LOCAL MEMORANDA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXV, Issue 3041, 3 September 1870, Page 6

LOCAL MEMORANDA.

ENTERPRISE AND ECONOMY. Our English readers will see by our summary that we aro going into housekeeping on a large scale, and intend making magnificent additions to our domestic cuisine ; tlio camp oven of old ia to be, as it were, replaced by the more elaborate kitchen range and cooking stove of the European and American kitchen. If our financial policy docs not hang fire, the iron horse will replace the bullock dray, and the handy Eestiniog occupy the bridle trnck of the pack horse; sothatinlercominunication throughout the two islands may bo made more speedy than that at. present existing between thcoutdistrictsofaprovince. But our homo friends will porhaps bo better pleased to learn that we arc not entirely dazzled by the blandishments of those schemes in tho enchanting distance. We are not exactly sitting with, folded hands awaiting a Dancenn shower. Though we should no doubt derive great immediate benefit by a loan of a few of England's surplus millions now lying idle, and be better enabled to provide snug homos fov the numbers who are uneasily learning to starve in Great Britain, there is still abundant evidence of ft healthy energy throughout the colony among business men of all kinds. We nre afc length beginning to show v versatility worthy of our progenitors. Dealers and manufactures (the latter limited as yet) are striving, without invoking the aid of protection, to make New Zealand a country within itself. Besides manufacturing as much as possiblo all native products, they are utilising the odds and ends of commerce bequeathed to ua by tho Home importer, which have hitherto been cumbering the ground and disfiguring unoccupied allotments. The good chemist who manufactured prime Cork double-rose butter from theslimoand oozo of Old Father Thames, and tho Yankee sawyer who converted tho sawdust from his planks into cheap envelopes, were not more ingenious in their way than tho enterprising firm of Francis Sidey & Co. of this city, who may, in tho strictest sense of the word, take for their crest, or trade brand, that famous household article known as a " save-all." And as one of those useful articles ia generally considered enough for the wants of ono establishment, wo presume tho firm of Sidey & Co. will continue to fill the useful and profitable position of " aave-all" to the City of Wellington, and thereby set an excellent example to other cities in the colony. It ia with somo satisfaction, therefore, that wo proceed to give our readers a brief account of the way in whii.'h this firm prepare for market the In'thorto uneonsidcrcd trifles of commerce in this part of the world 1 To them, nothing seems to come amiss. They make a place for things out of place — rags and tags, bottle* of every description, the portly champagne, the big-mouthed Day and Martin, or the more genteel-necked Lucca oil bottle, are all duly caved for ; they are scrubbed, Oiled, sealed, labelled, and set off in their pristine gaiety for tho market a second time. Abandoned kerosene fins are subjected to a strong lie bath, then, divested of all unpleasant smell and decorative labels, are filled with sweet mixed biscuits, mado to order from the firm, out of Colonial Hour, and once more reinvested with alabol adornment', are transferred to the warehouse. A whole army of gamins have been beguiled from the attractions of "cock-shy," and arc now engaged daily rescuing from dustbins and back-yards those discardod casings of some of the necessaries of life, and with true colonial spirit they indulgo in tho Iraditional grumbling if they fail to clear 15s a week. As soon as delivery o[ tho bottles is taken, they aro operated upon by a six-man power patent bottle washer, rinsed, and put in a rack to dry ; but should tho slightest impuiity still adhere, a more effectual processis adopted. Tho miscellaneous commodities with which (heso bottles aro afterwards filled consist of — vinegar (white wine and malt), and puro raspberry, made from rasps grown in tho rich soil o( the Unit, together with pickles and jams from original products of tho saino fruitful spot, nnd also sauce. This latter, by tho way, i 8 a capital condiment, tho ohiof ingredient of which is the extract of mushrooms ; theso are purchased from the nativos, who gather them about the hills. The sauce is rapidly rising into favor amongst hotel-keepers and steward?, and displaces the renowned Croase and Blackwell in many a household. Indeed, there enn bo a.s little doubt that theso accessories to the cuisine will become as much prized as a zest to our viands as colonial beer has to appeaso thirst and slightly stimulate. In another branch of the bottling business, Mr Sidey may be lit orally snid to have " struck ilo," though we hardly know that, wo nro quito justified in laying his secret so bare. He has pitted his shrewdness ngainsb the snpiency of our tariffframors, and has made a score. In the most Icgilimato manner, ho continues to make money out of their want of forecast. It appears that on saladandvegetablooilßadutyof2s6dporcubicfoot is levied, while olive oil, (certainly not m moral) bearrfbut Gil povgalifintvo'luofrt in hulk. "\T-"dcy,

d thereforo, imports olive oil in bulk, and by bottling ir it on his premises ia onabled to supply it to bis d customers at a considerable reduction on the imn ported bottled oil, and with some profit to himself. By an invaluable recipe, the bequest of an y old campaigner, we suppose, as those invaluable recipes generally have a romantic history, — he is II enabled to replenish the rejected husks of Day and y Martin with a kernel of Japan blacking that is a ;■ boon to boot blacks. But Mr Sidey is not satis* if fied with providing ze^t for the colonial palato and polish for its understandings, he also prepares a t substantial viand. Since the decadence of the wool interest, colonists havo become familiar with r , the try-pofc ; prolific flocks have since bnen march:l ing in a stoady stream to the boiling-down place. 1 j To save something from the useful though raveny • ing maw of the copper, Mr Sidey has stepped in t fc j and endeavors in a small way to convert, super- ;] iluoft* mutton into a toothsome material 9 • for building up human tissues. So far, it V . is but an experiment, as he only metamorphoses f j about eight sheep a week into well-cured and t Bpiced rolls and hams of mutton, that only want fc , to be known to come more generally into use; a and we speak by the authority of our palate. j These are nicely packed in the fragrant malt; 1 combings of our local breweries, and are then j ready for shipment to any part of the colony, or 2 I evoii to England. We believe Mr Sidey supplied b the other day an order from some of the gquadf ron. Like a good business man, he knows the 3 value of a good name, and has, therefore, all Jii3 , articles labelled with the name of the firm. By , this little addition a penny is thrown in the way 1 of local printers and lithographers. Want of . spiico compels us to drop Mr Sidey'a ingenious ; devices at this, though we have by no moans ex- : hnusted the subject. Superannuated candlesticks, r brass of every description, besides the leaden i lining of teachests— all find cnsli purchasers in Una ; firm,- in fact, nothing seems to come amiss, ! They are literally save-all* in every sense of the » word. We wish them every success, and shall F hail with satisfaction any followers in the same i direction, as " a penny saved is a penny earned." F The past month, like the previous, has been [ prolific in intellectual entertainments, though as the session of Parliament will probably close in a i few more days a general lull in these matters is > certain to follow. As the opening of the session , is the signal for readings, lectures, and debating i societies, so the prorogation acts as a knell to ring them off the scene till the following winter. I Every Saturday evening the Maori House at the Colonial Museum hag hcen filled by an attentive audience, either to listen to the reading of care- [ fully prepared scientific papers from members of the New Zealand Institute, or entertaining and instructive letters by Dr Hector and his assistants, i The Wellington Debnting Society have met; i weekly during the month, the Key Mr Paterson occupying the chair. The course of lectures that has been going on ah the Presbyterian Church in Willis street is apparently not yet concluded. The Hon. Major Richardson and Mr Gray, In- ■ spector of Post Officas, delivered the last two lectures to very large audiences. We have also •■ had entertainments in aid of Church funds ia different parts of the town, and each of them met with a fair shiiro of success. The Odd Fellows' Hall, our principal building for public entertainments, has beon in constant requisition either for private balls, reunions, or travelling theatricals. No sooner did Kreitmayer's waxworks vacate the hall than ifc was taken for a brief period by a charming young aclress known as Hose Evans, who gave several successful entertainments, one being in aid of the Tauranga Relief Fund. The No. 1 Company ft. V. amateurs also strutted their hour upon the stage with the same charitable object, and, we are glad to say, had a bumper house. Within the last few days the hall has been occupied by a clever burlesque company, who had been playing in Christchurch for the last; six months. The chief strength of the company consists of three capital actresses, possessing good voiceg. Miss Anna Fordo, Miss Jennio Nye, and Miss Cassy Matthews. Owing to the prevalence of wet weather a few accidents, but not of a very serious nature, have resulted from landslips throughout tho province. Richard Currie, an old soldier, wns found drowned in very shallow water on tbe Wostmere farm, in tho Eangitikei district. Drink was supposed to bo tho cause. A schoolmaster residing in the Wainuioniata Valley, named Clarke, went out into the buah to look for a cow. A search party of his neighbors afterwards found tho remains not far from his home. A short Bankruptcy sitting was hold during tho month, and an unusually large number of bankrupts obtained their final discharge. Tho Wellington Gas Company's Bill haa passed through nearly all its stages. The rivers in the country districts have been eecentrio and destructive in fchoir courses lately. Considerable trouble has been occasioned in several parts of the Wairurapa ; while tho Hutt river threatens to abandon its old bed. A complimentary dinner was given by the Hutt band to Mr Natham'al Valentine, of the Hutt, at which he was presented with a handsome ooroopeon. Tho half yearly meeting of the Wanganui Steam Navigation Company was held during the month, and a satisfactory balance sheet was laid before the shareholders. A great gold robbery was committed at Clyde, in tho province of Ofcugo. i very largo quantity of gold and notes (about £5,000) had been doposited in tho gaol at Clyde, prior to beiug sent to Dunedin. £500 reward and a free pardon, was offered by the Government, and a like sum, each by two banks, to any accomplice. Tho result, was that one of the principals gave himself up and confessed to the robbery. The whole of treasure, with tho exception of £100, has been recovered. Tho robbery wns committed by two mennampcl Ronnie (the approver) andM'Lennon, the latter being a policeman who was employed at tho station.