Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 744, 11 October 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

Total Abstine_.ce Societt. — A special general meeting of members is convened for to-morrow, at 7.30 p.m. Aquatics. — We learn that a scratch match, sensing out of the races at Lyttelton on Saturday last, has been arranged for Saturday afternoon next. The stakes are £25 a side, and ihe money has been posted. The race ■will take place on the arrival of the 2.30 toain from Christchurch, and will be in watermen's whaleboats. Another match, ftcjween the Heathcote club and one of the Lyttelton clubs, is spoken of ; and we be2e7e the challenge given by the former will %c accepted. Tire Gourlays. — These talented and fevourite artistes open a short season in the Ganterbury Music Hall this evening, with an xttractive programme. ZKlkctoral. — We hear that the Hon. John Sal- _3 canvassing the Heathcote District, sad ihat he has declared his intention to contest the seat against all comers. Wi-.sr Coast Mails. — Mitchell, Burton, aad Co.'s contract for the conveyance of the l^est Coast mails has been recommended for iiaee years. The tender includes the service between Hokitika and Greymouth. The Suez Mail. — The whole of the Tantebnry portion of the Suez mail, with the exception of continental correspondence and newspapers, ;»«=* brought over by coach on Saturday J'ist. The latter will be brought as fc.*- tlie Tararua. Dissolving Virws. — An entertainment KKs-sistiDg of dissolving views was given in ihe Music Hall last evening, in aid of the Addjngton Free Methodist Church Building There was a large attendance, inending a goodly number of juveniles, who appeared to enjoy the exhibition thoroughly. Added to the views, an efficient band was in 'attendance, and played appropriate airs taring the evening. LiCr.xsED Victuallers Association. — 'The annual performance of the above association, in aid of their Benevolent Fund, vhich was to have taken place on Tuesday, itet. 18, has been postponed till Thursday, Met. 20, in order that it might not inteifere •Bifch •__ concert, to be given on the former rreaing. The pieces to be performed are, ye understand, Bulwer Lytton's famous tnsaedy " Money," and the farce " Done on Both -ides." The characters will be sus tamed by members of the association, assisted 2>y several ladies and gentlemen, who have iindly volunteered their services. The performance promises to surpass in completeness previous efforts of the association, and we Steve no doubt the public will, as they have , Bft&erto done, liberally support a very | Reserving cause. Governor Weld.— A Sydney contempo Tary has the following. The remarks are fully out in various ways :— The colony of "Western Australia seems to have found in Mr Wfeld a Governor determined, first, to find oast the resources of the country ; and secondly, tq let the rest of the world know afcoat them. He had no sooner entered on i»duty, and disposed of the necessary for :as_- btishu-ss, than he set out on excursion.': Tehr.vh involved in the aggregate a journey 3»tl>e saddle of 2100 miles, and thus ob •knifed »■ iv.TMr_.il knowledge of the country »fea__i aJi'___j>g lie was to administ.r ' ;

Total Abstinence Society. — The usual fortnightly meeting of this society took place in the Temperance Hall, last evening. Dr Allen occupied the chair, and Messrs W. H. De La Mare, Tremayne, Davidson, and J. G. Baker, delivered addresses on the Total Abstinence question. The meeting was very attentive throughout, and at the close, several signed the pledge. The secretary announced that the bazaar committee would meet in ,the Temperance Hall this evening. J^Rakaia Bridge.— Mr White informs us Itlmt the work in connection with the permanent bridge is progressing most satisfactorily. He expected to complete the third row of piles to-day, if no unforeseen accident occurred. The temporary bridge continued firm, notwithstanding the very heavy work upon it, and by the time the wool season commences it will be more fully available for tra tli c, the pile-driving for which it was erected, having been completed. This, we have no doubt, will be welcome news to wool-growers, who have hitherto been put to great inconvenience and no little loss by delay on the one hand, and damage to their wool on the other. When the wool had to be taken across the river in drays, a portion of it was certain to get wet, and we congratulate stockowners on the fact that they will this season be able to send their produce safely without let or hindrance. Pedestrianism. — Yesterday a series of sports came off at the Plough Inn grounds, Riccarton, the principal event being a race of 2000 yards, between Young Austin and a local amateur named Porter. The amount of money staked on the match was £45, Austin laying the odds of £25 to £20, and also giving his opponent 100 yards start. There was a large attendance of spectators, but only a very moderate amount of interest was taken in the actual result of the race; so much, indeed, was it looked upon as a foregone conclusion in favour of Austin, that we did not hear of a single bet being made, though offers to back Austin were very numerous. The novelty as yet attaching to any kind of pedestrianism amongst us was, therefore, the real attraction, not forgetting, however, that to see Austin run is itself worthy of some little sacrifice of time. The race was not commenced until somewhat after four o'clock, when the men were started by report of pistol. The course was about 200 yards in circumference, and Austin gained fully 30 yards in each of the first two laps, Porter appearing to take matters somewhat unaccountably easy. At the finish of the third lap Austin was not more than twenty yards astern without having made any great effort. During the next two laps Porter made an attempt to maintain his lead, but Austin gradually closed the gap, until just before entering on the sixth round, he went to the fore. From this point, the lead was held alternately by the two men — not more than five yards at any time separating them— until in the last round but one, when Austin went away from his man in good style, aud though Porter by a short spurt recovered some portion of the lost ground, Austin won by from thirty to forty yards ; time, 7 mm. 8 sees. The only other noticeable event of the proceedings, was a 300 yards hurdle race between Shell and Pentecost, the latter receiving 20 yards start, and winning by two or three yards. This event came off previous to the match already described. Obituart. — Although new countries at first possess few matters of historical interest, it is wonderful how soon events begin to happen which servo to mark periods in the memory of the settler. Amongst the first of lhese are the deaths of persons whose name 3 are associated as amongst the earlier colonists, and who, from some cause or another, may have been conspicuous among their fellow-settlers. In our issue of Saturday, we announced the death of Mrs ( J'Connell, of Mount Grey, a lady so well known and so highly esteemed in Canterbury, that; we cannot allow the opportunity to pass without paying a tribute to her memory, although we feel that nothing we can say is required to heighten the regret which is universally felt at her decease. It is now somewhere about twenty years Ago since Major O'Connell retired from the army, and commenced life as a settler, having chosen the Mount Grey station as the field of his operations. Unfortunately he lived a very few years after coming to Canterburj', and hence the recollections of Mount Grey are chiefly associated with the name of his widow, who carried on the station and fulfilled all the ordinary duties of a settler with both vigour and prudence. Amongst the many virtues which endeared Mrs O'Connell to the people of Canterbury, perhaps the most conspicuous was her unbounded hospitality. In the early days of the settlement the track from Christchurch to the North passed near Mount Grey, and comfortable hotels were not so numerous as they are now, but the traveller was ever made welcome by the mistress of the station, who never seemed wearied or annoyed by the frequent calls upon her hospitality. Time soon changed the necessity for such a state of things, as a road was formed near the Coast, and accom-modation-houses sprang up; but although not called upon to dispense indiscriminate hospitality, Mrs O'Connell continued true to her nature and exercised a liberal hospitality to her friends, and more particularly to those of them who, from illness or other causes, required a change of air. This custom was kept up to the last at Mount Grey, even during the illness to which its mistress succumbed. Fully a year ago Mrs O'Connell fell into ill-health, which was at first believed to be merely a temporary illness; but as time passed on it became painfu ly evident to those around her that it was a much more serious matter than had been supposed. She bore her long confinement with great patience and fortitude, and retained her wonted eh' crfulness till her death, which happened on Friday, the 7th instant. Mrs O'Connell leaves five children— oue daughter and four sous.