POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close 9.5 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 Ralcaia at 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashton, WatcrLon, and Longbcach, at 3.15 p.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10.30 a.m. For Temuka, Timaru, and South at 10.15 a.m. and 3 p.m daily. " For Timvald, Winslow, Ilinds, Coldstream, Rangifata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at ro. 15 a.m. daily.

UNCLAIMED LETTERS.

The following letters are advertised at the Post Office, as having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month ■of July, and remaining unclaimed on the Ist September 1878 : Anderson, James Clough, Robinson Doherty, Henry James Fergusson, J. H. (2) Gooch, W. Kelly, Cornelius Moyna, Joseph O’Donnell, Patrick Palmer, William Rilly, James Sweetman, Michael (2) .'Spencer, W. Wafidce, John Letters originating in New Zealand are not iJow advertised, but are sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having lain for two clear won llis.

ASHBURTON TRADE DIRECTORY.

A ICOUNTANTS AND COMMISSION AGENTS — Charles Braddell, Montgomery’s Buildings H. J. Bristo, Prospect Buildings, East-st. W. R. Boyle, Moore-street. A ICHITECT AND CIVIL ENGINEER — S. W. Brown, East-street S. Farr, Montgomery’s Buildings B. Mount fort, East Street /A jctioneers — Bullock and Co., East-street Saunders Bros., Ashburton IBirristers and Solicitors — . Mr. Branson, East-street I Mr. E. G. Crisp, Montgomery’s Buildings L Confectioners, Etc. — Thomas Hicks, Tancred-street Tkomas Taylor, East-street, of New Zealand, East-street 4 '\.Btinion Bank of Australia, East-street 4 '.-f ''Brding Plouse Keepers— Anstee, East-street ■■■gle’s. Dining'Rooms, Havelock Street Contractors, Etc.— ■ James Baker, Havel ock-street ■ Geo. St. Hill, Burnett-street West ■ G. Parkin, Steam Saw Mills, Moor-street Smith, Moor-street Williams, Tinwald Compton, Builder, Moore-street. and Stationers— ■g&MWeston, Prospect Buildings, East-street South and Dixon, Stationers’ Hall, East- HBHjj^KERS— Prospect BtsiUdings, East-street 4 J ' ‘K East-street Wood and Co., Cameron-street ■Cabinetmakers and Undertakers— James. Baker, Havelock-street \ G. Parkin, Moor-street ■F Thomas Williams, Tinwald ■ Car rier— ■ ■ p, F. Scott, Cameron-street ■ Chemist and Druggist— I J. M. Cambridge, Montgomery’s Buildings ■ Coal aBD Firewood Merchants— ■ G. Par iter and Co., near Railway Station l r A. Hayes, Firewood and Timber, near .Rail* J- s way ■L-F. P. LeJ4retqn r Burnett-street, Clothiers— and Co., Havelock-street d Co., East-street Fowler, Tancred-street Pass, and Co., Old Bank Store, Kagt* . street W. -Gavin, East-street 'T. f Q.uinn & Co., Moor-street Engineers and Founders— ! Edwards and Lee, Engineers, Smiths, etc./ Burnett-street W. f. Plessey, Central Foundry, Peters-st L Furnitur’ e Ware ROOMS — L A. Spillaivffi Tailored Street ■grocers Gf 'Jeral Dealers, Etc.— ■TAitkenhnd Co’-* Havelock-street B'Orr and Co„ Eu' st - street ■ Firth, Pass, and C°-> East-street B John Fowler, Tanc. "ed-street ■ K. Sando,* - East-street ■Greengrocers— ■ W. Birtwell, East-street ■ J. Mooar & Co., East-streef ■Hairdressers— I E. A.. Garnett. East-street A. Pearse, Moore-street Hotels— Quill’s Commercial Hotel, sxeßi' j&B3lsay Station Shearman’s Somerset Hotel, East-street Ironmongers— Orr and Co., East-street Aitken and Co., Havelock-street S. Hard ley, East-street Ladies’ Clothing Establishment— or ey, Tancred Street. v &C.— Chapman, Tancred-sixeet •Printers and Publishers— Weeks and Dixon,’East-street Plumbers, Gasfitters, Tinsmiths, Erg;— J. C. Dolman, Tancred-street Joseph Hyde, Tancred-street S. Hardley, East-stieet Saddlers— Thomas Hudson, Burnett-street Surveyors— C. E. Fooks and Son, East-street Bailors— •y' ; tken and Co., Havelock-street T bv. X. 0 Fobaccon IST j A. Pearse, Moor-street , yE.'A. Garnett, East-street | A. Weston, East-Street ‘1

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF LYTTELTON.

ARRIVED. Sept. 19 —Taranaki s.s., from South, Sept. 19— Langstone, ship, from London. SAILED. Sept. 19 —Taranaki, s.s., for North.

COMMERCIAL INTELLLGENCE.

The Evening Echo. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1878.

New Store. —We are informed that the firm of A. O. Aitken and C o. have secureda section oppositethe new Work ing Men’s Club in Havelock Street and are to build a handsome store thereon. The building will have a frontage of 66ft by 56. Presbyterian Cburch. —At last meeting of the Presbytery of Christ church, the Rev. H. B. Burnett in timated his intention of resigning the charge of the Ashburton congregation at the next ordinary meeting of Pres . bytery, and the Rev. J. Elmslie was appointed to visit the Rakaia district, to ascertain the mind of the people on the matter. It is probable that the Rakaia district will become a new charge under Mr. Burnett, Ashburton church having to find a successor to that gentleman. The Poundkeeper, —Before His Worship this morning, Robert Jameson, poundkeeper, -was fined 10s. for refus ing to give up an impounded bull when demanded by a legally authorised repre sentative of the owner. Tyyo informa tions were laid against Jamieson for . neglecting and refusing Jo supply im pounded cattle with water. In the course of evidence it came out that the : beasts had been in the pound for several days without having any water given tp them,, and fhat, though Japiieson knew ■ the suffering 'have endured, , .he refused to find water for then). Mr. ■Crisp, -for defendant, said that though | iShe poundkeeper, under the Canterbury Cattle Trespass Ordinance, was bound to find feed and water for the beasts impounded, the word “ pound ” had a legal definition, in accordance with which proper arrangements should exist within, .or reasonably near it, for water supply. The Ashburton pound was 300 yards away from the river, which was the nearest place where suitable water was to be found, and the man was not to be expected to carry water in a bucket that distance. He had only taken possession on Saturday, and on Monday he reported the absence of a pump to the County Council. His Worship strongly condemned the cruelty the poundkeeper, but blamed the Ccmsn’ v Council equally with hini for using -suCh an incomplete and inefficient pound,dismissed the cases. P.roUe&itiOn Order. A married woman obtained a protection order against her husband, George late, at 1 the Resident Magistrates Court this T norning. Her earnings by it will be m otected from him, and he will have to * ’ 20s. a week for his children’s sup port His drunkenness and cruelty to Jvife and children brought on the action by his ■ wife. A fValueless Cheque. —A man named William James Muller was re manded i r ° r ei s ht da y s b y the esldent Magistrate this morning, on a charge of tendering a■■ valueless cheque on the Bmk of New ' Zealand, Christchurch, in payment of bought at one of Messrs Bullock and Co s auction sales. The cheque was Jot £?■>, ios.

Dritilks. —During the hearing of the cases against the poundkeeper in -the Court to-day a drunk allowed a too strong expression to escape his lips and this being heard by the Sergeant, cons table Marony cleared the barrier and pounced upon the offender who was promptly sentenced to twenty-four hours’ penitential rest. Win' O’Brien got a similar “ retreat ” for being drunk and disturbing the performers and audience at Riley and Allen’s entertain ment last night. Parliamentary. The Lyttelton Harbor Board Act Amendment Bill was passed at the close of Wednesday’s sit ting, and at yesterday’s Mr. Sheehan, in reply to Mr. Tawiti, said a Bill would be brought in to increase the number of Maori members, if the Government proposals were not accepted. The House then sat in Committee on the Electoral Bill. Clause 40 was amended to strike out the payment of one shil ling as a fee by an objector to any name on the roll. Clauses 41 to 125 were passed without material alteration. Clause 126 (to close public houses on election days) was rejected on a divi sion by 31 to 22. The intervening clauses, up to 1.34, were passed unal tered. On clause 135 a vote was taken which resulted in fixing 4 o’clock as the hour for closing polls. These will thus open at nine and close at six as at pre sent. Clauses 136 up to 140 were passed, Mr. Saunders’ motion to have the latter struck out being negatived. The House adjourned at ten minutes past ten in consequence of the Gover nor’s ball.

Strangers coming to reside in Ashburton are often at a loss to know which is the best Establishment to visit for the purchase of Drapery, Clothing, and House-furnishing Iron mongery, and General Stores. Orr &’ Co. offer special advantages to the public that can be met with nowhere else in Ashburton. They keep at all times the largest and best-assorted Stock of every class of Goods, imported direct from the leading manufacturers at home, which beinc bought entirely upon cash terms, they are enabled to offer goods of su<"h sterling value as cannot he equalled by any other house in the trade. Every article in stock is marked at the lowest price, from which no abatement is made so that the most inexperienced buy their goods at the same prices as the best judges.—Advt.

TELEGRAPHIC.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

[By Submarine Cable.]

St. Petersburg, Sept. 18. Because of the recent political murders the police here have been reinforced by Cossacks, and military patrols are stationed throughout the Capital. Berlin, September 18. The German Parliament has referred the Socialist Bill to a Select Committee. The German proposal to compel Turkey to carry out the provisions of the Berlin treaty has been finally aban doned. Vienna, September 18. The Austrian advance in Bosnia con tinues unchecked. Her troops have captured Greeluhatz and Nobrioka. ( Special to the Wellington Post.) London, Sept. 16. It has been intimated by the Great- Powers to Turkey that probably it will be necesaary to hold another European Congress, on the basis of the nonfulfil ment by Turkey of her part in the treaty, entered into at the Berlin Congress. The principal default complained of on the part of Turkey is that the Porte has definitely refused to yield to Greece the cessions granted by the Berlin Congress. Turkey refuses to be coerced by the Berlin Treaty, but expresses willingness to adopt any proposals made by Great Britain for a settlement of the difficulty. The Austrian troops have suffered another severe reverse in Bosnia. Hawden beat Sadler easily in the boat race on the Thames, and Elliott beat Higgins in the first heat for the cup, presented by the proprietors of the Sportsman. Sept. 17. The Porte has definitely and posi tively refused to agree to the alterations of the Turko-Grecian frontier arranged by the Berlin treaty, and war between Turkey and Greece is now imminent, if not inevitable. Elliott won the championship of the Thames after a foul. The question of the best means of dealing with the German Socialistic movement has been referred to a com mittee.

Twenty-one of the awards at the Paris Exhibition have been published. The final awards have not yeff appeared.

AUSTRALIAN.

Newcastle, Sept. 19. Arrived —Hero.

Sydney, Sept, 19. The public subscriptions in aid of the International Exhibition haye reached £ 3000 already,

Melbourne, Sept; 19; The Underwriters’Associatibii fepfart under date, London. Sept: ij i—-Ar rived —Malacca and WesterH Monarch, from Lyttelton.

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Per Press Agency.]

Auckland, Thursday,

Alexander French, the son of a schoolmaster at Morningside, was drowned while bathing. The Taupiri coal miners have all goni out on strike for is. 6d. a ton, being 6d. more than the present rate. Nelson, Thursday. At a meeting of the representatives of the different Volunteer corps of the district, held last night, to discuss the proposed Colonial Rifle Association, it was decided to send delegates to Wel lington to attend the Volunteer Con ference next month. It was estimated that 200 members would join the Asso ciation in Nelson. Dunedin, Thursday. Mrs. Reid, of Saddle Hill, was to day charged with perjury, but the in formation was dismissed on a technical point. News has been received by the Suez mail that the Colonial Investment Com pany of New Zealand, capital half a million, has been successfully floated in Scotland. Mr. T. F. Ritchie, of the the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, has been appointed general manager of the Company in this Colony. A telegram was received in town to day from Oamaru, stating that the steamer Ino, which left Port Chalmers on Monday last, with timber shipped by Guthrie and Larnach, is ashore at Ka kanui, whither she was bound. No lives were lost. Friday. The Caversham County last night decided that it was advisable the tram way should be extended from Dunedin to Caversham.

The students of the Otago University have passed a resolution disapproving of Judge Bathgate’s proposal to disso ciate Otago University from the New Zealand University.

A TRIP IN ASHBURTON COUNTY.

(from a correspondent.)

The express train to Dunedin leaves the Christchurch terminus at 8-45 a.m., and travels to Rakaia, 36 miles, without stopping at any intermediate station, in one hour and a quarter; for we halted there ful’y ten minutes to water the Washington, &c., and yet started at 10.10, accomplishing the remaining 17 miles to Ash burton in 35 minutes ; the whole 53 miles in exactly two hours, including the stoppage. The pace is veiy fast along some portions of the journey, and the oscillation or “ wobbling” of the carriages is as disagreeable as it used to be in fast trains on the Eastern Counties line at home. In fact, it would be dangerous for a weak or timid person to stand on the platform outside the carriage doors at that pace. I stood outside in order to wave my hand to any of my acquaintances who might be on the station platform at Selwyn, which we passed at top speed, but I had to hold on tight to the iron stanchion, and I could not have distin guished the face of any one who may have been there. While at Rakaia, I was informed by a passenger that the sparks issuing from the engine’s newly-made bottle-shaped funnel had recently, in more than one case, set a light to the tussock grass at some distance from the rails ; and he expressed fears lest ripe crops of grain along the line should fall a prey to file from this cause. I had always understood that these peculiar funnels were constructed for the special purpose of averting that danger ; but, if my informant was right, the authorities ought, before the crops ripen, to adopt some more effective measure of precaution. On leaving Rakaia, our progress was some what retarded, for about a mile, by the pre sence on the line of a large flock of sheep— fully loco. They raced with the train, which was of course “slowed,” in scurrying droves on both sides of the rails, and displayed the utmost perverseness or stupidity by crossing from one side to the other, frequently right in front of the locomotive, just as porpoises will cross the bows of a sailing ship or steamer in full career. Several of them were thrown aside, but apparently not injured, by the “cow scoop” attached to the front of the engine. At length, however, we got clear of their Woolli nesses, and had to put on extra speed in order to make up for the lost time. The owner, or the man in charge, of those sheep ought to be severely punished for the carelessness by which he endangered the lives of the officials and pas sengers, as well as those of his flock. I had no time to look at the rising town then, for the driver and proprietor of the mail coach to Mount Somers, by which I intended to proceed part of the way, told me it would start as soon as ever he got the mail. As there was a heavy load, he got ready the “ large ” coach, which is, however, quite a light and small one compared to any of those that ply in and out of Christchurch. Still, we had four inside passengers and two on the box besides the driver; a sheep-dog lay inside, where two bags of sugar, a case of (apparently) liquids, a leather trunk, a sample-box, and the swags of two passengers, further limited our footing, and there was some luggage on ' the roof and in the boot. All on board was not called, but practised; and after a tew seconds’ pause at the Somerset Hotel for one of the passengers, who joined us as we crossed the rails, and a momentary glimpse at the really handsome shops in East Street, which is the High Street of Ashburton, we fairly started across the rails. We saw Friedlander’s and Jamieson and Co-’s large iron railway stores on the west side, and then, turning to the x'ight, passed between the Public Library on the south and the Anglican Church public school, and master’s house on the north. The church is being enlarged, and in the transition state from wood to concrete. The others are wooden build jogs, A little further on, the Imniigratipn

Bafl-aeks stand in an enclosure on a higli tei'l'ace site between the road and the nver,W whose north bank, a little further on, is a cliff friable earth about 30 feet high, through tire road not being fenced. There isT, a nice garden, and one of the old men, vfiho,|L with some young but infirm ones, have ijeemL lately removed hither from the Sehvyn Home, , u was working in it. The outskirts of the tovimth were soon reached, and the buildings and ■plantations of Messrs. Tancred and ;Allen’s runj n were seen close by on the north. Then* we as crossed the north branch of the Ashburton;; a cc puny stream, in one larger and two insigiiifi- c ], cant races, but a heavy, though short, drag loiy. a heavy load. The coachman told me thjalf r( this branch does not flood, so as to stop hirt jy from crossing, more than about twice in tnjf r year, and then not for more than a day or twc Sitll, a bridge is urgently needed, for the.nai_m row tract of country, called “ The Forks, consisting chiefly of rich arable land, hi already a considerable population, of whoi v many often travel on foot; besides which th L traffic in wood and white stone from Alfon-? 1 Forest and Mount Somers respectively, to th n markets of Ashburton, and the rich farming , district between the railway and the sea, i large and daily increasing. In view of this, i > is surprising to note how little has been done •* or rather how much has been done to ver little purpose, in constructing a good road fc heavy haulage, or, indeed, for any sort 0 traffic. For about a mile out of Ashburton }' and for perhaps as much after crossing thl north branch, the road is excellent. But verj nearly all the rest of the 16 miles which I havl travelled, as far as the Spread Eagle Hotel, il infamously obstructive of either light or heavjl traffic. Yet I was told that its constructioil dates from seven years back! The crowi® of the road is piled up with beds of round® unbroken shingle, on which, for many miles® thistles and tussock grass have grown since ifl was laid down; while, in the fringes fonnecT but unmetalled on either side, gaping ruts frequently widen into dread holes, big enougM to break an axle-tree, bog a wheel, or upset 1 light trap. The responsibility lies aboil equally with two Road Boards—the Uppqi Ashburton and the Mount Somers. The latter has plenty of funds. At a recent meeting iti was agreed to deposit in its Bank, which had already in its coffers upwards; of £ 17,000 to the credit of the Board. There seems to be no work in progress for mending their ways ; on two days running we saw no signs of any such thing, except one workman’s coat and long-handled shovel, which were left at the North side of the road the day we went, and on the South side the day we returned, the workman on both days being conspicuous by his absence. The best idea may be formed of the whole state of the case by the knowledge that we spent fully three hours and a quarter in getting over the sixteen miles !—a striking contrast to the 30 miles an hour which the iron horse had been performing with the train I was in just before. A At a little less than halfway, we reached Greenstreet School and Post Office on the south, and Mr. George Hart’s homestead, plantations, and woolshed on the north. Fur ther on, several model small farms :—good land, neatly trimmed gorse hedges, admirable tillage, double-furrow ploughs—five on one farm, three on another, good draught horses, and cosy-looking houses. “ How is it that these people submit to such apathy, or mis management, as the case may be, on the part of their Road Boards ?” I asked. The answer was conclusive, if not satisfactory. The chair man of the Upper Ashburton is Mr. Charles Reed ; that of the Mount Somers is Mr. W. C. Walker; one member of the Mount Somers is the Hon. W. S. Peter All these influential men are, naturally enough, interested in the improvement of traffic, whether by road or railway, on the south side of the south branch, where the bulk of their properties lies, and. quite as naturally, they care little about that of the traffic along the Forks. I am surprised at the want of foresight displayed by those who arranged the boundaries of Road Boards as they stand at present. The south branch is as natural a boundary as could have been found ; for it is, even in the driest seasons, a very wide shinglebed, across which no road can be maintained, it is often in floods utterly impassable except by means of the rail way bridge, and it must be everywhere costly to bridge, if more bridges are required. The North branch, on the contrary, is, in its un bridged state, a far less formidable obstacle to traffic than the south ; it is seldom flooded so as to be unfordable, and it can be bridged in many places at a comparatively small cost. The land in the Forks is far more united by nature for road purposes with much of the land between Rakaia and north branch, than with any of the land south of the south branch. Similar causes affect the question, so hotly contested in this town and the whole district from Rakaia as far south as the Hinds, as to which is the best line between the main trunk south railway and the foot of the hills. A lead ing and most satisfactory feature of Public Works Minister Macandrew’s projects, is that of a line along the foot of the hills, eventually to reach from Ashley, by near the egress of the White Rocks glen, across the Olcuku to Glen tui, across the Ashley to Oxford, across the Waimakariri (already bridged) to Sheffield and ' Coalgate, over Sehvyn by Bluff bridge (or a new one at Glentunnel) to Hororata and Ra kaia Gorge, across Rakaia to Alfoid Forest and Mount Somers, and afterwards crossing the Hinds, Rangitata, and other rivers, all at the hill-foot, until it rejoins the main line some where about Ternuka. As far south as the Rakaia, each “ twixt-rivers” district is already supplied with a branch line to the hill-foot. Where is the best line of connection between coast line and inland line south of the Rakaia and north of the Hinds ? Curiously enough, the people of Ashburton, having got a bridge over the joined branches close to their doors, have been persuaded into believing that the south branch forms no great obstacle to traffic in the upper part of its course ; and I am told they are so badly informed on the subject, that a majority of them are in favor of a line from Tinwald along the south bank of the south branch, recrossing it to Mount Somers, where it is very wide and the second bridge would be very costly. They seem to be blind to the certain results of carrying out that project. If the produce of Alford Forest and Mount Somers is to come to Tinwald, through and to the exclusive benefit of ihe large properties of Messrs, Peter, E. G. Wright, W. C. Walker, C. Reed, and Allan McLean, the burgesses of Ashburton must say good bye to their now geometrical rate of. progression; and the inhabitants and landowners of Tin wald will secure not only a large, but “ the lion’s,” share of the profit derived from ex changing foot-of-the-hill’s produce for imported > goods from Lyttelton. Wherever the connect- ; ing, or link-line, may join the main line will ; surely be the market, Grain, meat, and wool

m half the country between the Rakaia and ; south branch may still take the rail at Ash rton ; but if the two rival Rakaia compamMJj algamate, or either of them kill fhe otheM ich of that agricultural produce will flow ; main line at Rakaia ; and through Rak*gg read of Ashburton, will flow the iplies of the farming producers, as "' e ßj§ jsc of the producers of wood, inferior co.®* ge quantities, flag-stones, slate, white d other minerals from the hills as far the Gorge of the south branch. untry north of Rakaia, including - Ch«| urch, can be supplied with better eaper coal from the Malvern Hills, wo® ,111 Oxford, Kowai, inks Peninsula, (the bays, ini Alford Forest, white stone cheaper fro® 'hite Rocks than from Me unt Somers. r IH. : arket for all the hill prot luce, from betwMi ount Hutt and Mount Son* ers, is the ral country both to the ; eaward and to hi® ard of the main line, bet veen a line am Rakaia to Ashburtoi 1 and the e Rangitata. Ashburton will lose the pfl| supplying all south of tin; south 3th imported goods and hill lik-line join at Tinwald. If the Ashburton, the latter Secures e hill produce traffic :e district from Rangitata to wRIHH9HH| ■ Rakaia. Wherever their agricultural ;ce required .tin their operations®^,^^^^ !1 also buy" their imported duce will be dearer at than if it came® * -Prtest and least costly link-line, l Forks, having branches to ). ’1 Mount Somers respectively, pud second bridge over the soutlybranch, tof the Government hill-foot line. Let tjß [burton people be warnecV in time ! IB In inquire whether even their own Mayo® s"not drawing out of Ashburton busineß ;nd property, and going in-largely for a sta® n both on the Tinwal<T side. Let they leware lest, in favoringfa round-about liifl rossing and recrossing the south branch, thfl .re not dropping the substance to grasp at tl® hadovv, and playing into the hands of a err® ew for the benefit of their own large propert® Is a poetical retribution for the abandonmaß |y the Ashburtonites of the Forks settlers, a® *ie cheapest and most direct link-line for tlfl filers of hill produce. So surely as they fav® ie line on the south bank of the Ashburtdß Rakaia and Tinwald will both be aggrandiz® 4d Ashburton left out inthe cold. But if tj® Uqte to secure the cheapest and most dit® to Ashburton itself down the Forks, it m® c 4tinue to bear the palm against both ® Hthem and its more dangerous —thoi® ne (jJ£t>southern neighbor. i _ ly ve if the above reasons were not c * ei *t\ convincing, it must be considered® t i iat the Forks line is vey<B n( i reserved for ten miles of | a “And that a vote of the Pro v i nci alfl® Fjßßitled the promoters of the Fojj®Bß|| Inferential claim over so Government funds BPff rails for that portion PPffiietois dmflensation f or the to themselvesJj®fl®H®99BH®| 3 k'Jfit on the iheir vas t estates S°utp mmo st '£ ; *•*♦. _ ! viio befori thr^ t penny®rorth of land,^® 1 any pa®t of the and th® Rakaia—between the the seal Nor do I write in the interest S person lplio has property so situated. I® examin®d the evidence on both sides avsfl to a huilnble penman, and I give the Ashlflj public *e benefit of my judgment for may be Ivorth. Perhaps I am slightly by a serltimental idea, that it would pity, to ;Be the founders of a town have attained so prosperitFlon so sound a basis, sell right for | a mess of pottage to such Jacobs as) jthe half-dozen and Their whose thoroughly selfish designs once defeatled and recoil on themse!ve®|§| Ashburton j Esaus did not supply brethren with the hairy jacket for theHHi disinheritance. I have lilile more to say as to my I found mw friend Tisch’s Spread Eagle H® most comfortable, and could not struck wit, * the natural politeness, combined with English ec ication, children bo n and bred in of j daughters pay the piano,Bew Zealand. T doing iisefu needlework, M but are not abo most qiiiet, idylike waiting, in tl Everything ibout theJ/fer, on a parlor guei order, is redolent j the night! i comfort. Here I to the v| ll agejro place, one road bran® although lyinl r the mountain.of that^na® west of fits Mjour or fi ve ,„ iles to thfi SQ B the coach. -that is the destination 3 Another rol " ij Alford FhrestJ? branches to the villas B westernmost miles away, near the soiß was plainly of Mount Hutt. .The forß to near tlje soii' le > extending from that »ol length of base of Mount Somers® sengers miles. One of to his desqnatil ls sw ag, and proceeds villages cah bej Jt the forest village. atmosphert; a ,s tinguished through the Mount,^le® 1 the grand mountains, fro® ing like. jjßwith the Malvern Hills Too® feet above sjMisland, to Mount Hutt (68<® spot I was and about 6000 above th® same height* Mount Rickards, about tfli feet high), * Mount Somers (about thirds of with snow for fully tw|| their bases, between their summits anc® in the impressive, eve® the low saddlHne, at so near a view. ’ South Ashbu® ; h contains the gorges' of tU®| are seen the ®linds, and Rangitata. riveflH Two ThumlT®fic snow-clad peaks of: view of Mou^fc e » which intercepts Further to from the Canterbury cipitous Peel, with its p^BS range of side, and a trend away ®p u r n i a ' ns , all moonlight, t® Timaru. Again i solemn and v® )Unta in panorama rose, when But befoiri delicate blu» pues of snow wereytfjßHH could not yeti color by his raysjJß the scene can®c the twilight of thj®|B®Bl dream of fairy® >e described as a Descending®! ;he mail coaclf>!y matters, I emb|HHßH| lext day ; ancUJi at soon after lient of the graduat®B®B ighter load, —of going up, 1 lady and with the dri®Bfl| ter husband inside, joined h®H 1 crirl at

The Evehing iehd» Friday, September 20, 18781 .. —■-- ■■ -a- . < ----- ■ ' -Sfe



ASHBURTON RETAIL LIST. d. s. d. s. Butter, inferior to best, fib I 6 to I S Eggs, F dozen - 1 0 to . I 3 Bacon, prime smoked, F ib o 10 to 0 0 Hams in cloth, f lb - i 0 to 0 0 Cheese, prime quality, F lb o 9 to 0 10 Flour in bags, F ioott. 12 6 to 14 0 Oatmeal, f ioolb - 26 0 to 0 0 Lard, F Ib - • - 0 9 to 0 0



NOTICE.



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, or they will be inserted till counter manded, and charged accordingly. Special notices can he received up to 3.30 p.m. for insertion over the Leader, but will be charged double scale.



Bank of New Zealand. 'jpHIS BANK is Prepared to RECEIVE DEPOSITS AT INTEREST AND TO TRANSACT ALL GENERAL BANKING BUSINESS ON TERMS which may be ascertained AT THE VARIOUS BRANCHES AND AGENCIES IN THE CANTERBURY DISTRICT. J. L. COSTER. Manager.