CHRISTCHURCH. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

Saturday Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 125, 1 December 1877, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH. FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

. _ . ovember 25. I haye just witnessed a most extraordinary sight, and one) I suppose, that has certainly no parallel in the history of this colony. During the last week, Father Hennaberry has been preaching special missionary services, and to-day it was understood that his sermon would be chiefly addressed to the great questipn of intemperance. The building was densely crowded, there being, T. should say, at least 1800 people present. Throughout his sermon, which was couched in the most simple, but the most effective language, he bad his audience completely spellbound, as it were, and they were visibly affected. At the close of his remarks, he addressed them in a few strong appealing sentences that seemed absolutely electrical, on the great necessity there was of all people adopting the principle of total abstinence, and the blessings attendant on its adoption, referring at the same time to his lordship the Bishop of Wellington, who was present, as a living instance whose example might well be followed. The orator then called upon the immense throng of people to take the pledge then and there. Then there was a dead pause, followed by the single word “ Bise,” as the missionary held up his hand. Instantly the living mass of humanity arose—not a few here and there, but absolutely “ as an avalanche,” as I afterwards heard it described.. Out of the dense throng of people absolutely not more than about twenty retained their seats. These few he especially addressed, appealing to them to show their moral courage and rise like the rest. _ But they remained firm—and this, in my opinion, was indeed moral courage, in the presence of such an assemblage. The 1700 or 1800 people then, with the right hand elevated, repeated after Father Hennaberry the follow-

“ I promise to A ihliWrsr*t»hleWmedicmally, : by and practice During the week, a cCrfifibate will be • issued to ' bach ' of the pledgers, and Sunday thfe { eXact,nußibere,will-,be announced, and a special temperance procession , DlaceF At : the close of the proceedings,, to-day, Father Hennaberry said he [ had^ r the- ; eafc' J gt'aTifißdtion bf/ahhfiiuiicmg : that lie had" in'i the pledge to more persons '6 r ne ! time than - oh any dthbr hdcasiqni save ‘was a** mNow, Mr Editor/' whbre r is J -Hopper,/ m-1 perance refdrrher and literary shining- light ? ; Here’s a chance to start a new temperance organ, and get every one of the riewly;reclaimed to become subscribers: By the w,ay,° I hav’nt heard that he. lias taken any further steps ih his .threatened action for libel against the Sun, beyond sending a threatehihgletter, which had the effect of . drawing a retort from the editor of that journal that nikde it still .mope lively for the'gentlemah ih ll queslion. VJ 57 " , " : J ;

" At the preseht time, there is an inquiry going on at the Hospital, before Dr.' Skae, and Messrs Whitefoord, K.M., and G. L. Lee, R.M. This inquiry is being; made gt the instance of tlib Government, in consequence of certain, statemehts of the. staff," charging one of the medical profession formerly belonging to that body with certain things—which certain things are, for the present, private, no one knowing‘anything at all about them, but a good many people no doubt making shrewd guesses. The inquiry is', I need hardly pay, private. Speaking of the hospital—aaid to be> one of the worst conducted in the Colony—there has lately been a new order of things reigning there, which has led to a rumpus between the press and the house surgeon. This latter, who is a riewly imported l sppc}men of the genus medicus, by name Floyd Collins, seems to have framed and adopted a new set of rules, one of which is that no information whatever shall be given to the reporters, and, in factvthat they are not to be allowed to put their feet inside the gates, except to attend inquests. So that whether a man is dead or alive, having his head or his leg amputated, it is utterly impossible for the press to know the same, except from outside sources. I believe Dr. Collins says that the “staff" and the Government are responsible for the rules, and all that he has to do is to carry them out. But they do say that the doctor himself is this same staff and the framer , of the rules, and that the Government has nothing at all to do with the matter. If this be so, then the sooner the Government interferes and puts a stop to this state of things on behalf of the public, the better. Our salmon ova have hatched ou.t —not “fifty thousand”—but “forty-five thousand strong,” and are likely to be a great success.; At the last meeting of the Acclimatisation Society a letter was read from Mr B. J. Creighton (formerly editor of the Otago Guardian —now editor of the Evening Daily Post, in San Francisco), stating that he had made arrangements to send over a large shipment of trout ova by the next steamer as well as supplies of certain birds and eggs. A special vote of thanks was passed to Mr Creighton for the great interest he was taking in the Society. At the same meeting there was a great row with the curator, it appearing that some 4000 or 5000 young trout had gone astray.. He was dismissed summarily, being paid a months’ salary in lieu of notice. He has since been arrested on two-charges of embezzling the Society’s money, and his case comes on for hearing to-morrow. The Society is certainly very unfortunate in its choice of curators -for they are constantly changing, having had no less than three within the last eighteen months. A very sad case of drowning took place in the Waimakariri Fiver, about twelve miles from Christchurch on Wednesday evening last. A party of young ladies and gentlemen were on the river boating when one of their number, a Miss Fanny Gulliver, of Rangiora, appeared to he frightened at an approaching wave and sprang out of her seat. The boat immediately capsized and she was drowned —never having risen to the surfa.ce after her immersion. Her body has not yet been recovered. Fortunately a number of boats were at hand and the remainder of the party were rescued, although one of their number, named John Winterborne, was, when taken out of the water, thoroughly exhausted and apparently dead, through his having constantly dived in search ofthe poor drowned girl. On Friday a fatal railway accident took place. One of the employes (a horse driver) by some means being knocked down and run over by a truck which passed over the unfortunate man’s thighs. He only lived for two hours. At the inquest yesterday it was found that the occurrence was purely accidental. Our public baths, about which there was so much blow a short time ago,, has _ proved a veritable white elephant, and it has almost been decided by the .City Council abandon them—as the takings are not-sum-cient to pay the wages of the caretaker. ThiSj state of things is, no doubt, due to the fact of the baths being below the hospital, from which it is known that poultices and other matters bf that kind as well as the entire drainage of the institution pour into the river. These baths are consequently not popular,

and will apparently meet the fate predicted *-for vThemv by - ,t -Chou2iekee Junior" y some The ReifcMrYCarvlon, who was a short time ago suspended from his cure at Kaiapoi has taken his departure for England. Th© inhabitants of his district deeply sympathise with him, and are raising a subscription in ordeßtoforward-himatestimonial.expres-sive of their kibcCwishes. , , ’, ” haffteyp or firbkMhrihgThe of any nbte. VJi Th© most -jserious was the destruction of a six-reomed cottage absejttcer;ofvi.th!e ; piaster . and mistress of the house at a ball, at a hall adjoining. The children were saved with great difficulty, aqd every ;bit of furniture was destroyed.. tx .. • Earthquakes haven’t yet quite gone out of Ifashion, as the'< Other day the inhiabitants of Rangiora got. al first-class shaking iipi ! i - Great' preparations are being made for our annual anniversary sports, to take ‘place-on. ! the d6th December. ■' In all’ probability this year, ;• instead of I coming- off : ih J 5 -Latinier Square fin the heart of the city) their- locale will he changed- to the Domain-—which trill ; surely be k much better'arrangement; T ;;i i At the last meeting of the Drainage Boards members expressed a very strong opinion at the delay !of Mr Clark, the consulting engineer/ who was to have been here from Sydney three months ago. It was resolved, to send him over a telegram to “ hurry him gupJ9 •■ncVtOifl hsit/avsq f-m io.-'i - ; - £ : In' the way of amusements, both theatres have bben doing very well —the Royal of course, with Mr Walton and “ The Shaughraun ’’ doing the lion’s share of the business, iiff. The. Shaughraun” has been a great success—principally due to the very beautiful scenery of Mr Williams. Mr Walton’s . Conn is not, to my mind, satisfactory, though it must be admitted it goes well with the audience: But no doubt you will have an opportunity of seeing the gentleman for yourself shortly, and judging of his capabilities. The season at the Royal concludes on Saturday, and the Opera starts on Monday. They will probably be a big thing here; for there has been quite a rusih for circle season tickets. The dramatic company in the meantime go to Timaru and Oamaru, or possibly to Dunedin with Mr Walton—re-opening here on Boxing flight, with Miss Ada Ward as the leading attraction. The Gaiety Company, too, I am told, finish up here next Saturday, hut their future movements are shrouded in mystery.