwell, bufc nothing serious was anticipated. Oa the third day he was at the morning bach at 6 o'clock, but at 9 was found dead in his cabin, the ship's doctor attributing his death to tha cause stated. Tae greatest sympathy wa3 felt for tho bereaved widow aad little son.

Our Lawrence correspondent wrote on Friday: — "Oae of our eldoafe aud most respso:ed residents, ia the person »f Mr JatnaG Doeoerty, passed away at an early hour this morning. He had been iv ill-health for a considerable time past, and much sympathy has been felt foe him. in his sufferings, which are now over. He was one of the early pioneers of Tttapeka, coming hers in the first of the gold rush. Later on he successfully conducted the Tuapeka Hotel at Tuapuka Flat for some yeas. He leaves a wife, with whom great sympathy is felt in her bereavement."

An entirely new syetem of lighting houses and streebs h&s lately baen invented which will iv ceres fc householders with, heavy gas bills. Chandelier lamps, having a wick bub no oil reservoir underneath, are fed with petroleum, drawn through ordinary gaspipes from an oil cistern. This tank is placed in a distant garret or on the roof, thus abolishing all risk of explosions. A scientific principle which minimises the consumption of oil renders the coßt nearly 15 times cheaper than gas. Thesa lamps were recently severely tested by the London County Council, detached lamps beinj knocked over and thrown about while alight, and finally pronounced iuexp'osibte. This cheap system of lighting will bs an inestimable boon in country places whose inhabitants have hitherto chiefly depended on the moou. Negotiation* are in progress with the parish, councils for lighting 30,000 British villages and small towns unprovided with ga3 er electricity. The investor, who was & comparatively poor man, ia now rapidly making a fortune.

If all municipal bodies throughout the colony treated their heeds in the way ia which the Wesfcporfc Borough Council treats the mayor of that town, the amounts voted as mayoral feonornria would in some cas-ifl oe sensibly reduced. At the last meeticg cf the Borougu Council in qciestioii a proposal was mado to vote £30 as salary to the mayor "to enable him to pay certaia expenses." A* an amendment to that, it wa3 moved — " That the mayor be asked to furnish a statement of his expenditure during his preient term, and upon that being done a sufficient sum be voted to reimburse him." The mover of the amendment declared that he was thoroughly satisfied that the occupant of the mayoral cbsir had not spent, a? mayor, the «urn of £200 which he had received »ince he had entered upon office. Another member of the council held that, while no reasonable man would expect th« mayor to account for every penny he had spent, when the councillors voted money they should know what taey were voting it for. Oa the (strength of thesa arguments the amendment was carried by 4 votes to 3.

On the 6th insfc. John Norton, printer and publisher of the Sunday newspaper Trutb, appeared before the Fall Court in Sydney to show cause why he should nob be attached for coatempt for having commented upon a case in which W. Freeman Kitchen was a party wbL'e tbe action was in course of heariug. Mr Norton denied that the article referred to the applicant, or that it bore the meaning sought to be attached to it. The court, however, ordered Norton to pay the sum of £100 to her Msj-sty. Norton was given a week within which to pay the money. He was reminded that, though the court did not add to its ordsr that he be imprisoned until the money was paid, still he would thoroughly understand that ulterior proceedings could be taken if ha did uot comply with the order of the courb. In a second case, of commenting upon a criminal charge brought against certain persons of wounding with intent-, no fine was imposed, but Norton was ordered to pay costs.

At a meeting of the executive of. the Woman's Franchise League held on Friday afternoon, with Mrs Trainor in the chair, the secretary was instructed to forward a letter of condolence to the husband of tho late Mrs Dugdale, one of *Ue executive, expressing sympathy with him

and his family in his bereavement ; and deep regret was felt at the serioua and long-continued illness of the president (Mrs Hatton). Mrs R. N. Adams was elected secretary during lha absence of Mrs Ansell, who leaves for a trip to Manchester this week. After the conclusion of the ordinary business an enjoyable eveniug waa spent, and a presentation made to Mrs Ausftl!, consisting of % travelling case filled with articles such as will prove useful during her voyage.

Mr W. S. Laidlaw, president of the Central Obago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, has baen informed by the Hon. A. J. Cadman that the Otago Central line to Kokonga will ba opened for goods in a few dayi, and for passenger traffic about the end of September.

The Railway department has withdrawn the concession previously granted to school teachers to travel and give instruction in country districts on Saturdays. In future Saturday tickets will only be granted to teachers who are travelling to classes for the purpose of obtaining instruction.

The cable brought us word at the time of the libel action in the Queen's Bench Division, before Mr Justice Ha.wkins, in which the parties ware war correspondents. The plaintiff was Mr A. Atteridge, who had been the special correspondent of the Daily Chronicle in tha recent D angola expedition, and the defendant Mr-E. F. Koighfc, who bad acted as special war correspondent of The ..Times in the same expedition, and the claim waa for damages for libe! contained in a letter written by the defendant; to Mr Hamilton Weldon, a journalist in London, in which he stigmatised the plaintiff as a " dirty cur," declared that he left the Soudan became he w&ts "in a blue funk," that he was regarded as responsible for the death ot* Mr Garrett, another special correspondent, thst when cholera appeared he "drank champagne and pray, d to his God all day," and made other equally serious charges against him. The defendant*, when applied to, declined to retract or apologise for the statemeuts contained in tbe letter, aiad he now pleaded that they were true in substance aud in fact. In the witness box Mr Knight gave evidcuc3 to the effect that tbe plaintiff was not at the front at the battlo of Firkeb, and that ha did not leave the Soudan solely bscause he was ill. He still declined to withdraw any of the statements ia the letter complained of, except one (as to plaintiff's hsviig lefo Captain Healer lying in the road at Assuao, because ha thongat that officer had beeu seized with cholera), bub he admisted that some of the terms u»ed might be exaggerated. Mr Justica Hawkias, in summiDg up, eaid it was admitted that one pact of the libel could not be justified, and the only question, therefore, was the amount of damages to ba awarded. The jury gave a verdict fur £1000. A short time ago the Union Steam Ship Cora> pany'a s s. Maori made au excursion from Suva, i f iji, to the Islo-nd of Beg?,, to allow visitors to witness tho celebrated " Fire- walkers " on this island. Tnis mysterious ce?emony, the secret of which is only known to one tribe on this particular in'and, has puzzled eld and experienced scientis's, and uo satisfactory solution of the feat has jeb been discovered. The ceremony has only been performed a 6 long intervals, and tha.t w»a the firs*; occasion it had beeu open to tha general pubic. There was a large gatheriug to witness the Fijians walking ovac the hot stones.

j Daring the hearing of a money-lending case ; at the fiouthwark County Court (says a Lon- | don paper) ib transpired that a woman, who i curried on a bniiness of that kind in a very poor locality, was surprised at her own moderation in charging only 3000 per cent, per annum interest. Tho defendant had borrowed on j Saturday £1 in order to get her husband'! clothes out of pawn, where they had been placed without his knowledge, the interest charged for the Joan from Saturday to Monday being 3s 9dj Plaintiff w&9 -of opinion that thete "cttttiag-do wo' 1 rates, ,au she called them, were ruining: business, competition being so keen. F«r the £1 lent she vow only claimed £2 7* 4d and costs. His Honor gave judgment in her favour at the rate of 4s a month, but told her that at the money was borrowed without the husband's knowledge she could nob touch anything except what the defendant has iv separate estat*. As the woman, has absolutely nofaing, tha money-lender will probably be ultimately compelled to write tho debt off as iivecaverabls.

Speaking on the subject of <rwill-o'-the-wisps " afe the l&st meeting of the Wellington Pnilcsophical Society, Mr R. Coupland Harding narrated- au interesting personal experience which befell him last February on the Ruataaiwha Plains',' HaWke's "Bay. He had bean walking until between 3 aad 4 o'clock ia the morning in a drizzling rain, and getting on to a very b-i-i. thoroughfare he. retraced his staps, remembering that hs-hid seen what he thought to ba a light in * house. He presently saw two lights soiae dhtaceffin front, and soon noticed that they weren't; fixtures. When he stopped they stopped, aud "when lie moved they did. H» then realised what they were, aud happening to look down at his feet ssw a third light, which, after about' ls seconds, released itself from the earth and darted into the air so quickly that the sight couldn't follow it. He was then accompanied by three lights instead of two. On reaching a gate he resolved to turn back, and the luminous globules, which were really alongside him, though they appeared a distance away, were once again in front as before. They afterwards disappeared. They were cylindrical in shape, and about the size of a bean. The habit of the will-o'-the-wisp in accompanying travellers iv this fashion had often proved fatal to many ati uaauspcatins wayfarerwho had gofc lost in marshes or fallen over cliff a or qaarries.

The first of a aeries of winter entertainments was held in St. Mark's Schoolroom at Green Island on Friday tveoicg, when an excel* lent musical programme was provided. The orchestra, under Mr E. L. Ashby, played an enjoyable overture, and several well-known amateurs contributed vocal items. In the first part the Misses Treseder and Freeman contributed, gongs, Mr J. B, M 'Donald gave ft recitation, aud Messrs E. A. Kva and F. L. Jones rendered able assistance. A tableau "Pharaoh's Daughter" was effectively produced, and a like remark applies to another; representing "The Three Graces" and "The Three Dsgraces." In the second part of the programme Mr C. Barrett played a solo on the violin, Mr M 'Donald gave a recitation, and an excellent display of a living statue was made ; while Mias Treseder sang " Close to the threshold," Miss Jessie Fish contributed a ballad, Mr El. Piper gave a story, and Miss B. de L. Graham sang " The Toilers," and Mr F. L. Jones the " Flower of Dunblana. A 'tableau' of the "Three Old Maids of Lee" brought fclie entertainment) to a close.

The Eclipse Fair in aid of St. Mary's Churcn, Mo<giel, was brought to a close on Saturday evening. The Mosgiel Brass Bind again gav^ their services, and played several selections very sweetly. The Highland pipers were also id evidence. The MorniDgton Minstrels created

great merriment on Friday and Saturday b; their performances. The children's dance war much appreciated each ' evening. The stallholders and their assistants worked assiduously, PT)d with very satisfactory results. The various aide shows were well patronised, and the dance crowd whioh thronged the Volunteer Hall en Saturday evening " must have carried awaj plcaiiDg recollections of the occasion. Thi Very Key. Father O'Neill, in thanking all whrhad given their services acd the friends who had generously contributed to the financial result, expressed the hope that the fleecing tv which all had so good-humouredly submitted would have a healthy effeeton their constitutions, as they would have the satisfaction of knowing that all liabilities were removed off St. Mary'» Church through the hearty co-operation of al sections of the community.

At the Railway Goods Office on Saturday Mr £i. V. Basmutsen was on the occasion of hipromotion to be etationniaster at Dipton the recipient of a valu&bfe set of cutlery, neatly set in an oak case. Mr D. Wallace, goods agent, in a neat speech referred to Mr Rasniusssn't good qualities as a railway man, and congratulated him on his well-earned promotion Mr Rasmussen briefly thanked the donors for tbeir valuable present, and said it would always remind him of the many good friend*; be had made during his apprenticeship on the Otstgf Section. ■

The Melbourne Weekly Times has a pathetic picture of the baby alleged to have been born during the wreck of the Tasmauia. The •• little •tranger, bearing a striking resemblance to one of the old-fashioned Du*ch dolls, is tenderly held in the arms of a stalwart -seaman arrayed in lifebelt and everything complete, including an apparently carefully waxed moustache. It is to be regretted for the sake of the artist that the baby wasn't born at all. An equally imaginative picture is the representation of the piano-playing incident.

Mr W. J. Stanford, of Macetown, has resigned bis seat in the Lake County Council iv consequence of the action of that body in reelecting the Hon. J. G. Ward ss its representative on the Bluff Harbour Board. The Lake Wakatipu Mail publishes correspondence between Messrs Stanford and Ward with reference to the latter's candidature for re-election to the board. Mr Ward wrote from Dunedin on the 29th ult. a private letter to Mr Stanford, in which, after allusion to his having "for the laßfc 16 months been surrounded by extraordinary difficulties, which culminated recently in his being forced into the Bankruptcy Court," he said that if the County Council reelected him to the Bluff Harbour Board he would •• value the position not only for its s -.ke, but for the purpose of showing the world that there were those who yet had confidence in him, and who in the hour of trial had not deserted him." Mr Stanford, replying to this, said that Mr Ward apparently thought the general public of New Zealand were too indolent and indifferent to read and form opinions on the tacts brought out while he and his subordinates were under examination in the Supreme Court, as otherwise he (Mr Stanford) could not see how Mr Ward could, in the face of the disclosures, bave the "cheek" to write him such a letter. Mr Stanford went on to state, without mincing words, what he believed to be the opinion the public had formed respecting the object for which the Ward Association wa-i floated and respecting Mr Ward's subpequent transactions, and said he considered it most desirable that, for the commercial integrity of New Zealand, the world should b8 shown there were not those who yet had confidence in Mr Ward. As a letter written to inflaence his vote in & public capacity' could not be considered private, Mr Stanford added that he had headed the correspondence to the press. Mr Stanford's letter was returned to him with this endorsement:7-^' Mr Stanford, — I thought I was writing to a gentleman, but find I was writing to a cad. Don't forget to publish this with the rest. — J. G. Wabd, 6fch August, 1897." The Mail states that it received a letter advising that the correspondence should not be published by it, as the insertion of the letter of Mr Standford "will, without doubt, affect your business, as a great many friends of the person referred to in the lettsr have made up their minds to withdraw their support or business from you should the •letter s-poear."

Tv« iJunstan Times strongly advocates the energetic pushing on of the Otngo Central railway in order that advantage may be taken o? the large traffic now commencing as a result of the dredging boom. " From Ewcburn to Ida Valley," says our contemporary, " there is no natural difficulty of any sort, and we shall be much disappointed if the whistle of the engine is not heard at Poolburn within another year." An energetic contractor, with road graders and improved machinery, would run the line through to Poolburn in six rnoaths, but what would become of the " unemployed " with their wheelbarroira were this done ?

A young man named Mainwaring had a ttriraculous escape from death at K*raDgahake one evening recently. He and auofcher were running two trucks from the Talisman battery across the 7 river to the cyanide buildings, and through some alleged carelessness on the part of the other man, who was behind, he allowed his truck to dash into Mainwaring's truck going down the incline. The latter was knocked oft' hie truck, and fell with his head on one of the rails, and in- this position he was skidded for about 20 yards along the line by the other truck, the wheel ef which was pressed against his head. Only the incline of the line prevented the wheel from going over his head. When examined by the doctor it was found that he had a large hole behind one ear, while the other ear was split open and required six stitches. A large hole was also gouged out of his shoulder, and be is considerably cut and bruised, but will probably soon recover. His escape is nevertheless a miraculous one.

The Mount Ida Chronicle records the death, at Spec Gully, of an old identity in the person of Mr John Wright.. Born at Dumfriesshire, he found his way at an early age to Victoria, whence he came to New Zealand with the early mining rushes to this part of the colony. For a number of years he engaged in mining at Kyeburn diggings, but his health partialiy failing there he turned t his attention to teaching. He was for years the teacher first at Kyeburn and subsequently of Waihemo. His failing health at Waihemo compelled him to retire from the teaching profession, and since that time he lived in retirement at Spec Gully.

Particulars of the recovery under remarkable tircumstances of a stolen bicycle have been supplied to the Post. Towards the end of March last a bicycle belonging to Mr F. E. Ward, of Wellington, disappeared mysteriously. By the English mail which arrived last week Mr A. H. Hunt, of the railway accountant's office, received a letter from the manager of the Woodside Ferry, Birkenhead, Liverpool, conveying the information that a bicyole was in bis possession, having been left at the ferry bicycle ■tables by some person unknown. The writer explained that he had written to the makers fef the bicycle, the Mutual Cycle Company, teiofister, giving the number and % general

description of the machine, and had received a ■reply that it was one of three which the company had supplied last year to Mr Hunt. The manager of the ferry asks Mr Hunt to give him the name of the owner of the machine, as he t i«bed to return it at ouce. The bicycle turns out to be one sold by Mr Hunt to Mr Ward, the disappearance of which greatly puzzled both its owner and the polioe.

The death of Dr W. Mill, which occurred at Alexandra last' week, occasioned general regret not only in that district bub also throughout tha Kurow, Duntroon, &nd*Hakateramua districts, and at Kaitange.ta, where the deceased practitioner had resided and endeared himself to everybody by his kinduess and cireful treatment of patients and his assiduity for their welfare, although suffering much at all times himself. Dr Mill was one of the mo3t brilliant scholars who has passed through the Onivemty of Otago, a contemporary of his — Dr J. Fitzgerald — going so fa>-, in referring to his death at -i farewell banquet tendered to himself at Kaitmgafca last week, as to deacribe his as cne of 'he brightest intellects in the medical profession ia the colony. The funeral of Dr Mill took place in Dunedin on Saturday.

The full reports, as they appeared in the Times and Witness, of the examinations of the Ward Association officials and the Hon. G. M'Lean have now been republished in pamphlet form.

Dividend warrants for the half-year ended the Jlst July will ba payable to shareholders in the Otago Daily Times and Witness Newspapers Company (Limited) after the 19th inst.