BRIEF MENTION

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 16, 25 December 1880, Page 135

BRIEF MENTION

— • Hoani Ngamu is seriously ill. — Harry McMurdo has been very unwell these last few weeks. — C. O. Davies sings temperance songs in Maori. What a treat ! — Lake House, Rotorua, is progressing rapidly towards completion. — Large additions are to be made to the Terrace Hotel, Tarawera. — Is there any connection between B. and S. and Billy Swanson. — Attention is directed to the notice of the Foresters' concert and ball, which appears elsewhere. I hear it is to be an Al affair. — The Tauranga folks have already engaged about thirty tons of cargo for London, per "Lady Jocelyn," and more is expected. — It is now openly stated that several persons went on the " Southern Cross's" pleasure trip who never received invitations. — Impecunious Taurangians are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the "Lady Jocelyn," with her contingent of moneyed men. There will be a fine scramble for the cash ! — Before going to the Races on Cup Day be sure and call at the Nevada, where at one and the same time, you will be able to get the "straight tip" and a good nip. — [Advt.] — Mr. Arthur Bull, of Mount Eden, gave a most successful garden party last Saturday afternoon. A large number of the elite were present, and spent a very pleasant time. — A Kaipara bard sends the following : — The Helensville hall is a whopper, And the first spree therein will be " proper." Says our tenor and talker — the great J. A.Walker, " We'll take the shine out of Kaukapa." — Fitzgibbon Louch, the promoter of the new special settlement near Whangarei, has arrived safely in London, and enjoyed an interview with Vesey Stewart before that gentleman left for New Zealand. — Mr. Stickley informs me that the number of children in the Industrial Home unvaccinated Avas twenty-five. He says he begged Dr. Purchas again and again to see to them, but it was not till quite lately he could persuade that gentleman even to examine the children. — Capt. Jacob of the " Southern Cross " says he doesn't see how Mr. F. G. Ewington can know much about the cockroaches in the cabin of the mission schooner, as that worthy gentleman spent most of his time dead sea sick on deck. Poor dear Ewey ! —No less than five persons (presumably ladies) have written from the North Shore to tell me that the new doctor, whom everybody appears to think a great deal of, is very probably going to be married. The information not being sponsored, I suppress name of the lady mentioned. — The best and most acceptable Christmas present for a good cricketer is undoubtedly a lirst-rate bat by some crack maker, and this, together with all sorts of cricketing material, can be purchased cheap at the shop of Messrs. Partridge and Woollam's, Queen-street. — [Advt.] — The new Agent-General, Sir Dillon Bell, has been presented by his neighbours with a silver claret jiig and cup, purchased with shilling subscriptions. The knight regards the gift of special value because it comes from the inhabitants of a district in which he is a large landholder, and therefore — in the opinion of some — an enemy to the district and colony. — How is it Mr. E. M. Edgeumbe appears to take so little interest in the public affairs of the Waikato ? When in Tauranga he was the life and soul of the place, in fact, that somnolent little town was never so well looked after either before or since. The Waikato folks should wake E. M. E. up, and £et him to "boss" them a bit. He would make a capital mayor. — At his political meeting the other evening, Garrard talked familiarly about the "fifty million loan," which' our bloated aristocracy had squandered for their own benefit. The old man is rather proficient in the art of drawing the long bow, but this is a long way ahead of his previous efforts. Of course, if he says we had a fifty million loan, it must be so. — For Heaven's sake, do it ! Let there be no delay ! Heaven only knows what may happen if you don't ! Chaos isn't likely to return again, but, in the name of all that is holy, of all that is virtuous, of all that is precious, — don't neglect to visit Garrett Bros., and buy a pair of new boots to spend the holidays in. — [Advt.] — "Clothe me in dreams," warbles a local feminine poet. It's too early in the season, darling, for that sort of raiment. Yon would be far wiser to call at Mr. T. McMaster's, 242, Queen-street, and select something more substantial and fashionable from the choice and varied assortment of the latest styles to be seen at that famous emporium of fashion. — [Advt.] — ■ The Waikato Times is complimentaiy. List to this, oh ! mine enemies. ' ' Last week's Observer is a credit to colonial journalism. The journal has been enlarged to forty-eight columns, is admirably printed on excellent paper, and the matter is good. An illustrated supplement, containing faithful sketches of the Te Aroha goldfield, . accompanied Saturday's number." — " It's only a Spring opening, mamma," explained that awful boy, as he exhibited his torn trousers after a leap over the fence. The remark was a trifle out of season ; but as his maternal parent had enjoyed a visit to Messrs. Munro & Milligan's, Karangahai^-voad, the day before, and delighted herself with an extensive purchase of that celebrated firm's latest summer styles, the urchin was forgiven. -[Advt.]

— I see "by the London cablegrams that Mr. Hughes is to be knighted. Is this the gallant captain of the Fire Brigade ? — The masters of the City East school are offering even money that the eight district scholarships will l>e carried off by pupils from that establishment. — I am sorry to hear that Judge Fenton is very ill, and hope that he will soon be restored to his wonted health, as there are few men in the colony so well fitted to discharge the duties of Judge of the Native Lands Court. — Old High school boys must have felt glad to see their former schoolfellow, Willie James, "who came up from Wellington by the "Hinemoa," acconrpanied by his wife. He looks well, residence in the Empire City evidently agreeing with him. — Miss Kate Buckland had so far recovered from the effects of her accident as to be able to drive into town on Monday. The young lady deserves great credit for her pluck, as after such an experience most would be afraid to. sit behind a horse again, let alone drive one. — The young people of St. James's are rapidly pairing. This week Miss M — r, Miss M — c, Miss A — , and Miss R. M. have yielded up the fleeting illusions of the state of single blessed* ness and joined the number of those who have elected to accept the responsibilities and taste the delights of matrimony. — Mrs. Goring, sister of the ill-fated Miss Dobie, was seen in Queen-street this week, wearing a neat black and white print dress. She deserves credit for ignoring the stunid fashion of wearing black dresses trimmed with crape, which are most unsuitable for this warm climate. — Bro. Arthur Wright was, on Monday evening, installed Worshipful Master of th"c Waitemata Lodge, No. 689, E.C., having been unanimously elected to that high office by the officers and members of the Lodge. Bro. W. P. Moat, P. M. officiated as Installing Master, and discharged his duty in a most impressive manner. — Bill-stickers beware ! The bill-sticker who put the large posters announcing the reopening of the Theatre Royal, and the re« engagement of the talented" Mr. and Mrs. Lingard, side by side with those headed, "Jesus Only," announcing the services to be conducted by Mrs. Hampson, had very crude notions of the eternal fitness of things. — An original and very interesting amusement has been started by some of our young citizens. The game is called "Ladle," and was first played on the top of Mount Eden some few weeks ago by moonlight. I believe it is a sort of gigantic spooning party. Several ladies and gentlemen came out in their true colours on the occasion. Our reporter has been invited to the next meeting, after which full particulars will be given. — It is to be hoped that Mr. Harvey (or Dr. Harvey, which is it ?) will manage the Industrial Home better than he does his H.'s. I heard him read the lessons once at a certain suburban church, and the slaughter of the innocent letter was really painful to listen to. However, I have great hopes of him, all the grumbling and caviling nothwithstanding. He is young, energetic, and I should say a thorough adversary of all vincleanliness ! — One day last week two ladies passing through the Domain came upon a party of four yoimg girls, the oldest perhaps twelve or thirteen, with two babies. The eldest girl was busy dealing out a pack of cards to the remainder of the party (excluding the babies), who appeared to be playing ' ' euchre. " " Well, said one of the ladies, "you have not much to thank your mothers and fathers for if that is all they taught you." To this the eldest girl retorted, " That lady's got a good cheek hasn't she. Never mind, there's some one further up the hill will murder the pair of you." — One great question at this time of the year is, "What shall I give so-and-so as a Christmas present." I would gladly try and answer the query at length if space permitted, but this being impossible, I can only recommend you all to visit Goodson's in Queen-street. No shop in town can boast a larger selection of really pretty and useful nic-nacs at moderate prices. There are also a number of strange curios to look at, so that the shop is one of the pleasantest places in town to spend half-an-hoxirin. Now, don't stand upon the order of your going, but go. — [ADVT.] — By the way, Proctor told rather a good story on Saturday night. One of the pictures which he exhibited upon the screen was that of a human hand — coarse, large, bronzed, ungainly and wrinkled — a labourer's hand, in fact. He said that on the day after that on which he first ex« hibited it in' New York the Herald came out with the audacious statement that he had shown it as the typical hand of the ordinary English lady. He had on every subsequent occasion stigmatised the impudent averment as "a bleeding perversion of the truth," and for the sake of his fair countrywomen he was determined not to let the ungenerous slander obtain any credence. — The following epistle is most gratifying:— "Dear Obsekvee, I was afraid when you inaugurated your now very interesting paper, 1 that the sparseness of the community would militate against its success, but I am now glad to hear from all sections of the public high encomiums on the contents and style, and I. trust you will continue to merit their approval. In all your issues you have caused amusement and interest to your readers, and I am sure some ought to appreciate it, so much as those who are interested in society, for already, being a keen 'observer' myself, I see the fruits of ' Eva's ' criticisms in the ladies dresses, there can be no doubt but that the taste and brilliancy of the costumes have much improved of late I would not, for one moment, msimiate that this owing to the possibility of a description by 'Eva,' but to any one who observes, it is an undoubted fact. Wishing you and ' Eva ' a merry Christmas, and hoping you will insist on her giving an interesting account of all the festivities and costumes of the coming season — I am, &c. Society.