The Southern Cross PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL : SATURDAY, JULY 9 General News.

Southern Cross, Volume 12, Issue 15, 9 July 1904, Page 8

The Southern Cross PUBLISHED WEEKLY. INVERCARGILL : SATURDAY, JULY 9 General News.

At the meeting of the St. George Lodge, 1.0.0 P.jM.U., on Tuesday night, 14 new members, mostly resident in the Seaward Bush district, were proposed, and will he initiated at a special meeting this (Saturday) evening. Messrs Edginton Bros., nurserymen, Waihiwi, advise farmers and others that they have thousands of fruit and shelter trees on hand, including some good lines of large fruit*bearing plums and apples.

It is expected that the new express service between Christchurch end Inver* cargill will be started about Ist Nov. The Rev. W. Boreham. of Mosgiel, who enjoys a high reputation as a lecturer, will give an address in the Baptist Church on Monday night. It will deal with his experiences during a recent visit to the Old Country, and will be illustrated by a number of very fine views, Messrs Scandrett, MacQibbon and Gil* christ, the retiring members of the Education Board, have been nominated for reelection. There will be a contest, Mr A. Bain, who has had long and varied experience on local bodies, having also been nominated. Mr O. P. McGHashan, who has lately been associated with the Battalion Band, has been unanimously appointed to the position of conductor. Home mails close at Invercargill at 2.45 p.m. on Monday, and for Australia (except Tasmania) at 3.30 p.m. on 'Wednesday. The well-known firm of Brown Bros., of Mill Road, Kennington, have opened a branch store in Spey street, opposite Briscoe’s, and have placed Mr G. If. Dawson in charge. Their advertisement relating to their business as fellmongers, buyers of skins, etc, will be found in another column. Public entertainers who can, singlehanded, succeed in amusing an audience for an evening are few and far between, One of them is Mr V. Vousden, who will appear in Zealandia Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Mr Vousden has been called “ The Irish Society Entertainer,” but as a matter of fact his drolleries are not limited to any “one nationality-—he is everything by turns, and nothing long. Ventriloquism, mimicry, dramatic talent, and humour are in turn called upon, with the result that his hearers, as one paper , puts it “ are more often than not in fits of laughter.” His Mrs O’Rourke never fails to excite great merriment. Messrs W. Lewis and Co drapers, intimate that their clearing sale will begin on Thursday, 14th inst. The position of manager of the firm’s extensive business has recently been assumed by Mr W. G. Johns, late of Brown, Ewing and Co., Dunedin—a gentleman who has had considerable experience both in the Old Country and in this colony. The abominable practice of using foul language which is unfortunately so common, is being severely dealt with in Dunedin. A man who had been guilty of it in the bar of an hotel, and in the presence of a barmaid and others, was fined £5, with 23s costs, iu default a month’s imprisonment. He pleaded that he was under the influence of drink. Messrs Ekensteen Bros, and Co. advertise some of their lines in fancy goods. Mr W. B. Scandrett has a freehold section in the south part of the town, with new five-roomed house, for sale for .£390. The grand shoe demonstration and winter show at S. McDonald’s City Boot Palace continues to attract and benefit the shoe-wearing public of Southland, There is to be found in great variety and at all prices the best selection of evening shoes, warm slippers, and general boot and shoestock that Invercargill can display. Your visit and your patronage heartily invited. —S. McDonald, City Boot Palace. Mr R. J. Gumming has a freehold section in Esk street, with three-storey brick premises. A meeting ia connection with the champion ploughing match is called for this afternoon. A concert in connection with the Don street Primitive Methodist Church will be given on Tuesday evening, 11th inst. Its promoters have spared no pains in the preparation of the programme, and have been fortunate in enlisting the services of some of our best vocalists and instrumentalists. Messrs J. A. Mitchell and Co, sell a number of horses in their yards to-day.

The event ofj the week at the Bluff has been the opening of the fern fete in aid of the Convent funds. Of course it is understood that this was our old friend the bazaar under a different name, but a special and most pleasing feature was the decoration of the stalls and hall with ferns. The place was made exceedingly pretty and the stalls filled with a lot of very beautiful and artistic as well as useful articles. The fetej was opened on Wednesday night by His Worship tne Mayor in his usual felicitous style. The building was crowded and a very successful four-days function [ was inaugurated. The fete extends until this evening, and should result in a handsome addition to the Convent funds. Cold fowl and ham luncheons can now be obtained at the Alexandra tea rooms, corner of Don and Dee streets. The balance-sheet for. the Borough of Campbelltown is published in this issue. The programme of th e concert to bo given by the Orange Lodge on Tuesday evening, is most attractive —one of the best ever given under their auspices. The speakers are the Kev. J. Wilson, of Queenstown, and the Rev. Mr Raine, of the Primitive Methodist Church. For the benefit of townspeople, the Makarewa Bachelors have arranged for Jopp’s drag to rim to Makarewa on 29th July, on the occasion of their annual ball. The Southland Meat Co., have added another branch to their already extensive business —that of bacon curing. The Company have every facility for carrying on the work in their small goods factory at Avenal. The work is done under the latest scientific process, and is under the direction of the Company’s expert small goodsman, Mr D. McCallum, who has already proved his ability in that direction. The saying goes that it takes an Irishman to convert Mr Pig into food. If that be so, then Mr McCallum is the man, he being a North of Ireland man. Before reaching the bacon the smoke is ingeniously filtered to remove all objectionable matter, and cooled over water, ensuring a cleanly, smoked article, containing all the original nutriment. The goods are displayed in the Company’s Don street shop on Friday evenings. The manager, Mr B. G. Thomson believes in being up-to-date, and has a window reserved for trussed poultry, in which the company do a large business. The Friday evening displays are well worth seeing. Mr A. Thompson, for many years with Messrs Thomson and Beattie, has started business on his own account as a tailor in part of Mr Findlay’s premises in Tay street, and invites patronage. Mr Thompson’s reputation for first-class workmanship should stand him in good stead in his new venture, Mr W. Healey, the new organiser in connection with the local branch ®f the Liberal and Labour Federation, is going about the business in an energetic fashion, *nd has already enrolled 40 new members. The tug “ Theresa Ward ” met with a slight accident on Tuesday, which resulted in the blades being stripped off her propeller, through a barge which she was towing being allowed to come under her stern. As the patent slip is not yet an accomplished fast, it was decided to take advantage of the Monowai going out that day to - have her towed tc Port Chalmers and be docked and repaired. The Monowai, with the tug in tow, arrived safely there the following day. The mails and passengers ■usually taken to Stewart Island on ednesdays were carried this week by the Dolly Varden, and as there is no shipping requiring the services of the tug just at present, no inconvenience has been caused by the mishap, Mr T. W, Walker, assistant town clerk, joined the ranks of the benedicts on Wednesday, when he married Miss M. Dixon, eldest daughter of Mr H. Dixon, Leet street. The ceremony was performed by the Rev Mr Pybus. On the previous day Mr Walker, who is a most popular member of the clerical staff of the Corporation, was the recipient, at the hands of his associates, of a large number of valuable gifts.

An in search of first-class house _fumiflhinga arc reminded that the sale at A. Dowe’s furniture warehouse closes next week. ~ Mr R. Day, hon. secretary or the Fallen Troopers’ Memorial League, invites tenders for the quarrying and delivery of a quantity of Oreti freestone on tracks at Dipton.