Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), Monday 31 December 1877, page 2


THE BENDIGO ADVERTISER

(PUBLISHED DAILY.) \

PROFESSION, OUR RIGHTS, AND OUR BS301721CE&

SANDHURST, MOND.l Y, DEC. SI, 1ST?,

~ NEW YEAR'S EVE. ~

0>r the last day of tlie year people are apt to fall into a moralising vein, 'which is all very -well if they duly profit by their reflections. But.the fact is, the thoughts which arise on such an occasion are very evanescent, and'however excellent they may be it is to be feared they but seldom lead to any good results. It is a pity that it should be so, because as oho notes the mile-stones on a road marking his progress towards his journey's end, the record on the dial of life made by the passing away of each year should deeply arrest our attention. The story of one year, as regards the mortality of man, is pretty much the same as another. Numbers go to their graves who, at the opening of January, little think they will never see the end of December; and as it has been in the past so will it be in the future. But wc are all travelling on the road to " dusty death," and milestone after milestone disappears with a rapidity which surprises us as we look back upon the varied events of our journey. Wo have to lament the dpceaso, during the past twelve months, of many old friends and fellow colonists, some of them cut oft" with 411 appalling suddenness, some the victims of lingering 4ispasp, some taken away at an early age, ai>d others joining the majority naturally by tlje effluxion of time. A similar tale will bo' told at the close of 1878, and 110 one of ua knows that he or she will not be included in the category of the departed for the year. Whilo, therefore, new hopes arise with the opening of a new year, and we are bound still to keep njifjding the affairs of life, to render our hiboj's useful to others and to ourselves if possible, and by no means to allow ourselves to be prevented by a moping melancholy from doing uiir duty jn the state of life to which we have been called, it is fitting we should not forget the dread uncertainties encompassing our paths. Trill}', this is but the old, old lesson which has been impressed 011 man ever since his first realization of the fact of his mortality. There is 110 man who does not acknowledge iis truth. It is taught in our churches Sabbittlf afti)r Sabbath, and though it is brought pruuiically Jiome to our minds month after month, an<i K'ffik after week, we do not think we are ovevsi^piner the duties of a secular monitor in repeating ft at a period like the present.

Our biisme;3 certainly is chiefly with the active affairs of Ijfg, it falls to our lot to make record of the incdssuJii ;vork of the Stygian feriyinan. Among the km} of public note who have passed away of late we n<ay mention Lieut-Colonel Anderson, Judge Pohnuci), Mr. G. P. Smith, and Mr. J. H. Dunne. Qua1 /.gcal obituary has been a very lengthy one. It has second to us as if an eudgmic of death had prevailed amGijg old Bendiggniaus during 1877. It would be difficult to euumc-taij?" the names of

all who hsv.e gone to their iong jinnies dui-ing thu yeif. Three gentlemen, two or" them, for soma time vOUU^S-4 viih the literary staff of this journal—-iir, J. ]}. Thompson and Sir. 0. Mackenzie—and tifo Qihfif for many years its business manager, Ml'. E, <?. Sanger, have been called away; and only

' yesterday jijc brother of Mr. John Hechle,

long connected \v-lh t]jis office, unexpectedly died. Mr. Matthew Q'Brion, an old and much respected citizen Jus

tice of the Peace, and Mr. Wiliianj: $arke;\ another old Bendigonian and milling l^'ykor of the highest repute, have Jieen laid to rest. Many others might be mentioned, but if we were io citeftipt to complete the list \ve shouM 111919 Ahaj; £!1 the space at our disposal, Wl\ep ,we loak oyer our local obituary alone, we cantiQt h$lp l feoling impelled to offer a word of warning

readers, and as the hand, writing these lines n}sy, likely enough, .be amongst the first to be laid iow, wt- do not forget that we should practice what we prjeucl).

.Unfortunately for the journpJ&t, his

condition is not very dissimilar from that of Ishmael. However strung his desire may be to work out his destiny in peace, the fates sternly forbid his living in unity with all men. The public whom he serves—a force imbued with an unfading ■vitality—demands that his hand and brain shall be incessantly employed in fighting its battles. Professionally, therefore, his position is not to bo regarded as that of a mediator. Yet the journalist or the politician dying in harness, may be credited with having been actuated in his I strongest diatribes with a desire for the

general welfare. And, if the press does soldier's duty, as one may say, on the field of battle, it is never unmindful of the social and commercial well-being of the community. It never omits to direct public attention into charitable and benevolent, channels, and has an eye, outside of politics, to all things affecting the promotion of the general welfare. In pointing a moral, therefore, at the expiry of the present year we are only extending a little the ordinary work in which, in connection with our contemporaries of all shades of opinion, we are continually

engaged.

The past year has been remarkable chiefly for the outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Turkey. The war so far has been one of a most sanguinary and destructive description. Hundreds of thousands of men have perished, and although a very decisive advantage has been gained by the Muscovite, the probabilities are that severe lighting with terrible slaughter will yet take place before this great national contest is brought to an end. A telegram received last night states

that the Sublime Porte has apjilied to the 1 British Government to mediate with Russia. If this information is to bo relied upon, it simply proves that the Turk deems himself to be already beaten. England, without question, will do her best to bring about a peace, and, though we strongly doubt the probability of such an event, we sincerely hope for its occurrence. In domestic matters, politically and commercially, the doings of the expiring year have not been satisfactory. To these matters we shall havo occasion to refer again. No changein the political position can be made until the meeting of the Assembly in the first week ofFebruary. In conclusion we may ineiition'tliat the usual yearly statement of the progress and condition of the Sandhurst mines is published by us this morning, and that we shall reserve leading remarks on that matter for a day or two. Meanwhile, with the best wishes for the promotion of the advancement of the district, with which we are so intimately connected, we beg to wish the inhabitants of Bendigo, one and all, "a happy new year." As regards the colony at large, we can only express a heartfelt desire for the restoration of peace abroad, and political conciliation at home.

■ The War.—Our London telegram of this morning states that the Sultan of Turkey has Solicited the British Government to mediate with' the Emperor of Uussia, aiul that the British Government has consented to do so.

Leakage in the Com ban Chanxel. —A rumor was afloat in the city 011 Saturday afternoon that, the water of the Ooliban Channel had burst its banks, and had done considerable damage to property in the valley below. We can authoritatively state, from personal observation, that the amount of damage done has been grossly exaggerated, probably for the purpose of obtaining compensation from the Government. The following is a correct statement of the facts:—At about three-quarters of a mile from the outlet of No. 3 tunnel and on the Castleinaiiie side of it a breacli did take place in the bank of the channel opposite a Mr. Burns'S'*residence, a dairyman. This occurred at three o'clock on the morning of the 29th instant. , The channel from the crossing of the Sutton- Grange road is constructed along the eastern'slope of Mount Alexander by means of a series of walling and Hunting, very little of it being formed in the natural surface, as the character of the ground is rugged in the extreme, and it was at the point where the rugged ground ceases and the channel is cut through disintegrated granite that the breakage occurred, at a point directly above Mr. Burns s residence, and the rush of water washed a little debris towards his house, but as far as we could see causing little or no damage. The insignilicanee of the affair may be imagined when it is stated that two men temporarily repaired the breach by noon of the same day after it was discorered, and the water w:w flowing past the place as usual at that time. No cause can be assigned for the breakage, but it is surmised that the decayed root of a tree was the means of giving the water partial egress, when, of of course, it would naturally enlarge the opening gained in a very short time. The burrowing of the omnipresent crayfish may possibly have been the cause, as it is a well-known fact that these shellfish will lind their way in the most extraordinary manner where water is, and even now their holes may be seen in different parts of the channel. On the day previous to that of the breakage the water had been turned off for a few hours to effect some slight but necessary repairs te the channel, near Cuueeu's Gully, and turned on again in the evening of the same day. The whole stoppage did not occupy many hours.

The Wkathkh. —Yesterday was opprossively hot during the whole of the forenoon, and, indeed, up to three o'clock, when a thunderstorm accompanied with a terrific fall of rain took place, which lasted for about a quarter of an hour. The storm was, as far as we can learn, of a local and very confined nature, no signs of it having been experienced a few miles out of Sandhurst in the direction of the Axe and Emu Creeks. This atmospherical disturbance, which was one of a very sudden and singular nature, had the effect of c Doling the air to a considerable degree, and the night was cool and pleasant. 'j?he thcriifometer during the heat of the day in Sandhurst registered over 1003 in the shade, and fell to ?:>" after nightfall,

A Lucky Baijv.—Our Inglewood correspondent says :—The first prize in tljo fymperanco Gala (Melbourne) Distribution of Gifts fell to a baby in arms, nine months old, belonging to Mrs. Byco, living near Bridgewater, and the circumstances under which the infant became possessed of the lucky ticket, 23,545, is worth recording. Mrs. Byco called on Mr. Deslandes,

the Inglewood agent for the distribution, to ■ purchase tickets for each member of her family j excepting the baby. There being only one ticket left in the shop Mr. Doslandas suggested that the infant should not be omitted, but the mother declined to buy any more. Mr. Deslandes thon said he would make the baby a present of Xo. '23,545 nmi did so, with the result already stated. I believe that Mr, Peslandes intends to have the baby, which is a fatherless child, placed in possession of the prize—a cottage at Prahran, worth £200, the rent thereof to be accumulated till it becomes of age, and then with the cottagc to be handed over to her

sole possession.

Cab Accident.—On Saturday afternoon a cab accident occurred in the Mall, which was very nearly being attended with serious consequences. One of the cabs, with a young horse in the shafts, was standing in the rank opposite the Shamrock, when something startled the horse, and the driver not being at his post it bolted down the Mall, colliding with the off wheel of a cab belonging to a man named Clifford, but beyond denting the box of the wheel did no further damage. When opposite Bull-street a plucky attempt was made by one of our country visitors to stop the runaway, but he unfortunately missed catching the reins and was knocked down in front of the wheels of the cab, both of which passed over his right leg;

but beyond a slight abrasion and the shock doing him no further injury. The runaway was not allowed to proceed many yards further before being stopped by a number of persons without doing more damage.

Crrv PoucE'*C6vttt. -*-2fe$$rs. Strickland and Edwards,'Js. p., attended at the j/oiioepcurt on

Saturday, and'fined Wo drunkards 6s., of the, usuai ij£einative, while ttvo others' were dis-' charged.' ' In p:s "case of E. C:tttran "v. C. Oattrai), icir disobedience £? a maintenance order, which had been adjourhed'/or judgment.

coniplici,! 'witn the ■bract1','' aud .

the CGWpjij'n^ut #id''u?t .appear,"'tlie'cJisti wag;

dismissed,

A Kick from a Hors&^-A- HtHfi hifF jj&jBiftjt Joseph Beattie, aged 5J years, was afljjjitt&i to the hospital on Saturday suffering from & fracture of the right leg, caused by the kick of a horse that he was passing at Echuca, on the 22nd

ObUv^i^- ".-A? will seen by a perusal of a notice in the usii.U coiuj^, ilr. George Hechle died yesterday of asthma, at'tfte p of his brother, Mr. John Hechle. The dege^sed gentleman has been for many years connected with mining iu Bendigo, aud for the last tew yojrs was a prominent member of the sharebYoking fraternity. Both in his business aud private .capacity be was generally esteemed aud liked' and bii ndir.evous friends will hear with regret of his early decea=e'.r' •"

- Kii'LE Competition.—-Tho twelfth ir(atch far, Major Joseph's trophy will take placo to-day at the Back Creek Butts', the distances being 600, 700, aud SO0 yards; five shuts at each. Firing

will commence at six a.m. aud two p.m. j

Cai-i.s and Dividends.—Tho total of calls made during tha past week amounts to £S00, as against £'2,112 7». declared in dividends.

Tuf. Festival.—On Saturday evening the moonlight festival in the Camp Reserve was well attended, and the varied smart, and clever performances given afforded much pleasure to tho visitors. The sinking and character sketches of Mr. aiul Mrs. Empaon were received with great applause, and Johnnie Monui caused no end of fun by his songs and delineations of Irish

character. The acrobatic feats of the Duvalli j Brothers and the dariug performances of the Geclong Blondin on a half-inch wire rope cxcito considerable wonder and interest, and alone constitute a show. .Some clever dancing is also doue on the stage of the bijou theatre. rl he fireworks aro not tlie least attractive feature in the programme, and excite much admiration. This evening a more than ordinarily attractive programme will be presented. Master Harry Empson, the "Infant Wonder," will make his first appearance. Blondin will introduce new feats, and walk blindfold backwards on thewire. The full company will sing " Auld Lang Syne"

at twelve o'clock.

FOUND DROWNED. — After the body of the man who was found drowned in the Grassy Flat reservoir on Saturday had been interred, a woman named Mrs. George Ashworth went to the police camp about seven o'clock, and iden-tified the clothing and boots as those of a man named Richard Pratt, who had been a mate of her husband at the head of Eaglehawk. He came into Sandhurst on the 22nd inst. to sell some two or three ounces of gold, the joint pro-perty of her husband and himself. He had two brothers in Melbourne, one of them living at South Yarra, and said to be a member of the Argus staff. He was an educated, quiet, and honest, gentlemanly person. In her opinion he had committed suicide in consequence of losing the proceeds of the gold. The medical evidence taken at the inquest, on the contrary, would seem to show the cause of death to arise from disease of the heart, whilst the police are sus-picious that the deceased met with his death by

foul play.

BendiqO Hospital.—The resident surgeon acknowledges with thanks the receipt of Christinas presents of various descriptions from the undermentioned ladies and gentlemen, for the inmates of tho hospital:—Mrs. Millan, Mrs. Buckley, Mrs. Macdougall, Mrs. Boobier, Mrs. Crabbe, Mrs. Thunder, Mrs. Carolon, Miss Windrews, Miss Hinchcliff, Mrs. Raei, toys, etc.; Mr. Lansell, £5; Messrs. Andrew and Co.; Messrs. P. Hayes and Co.; Messrs. Elliott, beer; Mr. Wade; Mr. Hunter, beer; Mr. Wenborn, periodicals.

Bendioo Benevolent Asylum.—The committee sat on Friday, the 2'Jth December, at tho usuallhour. Present—Mossrs. Osborne and Birch.

Applications—24 applicants were awarded relief by orders upon stores, 30 in kind from the-institute, in addition to those already on the books. One adult was admitted. Aid in

4 cases was stayed. Out-door—Families, , etc., relieved (luring the week, 296. State of the house— Adults, 111; children, 04; total,

175. The hou. treasurer (Mr. M. Tolmie) , with tliauks, acknowledges receipt of the undermentioned funds to the institute:—£2 from Mr. J. Nelson Janet!, Lucau-street; £1 Is. from Mr. W. 0. Harris-Purcell, Ironbark; £1 Is. from Mr. W. Capewell, Pall Mall; £1 Is. from Mr. Henry Jonos, View Point; £1 from Mr. John

HefTernan, M'Crae-straet; i'l from Mr. Thomas i Pattinaou, Kowau-street; and £1 from Miss

Lydia Marsden, Elyaian Flat. j

Royal Princess Theatre.—" Transported for Life" was played at the- Royal Princess Theatre on Saturday night for the last time

during the present season, and it was received j with great favor, the digging scene being loudly applauded. This evening, and for this night only, " East Lynne" will be produced, in which Mrs. George Darrell will sustain tile character of Lady Isabel and Madame Vine. Her rendering of theso parts is highly spoken of. Tomorrow evening Mr. Geo. Darroll s new drama " Tho Trump Card" will bo performed.

Religious Services.—Watelinight services are to be conducted to-night in St. John's Free Presbyterian Church, Forest-street, and in St. John's Presbyterian Church, Orderly Room; the former at eleven o'clock, and the latter at ten. At all Saints' Church to-night service will be held at eleven o'clock. The evening prayer and sermon is to be followed by the celebration of Holy Communion.

Picnic.—On New Year's Day the second annual picnic of the Arnold-street, Wesleyan Sabbath School ia to be held in the Botanical GardeuB. Refreshments at moderate charges are to be provided for friends and visitors.

Assemblies, Dancing, &c.—There is to be no lack of amusements of the above nature provided for the evo of No.c Year's Day, and visitors to and residents of Sandhurst will thus be able to wind up tho day's enjoyment by a "trip upon tho light fantastic too." At the Oddfellows' Hall, Mundy-street, on New Year's night the assembly of the Royal Albert Quadrille Club will take place, instead of oti the following Wednesday. A ball will tako place this evening in the United Kingdom Hotel, Golden-square. Iu the Riiles' Orderly-room this evening a quadrille assembly will be held, commencing at oight o'clock. In the Orderlyrooin a quadrille assembly is to be held to-night, at which Butler's string baud will be iu attend

ance.

Oddfellows' Picnic.—It is notified that the time for securing chances in tho art union in connection with the Oddfellows' Picnic, to bo held to-morrow at Ravenswood, is extended until half-past seven o'clock this evening.

The amount received by the treasurer of the Victorian Indian Famine Relief Fund is £28,123

13s. lOd.

Tiik Borooxdara Election.—The defeat of Mr. Knipe by Mr. Murray Smith is (the Colac Timet observes) "a sign that the electors are looking more to the interest of the country at large, and less to mere local considerations, than they wore doing a few months ago. The constitutional party may learn from the struggle the great fact that thoy roally are in a majority, and that they have but to close their ranks and march to the poll to secure the return of proper representatives. The utmost efforts of the Ministerial party, who worked hard to briHg overy man to the poll, oould only secure 585 votes out of a constituency of 1,915. Mr.

Murray Smith obtained S38, although many I of his wealthier supporters wero obliged to bo absent for holiday and family purposes. Despite this adverso state of things, however, the total vote cast was much larger than it was in Mav, whereby it may be safely inferred that the voters who were not compelled to be absent poiled to a man, with the result that the Constitutionalists eut-numberod their opponents iu the ratio of three to two or thereabouts. But the most significant circumstance about tho Boroondara election is this, that the cuckoo cry of constitutional reform \ya$"raided for the first time, was sounded jn a metropolitan i^qustituency pf mops tliftu usuijl intelligence, and failed utterly $nd entirely ponstitutipn reform may bo necessary-^very likely is necessary—but it has nothing to do with the present crisis, which has been brought about by Ministerial aggression, _ and is founded on] Ministerial greed. Deliberately and thoughtfully Mr. Murray Smith urged tho voters to send him to the House as a protest against tho cooreion the Ministry were attempting to exercise upon the Council. With equal deliberation and l'oree, Mr. Knipe besought tho constituency to show that the will of tho ehauco majority in the Assembly should be the unchecked law of the land. Neither candidate, to tho honor of both bo it said, blinked the question; each of them took a firm stand, spoko openly and honestly, and the constituency decided, as nine-tenths of tho constituencies in Victoria would decido to-morrow if they were asked, that in this particular instance tho Council were in the right and the Government in the

wrong."

A Night ok a Beacok.—Tiia Otago Daily Timts of the 14th inst. reportsAs the steamer Shag was coming up from Port Chalmers, and when some distance from the second red beacon, Captain Wing noticed someone waving from the beacon. Thinking that a boat had capsized he steored for the spot, when he found a man and a lad clinging to the beacon. He took them on board, and they told him how they came to be in tho position in which he found them. They had gone fishing the previous evening, and wero out in the harbor when a hoavy gale set iu. They pulled for the beacon, to which they moored their boat, and then got up- on - tho buoy. This was about halfpasfe'-'mne oft • Wednesday- night. While porch-id : on 't'his ^'exposed. place - of refuge the boat's paintir brake, S»iJ. th* boat drifted away, leaving tho'refugees h'uipiesa,' ■ -Thron.ghout the long uoistorous night 'tUo- two'-wUuvtunates clung to tho beacon, where th^y were i found by Captain Wing at half-past seven yes

tofday riWF(;>c<~. Notwithstanding the-severity of the weaklier, fcBd tji« nomewhat • tefrifying position-' in-'Wli-iclv'thcy1 were',plKOod,;tbpl-n>au and tho lad did not- $eenrtovbe'tMch tlib'wdreo fqr their adventure. 'The latter'-in Answer to a question jiui ]:y Captain Wing1, said- they kept thenisejviis 'wafm'by huggfcg each other, a circunikta'uce whicii, kad' there been suy-cijlo^kers", must lirive giv«n:'a ' hdtfiorolte"cbJ6rii& 'io an <jHi6;-«:yVdisni»l"pSturi. ' Oil hoird tne: Shag thoy vm k

soon &« tho eteimer Wtr-}

landed and went away Rj'ijif.VCilU/ ft? 51 r' nothing strange had happened.

The Weathek in Riverina is reported to be exceedingly dry and warm, and stock move

njenti) are very scarce.

' TftR R-;c>: Club.—The prospects of the IVagga Raoe T;l"u» are gfloJ for the next threo years. It will bo njuionjherfcd tliat Milate Mr. Cox started the Gold Cup for tho Spring Meeting in addition to other liberal prizes of the year 1876. This year a gold cup was presented by Mr. Halliday, and Mr. J. jCpciyace, of Widgicwa, Mr. C. M. Lloyd, of l'amln!(;'avt<i /_• Westby, of Pullipot, have eneaeed to Droviitc this ttnil.tiEr.prne for

the years 1S7S, 1S79, and 1SS67

-PaVforai

Timut