CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 391, 31 October 1868, Page 3

CHARLESTON NEWS.

I have been for some time anxious to call attention to the subject of a " reading room," a want I believe very generally felt in this town. It is a strange fact that in Charleston, which commands sucha thriving and comparatively wealthy population, an instituof the sort is not already in existence. I little doubt but that it would pay its promoters handsomely; little expense however, would be attached to making the experiment on a small scale, nor can a decent circulating library be found, and though this may be what Anthony Absolute calls "an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge," I on \y wish we had a good one. There are a few places I believe, yclept circulating j libraries, but in them no works of in-! formation can be obtained beyond a { few trashy old novels. A reading room however would be a more desirable acquisition: Institutions of the sort have paid in towns of an equal if not inferior population, and I do not see any reason why one should not pay in this. There are in this district many who lavishly squander time and money where time should not be spent or money squandered, and who would only gladly embrace the opportunity a reading room would offer, to pay that that amount of attention to the culture and discipline of their minds, which would lay the foundation for such a taste as would lead them to seek for enjoyment in moral and intellectual pursuits—such as leave no sting behind them. This would I think be a step in the right direction. The Vicar of "Wakefield shows "how sweet books are, unreproaching companions to the miserable, and if they cannot bring us to enjoy life, they will at least teach us how to endure it. There can be little doubt but that the man who entirely neglects his culture and education, and suffers himself to grow up like a mere beast, leads a life useless to others and shameful to himself." A reading room would have a verv beneficial effect, and I feel confident its projector would find in his Lexicon " no such word as fail." The prospecting association met on Saturday evening at the Melbourne Hotel, to hear the result of the town canvas. The actual sum contributed is about £7l, This is not fruitful evidence that the movement was embraced witu warmth. Surely the storekeepers ought to have "paid out handsomely, as in the event of some new ground being opened, they would be among the first to derive benefit; but many of these did not contribute, and would not contribute anything, because they could not see the good of the movement! Other persons not storekeepers, refused to subscribe because certain individuals were on the Committee, and so on, equally ridiculous reasons were assigned for not contributing- Better were it to refund the sum collected to those who honorably subscribed, than to put the miningportion of the district to anv test. The precedent established by the town, id of too disheartening a nature to make any demand on the pockets of the miners. Many persons, perhaps foreseeing the poor result of the canvass, have already formed themselves into prospecting parties, and if not already departed, will immediately proceed to the ranges, with what result will not be known I presume for some time. There is one thing at all events certain, that if tracks were once cut, very little necessity would exist for any demand upon the pockets of those miserly storekeepers who refused to contribute to the movement. As it is, considerable difficulty must obtain in this respect, till the people and the Government take a strong pull, and a plul together, to remove those obstacles that are in the way of the prosperity of the district. A remark has often been made that " women are women's worst friends," uncharitable and malicious —an assertion, indeed, whose truth is only too sadly justified by events of almost daily occurrence. The remark, however true, receives a sad illustration from an event of only very recent date. It appears that on the night of the occurrence of the earthquake, a young girl had been serving in the bar of a hotel not far from town, and so terrified was she by the shock that she fell senseless on the floor. After a night of anxiety and suspense, the morning only brought the sad reality that her mind was considerably impaired. Since then she lies in a dangerous condition, and has had but little relief to her suffering. Notwithstanding that, the shock is assigned as the cause, there is, however, every reason to believe that it only accelerated t.ie malady ; as she had been ailing considerably for some time previous, owing to brooding over a certain slander cast upon her reputation by another female. Be this as it may, the fact, however, presents a very

pitiful aspect, and be the malady the effect of earthquake or slander (and most probably the latter), in either case she is entitled to the charitable sympathy of the public. Women should ever remember that discretion in boing tender of one another's reputation is a virtue that may atone for a great many faults.

; —■ I—-1 —-— paper says :—" A com plaint has been made in the Legislative Council against the excessive charges of lawyers for conveyances, made according to a law passed in ■ 18-12. .When the purchase money does not exceed £IOO, the legal charge must not exceed one pound ; but beyond that, ten shillings for every hundred pounds of such purchase money ; so that in a case -where tiie price amounted to £120,000, the conveyance alone was charged at £6OO, 10s., besides other charges for maps, &c. Dr. Pollen promised that the attention of Government would be given to the subject. "We are requested by Mr Poole, steward to the Westport Hospital, to acknowledge with thanks, a contribution of* linen from Mrs Anderson. Other donations of the same kind will be very welcome, and be gratefnlly acknowledged. Last night, the new billiard-room at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Gladstonestreet, was formally opened, and a large number of gentlemen attended and drank success to the new enterprise of the spirited proprietors, Messrs Parer and Arenas. The room is splendidly fitted up, and is the largest and most commodious Westport at present can boast of. A magnificent new blackwood table,, one of Alcock's very best manufacture, with all the latest improvements, is provided; whilst at the back a card or chess-room, exceedingly comfortably furnished, offers its attractions. Chess, draughts, cards, and dominoes are to hand, and, in short, nothing has been omitted to provide for the comfort of visitors. We have no doubt that the new rooms will be largely patronised, a they fully deserve.