West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1869.

West Coast Times, Issue 1329, 25 December 1869, Page 2

West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1869.

A Christmas leading article is generally oil her exceed in»lv prosy or particularly pathetic ; very offeH reaching patlic s, but more frequently achieving luithop. The adjuncts that were wont to light up thp Old World homilies are absent, .here. We have no laurel, no holly, no mistletoe even, and the romances that; have been woven round these are necessarily denied to us. As to the mistletoe, young people in New Z".-tliiml, n<- all the avoiM ovor, »enesally manage to get <>n without it as* well almost as if th<; symbolical bonsrh was hung up as was the olden custom. Tn fact, though the excuse is absent the oscnlafory custom continues and will continue as long as human nature exists. We should bo sorry indeed if harmless sport at such a season died out from amongst us, or if innocent fun was confounded with guilt and immorality. Everyone who wishes this part of the world well will be glad to see the Chri-tinns hants and observances of the old countries from which we sprang carried into effect here as fur as is possible, and that to the utmost pxtenr colonial may be adapted to English customs. Though the oldworld evergreens are denied us, we Lave evergreen* of our own, and the fronds of the beautiful forn, the profuse foliage <>f dozens of native trees, nmply and fully compensate in point of adornment for their absence. Our wild ornamentation is more beautiful than that at home, though at the same time old memories with which that of the old country is entwined, are hallowed to all who have come from home, Everyone who is worthy of the name of man must think of the country that gave him birth with love and affection, and at no period are either more developed than at Christmas time. Though in a different fashion, every good feeling that finds play in the older countries has vent here ; and what is more, though our revels may not be as magnificent, there are fewer skeletons

standing Ijcbi ml the guests — (here is ' not a fiflie of the misery waiting with- ' out the banquet hall. It is customary :o speak of this season in England as "Merry Christmas," and no doubt there is no nation under heaven that more gloriously enjoys it ; but, at the same time, whilst profusion loads the cables of the rich, the poor, though jerhaps not sent empty away, are certainly not more than fed with ihe crumbs that fall from the rich man's table. Though Christmas dinners are given, it is a case of feast and fast with many of the guests who partake of them. One dinner a year, one gorge, one swill, will not last till the next Christmas ; but full meals are only enjoyed by many of the class we have represented at this season. We want many of Britain's accessories to realise the idea there accepted as to what constitutes a merry Christmas. We want, for instance, the " waits," who for some time before Christmas serenade the bouses of the great, or of those from whom they hope to gather something. These miserable bands have to sing through storm and rain, through frost and snow. After devoting a number of night's rest to enduring any quantity of misery, they are rewarded with possibly a few pence, certainly not more than a few shillings each. B'i'fit ? of .-ill kinds. lik<* flies in ?i!m»-ier, bcc-iim* «ctiv«.» at tliif season if i! < old cu'Ji'try, } .i.kl *\ou^h there n< y 1-- a Jarge proportion of professional mendicity amongst the flood of real or pretended misery, there is a large, very large, amount of genuine and heartbreaking distress. Did any one ever see a professional or unprofessional beggar in Hokitika or the West Coast ? Could a party of musicians, humble as their vocal tglents might be, be found to wander from house t ohouse in the depth even of a New Zealand winter ? Would it be pos-^ sible for one section of this community to feed whilst another larger portion of them btterly fasted and perhaps cursed. Still, it is so in the old country, and no matter what position anyone may be in he has the consolation of knowing that if circumstances were the same in the old country his position would be fifty times worse; nay, more, there are thousands on thousands 'now in New Zealand who should thank God their destiny ever led them here, where they can earn an honest and independent living without the miseries attendant on | the lives of many now in England. Though times are dull ; though money is scarcgj_st.ill thgjublic of Wostland and every other part of the Colony may congratulate themselves on being able to spend their Christmas in New Zealand. Though affluence, in the Eng'ish sense, may not exist, poverty, as found at home, is altogether absent here. We venture to say that, in no part of Wostland, any man, woman or child, goes without a good and substantial Christmas dinner, and what is more, without the intervention of any other Poor Law ihan that of kindness and good-will. We hardly think that our English readers, in their respective places of residence, can say the same. In conclusion, we may add that, if all things are considered, and a balance struck, New Zealand, with, all its disadvantages, is s-till a better place for permanent settlement than the old country, even if its Christmas is not so ceremoniously celebrated. It will be at least kept up •worthily, as our other columns will aow, and that, all and every one of • •ur readers will heartily and reasonably ( njoy ti emselves is our earnest wish, In the phrase of the time, in all siu-' eerily, we wish them J " A Merry Chrtstmas and a Happy | New Year."

There was ho business whatever transacted at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. To-day his Worship or some oilier Justicp will attpnd at the watch-house to dispose of the drunken cases. We understand that is almost a certainty that the " Doctor's" party, who proceeded from the Knnieri on a prospecting tour some time ago, havp struck gold. One of the men who went up the river in the cigar boat, lias retunip'l, and he states that this party fol-' lowed the above for some distance : but, during the night, when encamped, the " Doctor's" party eluded them. Plis mates are still on their track, and it is probable that ere many days we may hear of some fresh discoveries. Divine service will be held at All Saints* Church this (Christmas) morning. The service will commence at 11 a.m., and the Venerable Archdeacon Harper will occupy the pulpit. We would remind the public that the following banks have announced their intention n of keeping closed doors next Monday, being boxing day : — The Bank of Australasia, the Baalc of New Zealand, and the Union Bank of Australia. We would again remind those who delight in picnics, that Ranelagh Gardens will be open on Monday next (Boxing Day,). A bnad of music will be in attendance during the day, so that the votaries of Terpsichore m- .y trip it on the light fantastic to their he irt's content. There will also be swings and merry-go-rounds for the children. The City Minstrels made thfir first appearance last night at the City Theatre, and attracted a very good house. Their enter-

tninment was really an exceedingly good one, [ and they will play during the whole of next week at the same place. We cannot refer in detail to the performance in this issue, but will do so in our next. In the nieanwhile.wc ! can cordially recommend those who wish to 5 spend a pleasant evening to visit this troupe. i The theatre is well ventilated and well lighted, and every convenience is made for ! the accommodation of the guests. 1 Last night, Thatcher's entertainment was : well attended, and "Life on the Goldaelds'' < was as well received as on the first occasion, i Small's celebrated Stump Speech, caused uproarious laughter, and the whole perfor- . mance was most amusing and enjoyable. An entirely new programme is to be submitted on Monday evening next, with new locals, &c, and we simply need mention this fact in order to attract a crowded house. f{ A discovery has been made in India," says the Pall Mall Gazette, " which renders it not impossible that not only may Sir John Thwaites and his boon companions be able to resume those banquets which poverty has for a time so ruthlessly cut short, but that the Metropolitan Board of Works may actually succeed in setting the Thames on fire at last. It seems that sewage may be utilised by being converted into gas. Experiments have been successfully tried at Darjeeling and Calcutta, and it is now proposed to apply the process to some of the larger cities. The gas must be much better than that supplied by our fas companies at home, for it is said "to burn brightly"— a compliment which cannot be paid to the expensive commodity which helps only to make darkness visible with us. Instead, therefore, of gazing through tears on a polluted river, and a bankrupt Board of Works, we may look forward to a pellucid stream, a wealthy corporation nnd a brilliantly lighted city with a diminished gas rate. There will also be one estimable advantage to be derived from the scheme. By blending our gas-pipes with our drains it will only be necessary to dig up our thoroughfares once,instead of twice a month." What an opening exists for our Borough Council if this proves correct. ' The similarity of the circumstances attendant upon the burning of the City of 'elbourne in Hobs^in's Bay, in January, I 1868, and the burning of the Lightning in Jj Corio Bay, in 1869, are most curious. Both 1 ships sailed under the same flag, .anOfesßij^ Bright Brothers and- Co. were^ the^H&H^M both vessels. The captain's nlftn&M^^fl two instances were identical, bothJj^B^HjF manded by Captain Jones: . Jqb tfroro^^K ( the. fires on the respective ships bro^RuT they wereboth on the berth loading for London, and each was moored in close proximity to^the W\ava4/faj3&ipijkv/o cases the fire was "obseijj^^iboinrTOie o'clock on Sunday morning,«nd in each case waajjttie captain roused by the watch on his, reporting that she was on fin^fijjyfcjfore part. Bo! h 1 fires are suppo^etfJ^^H^Hrisen from combusion among the w^H^^ne tore hold. In the two cases it was not known whether the ships were insured or. not, but it was stated thafethe cargoes were covered by open policies of insurance, and that the losses would fall heavily on the local offices. In a recent article on the statistics of New Zealand, the Australasian says :—": — " What are termed • novel industries ' seem to be scarcely introduced as yet in New Zealand husbandry, them with such a variety of climate. While Otago and Southland have the winter of Norway, iv the upper parts of the North Island there is a Neapolitan summer, tempered by perpetual sea winds." The Australasian seems to have but slight knowledge of the climate of either Norway or Southland when it publishes the above statement. Perhaps our local meteorologist would supply the Australasian with statistics of weather during the past few years, to disabuse its readers' mind on the subject. We {Otago Times) understand that the Provincial Government have accepted a tender from Mr Proudfoot, the contractor, for the construction of the Port Chalmers Railway, for the sum of £70,000. This sum r is to include permanent way, rolling stock's and stations. The contract has not yet been signed, but we understand that all the arrangements have been verbally made. A late number of the Albury Banner says: — M. "Vertelli, the Australian Blondin, successfully performed the feat of walking over the Riv-r Murray on a slender wire rope ) stretched from bank to bank a' little above the Hume bridge. The distance across was nearly twice the breadth of the Yarra at | Melbourne, and was sufficient to swag down the rope considerably. Besides the nervous , looking feat of walking above the rushing current of the river at a considerable elevation, M. VerttlK coolly wheeled across a barrow with a grooved tyre on the wheel, and disported himself in a variety of feats upon the thin and perilous r; pe. ' '