SOCIETY ON DITS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXI, Issue IX, 27 August 1898, Page 277

SOCIETY ON DITS.

That Lady Ranfurly is to be asked to present to the Auckland Infantry Battalion No. 1 their new colours, which are coming out from Home.

That the Librarian at the Wellington Public Library deems it necessary to block out or otherwise remove the. sporting news from the newspapers in the library in order to put a stop to the most reprehensible practice of cutting out the sporting news which visitors to the library indulge in.

That the forthcoming Auckland Garrison Ball promises to be a very successful affair, and tickets for it are meeting with a very ready sale. That Major Gudgeon will probably be appointed British Resident at Rarotonga.

That had the day been bright and sunny there would have been a great many more spectators at the foolball match held at the Napier Recrea.'ion Ground between ' Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay. The game was watched with great interest, and ended in Canterbury winning by 15 points to 3.

That the friends of Mr A. W. C. Staee, formerly a student at St. John’s Theological College), Tamaki, Auckjland, will be pleased to know that he is winning golden opinions on a<ll hands at Reefton, where he is assistant curate.

That a lecture on ‘Bismarck’ was given by the Rev. W. G. Parsonson at Napier on August 11, and that during the evening several musical selections were contributed by local performers. That an accident happened to the express train from Wellington to Na pier the other day near Waipawa. A cow happened to be on the line, and several of the carriages were thrown off the rails and overturned. The passengers, some of whom were much bruised, had to crawl out through the windows. The passenger who suffered the most was Mrs Hennan, and she, besides receiving a severe shaking, was rendered unconscious. It was most fortunate that the accident was no worse, and that the passengers escaped any very serious injury.

That the novices of the Auckland Rowing Club are to have a set of gold shields presented to them for competition by Mr Gooch, the newly elected captain of the club, and a silvermounted celery glass by Mr Baker.

That a very rare and beautiful fish called the Regalecus Argenteur has been lately found off our coast, making the twelfth specimen of its kind ever recorded to have been found in New Zealand waters. It is over 12 feet long and one foot broad, and looks like a long riband of polished silver with jet black markings, while, to add to its beauty, it has a long bright red dorsal fin which rises to a sort of plumed crest over two feet in height.

That a ‘find’ very interesting to scientific people all over the world was announced at a recent meeting of the Otago Institute. This ‘find,’ which was secured by a dog belonging to Mr John Ross (brothel- of the guide) in the bush near the Middle Fiord, Te Anau, is now in the possession of Dr. Young, of Invercargill. It is a complete specimen of the Notornis Mantelli, and there is not another in any museum in the colony, though the British Museum has two and the Dresden Museum one, these three being the only other complete specimens ever found.

That there i-s some, serious talk of enlarging the Choral Hall, Auckland.

That cremation is the latest thing for which the political women in Wanganui are clamouring, according to an exchange, but one would like to know precisely what it is they want.. Is it the right to immolate themselves on the funeral pyres oi their beloved, such as once belonged to the Hindoo widow, or is it merely the right to be consumed quickly by fire instead of slowly by the worm after they are dead? That in consequence of some friction among its members the Lyttelton Brass Band has ceased to exist as a band.

That the performance of the ‘Taming of the Shrew' by Mr Cook’s amateurs, which takes place in Nelson next month, promise's to be a very amusing affair.

That at a recent meeting of the Otago Institute, a wonderfully large and beautiful kiwi mat made at Upipi, near Taupo, was exhibited, and received the enthusiastic admiration of all present. Kiwis are increasing, it is maintained, in the North Island, and certainly the kiwi mat seems to suggest that this must l>e the case, for an immense quantity of feathers must have gone to the making of it.

That the anomaly of having to ejeet an old man by main force from the prison at which he had served a long sentence, on the expiry of that sentence—an anomaly that was exemplified by a recent ease at Nelson Gaol—suggests a good deal of varied food for reflection.

That the thief or thieves who committed the daylight robberies of jewellery in two private houses in Auckland on the same day last week have not been able to profit much by their ill-gotten gains, for last Saturday the stolen jewellery was discovered by two boys playing on Mount Eden carefully planted in a quiet nook, and was handed over to the police by them.

That owing to the recent heavy wins great anxiety was felt for the settlers at Clive, Meanee. and the low-lying lands, but happily the weather cleared up before very great damage was done, though some of the swollen rivers overflowed and covered part of the lands with water. Near Tomoa.na a great deal of ground belonging to Mr Robertson and Mr Thomson was quite inundated. At Omahu a new bridge was being constructed, and most of the timber used for it was curried down by the river. At the ‘Wash-out’ the railway lines were submerged, and the passengers had to be taken by ’bus from the. Farndon Station to the train waiting for them on the opposite side of the ‘Wash-out.’ When the water rose still higher and submerged the road, boats were brought into requisition.

That the Dunedin Museum has recently had its exhibits -enriched by the addition of a moa’s egg found in the river flat between Alexandra and Cromwell.

That King Frost has been very active of late in the ranges near Christchurch, where only the swift-flowing streams have been able to withstand his binding spell.

That the Mount Eden rifle range, Auckland, is now closed.

That the. Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists have gallantly passed a 'resolution signifying their regret that a lady journalist has been refused admission to the. press gallery and their hope that in future applicants for admission will be dealt with without distinction of sex.

That. Mr G. Spinley was the winner of the Ponsonby Navals’ Cup in the competition fired at the. Mount Eden range, Auckland, last. week. As this is the third time, in succession that Mr Spinley has won the fine trophy, the cup now becomes his own property.

That St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Auckland, is undergoing extensive alterations which will tend greatly to improve its appearance. In addition, one of the ladies of the congregation has sent for a large bell from Glasgow at a cost, of £ 150.

That diamonds have Iveen discovered at Henderson, near Auckland, by Mr Alfred Bullock, who has had considerable experience on diamond fields, and that the stones are said to be quite as good in, every way as the stones rerecently found in New South Wales. Auckland will certainly have reason to rejoice if it turns out that she really and truly has a diamond field at her door. That the other day Miss Millington, who has for some time been giving cookery lessons in Napier, held an exhibition of plain and fancy cookery in the Athenaeum Hall. The exhibits consisted of work done by pupils from the various Napier schools, and showed that by many of the girls great proficiency had been attained in only quite a short course of instruction. That a small concert was given at the Heretaunga. School. Hastings, on August 18, and that the proceeds went to the Game and Library Fund. Amongst the performers were Miss McLean, of Havelock; Miss St. Hill, Mr Manneriiig. Herr Wenders, and Master Heslop.

That so much snow has fallen on the Paparoa range (Westland) as to put a stop the other day to all mining operations.

That it is affirmed on reliable authority that Canterbury, Otago, and the Waikato are districts which woidd produce under proper cultivation splendid crops of beet for making sugar.

That the footpad seems to be putting himself in evidence in the streets of Christchurch, two of the citizens having been respectively set upon and knocked down, one night recently, by scoundrels who ran away on the approach of other pedestrians. The police, indeed, declare that thieves swarmed in Christchurch during the Grand National week.

That Mrs J. M. Dargaville, of Auckland, and her tw'o daughters, while driving a long Market Road, Epsom, on Saturday afternoon, hail their phaeton run into by another vehicle, with the result that Miss Dargaville wasthrown out. though luckily she sustained no injuries beyond a few bruises.

That shops for the sale of New Zealand frozen meat are. to be at once opened in London by the cabled order of Mr Gilbert Anderson, managing director of the Christchurch Meat Company, and that the results of this very important development in the frozen meat trade will be watched for with interest by the N.Z. public at large, as well as by those more closely concerned in the matter.

That a good many people in Onehunga object to the proposal to despatch steamers from that port, on Sundays when the more frequent mail service conies into operation in December. on the grounds that it will probably deprive seamen and others of Sunday as a day of rest.

That the North Island Brass Band Association state that it cannot possibly put off now the brass band contest at Palmerston North in favour of a similar contest which it is suggested should be held at the. Auckland Exhibition.

That it is understood in America that Lieut. Hobson, the courageous sinker of the Merrimac in the harbour of Santiago de Cuba, is a direct descendant of Captain Hobson, R.N., who first erected the standard of Old England in New Zealand.

That it would be extremely desirable that the fine entomological collection and valuable MSS. relating to entomological research, which the late Mr W. M. Maskell, Registrar of the University of New Zealand, has left behind him, should be acquired for this colony.

That during the absence of the Rev. Mr Sprott, of St. Paul’s Parish, Wellington, the Rev. Casey Harper, from Pa-tea, is in charge of the parish.

That the Blenheim Horticultural Society have started an ‘annual social.’ Facilities are to be given to Picton friends to join in, ami a train put on to bring the Picton contingent home again ‘after the ball.’

That Misses Constance Hatherly and Celia. Dampier will give a farewell concert, in Christchurch on the 29th August.

That there has been so brisk an application for space in the section devoted to Home Industries in the forthcoming Auckland Exhibition that we may expect to see those industries ca pi tally represen te<l. That the members of the New Plymouth Liederkranzehen will give their second ‘Musical At Home' on Wednesday, August 31st, in St. Mary's Hall.

That the fine new suspension bridge at Karangahake was publicly opened last Friday by Councillor Stackpole. The contractor, Mr M. Coulson, deserves great credit for the excellence of his work.

That the Rev. W. Curzon-Siggers (Dunedin) preached a striking sermon on Sunday, the occasion being the church parade in S. Matthew’s, of the Dunedin Naval Artillery. The Rev. gentleman said that there was no need to fear Russia, as, like Spain and China, she was pursuing a grand policy of isolation, which would end in her ‘going smash,’ as these two nations were doing. Russia was fully described in Ezekiel 39, and it would be after her attempt to seize the Holy Lend that her smash would come. The Navals seemed to greatly enjoy the vicar's foreign policy. lie very cleverly worked the motto: ‘Play the man,’ throughout his discourse.

That as it is expected that all the yachts in the harbour will compete in the Exhibition Yacht Race, which it is projx>sed to sail during the Auckland Exhibition, the race should prove an exceedingly attractive event.

That the Wellington Naval Artillery have received a handsome silver cup from Messrs Lever Bros., the manufacturers of sunlight soap, which is to be competed for by the shooting members of the company. The cup. which is much appreciated, was forwarded to New Zealand by W. T. Turnbull and Co., their agents in Wellington.

That there is a likelihood of the Auckland Row ing Club and the Waite-niata-City Boating - Club being amalgamated. 1 hat- Messrs I. Gibbs, ,1. J. Kinsey, C. W. Hill ami Bickerton Fisher, went to ‘Motonftu,’ Mr J. Hall's station, for a few - days shooting, but unfortunately it was wet all the time, anil their pleasure was much marred. That Mrs Charles Johnston is giving a dance next Saturday night in honour of her second daughter's birthday.

That the Spring Carnival of the Auckland Cycling Club promises to be. particularly good this year, the prizes being more valuable than any the Club has ever offered previously.

That Mrs Charles Izard entertained a iKuinber of her friends at tea ton Monday last.

That Miss Edwin is giving an afternnmii tea on Friday.

That some extraordinary new disease is attacking the cattle in the Picton district, and killing them off suddenly. Mr Gilruth, Government Veterinary Surgeon, arrived from Wellington to inquire into the circumstances. Twenity-four head of cattle died ait Para, and one in Picton. That the Picton spinsters are endeavouring to arrange for giving another of their famous balls. Outsiders give Picton credit for possessing an unusually large number of unattached blessings, but they are hard to find just now. They have either been appropriated or they have gone

That the consecration of St. Mary’s Cai hedral. Parnell, Auckland, by the Primate to-morrow (Thursday), will be a evry interesting ecclesiastistieal function, and should be largely attended. Bishop Wallis, of Wellington, will preach anid special music will be rendered by the choir. There will be an‘At Home’held in the afternoon. at which the bishops who take part in the consecration will be present.

That ithe complimentary concert, which is being tendered to Mr Ernest Schatz in Auckland on September 2nd, previous to his departure for Wellington, ought to draw a. very lairge audience, for the programme is of an exceedingly attractive order. That the Pollard Oi|>era. Company are drawing crowded houses in We’linlgton. The dlresses and scenery are splendid. That, the concert held in New Plynnoutli on August JStih for the benefit of the City Band Fund, was a very successful one. The overtures played at the cratmiinencement of each part by Miss Haise, A.L. Cook and the Cottier Bros. were well received, and the Orpheus Musical Club contributed two glees. Mr Mullens, who was encored each time, sang ‘Das Freundschaftsbannuehen’ and ‘All in, AH' (Juncker), and Mrs F. Watson contributed the song ‘The Holy City,’ and took part in the duet ‘Excelsior’ with Mrs Beane. Mr A. Grey sang ‘The Bugler;’ Mr Didsbury, ‘The Riderless Steed; and Mr W. Perry, ‘The Soldiers of the Queen.' Miss B. McDonald, Mr E. Clarke, Mr C. Barrack) ugh, Mr ,1. Montgomery, and Mr G. McComish also contributed to the programme, the last three gentlemen giving comic songs. The Cottier Bros, gave a duet (cornet and clarionet), and Miss Haise played the. accompaniments to the songs.