EPITOME OF HUNTER RIVER DISTRICT NEWS. - (From our Correspondent.) - Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875) - 13 Jun 1853 (original) (raw)

CONCERT. - Mr. Winterbottom's band gave a

concert at the Northumberland Hotel, West

Maitland, on Wednesday last. The music was

tastefully selected, and ran, as is the custom at

instrumental ooncerts, from grave to gay, from

lively to pathetic. There was rather too much of

the lively in it, however, according to our taste.

We must plead guilty to the charge of disliking

polkas; they are monstrously noisy. We would

rather hear one of Haydn's andante movements,

or one of Beethoven's sublime symphonies, than

all the polkas in the world. The pieces selected

for the occasion were well played. The solos

were especially fine; Paganini's Carnival di

Venise, as played by Mr. Tucker, was a master-

piece of execution; and, if the voice of the artist's

violin, especially on the silver string, had been

equal to the artist's ability, the very soul of the

music would have been visible to the eye within.

Henri Durant delighted the audience with the

tromp, whose tones nra balf-silvory and half

brazen ; and did as muoh with that difficult in-

strument as could bo expected. He was loudly

applauded and rapturously encored. Mr. Win-

terbottom gave us The Last Hose of Summer in

a st,)lo that accorded with tho instrument he

played on, and manifested consummate taste, in

avoiding all unnecessary embellishment of that

beautiful air. Mr. Gregg's songs were well re-

ceived ; his Simon the Cellarer was encored.

His voice is fine and musical on a range of an

octave or so comprising the lowest notes he can

reach, but becomes slightly harsh and metallic

when he touches the upper part of his compass.

On tho whole, the concert was a great treat, and

such as the good people of Maitland have not

heard for a long time. Wo express tho feeling

of many, when wo say that wo wish Mr. Winter-

bottom and his talented bund may visit us again.

THE HOADS..-At a mcoting of tho Maitland

District Council hold lately, that body deter-

mined to immediately employ labourers, &c, for

tho repair of tho roads. Tho Council has now

abovo £707 lodged in tho Bank to their credit,

having received tho whole of tho road monoy for

tho current year. The wages of tho Council are,

for labourers, 30s. ; for overseers, 33a. ; and for

horse and cart, 30s., per week. The roads .will

not hu mended too soon. The Long Bridge still

holds up its wooden head in a state of glorious

dilapidation, forming ono of the principal orna-

ments of Maitland. Wo would' suggest to tho

Council, and also to tho Government, tho pro

Iiriety of planting a number of ivy cuttings at its

iiso ; as these would both spring and spread in

tho course of a lew yoarp, and, conjoined witli

tho dilapidating ell'eots of time, would render tho

bridge a very picturesque ruin.

RECAPTURE.-Parrott and Bourke, who escaped

some time ago from Tamworth lock-up, havo been

SUDDEN DEATH. - A man named Samuel

Sergeant was found dead in his bed a few days

ago, at Hexham. An inquest was held on the

body before Dr. Stacy. Verdict-Died by the

SOMETUIKO TUA MAKES INDIGNATION BRISTLE

Ul*.-A day or two as¡o a man named Townshend,

residing in this district, brought a charge against

nuother man named English, with a view of

having the .latter punished. The prosecutor lind

employed tho defendant lo repair the brushes of

a flour-dressing machine, and had given him a

quantity of bristles for that purpose. This oo

ourred four months «go; nud during tho time

elapsing between tho dato of that transaction

and tho present the repaired brushes havo been

in use. Tlie prosecutor desired to have the

bristles taken out and weighed, in order to show

that their weight did not reach half a pound.

The case was very properly dismissed.

THE WEATHKH-Tho heavens still continue

clear. No rain hus fallen lately on tho Hunter

River distiict, if we except a few showers at

Port Stephens and abovo Dungog, and a mizzle or

so to tho southward of those places.