Echoes from Ellesmere.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4793, 10 September 1883, Page 3

Echoes from Ellesmere.

[fhom oub DO__i_aioir ooeebsbondbnt.] Bbb_; 8. The aooounts published of the late heavy flood and rain to whioh we were treated this week have by no> means been exaggerated. Leeston suffered considerably, but the Doyle* ston people were indeed grateful when they saw the rainbow. All day Thursday the water rushed down from every available ohannel and overflowed the main roads, and ran into all the houses whioh had not hid their gates blocked up and made waterproof. Thoae unfortunates who had not had the luck to be well victualled had to suffer the pangs of hunger, for no tradesman, butcher, baker, or candlestick-maker came their usub4 rounds. The Leeston baker had his plaoe flooded to suoh an extent that he oould not even light his fires to bake his bread. In faot, another day's rain wonld have driven us all to the hills, for in tbat case the Selwyn would have broken its bounds, and the result to all in the Ellesmere district would have been disastrous. In a future issue I ahall have somewhat to say to the Oounty Counoil and BUesmere Boad Board on this subjeot. Yesterday, notwithstanding the bad weather, a goodly crowd were forced to make their way to the end of our little world of Ellesmtre (Southbridge} to answer to their names at the B.M. Court before Mr Beetham, who presided on the Bench. 2 here were some nine or ten police summonses besides half-a-do-wn oivil eases on the oause list. Inspector Pender, from Ohristohurch, came np to conduot the police oases, a faot wbioh does not redound to the oredit of our looal constable's judicial capacity, as was further proved by the numerous amendments which had to be made in the various indictments or oharges he had preferred. He certainly shows a great amount of zeal in getting up cases outside his own partioular township, whioh he never seems to trouble, and I was told this morning that a petition would shortly be in circulation to request the powers that be over the "Foorce" to grant our worthy constable ohange of air. The Leeston Musioal Sooiety are very exclusive ; only three ladiss and two gentlemen are advertised to sing in numbers apart from the glees. Judging from the strength of the Sooiety, I think it would have looked muoh better, besides giving more universal satisfaotion, bad a few of the glees been omitted and songs by other members of the Sooiety been substituted. On the Friday night after the Leeston Sooiety intend making their deHt here, the Town Hall will be again the scene of a grand oonoert, and one whioh I venture to predict will prove the more attractive in a popular stnße. The Sydenham Glee Olub are to appear on the night in question in a grand Christy Minstrel and drawing-room entertainment, concluding with a ball; and all this in aid of the funds oi the Leeston Library, lhe Leeston Mußioal Sooiety, on the other hand, do not say what their reoeiptt will be in aid of, though some one whispered to me that the surplus over expenses would go in aid of the new bnildings whioh are being ereoted for the Bank of New Zealand in that favoured township. Another friend hasarded the idea that the receipts in question would be reserved towards a fund for the entertain* ment of our M.H.B. when he comes home again. While Leeston goes in for seoular entertainments, Southbridge on the other hand is all in tho religious line. On Sunday week there will be anniversary sermons at the St John's Presbyterian Ohuroh, when the Bey James Hill, from Lyttelton, will oonduot the two servioes. On the Monday after, at the Town Hall, the same religious body will have a tea meeting in conneotion with the anniversary (good for the -local grooers), and when the tea has been dispensed with, addresses will be given by members of the Ohristohuroh Presbytery, and other notables of more or less renown in the order. Monday next is the meeting night of the Southbridge Farmers' Olub. Mr Bowron will again address the Club "On Manures," and Mr Howaon will give his ideas on the suooessful culture of turnips. Now, if there is one man in the distriot I should like to say a good word of it iB Mr -Howton. This gentleman has not long been in our midst, having but a few months ago purohased the Sedgemere farm, but he has nevertheless begun to identify himself as one of the leaders in progressive farming, and has, whenever he possibly could, tried his best to benefit humanity in the shape of the BUesmere residents, in an unobtrusive and kindly manner, and there is no one who will say that he is not an acquisition to the neigh* bourhood. It is men of his stamp that we should like to see encouraged to immigrate and settle amongst us, men of sound sense, praotioal farmers, and of some substance, and not bo many shiploads of penniless, senseless, and uneduoated free immigrants. I oannot leave the Baiiway Department alone, especially when I see the utter disregard they have of everyone's convenience, as displayed in the manner in wbioh they carry out the hard and fast, and to my mind harsh, rules of the servioe. At the present moment there are two or more hard working heads of families who had been for years working on the line hero, and having saved money, bought land, erected COttageS, and have beoome the fathers of many little natives. On acoount of some breach of one or other of these set rules, instead of being punished by suspension or reduotion in wages, these unfortunates are "shifted " to unknown distances perhaps, and their homes broken up. tio their present little freeholds have to be put upon the market, and fetch what they oan, entailing, it would seem, muoh loss to the poor fellows, and great trouble to the mothers and little ones, who, like most people of English stock, do not oare about giving up their home. This it another argument in favour of a Board to control the BaUway Department.