DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 420, 26 December 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

.„ ,.. {From our ovm Correspondent.) There are not many Dunedin play -goer* of foiir or Ht« y«an' standing, who do not remember the always pleasing acting of poor fi Bheppaide, whose untimely death in Mfilbooiue, Hag excited, to much re*. yattiriiiany I rememper her in one of •naiUb^ iNirlesquea of" Byron's, in which die wMuat&i character tihat earned f^^|nrObaW^A<(lArg«t»h»ry ©1 fro ap-

plause bestowed during the performance ; and it seems difficult to realise the fact that the bright figure of that evening, earning the golden opinion and hearty plaudits of the large audience then assembled, is -now no more. That she is not forgotten, although cold in the silent tomb, is evinced by the unanimity which characterised the proposal to raise a memorial in her honor in the neighboring Colony of Victoria, and the warm support that the project received afrthe hands of many old Duneain friends and admirers. Last evening, the Press Dramatic Club gave an entertainment in aid of the memorial i fund, and there was a very good attendance to witness the efforts of the amateurs. The principal piece was — "Wealth: or, the Farmer's Story;" and possibly if the Club had tried their utmost, they could not have made a worse selection. Under the most : favorable circumstances, and the best of acting, its dreary emptiness would hare been more than the most patient and easily-pleased habitues of the theatre could reasonably be expected to stand, but as rendered last night, it was beyond all endurance ; and it was with a vast sigh of relief and thankfulness that those who were present saw the curtain drop at the conclusion of the last act. There was one redeeming feature in the evening's performance, however, and that was an address which followed, delivered by the author, Mr. Thos. Bracken, and who is not unknown to fame as a poet of rather high merit. Anything better could hardly have been penned. With an entire absence of the rather too frequent laudation of imaginary high qualities, which often characterises compositions of the sort, Mr. Bracken's few words bear the stamp of true poetry, and breathe a spirit of sad tenderness worthy of the subject. ' The afterpiece of " The Dead Shot " concluded the performance,' and afforded a pleasant contrast to the heavy drag of "Wealth." The ceremony of turning the first sod of the Ocean Beach and Peninsula railway was performed by his Honor the Superintendent, his Worship the Mayor, the Provincial Secretary, the Provincial Treasurer, and a large number ot our leading citizens. Mr, David Froudfoot, one of the directors of the company, which has undertaken the construction of the line, presented his Honor with a barrow and spade made for the occasion, and amidst the usual demonstrations of applause, his Honor filled the barrow with earth, and satisfactorily performed the ceremony of " turning the first sod ;" barrow-loads of earth being also filled and emptied in the most approved style by Mr. W. J. M. Larnach, and Mr. John Barnes. Alternately his Honor addressed > those assembled in a suitable speech, congratulating the citizens of Dunedin on the successful inauguration of a line which would certainly aid in giving increased healthiness to the city, on account of the facilities it would afford for frequent trips to the beach and its invigorating atmosphere. A large marquee was erected on the ground, to which a large number adjourned by invitation from the directors. Among other mean? of giving increased health to the city that the Superintendent will have the pleasure of descanting upon are the new Turkish baths, which the Ofcago Turkish Bath Company have erected in Moray Place, and- which his Honor is announced to publicly v open on Monday, the 28th instant: The Company have fixed their tariff on a very moderate scale indeed, viz., Turkish bath, 3s ; do, including sulphur bath, 3s ; and a book containing eight bath tickets 20s } so that all will hare this valuable remedy for the alienation of many diseases placed within their reach. It is to be hoped that the spirited enterprise of the Company will meet with the reward it so well deserves. The Eev. Dr. Copland was welcomed home by his congregation last evening, after his late trip to Scotland and the other he has visited. The -church over which he presides was filled last evening, a social meeting being held in order to give him a fitting wdlcome. Dr. Copland gave a brief outline of his travels, and promised to let his hearers know full particulars of his proceedings through the columns ofthe Evangelist, and also intimated that he intended to deliver some lectures on the Holy Land in the course of a few weeks. At the conclusion of his address the Doctor was- greeted with prolonged applause. „ ,