The Westport Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 585, 25 November 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1869.

The Tiiatcher-cum-Small-cum-Daniels-cvrni - Salamon's entertainment at the Masonic Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings considerably exceeded expectations, and, with the general knowledge which there is as to the abilities of three out of the four, that is saying a great deal. Except the local election, a civil case in the court, and the small solectiou of local celebrities which we at present possess, MiThatcher had no great choice of subjects for the excercise of his peculiar talent, but ho exercised it to excellent purpose, and in a manner all but unexceptionable. Age has given Mr Thatcher discretion as well as adipose tissue, and he does not now run counter to "the proprieties" as he may have done when he was of a lean kind and had less experience. Expanding as he is now, in wisdom and proportions, he may some day come to be recognised as at once the type of a public benefactor and a publican, instead of being dreaded, as he at one time was by the weak-minded, as a sort of poetical Paul-Pry and a withered Pantaloon. There is still sufficient of the satirist left in him to make him a caution to sneaks and the thin-skinned ; by the good-humored his personal sallies will be accepted as of little consequence. The singing of them pays him; and, if they are received as they should be, they should be received well, because they hurt nobody. If he has any pleasure in singing them, the constant dread of a " hiding" which Mr Thatcher may have must be a moral "set-off" toall the satisfaction which he may derive from their composition or their recitation—for Mr Thatcher never aspired to be much of a musician. His only gain is a pecuniary one, and he deserves it, for the talent lie possesses as animprovisatore is rare, and he does not hide it under a bushel or under other smaller measures as some do—half-pints. His visit to such a place as Westport is peculiarly acceptable, because he stirs a dull moral atmosphere, and stirs it better than a prosy candidate for election to the Provincial Council such as Reid, or than as a " high-falutin'" orator such as O'Conor. If he could only stir the dull physical atmosphere of the place to an equal extent, people would like him to stay here permanently, and several are ready now, for such a consideration, to be regular in the payment of his board. As to Small, he has always been " large " in his own line—the " Trish comic"—and on the tvm a™* ings on whicn lie Has appeared here, he has been listened to as if he had never before sung " The Unfortunate Man," or "Widow Malone." Others remember that they have seen him—it would require a Registrar-General to remember how often—awl, on account of its novelty, they have given a preference to the vocalization of the " great delineator " of Russell's songs, Mr Daniels. Not because its novelty is its sole merit. It has others. Mr Daniels admirably, and sings some of Russell's songs with more success than Russell did himself, although he fails in not possessing, or in not exhibiting, Russell's power of accompaniment. He sings them reasonably—not with too much of the " heavy melodramatic"—and it is the imparting of that characteristic of melodrama to Russell's songs which usually makes his most subblime pieces most ridiculous. Altogether, and especial]}' with Mr Salamon's accompaniment, the Thatcher concerts were a success, as they, no doubt, will be in Charleston to-morrow and on Saturday ever) rag.

We arc requested to announoethat.the Rev Father Rolland, of TaranaM, is authorised by his ecclesaistienl superiors to collect subscriptions throughout the diocese in aid of the establishment, of an institution of Christian Brothers, who are to devote their lives to the education of youth, and to other services connected with the Catholic Mission. The name of Father Rollands iiiust be already familiar to many of our readers, as the brave soldier to whom several wounded owed their preservation in the 'field of battle; as well, as a devoted and charitable minister. He comes furnished with the very highest commendations from the Vicar-General of the Diocese, who sympathises with that province, ruined by so long and disastrous wars with the rebellious Natives. The Rev. F. Walsh, our local clergyman, of the Roman Catholic Church, joins with Father Rollands in hoping that the people of his church in this district, will respond with their accust Mned liberality to the appea 1 now made to them.

The members of the Westport Jockey Club met at the Post Office Hotel on Tuesday evening. Mr Harris moved and Mr Emanuel seconded that the races be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 2'-.th and 29th December. Mr Trimble moved and Mr Freeth seconded an amendment that the races b9 held on Monday and Tuesday, the 27thand 28th December. The original motion was lost and the amendment was carried Collectors were appointed afresh, to canvass the town for subscriptions ; and it was agreed that the stands on the racing grounds should bo sold on or about December Ist, after the stewards had fu -nished the Cub with a programme of the races. The Hev. Mr Flavell, of Charleston, is at presjiit on a visit to Westport, being on his way to Nolsou, to attend the meeting of the Episcopal Synod. He held service last eveniug in the Westport church. Mr Broau, TJ. M. and Warden at Charleston, is expected soon to return to the Wangapeka district, but whether he is to remain there permanently or not we are not in a position to say. Our Charleston correspondent's information implies that Mr Broad is not likely to return to that district. Ho says ''Uuvour riate3 we are about lose our worthy Magistrate and Warden, Mr Broad, he borag about to leave the district for the purpose of proceed* ing to the Wangapeka. Rumour does not state who is to be his successor." A Gazette noi.ieo state * that Mr Thomas Birch, Mayor of Dune-.v'n, has been appointed a Resident Magistrate for the Dunediii district. ]

The body of a man has been found at West Wanganui. It is reported in the Nelson Examiner that, as Francis M'Grame was travelling from Collingwood to the Anatori diggings, he observed, as he approached the ferry-crossing opposite the Maori pah, the body of a man lying near the edge of the channel in about three feet of water. He at once proceeded to the store, where he obtained the assistance of George Peters and others, who removed the body from the water and buried it. It was identified by Peters and others as that of John BurrelL who had passed through Collingwood about three weeks previously, on his way to the Anatori Creek, after a visit to Nelson. The deceased had been drinking to excess for some days previous to his having been seen alive, and it is supposed that, iu attempting to swim the river, he became exhausted and was drowned. The body was much decomposed and had on a pah- of drawers, trousers, flannel shirt, and a pair of new boots; a sixpenny-piece and a few matches were found in the trowser's pocket. A new use for " rooting " hogs has been found out by Mr Hodsman, Mr Hutton's well-known overseer, at the Phoenix Mills, Tarrengower. The son of Mr Hodsman was walking near the slaughter-yards of Garnet Brothers, in the wake of a rooting old hog, when his eye caught a glistening object. The hpg had unearthed a nugget of pure gold which wa3 found to weigh 3ozs lldwts. A small rush to the ground has taken place. Mr Wood, M.H.R., has been elected Superintendent of Southland. Mr Wood, in the last session of the Assembly, advocated the re-annexation of Southland to Otago. Messrs A. and T. Burt, of Princes Street, Dunedin, have made a novel application of water-power, which will prove valuable to blacksmiths and others who use blasts of air, as well as to all who have buildings requiring ventilation. By means of a jet of water of thee-sixteenths, a column of air is forced through a tube, with sufficient strength to supply four blasts for a smith's forge. It is called a hydrostatic blast. They are using it in their own forge, and it appears to be simple and effective. They will engage by means of it to clear a house of smoke in three minutes.