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Western Star, Issue 352, 26 May 1880, Page 2

We bog to remind the settlers in the Limestone Plains and Upper Waimatuku Flat districts of the public meeting to be held at Mr .Brown's residence, Upper Waimatuku Flat, to-morrow, Thursday, 27th inst., to devise means of getting a tramway made up the Waimatuku Flat to Jacob's Eiver. Labor in the Len?»vood is now evidently settling down to a moderate level. The Australasian Co. accepted a tender last Saturday for u 100 ft drive at 5s per foot. W. Handyside requests us to correct an error ia the charge preferred against him in the local R.M. Court last week by Anderson, station-master at Otautau. The report stated that defendant was charged ■with using " obscene" and threatening language, instead of " abusive," &c. The County Council received the following tenders for maintenance, Eiverton and Limestone Plains road :— J. McNay (accepted), £4O; J. Higbet (informal), £4O; M. Maley, £46 ; J. Bole, £49. Contract No. 78, formation Wrey's Bush and Mount Linton road : J. Duggan, (accepted), £B2 4s 3u ; T.,Power, £B4; J. Boyle, £95 17s 3d ; J. G-allahar, £96 18s ; M. Silk, £lO4 18s 3d.

A meeting of the Committee of the Riverton Athenseum were held irftlie reading-room on Saturday . evening. Present: Messrs Jas. Kci I (president, in the chair) Robinson, McDonald, Petchell and Galloway. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, tlw offer from Mr M. Instone to let the present reading-room, library and "chess-room fo the institution at a rental of 10s per we«k without attendance was considered, as was also an offer from Mr Hancock to let two rooms above his shop at 22s 6d per week with attendance, fire and light. It having beea ascertained that attendance would cost from 12s to 15s per week, and fire and light about 7s 6d per w«ek, Mr Hancock's offer was thought the most advantageous, and it was resolved to accept it. After going over several accounts, payment of which was held over until the committee were in funds, and appointing a committee to select books out of a catalogue sent- by the Education Board, to which the institution was entitled by virtue of subscriptions received, the meeting adjourned. Monday, being the 61sfc anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's natal day, was observed as a strict holiday in Riverton. The weather was exceptionally fine for the season of the year, although about noon a slight shower fell, not sufficiently heavy, however, to mar the day's enjoyment. The local volunteer company turned out in force about 10 a.m. in honor of the occasion, and after firing &feudejoie marched to the bridge and back again, headed by the band. After the company was dismissed, the band stationed themselves at the Custom House and regaled the inhabitants with a programme of choice music. About noon the special excursion train arrived from Invercargill, bringing some four or five hundred visitors; and a faw minuteslatertheordinary train alsoarrived with an unusual large number of passengers. In addition to these, the country districts contributed a considerable number of visitors. The presence of such a large addition to the population gave the town an unusual lively appearance. The groat attraction was the race course, and the bulk of the visitors found their way there; but many preferred a quiet ramble in South Riverton. The occasion being the first on which a special excursion train has been put on between Invercargill and Riverton, it is gratifying that the experiment was a sueccss, and on future holidays the railway department will doubtless see the advisability of making similar arrangements without being almost beggod upon to do so by the public. At the R.M. Court yesterday, before .T. N. Wood, Esq., R.M., L. Williamson was ohaiged with being drunk and disorderly on the racecourse on Monday. He was also charged with resisting the police in the execution of ttieir duty. On the first count he pleaded guilty and was fined ss; he pleaded not guilty on the second charge, but evidence having boen led ho was fined 40s, with fortyeight hours' imprisonmnent as an alternative. The concert announced to be givon by Mr F. Clifton on Monday evening last, did not, owing to some unexplained reason, come off. Judging from the large number of visitors who turned away disappointed, there would hare been a crowded house. A dance was improvised, in which a large number joined. The arrangements for the grain show under the auspices of the Western District Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which takes place on Friday, are now complete. The exhibits, we understand, promise to be unusually large. There are two special prizes which we again desire to draw attention to —one by Messrs Whittingham Bros, and Instone—a silver cup—for the highest aggregate money prize-taker at the show ; the other by the proprietors of Thompson's Confederate Diorama. The Seerstai': desires us to request

Subscribers to the Bivrrton A the mourn arc notified elsewhere that the Athcnerjum will be removed in a few clays to Mr J. Hancock's premises. Members are requested to return any booka they may hare in thei' 1 possession belonging to Liie library, which, for the purposes of re-arrangement of books ; will bo elosod from May 31st to .Tune 7th.

The Tiev. T. E. Ash lectured in the Od 1fellows' Hall on Sunday afternoon. Owing probably to a misunderstanding as to the lnur at which the lecture was to commence, the attendance was- small. It was highly appreciated, however, by those who heard it. Mr T. Daniel occupied the chair. The subject was "The Second Coming of Christ, 1381." The subject, aa handled, opened a wide field for speculation and conjecture. The kind of proof brought forward u quite new, and for practical purposes better adapted to attract the attention of the public than tbe old system of dates and Scripture reference. At the District jCourt, Invereargill, yesterday, A. P. Scobie and R. M. Cameron, bankrupts, applied for and obtained orders of discharge. A man named Potts wa9 drowned near the New River on Saturday. lie was travelling in a two-horse dray from tho Waitniwa railway station, and in passing a lagoon the shaft horse shied at something in the road (which was covered with water) and plunged into the lagoou. Potts and the horses ware drowned, and a son of Mr J. F. Collins who was in the dray at the time, had a narrow escape from sharing a similar fate. The last rail of the Waimea Plains railway was laid on Monday. •—■ - —v»>— The draught match between six residents of Riverton and a similar number of members of the Invereargill Draught Club, did not como off at Riverton on Monday as anticipated. Tbe match, wo understand, takes place at Invereargill on Thursday next.

The -Rev. T. E. Ash's lecture lust evening on '• London " was poorly attended. This is to bo regretted, as independent of the merits of the lecture,, the object (to assist in raising funds for the orection of a Temperance Hall) should have been sufficient to draw a good house.

The Carandini Company gave their last performance on Saturday evening to a payable house. The programme, which teemed with gems of operatic and popular music, was faithfully carried out. A piece of smart practice on the part of- the company has reached our ears, not at all creditable to it. The advertised prices of admission were 3a, 2s and Is. It is state I that on Saturday evenin;; many who sought admission to the one shilling seats were compelled to pay two shillings—not because the hall was crowded, but evidently, with the intention of squeezing as much out of visitors as possible. A gent.eman of whom two shillings wa« demanded f ir a one shilling seat, 'but who, rather than pay that amount, refused to attend the concert, is our informant, and he states that many others were treated in a similar manner. Whether this action was the result of instructions from the manager of the company, or merely an innocent whim of the doorkeep-r, wo are unable to say; in either case it reflects no oredit upon a respectable company like the Carandinis.

Mr M'Caughsn's address (on wh'ch we made some remarks last week) has been noticed by nearly every paper in the. Colony. The general expression of opinion is one that it is "a feeler." Our own view was, that it was a recantation of things pledged upon the hustings. As " a feeler" the subject habeen discussed, and t"e verdict is that " wealth " can throw dust into the eyes of the many, that beer is more powerful than principle, that the "lanlocracy" m*y pick an I choose their representatives and command the elections by false promises, and reservations that cannot bear public scrutiny and examination. The address is, therefore, t/f course, viewed with great favor by those who having landed interests sought the aid of a plunger." Some Curtis was required.—" Wakatip Mad." An impudent robbery was committed on board the steamer To Anau, lying at Port Chalmers, on Thursday evening. It appears that during the evening a man went into the forecabin and represented himself is beiug-ihe watchman ou board. The passengers not doubting the same, did not remain below the whole time, and later in the evening some of them remarked that,during their absence their beds had been disturbed, and upon a search being made-it was discovered that a purse containing a gold locket valued at £2O ; a diamond ring, with five stones, valued at £27; and a diamond enamelled ring, valued at £22 10s, had been abstracted from under the pillow of Mr Joseph Mandlestan, a passtnger for Melbourne. Information was at once given to Sersjeant Hanlon, who this morning arrested a man named Henry Bybread on suspicion, and on searching his lodgings found the whole of the stolen property. The prosecutor and his wife will remain behind, and the accused will be brought before the Bench to-morrow morning.— " Evening Star." J\umors were current some time since, says the " Cooktowu Courier," that the existence of a white woman among the blacks was well known, and as the account is substantiated by. the natives themselves, there cau be no longer any doubt upon the subject. The blacks from whom this information was obtained were camped about sixty miles north of where the wreck reported was observed by Mr Jack.

Prince Henry, second son of the Crown Prince of Germany, now a cadet on board the Prince Albert, at present cruising in the South Pacific Ocean, will, in compliance with instructions received from the Emperor of Germany, act as his grandfather's representative at the opening of- ths Melbourne Exhibition. "We have heard of a cartain tradesman in this town who went in search of the great desideratum of human existence recently in the direction of Crookston. As he was proceeding along the road, he espied a likely mark, who was remoring potatoes from a pit, and after putting the account where he could easily come at it, he spurred his horse, having about a mild to go. He got to the potato pit, but no man could he see. Thinking that perhaps the intended victim had sunk into the ground at sight of such an apparition, but must eveutually come up again, he sat his weary body down to rest, l'egaling himself meanwhile on a raw potato—being a G-ood Templar. He waited patiently for a long time, but the intended victim came not; so mounting his horse again, he turned homeward, a sadder if not a richer man.—"Tapanui Courier." The " North-Eastern Ensign " thus writes respecting the Kelly outlaws: —" If a constable or a stranger is seen in the Valley of the King River, ( the fact is carriel straight to the Kellys by bush telegrams. It is not necessary that the ' telegraph' should speak to the Kellys or even see thorn. A certain way of tying a handkerchief on the sleeve of a coat, when riding along a bush track, constitutes a cypher word which the outlaws can read without showing themselves from one of their watch towers. The gang have given up all hope of being able to break away, and they are now playing a waiting game, which must inevitably be won by the police ; but whether the und will come in a month, or six mouths, or twelve, no o -e can sav. Tho present operation :h'v,V» Xd::-\\i:u Cho K- I !'.'.. is cost-

and all tho return the colony sets for the money is this, that tho police have deprived the outlaws of. all hope of escape, that they are leading a wretched life of onxietv, and daily becoming less and less trustful of their friend/. It is some satisfaction to know that they have been effectually cornered, and that their capture or death is only a question of time. We know also tha f anything like another outbreak of crime in tho infected district has been impossible." A peculiar case has occurred at Hindmarsh, South Australia. A man named Coussius, formerly of New Zealand, having property worth about £IOOO, died lately. ' The inquest elicited that he had been taken recently into the house of a Mrs Collins, and that he made a will in her favour. She gave him brandy, contrary to the doctor's orders, and would not let his friends see him. The jury decided that deceased died from natural esuises accelerated by the treatment of Collins.

The Melbourne "Argus," speaking of the stupid hoax perpetrated by some insensate individual, says:—"A careful consideration of the circumstances under which the supposed message from a survivor of the ship Knowsley Hall has been receive 1 strengthens the supposition that the whole atfair is a badly executed hoax. According to the "date attached to the message, Captain Payne has calculated that the bottle must have made a passage of about 4000 miles at the rate of something like 55 miles a day. The paper, instead of showing signa, as might be expected, of damage by water or friction, is in good preservation, and the writing, which is in pencil, appears to have been quit 3 recently made." A private letter received from a former resident of Timaru, who is now in Sydney, represents the state of the 1 ibor market there as something deplorable. The "South Canterbury Times" states that the writer, who left New Zealand twelve months ago with a moderate amount of money, has tried almost every kind of occupation, but has found it almost impossible to obtain a living. In one passage he writes: —" Many here are starving; in fact. I have gone for two days myself without food." With regard to the exhibition just closed he remarks—" Shopkeepers say it has hurt them. It certainly has shown that they get 100 per cent on their goods."