WEBTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 46, 13 March 1896, Page 15

WEBTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By Old Identity,)

ST. C A NICE'S CHUBCH. An appeal made by the Very scv Father Walsh for funds towards painting St Oanice'a Church, was readily reepanded to by the congregation. The Catholics of Westportare justly proud of their beautiful church— a building which has been aptly termed by visitors aa "an ornament to the town "—and the readiness and cheerfulness exhibited in the matter of subscribing towards its preservation is rather refreshing, and is well worthy of note. It shows what can be easily occomplished when unanimity of purpose and the proper spirit prevail. The painting of the edifice has been placed in the bands of Mr John O'Neil, the leading painter and decorator of the town, which is sufficient guarantee that the work will be carried out in a workmanlike and conscientious manner. CYCLING. Tbis easy and speedy means of locomotion — of course only to those skilled — is all the rage here now ; in fact, both young and old, gay and severe, seem to have caught on to the cycling mania. A cycling club has been established wi'h a strong membership, and a contract was let last evening to Messrß John Scanlan and Dalaney for the formation of a track in Victoria Square. Two local cyclists (Messrs George B. Carr and L. Larsen) wheeled to Lyell and b>ck — 80 miles — one day last week, aoing the journey in four and a half hours each way, including two punt stoppages. Lccally this is considered a good record on Bach a road, DISTINGUISHED VISITORS AND PROBABLE BENEFIT. Our esteemed townsman, Mr Charles Lempfert, who takes a keen interest in the gold-mining industry, received information to-day to the effect that two miniDg experts, who are inspecting the goldfields of the Australasian colonies under instructions from the German Government, will shortly visit thiß district. These distinguished gentlemen are Dr Carl Schmeisher and Dr Vogelsang, the former probably the most widely-known mining expert in the wcrld. It was he who examined the famous Band goldnelds on behalf of th°

German Government in the days when little was kuown of their wonders. The existence of Johannesburg in no small way is due to his report. Jast as their reports caused a flow of German capital to the Transvaal, st may the present mission perform a like service for the colonies, and the vast mineral resources of the West Coast, io particular, which are now lying dormant for the wint of capital to develop them, PEBSONAL, Mr John Moriarly, the particulars of whose accident I furnished in my last communication, partially recovered the sight of his left eye and Las left tha district hospital to consult Dr Fergusson, occulist, of Danedin, OBITUARY, A very old resident cf the North Beacb, Alexander Keilor, aged 83 years, died in the district hospital on Thursday last. He bad been an inmate three and a half years. A well-known carpenter, named John Weatherapoon, died at the hospital on Friday, from heart disease. The deceased was about 40 years of age, a native of Scotland and unmarried. Mr Weatherspoon was admitted to the hospital three weeks ago, suffering from dislocation of the hip, caused by a fall from the roof of a building in course of erection for Mr Myles McPaddin, County Chairman. COAL EXPORT TRADE. After much discussion and voluminous correspondence the con* summation of a direct coal export trade app:ars to be near at hand at last. The baique Coromande], which left Wellington on Saturday last for this port, is under charter to the Westport Coal Company to load coal here for Valparaiso. She is expee'ei tatake away 1200 tons on a draught of 18 feet 8 inche3. A great deal depends upon this trial shipment cf coal, and with a view towards opening up a permanent trade with South America it is sincerely to be hoped that none but the very best article will be sent. Upon no less an authority than the Sydney Daily Telagraph of a recent date the information is given that the local proiuct gave higher results for heatiog purposes, with 1e99 percentage of ash and clinker, than the coals of Nsw South Wale?, North of England and Wales, This wa& the result of a test made at the Woolwich dockyards. A MARK OF APPRECIATION, Miss M^ry McCann, upon severing her connection with the teaching staff of the Addison's Flat school, was tha recipient of a flattering testimonial accompanied with & purse of sovereigns from the children and their parents.

About two years aeo Messrs Powley and Keast started bottling Meßsrs Speight and Go's beer. Since then the demand for this beverage has so increased that larger premises had to be taken. The firm now occupy the old malt house of Speight and Co, in Hope street, and the magnitude of the business done can be gauged from the fdct that one month recently 20 864 bottles were sent out. The average ptock always in hand is 3,000 dozen. A newly-improved Syphcn, which excludes all impurities and prevents either the bottles or the resevoirs from overflowing, and a coikiog machine lately erected have turned out some marvellously fast work, Two hands can fill and cork 100 dozen bottles a hour with these machines, In the store room 6000 dozen bottles can be placed. Any one requiring the latest and most fashionable goods of all deeoriptions will do well to visit Messrs Htrbert Haynes and Co's establishment where a very choice collection of autumn and winter goods are on show. The goods have just arrived from the principal manufactories at Home, and are the best that could possibly be procured. Some time back the play of " Hamlet " was being performed at a provincial theatre. In a scene with Polonins, the crafty old courtier asks :" Do you know me, my lord ? '' The prince responds : " Excellent well ; you are a fishmonger," On hearing this an old woman in the pit stood up, and, si akin? her fist, shouted excutdly : " Well, and s'posing he is — that's better than play-actin' any day." Of all the elements fire is the most destructive. It consumes and reduces to ashes whatsoever it encircles in its embrace So it is with the tongue in the moral world. Its wor is burn into the soul, destroy name and fame, separate man from man ana from God. Therefore does the Apostle St James say of the toDgue: " The tongne is afire, a world of iniquity." In a small village near Dundee there lived a woman who owed her grocer a heavy account. Observing him comiLg towards her house one day, and not wishing to meet him, shy instruc ci her seven-year-old sou to tell him, if he called, thst she was away to Dundee, and then shppei under the bed. The grocer, after knocking, walked straight in and ask.'d the boy if tug mother was la. " No," was the answer. '' Where is she ?" atked the grocer. " She's awa' to Dundee, ' replied the boy. '' A:.d when will she be back?'' Not being prepared for so much questioning, the litt'e hi lifted op the cur am of the bed and called our, '■ ilither, when will ye ba back 7 ' It is reported that there is a sk.pper who h*s been so often across the Atlantic that he knows every wive by sight." Piety is of the heart and is personal. It is inward and of the spi'it, not outward. It is Dot to 03 pu' on, like a clerical coat or the veil of a religious', but is that inward adornment of which the Scriptures speak, and as to which they inculcate modesty of demeanour. Nothing is more beiutiful than that quiet, uno^ipntatious piety which springs from a full apprehension of the dements of self and of the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ ; relying upon H'm, living in Him, and living for Him.