POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close i; follows : For Christchurch and North at io a. m. \ p.m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Chertsey at 10 a.m. daily. For Rakaia at 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geiahline, at 10.15 a.m. daily. * For Temuka, Timaru, and South at 10.15 p.m. and 3 p.m daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays md Fridays at 10.30 a.m. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach, a 3.15 p.m. daily. W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster.

The Evening Echo. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1878.

The Pulpit. —Rev. Thomas Fee, of Waimate, is announced to occupy the pulpit of the Wesleyan Church to-morrow, morning and evening. Sunday-school Thanksgiving Ser- YICE. —A service of this character will be hold to-morrow afternoon in the Wesleyan Chapel for all the Sunday-schools in town, and addresses will be delivered by clergy men from a distance, those residing in the township, and other gentlemen.

Ashburton Road Board Election.— Already the ratepayers have begun to move in the matter of the forthcoming Road Board election. Requisitions have been drawn up, signed, and presented to Mr. Joseph Hunt, Mr. David Wilson, and Mr. Wm. M'Cutchin. Of Mr. J. Hunt’s history there is no ratepayer ignorant, and all appreciate his steady and persistent regularity in attending the Board meet ings while he has had the honor of hold ing a seat at its table. Perhaps there i 3 no settler in the district who has the dis trict's welfare more at heart than Mr. J. Hunt, and we look upon his return to the Board as a certainty. Both Mr. Wilson and Mr. M‘Cutehin are good, sound, prac tical men, though a 3 yet comparatively untried in public affairs, but each will doubtless. find supporters to his candi dature.

County Council. —Mr. Higgenson’s report on the Rangitata traffic bridge will occupy the attention of the Council’s Com mittee at its meeting on the 2nd January, when Mr. Higgenson will be present, as also a Committee from the Geraldine County Council.

Registration. Officer. —Mr. G. L. Lee has. been appointed Registration Officer for elections to Parliament for the districts of Selwyn and Coleridge vice Mr. E. J. Lee, who resigns on the 31st inst.

Church Anniversary. Sermons in connexion with the anniversary of the Wesleyan Church will be delivered on Sunday, January sth, at the church, Cameron street.. A tea meeting will take place in the Town Hall on the Tuesday tallowing.

The Floods. — As yet we have not suffered here from the boisterous weather, but districts “not so blest as we” have not got off altogether scot free. The Rangitata bridge, as we reported yester day, has again come to grief, and goods traffic is totally suspended until the damage is made good, which will take some time. The Rakaia river was dan gerously high yesterday, but did not interfere with the railway arrangements nor disturb the bridge traffic. The Wai makariri, of course, rose considerably, and the now notorious Stewart’s Gully received its share of the overflow, with the usual effect upon railway traffic. Pas sengers had to he forwarded on trollies where the flood wa3 affecting the line, but we learn now that the water has fallen and danger for the time is over. Tele graphic communication was also inter rupted last night in various places over the colony, and intelligence from the North Island is therefore of the most meagre character. .

Transport op Cats. A Lively Freight. —lt is reported that recently three car loads of cats passed over the Canada Southern Railway, bound west. The animals were transported in cattle cars, which had been fitted up with four decks each for the purpose. There they were, of all sizes and colors, and such a chorus they made when they lifted up their voices together. The explanation of this new departure in the live stock trade is that some of the Western States are becoming, completely overrun with rats, and cats, their natural enemies, being scarce, some enterprising individual had undertaken to draw a supply from the east, where they are- more plentiful. tW’

SEAFIELD NOTES.

(from our own correspondent.)

The Echo is now a well-known paper in this district, and I am glad to see it forging ahead as it doe 3. The tone of its pages is of the right sort, and if it keeps on as it is going it is bound, to make its way into every settler’s house up here away. Of course there is not a very great deal to chronicle up here away—not much anyhow that would interest y r readers. You don’t want to tell them that your correspondent’s double-furrow came to grief last week when it was lying, as was supposed, out of everybody’s way ; or that he has gone in for keeping up with the times, and now owns a reaper and binder of the latest invention. You don’t care for that sort of news, I daresay. But some time ago you, as well as other papers, wept an ocean of tears over the ruin that was .hanging over Seafield set tlers, and condoled with us over the light harvest we were going to have. Well, I thank you for the spirit that prompted the condolence, but I am exceedingly well pleased to catch you and your, confreres on the' hop,” if you will allow me to put it that way.-I am glad, for tl.e better W«,30il also that .Providence has been oecter to us than our fears, and that, taking the district all round, we won’t be so badly off as was expected. Of course you will allow an old farmer to crow a uttle over finding that the: newspaper Leliows, wiio know everything, were wrong over our harvest; but .1 must say, at the same time, things did look mighty “ dicky” for a while, but they are not so bad now. '

I was down to Kyle a day or two ago along with a neighbor, and of course we pulled up her# and there as we went, to nave a look at what our neighbors’ crops were like. I can tell you we saw some very cheery-looking crops. A good many patches of wheat look fairly well, I can tell you. Not little cakes of patches, but thumping good fields of decent wheat. I had a yarn with some of the people down that way, and they say that the crops generally arn’t bad at all, but are better than they were last year, not in straw, to be sure, but better headed, and likely to give a heavier yield. Mind you, things nave picked up remarkably within tne last fortnight, not only down the way we went, but here too. I don’t know as 1 ought to mention anybody’s fields as being good or bad, but Mr Craddock has a field looking wonderfully well ; Mr Maiden’s at Seafield are also very good, and Mr Donahagh’s are not bad at all, I can tell you. There are lots of others with good bits of cropping, only of course one don’t care to make a country directory of a letter.

We went down to see Mr Lambie’s windmill-at work. It’s an Althouse, and as you have -one spinning away in Ash burton, I don’t want to go describing it to you. It works well enough as a machine, but it -works far better as an irrigator on a small scale. By the Althouse Mr Lam bie’s paddocks are all well watered, and you have only to look at the sheep fed in those paddocks to see what the mill is worth. I am quite sure that some such mill as that pumping one is what every settler ought to plant if he can at all raise the money. They keep the shingle damp from the surface, and of course the benefit is not long in being felt, for a rminstaking man can make the influence of his pump well felt a long way. A water-race brought in from the Rakaia is spoken of. by several farmers here away, and I would not be astonished, to see it done very soon. They won’t wait until the County Council or some other body does it, but are going to do it on their own hook. That’s the right way to go about a thing if you want it done quickly and your own way. The Seafield school, I may mention, is about completed, and the master’s house is on the road. They adjoin the Wes leyan Chapel recently built. This refer ence brings me to the tea-meeting held, there on Christmas Day. It was quite a. turn out. We had about 200 visitors at tea, and the ladies who did the spread did it royally, I can assure you. You don’t find such a tea fight lay-out every day— that I’ll go .bail. The ladies who looked after the guests’ creature comforts were Mrs Olsen, Mrs Silcock, Mrs Jones, Miss Lawric. and Miss Lofting. We had a bachelors’ table too—a boomer. They had to stump up pretty well you know, and they did it, so that there is enough over out of their subscriptions to give the ’ scholars a treat on New Year’s Day, and the little ones are going to get it. Speeches were made by the ReV Marten, Mr Scott, the contractor, Mr Aitken, Mr Dixon, and Mr Olsen. Mr Olsen gave the finan cial state of affairs. He' said that from subscriptions and other sources £B6 odd had been collected. The church cost £139 odd, and this left a debt of £46, but £. 37 had been promised by friends, so that it won’t take long to wipe off that little liability. The Ashburton choir sang very well indeed, and a vote of thanks was given to them. Miss Lofting had gathered nearly all, if not the whole, of the £B6, and, of course, got a vote of thanks for her plucky service. Before I close I must mention that we have a lot of bachelors here—Messi-3 Craddock, Lawrie, Kelly, Moore, Clewdson, Reed, Alexander, &c. —and their table at the tea-meeting was seen to by Miss Chisnall, and though they didn’t get a vote of thanks, they deserved it. Several new buildings have been put up near the church, so that quite a little township is beginning to appear. I would tell you about Messrs Saunders’ new house liere, but I have written such a long letter that I will wait till another time.

During the . present year over 2000 Movjpons have left Liverpool for Utah,

ON THE DAUNDER.

‘‘l foucht.for my ain hand.”—llal o’ the Wynd.

Another Christmas has passed ! Our thoughts have again sped back along the vista of years, dwelling on home incidents and connections with that sad, pathetic joyfulness which is generated by plum pudding and the other indigestible comes tibles which form landmarks of this fes tive season. British conservatism has lent much historic beauty to this Christian festival, but with the thermometer at 120 deg. the oleaginous compounds fashion requires us to consume cannot be expected to follow the serene, inoffensive career they pursue under a more propitious tem perature. It is not a poetic theme, but our dietary is a matter of such vital importance I feel justified in setting aside false delicacy, and asking general atten tion to the subject. My conviction that evils arise from the irritability provoked by injudicious festivity, is sufficiently con .firmed by history and science. I had more direct evidence bearing on the. subject to place before my readers, but, fo: conside rations purely; domestic, I, for the present, withhold it. It is a little anecdote illustra ting the unangelicness of women under provocation phut one of indifferent stature, compelled to associate with the fair sex, cannot be too circumspect in touching a question of this description. With men, like tea, it is said their real strength and goodness does not come out until they get into hot water, but just for the time I infinitely prefer harboring my multifarious virtues under a peaceful bushel. Xmas is also recognised, as an appropriate time for dispensing charity. That is, well-to-do servants receive a seasonable douceur, church offertories expand, and docile old paupers have an ostentatious “ crowd out.” These are lovely features of the festival, and I trust they may long con tinue to adorn it; but there is an amount of distress even in our thriving borough, which would do with amelioration at this anniversary. Literally real want exists, and although liobly ministered to by a few —who shall be nameless in my fusty column—more laborers are required, and we, who self-satisfiedly join in the revels of the day, know full well the answer we may anticipate to— 1 “ When saw we Thee an hungered?” There is a dolefulness about these reflections for which I censure a few incidental mince-pies of the week, but I do hope the beneficently-disposed will look nearer home before-seeking some charitable institution in Patagonia, Yumba, or Madagascar, wherein to invest their sympathies. The advantages of supplying embroidered pocket-handkerchiefs and tall hats to. .the nobs of some cannibal com munity are admittedly numerous and appa rent, but I think these distinguished strangers could manage to shuffle along in their airy nothingness, with a full stomach of missionary and palm oil, with more comfort than nearer mendicants who are compelled to stint the inside to put on a covering our civilisation demands.

Sir George Grey “ slung” a few more comforting politics to the burgesses of Thames last Monday evening, promising to the empty man fullness and correspond ing emptiness to the full man. Putting aside the justice of the question, which may be taken exception to by more favored individuals, I like this policy. It’s revolutionary, and although sketched by a statesman superior to the “dull realities of truth,” it suggests pleasing day dreams in which we waifs and strays of humanity figure as nice, respectable, affluent patriots struggling to redeem the fallen aristocrats from their category of insignificance. As a poor man I should feel deeply grateful for any equitable shiftment of taxation on to. more , capable shoulders, but a cheapening of tea and microscopic lenses, and French poplin and prunello, while all very well in its little way -will hardly satisfy that craving for reform which the Premier excited by his eloquence on “ Liberty of the Subject,” “ Men versus Sheep,” &c., &c. Apropos of sheepishness, these Canterbury run holders have proved a great godsend to Sir George Grey. For three successive years their short-comings and long-reach ings have made up the most savory dish he has been able to lay before his consti tuents. at the Thames, and they are evidently fond of something spicy and high-fLwored in that emporium of quxrtz. It would be well, however, rot to bring these extended leases up again next year or some of the shrewdest of those diggers might begin to fancy that the runholders' sins must be scarce when Sir Geo-ge is obliged to make so much of this one ; and as to the little children they have de frauded out of the land they should have had, they will be grown far too old to be interesting. I wished myself a child again as I heard expounded the beautiful provision this 'Government proposed making for such—a' widow, an orphan, a good penetential criminal, or anything for lorn, that I might have a show in the distribution of ministerial benefits. But I am not anxious now, “ The age of virtuous politics is past, And we are deep in that of cold pretence. Patriots are grown too shrewd to be sincere, And we too wise to trust them. ”

The troupe of Amateur Christy’s which have recently catered entertainments for the Ashburton public is composed of gentlemen possessing high vocal, instru mental, and dramatic talent. Their “ topical” songs are distinguished for delicate remoteness, and their jokes and riddles are most inoffensive. I am aware that etiquette dictates silence when we cannot criticise amateur performances favorably, but this mannerly custom should not be presumed upon, and I think the . management will credit me with honesty of purpose in directing attention to the abominable ventilation provided pn Thursday evening. J dare

say the Town Hall is not sufficiently fur nished with conveniences for the ingress of fresh air, but if performers value the attendance of such accommodating critics as myself provision should immediately be made for their comfort in this respect. I don’t mind sitting on a good hard board, nor my Paris hat being made a, receptacle for the expectorations of such of my neighbors as masticate the fragrant weed, or any of the other little originalities incidental to a back seat at a popular entertainment, but I do like breathing room, and now will take it! Lonehand.

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A Special Meeting of the Council, ad journed from last Saturday, was held to-day, to consider the question of water-supply for the town. Present: Messrs. Williamson (in the chair), Saunders, Roberts, Friedlander, Ivess, and Campbell. Letter read from Messrs. Fooks and Son, stating that they would undertake the carrying out of the Gully scheme at a charge of 7 per cent, on the total cost of the work. Several Councillors were of opinion that this commission was high. Mr. Ivess made some remarks on the indelicacy of Mr. Fooks’ conduct in being present at the last meeting while Mr. Fooks’ plan was under discussion. Mr. Ivess held that a free exchange of opinion was interfered with while the author of the scheme was present at a discussion upon its merits. Mr. Hardy Johnstone’s qualifications as an engineer had been called in question by members of the Council. He had seen Mr. Johnstone,- and had ascertained from him that he would undertake the work of reporting, as suggested by the Mayor and others, for a sum of £25. Mr. Ivess then read testi monials received from Mr. Johnstone, who had carried out (the documents said) the survey of the city of Hyderabad, of 6,000 souls population, with a view to the water-supply and drainage of that city, besides other works in Great Britain. Mr. Ivess held that a gentleman entrusted with the superintendence of works costing half-a-million or a million of money ought to be qualified to undertake such a work as was required by this town. Mr. Ivess was not averse, however, to Mr. Fooks carrying out his own scheme, but he was averse to his being employed to do it at a charge of 7 per cent, on the cost. Mr Williamson thought the man who designed the plan ought to carry it out. Mr Saunders again advocated the stream he had previously spoken of as a good source of supply, and expressed his dissension from Mr Fooks’ idea of taking water from the river, giving a rough out , line of how the water could brought in from the stream, and the advantages to be gained by having it so brought in. He hoped that whatever course was adopted would be adopted quickly, so that pro ceedings might be taken at once. Mr Fooks having entered, explained that lie had asked the Clerk and the Mayor as to what was required of him by the resolution passed, and he had written the letter before them under the impression that letter had left upon his mind. He meant 7 per cent. On the cost of works to cover the price of the plan he designed, as well as the carrying out of the work. The estimate for bringing the water in an open channel through the gully would be £250, while the cost of concrete tanks in the town would be £4OO, and the pipes, etc., would cost say £2OOO. The outfall drain which ' would be necessary would cost at the least £3OO0 —that' is provided no springs were tapped on the course. Protective works would be necessary to some extent at the river, but these would not be expensive. The tanks -would be fitted with taps, and the overflow turned into the side channelling, but each tank could be made available at any moment as a source of water for fire prevention by simnly turning the whole supply into it.' Mr. Weymouth Roberts asked if £llOO of that expenditure would be available in the shape of pipes for a permanent supply. Mr. b ooks said that would be so. Some conversation then took place on the general details of the plan before the Council, after which Mr. Williamson asked Mr. Fooks if he was willing to allow his plans to go before Mr. Hardy-John stone for report. Mr. Ivess here told the Council for Mr. Fooks’ benefit, before he replied to Mr. Williamson’s question, what had tran spired between himself and Mr. John stone, and added that the latter had stated he had no intention whatever of becoming a competitor for the work. Mr. Fooks said he had a theoretical objection to a gentleman in private prac tice reviewing his plans. He had no knowledge whatever of Mr. Johnstone, but would not stand in the way of the Council coming to a definite conclusion as to their course. There was no engineer ing difficulty involved in the work, and the specialty of his own plan was the idea of filtering in the river bed. He had confidence in his own idea, but would prefer that all the plans submitted to the County Council should go before Mr. Johnstone. Mi’ Fooks having retired, Mr. Williamson stated that if any of Mr. Fooks plans were adopted, the one chosen shouldfbe the plan marked Ho. 1. This plan tapped the river-bed, filtered the wafer fin a reservoir, and brought it down the road in pipes, thus avoiding the cost of compensation. The idea of tapping the river, as Mr. Fooks proposed, had been suggested by Mr. Clark for the Christchurch supply from the Waimaka riri, so that the idea was not absolutely novel. Mr. Ivess thought both plans by Mr. Fooks ought to be submitted to the engi neer engaged to report.

Mr. Friedlander thought they ought to bring in a temporary supply through the gully independent of any other scheme. He had been unable to attend the last meeting, and was quite astonished to learn that the temporary supply idea had been abandoned.

Mr. Ivess moved that the two plans and report of Messrs. Fooks and Sons be sub mitted to Mr. Hardy-Johnstone for an opinion, and that that gentleman be invited to come to Ashburton to confer with Messrs. Fooks and Sons and the Council on the subject of those schemes, the sum of £25 to be paid by the Council to Mr. Johnstone for his services. Mr. Roberts seconded. Mr. Saunders having withdrawn his resolution with the consent of Mr. Camp bell, Mr. Ivess’ resolution was adopted. Mr. Campbell then moved that the Works Committee be empowered to bring a temporary supply of water for fire pre vention purposes through the Domain at a cost not exceeding £3OO. Mr. Friedlander seconded. The resolution was carried. The Clerk was instructed to ask Mr. Hardy Johnstone, by wire, to come to Ashburton on. January 2, to consult with the Council.

TELEGRAPHIC.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

Constantinople, Wednesday. / Thirty transports have been chartered at Odessa for the conveyance of troops returning from the Russian army of occu pation in Turkey.

AUSTRALIAN

Sydney, Dec. 26.

The report of the arrival of the Mecca with Chinese is false. She is unsighted anywhere as yet. Australians v. Eighteen of Adelaide.— The latter are all out for 115, and the eleven have lost nine wickets for 119. Melbourne, Dec. 26. The English eleven have commenced their match with the fifteen Of Victoria. The latter went in first and kept the wickets all day. When the stumps were drawn twelve wickets were down for 288 rnns, Campbell making the top score of 128. The’ weather was splendid.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency and Exchanges.] Wellington, Friday. Geo. Browne, , a well-known settler at the Upper Hutt, had his house destroyed by fire yesterday. Browne and his son were severely burnt in escaping out of the house, and very little, furniture was saved. The loss is estimated at £760 ;• not insured.

Mackie was brought up this morning at the R.M. Court on the charge of embez zling from the Bank of New Zealand and remanded for a week. Bail demanded— Two sureties of £SOO each and prisoner in £SOO. The bail .not forthcoming tl e prisoner was sent back to gaol. * * Dunedin, Friday. A piano manufactory will be established in Dunedin shortly. ; M Miss McMaster was thrown from her horse at the Taieri Agricultural Society’s show yesteraay,' and had her arm broken. The Southern Trunk Railway will not be open before January, and probably not then.

The criminal calendar contains thirteen cases, viz., one false pretences, one inde cent assault, one child murder, two forgery, one burglary, two assault and robbery, three larceny, two perjury. Six of these cases are from Oamaru, showing the necessity for a Circuit Court being held there.

Twenty-three candidates have entered for the New Zealand University examina tions, including two ladies.

Two drapers, this morning, were fined 20s. each for a breach of Bradshaw’s Act. The Walton Park Coal Co. has declared a dividend of Is. 6d. per share. The report says, in the terms of a resolution of last general meeting, the directors having had inducements held out to them by the Minister of Public Works of a reduction of Is. per ton on all coal carried in their own waggons, ordered the ironwork of ,25 waggons from home, which has now arrived, and the waggons are now being built. The Directors now find that the Government have withdrawn the conces sion formerly offered, and now propose that a rebate of Id. per loaded waggon per mile shall be . allowed, a rate* which the Directors need not say will barely supply grease for the wheels.

TO-DAY’S CABLEGRAMS.

Sydney, Dec. 27, The officers of the Seamens’ Union are .urging strikers to abstain from violence towards 350 Chinese on their way to serve the company. Unless they abstain the officers will resign. An attempt was made to shoot the captain and'engineer of the A.S.N. Company’s steamer Wo tangi. The assailants are unknown. . The schooner Taper ouse, from the Clar ence to Lyttelton, foundered yesterday off Richmond bar. All hands saved.

TO-DAY’S TELEGRAMS.

Balclutha, Saturday.

A very strong gale has been blowing since yesterday afternoon. The river is in high flood, and rising very slowly. The protective works in progress are proving thoroughly effective ; but for this the township would again have been flooded, but not the slightest damage has been done at ju’esent. A considerably larger body of water is flowing over into Clutha to-day.

"SAtURDAY IB A]

THE EVENING ECHO:



Ironmongery. ORR & CO. ; % Would call Special attention to THEIR STOCK OF IRONMONGERY. A Fine assortment of Carpen ters’ Tools now landed. I RONMON GER Y. . Parties Furnishing should in spect our Stock of Plated Goods — . TEA POTS, CRUET STANDS, BUTTER DISHES. TEA AND COFFEE SETS, TABLE CUTLERY, &c., &a, &c. -, ’ ; , i M • ’ . IRONMONGERY. STOVES, RANGES, GRATES, FENDERS, and FIREIRONS. These Goods are imported di . rect by ourselves, and will be sold at prices below anything hitherto offered in Ashbur ton. I RO NMO NGERY. Harvesting Tools— Hay Forks, Rakes, Scythes, &c.



McCORMACK'S Reapers and Binders. No farm should be without one / Can cut and tie even if the Straw is only 9 inches long. No necessity for wire. BUY A McCORMACK, ' AND SAVE YOUR STRAW. 200 DOZEN HORNSBY'S PLOUGH SHARES, Landing ex u Hurunui.” OR R & Go., BAST STREET, ApHiVITOVi



Advertisements for the evening Echo must be sent in not later than 3 p.m. with the number of insertions written plainly on the copy, otherwise they will be inserted till countermanded, and charged accordingly. Special notices can be received up to 3-3° p.m. for insertion over the Leader, but will be charged double scale. . ! * .. Subscriptions—Quarterly in advance, os. ; posted, Bs. 6d. j per annum, in advance, 225. 6d. ; posted, 355. d. ; weekly, paid to collector, 6d. Delivered to any part of the town, an'd at any of the Railway Station? Special Notices. “ FENCING WIRE. ~ 20 TONS Just Received and on Sale at LOWEST PRICES. A. O. AITKEN & CO., Havelock Street.