The Southern Cross PUBLISHED WEEKLY. Invercargill, Saturday, Jan. 30. General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 4, Issue 42, 30 January 1897, Page 8

The Southern Cross PUBLISHED WEEKLY. Invercargill, Saturday, Jan. 30. General News.

Mr C. Gilbertson, who is leaving for Home, has transferred his interest and share in the business of McKenzie and Gilbertson, architects, to Mr E. R. Wilson. The new member of the firm is a native of Invercargill, a son of Mr H. Wilson, and served his apprenticeship with Messrs McKenzie and Gilbertson. Since leaving Invercargill he has been engaged in professional work in Wellington. We wish the new firm all success. Members of the Winton A. and P. Association are reminded that the annual meeting will be held to-day. Important business will be submitted, and it is desirable that there should be a full attendance.

Mr J. W. Hamilton, the genial and hos pitable “ Laird of Stratharran,” died on Monday last after an illness, of only a few' hours duration. Mr Hamilton, who was in his sixtieth year, settled in the Western District over thirty years ago, and from that time right on to the end took an active part in every movement having to do with the public or social life of the district. There was scarcely a public body, from the Wallace County Council downwards, that he was not connected witn, and his experience and outspoken criticism made his services of value.

At the meeting of shareholders of the National Morgage and Agency Company of New Zealand in London a profit of L 10,670 was shown. A dividend of 5 per cent was declared and L 1,685 carried forward. Co-operation may be a grand thing in the abstract, but when it comes to practice it too often, in the colonies at any rate, spells failure. >We have had examples of this in Southland, and now we learn that the Marlborough Farmers’ Co-operative Association is to go into liquidation. A well-known Taieri farmer expects wheat to touch 4s 6d, and oats to average 2s 9d. News came to hand the other day of the death, at the advanced age of eighty-four, of Sir Isaac Pitman, inventor of the phonographic system of shorthand. A man named Carrol, who threw a quantity of vitriol at a successful rival in the affections of a former lady love, has been arrested at Sydney, whither he had gone from Wellington in the Mararoa.

Mr W. Martin, Clerk of the Courts in Invercargill for rather more than ten years, has been promoted to the position of chief clerk at Christchurch, where he entered the service as a cadet twenty-six years ago. Mr Martin is a first-class official, and his promotion has given wide-spread satisfaction. Balloting for a third appropriation of £SOO took place at a meeting of shareholders of the Starr Bowket Society on Wednesday. Eight to the loan was secured by No. 45, represent’ ing five shares of £IOO pounds each, held by two persons.* It was mentioned that an offer of .£IOO had been made for the loan.

A copy of- Stone’s Otago and Southland Directory for 1897 is to hand,; ,As usual it is turned out in first-class style, and the, .arrangement of the; mass of information contained in it is such as wi’l commend itself to all who may need to consult its pages’

The works of the Southland‘Frozen Meat Company at Wallacetown and Mataura will be re-opened on Monday, Bth February. Messrs J. W.<Mitchell, A. McLean, J: BJ. Watson and D Roche have been nominated to represent the borough on the Bluff Harbour Board. The election takes place on Monday, Bth February.

Mr H. H. Dacre, who recently resigned the managership of the local branch of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, in order to enter into business with a relative in Auckland, was invited to meet a number of bis friends at the Crescent Hotel the other evening. There were about .thirtypresent, and Mr Northcote presided. The chairman presented their j guest with & handsome leather portmanteau with a silver plate, engraved as follows :—“ Presented to Herbert H. Dacre. From hia Invercargill friends.” Reference was made by the chairman and other gentlemen present to the part Mr Dacre had taken in locay athletics and his services to the societies with which he was connected. Mr Dacre made suitable response, and the rest of the evening was devoted to harmony, songs being contributed by Messrs Northcote, Thompson, Johnson, Woodward, Crouoher, and Cowley.

The entertainment given in the Theatre Royal on Monday evening by the Invercargill Burns Club in celebration of the anniversary of the birthday of Scotia’s national poet passed off very pleasantl,, albeit the attendance was smaller than the occasion or the merits of the programme deserved—a fact doubt less due, as one of the speakers remarked, to the short time that has elapsed since the holiday season. A noteworthy feature of the evening was an address by Mr A. J. Burns, of Dunedin, a grand-nephew of the poet. Mr Burns made his “ say ” exceedingly interesting, the effect being heightened by quotations from “ The Cottar’s Saturday Night ” and other poems. Mr G. Lumsden, President of the Club, occupied the chair. Two quartettes were admirably sung by Mr« Ross, Miss Innes, and Messrs W D. Smith and W. Lillicrap, and solos were also given, by each of these, and by Mr P. Blue and Mr Murray. The vocalists were in good voice, and well deserved the applause that rewarded their contributions. The Highland Fling was also danced, and the Caledonian Society’s recently-formed Pipe Band gave a selection of bagpipe music that almost proved too much, for the patriotic emotions of some of the audience. One old gentleman whose years probably number four score, clapped his hands and stamped his feet in ecstasy as the pipes and drums poured out their martial strains, and he and others were not satisfied until the band came out a second time. Mr D. Blue’s orchestra contributed a finely played overture, and Mrs Blue did good service as accompanist. A vote of thanks to Mr Burns and to the performers was passed, and was acknowledged by Mr Burns, who spoke in highly complimentary terms of the quality of the musical programme. “ Auld Lang Syne ” was then sung, and the audience dispersed.