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MOUKT GAMBIEli.
r Abridged from the Border Watch. 1
Mount Pleasant, April 22.
It was unanimously agreed at a weli-atteuded
meeting of the members and adherents of the
Presbyterian Church, held on Friday, the loth
iustant, that the Rev. Mr. Caldwell, now on trial
here, should he called to take the pastoral charge
of the congregation.
An attempt is being made to establish a branch
of the Adelaide Building Society on Mount i
Gambicr. Fifty shares are required to be taken
up before the establishment of the branch is j
sanctioned. Of these 45 have already been taken
up. Mr. Harrald will manage the branch when
opened, and from him all necessary information
can be obtained.
Wheat is steady at 6s. and 6s. Cd.; potatoes, £3
per ton. Oats are nearly unsaleable at present;
4s. 2d. to 4s. 6d. is asked.
In the National Schoolroom, on Tuesday last,
Dr. Singleton gave a lecture on " Alchol; its
moral and physical effects upon man." Mr. Der
riDgton, Vice-President of the Teetotal Soeiety,
presided. The Schoolroom was crowded. Dr.
Singleton treated liis subject in a very masterly
style, and both by statistics and details of his
own person A observations poitrajed most vividly
the pernicious effects of alcohol on man,
physically and morally. The Rev. Mr. Needliam
at the close of the lecture moved a vote of thanks
to Dr. Singleton. He believed total abstinence to
be a necessity in the present state of society,
and stated it to be his intention to take more active
steps in furthering the cause than he had hitherto
done, lie also advocated denominational Societies.
Mr. Varley seconded the motion, which was car
ried. Mr. Varley then proposed that the feelings
of the meeting should be tested by the "following
motion:—"That the use of alcohol is not only
unnecessary, hut injurious to the human frame."
This was carried -item, con., and the meeting closed
with the National Aulhem.
Mr. IS. Moolton brought to us for inspection
yesterday a painting he had just completed of the
niDivlinnf chin Vi.rthiri;i, <if T^nilnn 'I'Iia rmintinfr
merchant ship Victoria, of London. The painting,
though not Al, was very coirect iu outline and
detail, and to any one not over-critical would form
a pleasant souvenir of the sea. Mr. Moulton, we
should add, has had no instruction in the art. He
is hut a recent beginner, and will no doubt im
prove with practice.
The weather up till yesterday evening was warm
and dry. It then commenced to rain, and to all
appearauce we shall now have abundant moisture.
Ploughing is becoming generaL
A meeting of the Institute Committee was held
on Wednesday evening, and several communica
tions from the Secretary of the South Australian
Institute were taken into consideration. In reply
to a letter stating that a parcel of books (Hansard,
Acts of Session JSU3, and Blue-books) had been
presented by Government to the Mount Gambler
Institute, the Secretary was instructed to write,
asking that it might be forwarded to Port
MacDonnelL It was also resolved to accept the
otter of the loan of box of books, now at Penola,
belonging to South Australian^ Institute, aud to
comply with the regulatious thereanent. In re
ference to the offer of a supply of lectures from
Adelaide, it was deemed advisaole to suspend a
decision until further information could be ob- I
tained. A statement of the amateur concert
fund, forwarded by Mr. Harrald (who had acted
as Treasurer) was submitted. It appeared that
the total receipts amounted to £14 2s. 6d.; the ex- ,
penses to £3 15s. (id., leaving a balance of .£10 7s.
to be carried to the credit of the Institute Building
Fund. It was unanimously resolved that a cordial
vote of thanks should be accorded to the amateurs
for their exertions. Tiie Committee were of
opinion that it was desirable to secure a site for
the erection of r.n Institute reading and library
room and lecture-hall. As the Commissioner of
Crown Lauds was expected to visit the Mount
shortly, Messys. McGregor, Lard, aud Watson
were appointed a deputation to wait upon bun, to
ask liim to use his influence to secure a grant of
ground on the Telegraph Keserve; and also to ask
for the use of two or more rooms in the old Tele
graph building, until the Institute's own rooms
could be erected. Mr. Watson having resigned
the office of Treasurer, which he had held con
jointly with that of Secretary for the past nine
mouths, Mr. A. F. Laurie was elected Treasurer
instead. A vote of thanks to Mr. McGregor, who
acted as Chairman, closed the meeting.
Some thoughless person or persons have caused
the trigonometrical statt'erected on Mount Gambier
by the geodetic surveyors of Victoria to fall down.
This lias occasioned considerable annoyance and
loss of time to the party, as this week they have
had to return from a distance of 50 miles to re-erect
it. It may be as well to remind the public that
there are heavy penalties for meddling with sur
veyors' trigs. 'The smail pleasure, therefore,^wliich
may be afforded by roll Lug the stones wlifch are
piled around the staff down the sides of the Mount
may be dearly bought by a heavy fine.
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