CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XV, 12 October 1895, Page 459

CHRISTCHURCH NOTES.

(BY ‘QUIZ.’) THERE is talk, and more than talk, in Christchurch of spring, for the snowdrifts are melting on Mount Herbert under sunny days, and the perfume of flowers comes with every breeze. Spring is a festive season in Christchurch. In no other South world town is the budding season so marked. The vast abundance of willows and deciduous trees give striking evidence of broken winter buds and new phases of life. Christchurch in spring is delightful. It has all the charms of the much-sung English season, and more, for.here is the spring of a new social life, the budding stage of a glorious young nation ; here there are possibilities of freedom and development such as no other nation have. The spring season of the year is charming, but the spring time of a nation is an epoch in human history. There is much talk in Christchurch and all through the south of trout fishing, for in two days more the season begins, and already anglers are busy fixing up flies, casts, traces, minnows, top pieces, lines, reels, waders, and landing nets. Whilst I write I see one man practising throwing the fly on a broad lawn. He has a new split cane rod, which he fondles as if it were a creation of his own. He will come to me presently to discuss the respective merits of the Upper Selwyn, the Hororata, Temuka. Trout fishing has become very popular in New Zealand, but in few places has it reached such a pitch as in Canterbury, for even Otago does not possess such an abundance of good fishing streams. The Acclimatization Societies in introducing trout into our rivers have added a much greater attraction to New Zealand than that lost in the destruction of the Pink and White Terraces. Rich Englishmen pay thousands of pounds yearly for the privilege or fishing Scottish and Norwegian rivers for salmon, and here we can get and give sport equal all round to salmon fishing for/"i. I uotice in all advertisements of land for sale in Canada and other parts of America the fact of there being a fishing stream handy is made as much of as the quality of the soil. As a friend of mine pointed out the other day, If the conservative papers of New Zealand, instead of reviling and condemning everything connected with the Pouiahaha or Cheviot estates when they were advertised for sale, had just described the attractions of trout fishing in the Pomahaha, and deer stalking in the adjacent ranges, or had given the information in their mail supplements that through the Cheviot estate ran the Hurunui river, where trout up to zolbs might be caught, we might have had an addition to our population in the shape of young Britishers, who are now on their way to Manitoba. Whilst on the subject of trout-fishing I may say that one or two anglers I know complain bitterly about the conduct of certain station-holders who, because their property adjoins rivers, imagine they have a particular claim to all the fish in the waters. There are two young men who own property bordering a pretty little trout river about thirty miles to the sou’-west of Christchurch, who hunt off any anglers they see in the river bed. These young men are wealthy, but they have done absolutely nothing for acclimatisation, yet they claim the trout put in the stream at public expense. The Christchurch artists are talking about the forthcoming Palette Club Exhibition. It is to be one of the best that has yet been held in Christchurch. Kindred clubs in all parts of New Zealand are sending exhibits. Tickets have already been issued inviting the friends and patrons of the artists to the private view, and these tickets are eagerly sought for, as it is now considered quite a privilege to be in the artists’ set. A good number of Christchurch men are talking about forming a big pond in Hagley Park. There is a natural depression there, and a pond could be easily made and supplied by artesian wells. The pond would be an attractive feature in the park, and those people who go in for model yacht racing especially desire it, as they have no sheet of water within miles of Christchurch in which to race their tiny craft. A good number of these men would subscribe something toward the formation of such a pond, so the Park authorities might consider the matter, though they do not seem to consider the public much. Rather a funny thing occurred at a meeting held recently to discuss the Worthington-Hornsby libel case. Some of the people had discussed at length and in detail some of the irregularities of the prophet of truth, when an elderly spinster of somewhat vinegary aspect arose and said, ‘ Well, you have accused Mr Worthington of various immoralities, but I can truthfully say that although I have been many times in his presence, he has never shown the slightest familiarity.’ There was a grin of derision at this speech, and some cruel person sug-

gested that Worthington had a fastidious taste in feminine friends. A sturdy, spirited young man, who has decidedly adopted New Zealand as his country and his home, was talking to me the other day about modern books. He had just been reading Coulson Kernahan’s ‘ Book of Strange Sins.’ ‘ What miserable stuff it is,’ said my sturdy friend, referring to the book. ‘lt may be written with the idea of scaring people from committing sins, but then those poor, weak, backboneless creatures described by Kernahan can’t be benefited by scaring. What they require is a long spell at stock-riding, bushfelling, or prospecting. Those who did not die under hard outdoor work might become decent men.’ This sturdy colonial likewise smote the New Woman's book hip and thigh. He even struck at Olive Schriner’s ‘ Story of an African Farm.’ ‘Books,’ said the sturdy one, ‘ have a big effect on people, and why should Olive Schriner make the only good-hearted characters in her book die ? There is room enough in Africa for good people to live ; why could she not show people how to live a healthy, vigorous, colonial life ? There is the same weakness in all the modern woman'sbooks —in “The Heavenly Twins,” “ Gallia,” ‘ The Woman Who Did,” and the rest. Nearly all the good people fall helpless victims to unscrupuiousness, to cruelty. If circumstances are too strong for good people in the old world, let them come into the new world and make circumstances to suit themselves.’