DUNEDIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2685, 3 November 1876, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

■»■ -• — (From the oven Cfermponctatt of th* tytttlton Katft.) Tbe transition from the sensible toffche absurd finds yot another illnstration. A por boy named Travers was drowned while boating in the Bay about three weeks back' The accident was what may be termed the first pf the season— drownings are unfortunately only too plentiful in Duntdm Bay—and numerous suggestions were made by some as to theWtt way to recover the body, others as to ways of diminishing the possibilities of the recurrence of such events in future. The newspapers gave some scope to correspondents, andftho result was that an idea wm evoked. Ifwas ennjjle, it was inexpensive, it was origfcaiL It was that eaoh amateur boatman, before leaving the jetty, should he provided by the waterman with a strong cord, equal in length to the depth of water in any part ofjkhe harbour, having a Tunning eye at the ew-to slip round the belt or trouser' button, and a piece of wood at the othei; in the case of accident, should^ it happen that when assistance arrives jttkt where the body has sunk, the bit of fi&t&g wood would mark the place, and be Uie mmfaa cf recovering the body. Of course, if t_»3d were secured on board, unless something gtfve way, which would be the risk, the man would simply have to be hauled into the boat again. To which responded another correspondent, to tbe effect tbat the suggestion was very vain* able, that a rope should be supplied to eaoh amateur who ventures out in a boat, one end to be attached te a log of wood and Uie other to the party's trouser buttons, the log to re* main above the water in case of capsize, and so mark where the unfortunate had gone down. Bat although very valuable, the suggestion had a few drawbacks, vis. .—lst. Supposing the rescuing boat doee not arrive m time. 2nd. In tbe case of two or three per* sons being ip the boat, there would necessarily be a difficulty in deciding the owhtesh-^fpf the respective logs, and so the wrong one might be thrown orer in mistake. Srd. The rope, instead of being attached to the log, might just as well be tied to the boat, whereby the immersed individual could pull fetmsetf on board again, and so render it unnecessary to remain at the bottom till rescued from shore. 4th. The rope, instead of being %. single line, might be made in the form of fr ladder, so that, on the party reaching the bottom, be conld anohor it with a piece of rock, and then ascend to his log or boat, ae the case might be. It was further reoommended, that the tailors in Dunedin be m future particularly careful in sewing on buttons, as the efficacy of this invention would be greatly marred by bad workmanship, both in the quality of . the garment and the sttaeh* ment of the buttons. In cricket, the number of elevens tbat havecome before the publio this season is very large. The expected visit of tin AU England Eleven in the course of a few months has, nodoubt, something to do with the special interest taken in the noble game. This season bas seen the formation of an Otago Cricketers' Association, and of the Cembrook University and Brewers' Clubs, and a Cricket dub is talked of, if not actually organised, among the railway emplojcs. The old oiubs have oe*a holding meetings and brushing themselves up, and so zealous were some members ol the Donedin Club, that complaints were madeof their having began practice before the begining of tho season, and when the ground was not in quite a flt state. The older Clubs appear to he as strong tbis season as ever, and some are actually stronger. The formation of a cricket ground at the North end of tbe City baa been mooted, though as yet nothing definite he* been done. With thei eld Dunedin Clubs in at least as good a position as they ever were, with new clubs being formed in oonneotion with trades and organisations, and the establishment of clubs in the oountry districts, tke prospects of thenoMe game in Otago appear to be extending and improving. That erstwhile objectionable thing, " thekist of whistles," appears now to he becoming regarded with more favour. In Donedin, two of the Presbyterian congregations aremiferstood to be wellnigh unanimous in favour of the innovation— that innovation wbioh was so long, so stoutly, snd no doubt so conscientiously nrged as a reason why tbe Presbyterian Church of Otago should not join with the Presbyterian Church of the North. In this connection it may be mentioned that the new Knox Church, Donedin, is to be opened in the course of a few days. It is a costly but very fine building, and the congregation are said to have the worth of their money in it. lb* aeoustio qualities of the building are all that oould be desired. g The onestion of wheUssl lr not Ihe be>£ie Cesirewitoh 'was seaworthy is ode irt_s£ See ocoupied the attention of Judge, oouneel, and special jury in the Supreme Court to some days. The Cesarewitch was the proporty of Mr David Proudfoot. The Provincial Government ©bartered her to take some bread guage railway plant to Sydney. The plan* was shipped in ber and insured ia the National Insurance Oompaoy for 42660, Ob the voyage to Sydney she met with bed weather, beoame so leaky that tht bad, whin

within 820 miles ef hor destination, to put baok, and finally became so full of wator that the captain, wben off the shore of Now Zealand, was compelled to run her ashore at Big Bay, on tbe west Coast. She broke up, all tho railway plant was lost, and the National Insuranoe Oompany resisted payment of tho elaim on tho ground that tho vessel was unsoaworthy. Tho Provincial Government wanted to got tho amount of the polioy from the Insuranoo Company, and henoo this aotion. The jury found that tho vessel wae seaworthy) and a vordict was givon for tho Govornment. As a rule, it doos nofc pay an Insuranoo Oompany to beoome unpopular, and risk law oxpenecsby defon '.ing an aotion, oven f it oonsidors it has right on its sido. In this oaso those at tho head of tho Company havo ovon now a strong opinion that they woro in tho right, at tho somo timo tho publio generally aro as clf-arly convinced to the contrary. It seems that a considerable amount of tho polioy was roocivod by tho National, and that tho other Companies would not pay, or would not do so, at least, till tho mattor had beon tested in a Court of law. Tho news that Professor Blaok has discovered a cheap, simple, effionoious and (to tho applicant) innoxious way of destroying rabbits by means of gas genoruted at tho mouths of their burrows has proved to be promaturo. Professor Blaok ia aotively experimenting .in the matter, and while ho knows various mixtures that will bo successful to an extent, he has not yofc solved tho problem to his owh. satisfaction; so tbat somo more days of graoo are given to pact bunny. There is to: bo a grand conversazione in the TJnivorsity building on Nov. 28, to closo thje winter season of tho Otago Instituto. The gathering of this dosoription held last year was verv successful, and was on a large soale, both as regards attendance, numbor and varioty of exhibits, and the scientifio experiments shown. It is to bo said to tho oredit of the Oounoil of tho Instituto, that it spares no pains to mako tho publio interested in the proceedings at the meetings of tho Institute ; and tho aotion takon during tho past winter, of making eaoh alternate meeting " popular," that is fco Bay of taking up a subjoot in whioh fcho general publio fool so muoh of an interest as to attend in large numbers, has proved to bo in the right direction. No doubt thero is a oertain . amount of fashion going in tho oauses whioh impel those who flook to bo present ; ancl cortain soientifio arguments, in favour of or against evolution!, have boon treated with a plainness whioh somo fastidious peoplo oonsider was hardly fit for a mixed audionoo whoro tho females woro not all strong minded j but, on the whole, thenb meetings must have helpod forward tho objeot of tho Instituto— tho popularising of soienoo. The Chess Club, from a small beginning, has quiokly grown up and beoome strong. Ifc now numbers ovor 60 membors, and fcho principal inoontive to present ♦ fforfc is a silver oup to bo givon to tho viotor in a gvand handioap tournament. Suoh general intorost ih chess, is quite new fco Dunodin, but fchoro is everV Appearanco that it has becomo pormanent, and our players havo beon able to give a good aooount of themselves in thoao contests into which they entered with competitors at a distance. The numbor of sobool going youngsters in Dunedin during the lasfc quarter was 1488, exclusive of those at thb Normal sohool, High sohools, and privato schools, whioh will, I daro say, bo fully a thousand more. What hus long boon muoh required, namely, a compendium of Now Ze land history for sohools, there is at last a prospect of having— thio Education Board having tak rt n tho matter of publishing a text book of Now Zealand history into consideration. In this category, itmay bo romarked, that Professor Ooughtroy's labours aro not to bo al togothor expanded oh one medioal student — arrangement... having been made by whioh pupil-teachers oan attend tho Professor's leoturos on physiology. Tho stillness of a Sunday morning latoly was broken by tho loud strains of a braefs band. There was a gonoral supriso. Somb thought tho Russians w.rn ooming, but it only turned out fco bo tho Artillery Company going to a ohuroh parade. Why thoy could nofc fib to ohuroh without uniforms and a bra™ band is what passes tho comprehension of mofjt, Eeoplej bufc thoy did, and they are said to avemado,oolleofively and individually, a nxoit, imposing appearanoe. Tho Volunteers ai*o Soling to have a review in tho vioinity df tokomairiro on tho Prinoo of Wales' Birthday, and the question of momentous importance to many appears to bo how they can get out thore without having to riso at 5 o'olook on a summer morning. Tho Otago Rifio Association will hold its matches for the present season on Deo. 7, 8. and 9. The aotivo members of this Ao-ooiafcion aro no featherbed warriors. Lost year they competed from daylight to dark for two days in inoosoant rain, wifch thoir ground flooded, and oovored everywhere with water from four inohos to two feet, save the mounds that thoy lay upon to flro from. In oonsequenoo of tho enorgy displayed, the Association ia woll supported by tho publio, cash and trophies being liberally contributed. Last year Volunteers only competed, though previously tho matches wero open to all comers, and ifc is now proposed that the next matches shall be opon to anyono desirous of competing. Some gontlemon from Canterbury are oxpooted to ontor this yoar. A oaso whioh has exoitod considerable interest horo has boon fchat of Josooh Maokay T. the National B ink of Now Zealand. The plaintiff was till lately propriotor of tho Bruce Herald, Tokomairiro, and was also a heavy epooulator in land. The aotion was a complicated ono, and the ovidonco verv lengthy, bufc tho substanoo was fcViafc plaintiff aooeptod a bill of exchange whioh ho made payablo afc fcho National Bonk, Tokomairiro whero he banked ; thafc before tho bill bocamo due he paid over to tho bank oertain moneys moro than sufficient to p*y ifc ; that. the bank rotained fchoso monevs, whioh ifc had received subjeot to spooial instructions, and dishonoured tho bill; for whioh damages were claimed— (Bls,ooo, and £2000 as special damage, tho latter in consequence of the prejudicial effeot tho dishonour had on his oredifc. The transactions between tho plaintiff and tho bank wero gono into at groat length, and the drift of the plaintiff's ovidenoe was that fcho bank gave him every encouragement; and th*n, hafore he had time to realise, " sowed him np." Plaintiff, in fche course of his evidenoo, said he had writton an artiolo in tho ZBruCe Hkrald of whioh the following is a passage :— " The soeno is now changed. Iri otir own oiise 'a generation has arisen who knew not Joseph/ Bank manager after Bank manager has oome Jpd gone. Monoy in tho opon market is now ight and soarre, as it appears to be in tho Bank coffers of tho Colony. Bates df ihWcst, oh discounts and overdrafts ard doubled, and the screw is being unmoroifully applied, ih quarters whifce the Bank's own policy, iffchojr only knew, would have been to jjitrft hoping hand. -'A kghty ttfch of autocide mien has appeared on the sesne ; and, forsooth, because

wo did not dance attendance oti him in his Bank pnrlonr overy hour of the day, and evory day, but preferred to givo attention to our own legitimate businoss, the sontenoo has gone forth— 'Sew him up.' Not ju*fc yot, you re prcsentafcivo of a claw unfortunately but too numorous in tho Colonics, oooupyirg positions of trust for whioh by nature »hi»y are unfitted. Our commercial honour and chastity am not to bo cost aside hy ono of euoh calibre, although he has attained to tho dignity of a Bank manager." Woll, Mr M'iofcay got " sewed up," bufc that he could oomo upon the Bank for doing so tons quite a different matter, and ho han found to his expenso that ho oannot. As plaintiff's counsel would not aonepfc a nonsuit, tho Judg.i instructed the jury a* to tho vordiot thev should roturh,ond, in aooordanoo with his direotion thoy gavo a vordiot for tho Bank. Tho railway to tho Oooan Beaoh was opened on Friday last with somo cernmony and a champagne lunoheon. The Superintendent talked poetry: "I am happy,, indeed, at having beon tho means, to somo extent, of bringing about, this event whioh wo aro now celebrating. Tho 25,000 men, womon, and ohildron located in D'medin will now bo brought within seven or oight minutes' communication of tho magniflc-ont Ocean Bonoh— (applause)— with tho gnat; Paoifl" rolling at. our f ent— boundless, endless,, and sublime. (Applause.) Timo writes nb wrinkle on tlilne azure brow, Suoh Hn creation's daWn boliold thou rollestnow." And frora this ho roverted to storn prosb, politios, and Provincialism—" I havo always,'? said his Honor. " felfc a groat, interest in the affairs of this Provinoo. I have stood by its cradlo, but thero is ono thing whioh I am determined upon, and that i», not to follow its hearse. Jet others clo that."