Australian Town and Country Journal at KellyGang 6/11/1875

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(full text transcription)

WAGGA WAGGA

November 1

The weather report from this district for the past fortnight most tell of a good deal of variety. We have had a little rain and every degree almost of temperature, from warm summer days down to light frost at night, as on Friday last. Yesterday we had the wind blowing keenly, now and again in a perfect hurricane, and as the roads and streets are now very dry, the dust is flying about in clouds. In the week after my last letter we had some heavy rain, which has had a marked effect on the country, which just now looks very well; the grass looks green, and is everywhere abundant; and with plenty of water in most places in this district, stock owners have every reason to be well satisfied with the present aspect of affairs. In common with other parts of the colony we have our gloomy croakers, who talk of the prospects of a dry summer; but generally speaking, if these folks are pressed to give some reason for their prophetic conclusions, the answer is as unsatisfactory as old wives' tales. With some people forebodings about drought are visitations as regular as the seasons, and they seem to take a lively satisfaction in looking at the miserable probabilities of human affairs.

The half-holiday movement is again making a little stir in this good town, and the Early closing Association, whose existence I for one had almost forgotten, so little of activity have they displayed for a long time, have now held a meeting, which came off on the 21st Instant. The result was that a committee was formed of one assistant from each of the business houses, for the purpose of waiting on the employers to tee if they can induce them to make the coveted concession. Amongst the employers there is some difference of opinion on the matter. Some think the half holiday might be granted, others don't. Again, some of them want it on Wednesday and others on Saturday. Each one looks out for himself. Trade runs with a difference in the houses; some don't do mach of a Saturday afternoon trade, and these of coarse go in for the Saturday half-holiday, whilst others, who do a very large Saturday grocery business, want the half holiday on Wednesday. Between the two notions I am very much afraid the assistants will have much difficulty in getting the break they desire.

We have been visited by three gentlemen of the legal fraternity with a view to settlement amongst us; Mr Joseph Davidson, of Sydney; a Mr H A Donavan, of Burrowa; and Mr Joseph Dwyer, of Albury. As we had already three of the profession practising here, we are tolerably well off in this line, and if competition makes any difference in this business, with half a dozen lawyers we ought to be able to get cheap law, which no doubt would be like most other cheap commodities, very dear in the long run.

Some fiend in human form perpetrated a most dastardly outrage on Sunday, the 17th instant, Mr Copland, of the firm of Roberts, Copland, and Co., had a very fine horse, worth about £40, running in a paddock at the back of his house at Newtown. The animal had but recently been purchased. on Monday morning the groom reported that the horse was dying. On examination, he was found that the poor animal had been stabbed, and he was shot to put him out of misery, as he was injured beyond hope of cure.

The members of the Roman Catholic Church in this district have been mustering in great numbers in the town lately. On Sunday. the 17th, "Jubilee Devotions" were commenced at St Michael's Church, the Most Rev W Lanigan. Bishop of Goulburn, officiating, assigned by a number of clergymen from different parts of the diocese. The devotions lasted throughout the week, and were regularly attended by a great number of people. A Society of young lades was formed, called "Society of the Children of Holy Mary." and was joined by 56 members, to whom a special exhortation was addressed by the Bishop alter a procession and other ceremonies, incident to the occasion, were carried through.

A petition was sent down to the, Minister for Works this week urging the Government to purchase the Wagga Wagga Bridge, with a view to make it a free bridge, and so place Wagga on the same footing as other towns. The promoters of this petition are not very sanguine us to its success, as we have no member now to advocate any measure for local benefit, and so it is thought by a good many that the petition will be quietly shelved after the most approved departmental fashion, A petition which asks for a matter, which would necessitate the expenditure of about £36,900 is enough to take the breath out of the Minister for Works, and so he may relieve his feelings by putting it quietly out of sight, unless we can get hold of some charitably disposed member of the House who will help us by flogging the Minster's memory vigorously now and again on this subject.

continued

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