Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/76

46 disappeared, and were never again seen. The young man had left a widowed mother, whom he supported in part. His personal property consisted of two horses and their harness; and the neighbours, with the view of selling these to the best advantage for the benefit of the poor mother, decided to dispose of them by raffle. The event came off on the evening of the Saturday I spent at Kinloch. About 8 o'clock the neighbours and acquaintances from far and near mustered in force. As they gathered, some squatted on the shingle, and others sat on great logs that were waiting to be transported to the sawmill. When the evening fairly set in a candle was lighted, and a maiden of pleasant appearance was selected to shake the dice, while two smart young fellows counted and recorded the numbers turned up. During this process, the appeals to the young woman to be sure and send good luck, and the smart banter going on, occasioned much hilarity. When the results had been ascertained, and the names of the winners announced, a dance followed, but I cannot state the hour when the company dispersed, having left before the close of the proceedings. It was the common opinion that the hilarity and the late hours reduced considerably the expected attendance at the Sabbath services. Before I began, a resident introduced himself to me as the schoolmaster and the local reporter for the Queenstown newspaper, and he assured me that I might rely on a good and full report. He also invited me to visit the school. In due course a favourable report of preacher and sermon appeared. I visited the school, which had on that day an attendance of nine pupils. I was told that the harvest work interfered with the regularity of the scholars' appearance at school. I saw no evidence of literature—beyond that of the schoolbooks—except an American almanac and the local newspaper.

Some years ago I was sent to Cromwell to preach and to recommend earnest action with the view of having a man of God settled in the district. I had a meeting with the people, and at the close of the service I proceeded to ascertain their minds on the matter of getting a minister for Cromwell and its outfield. When all were apparently on the point of deciding in favour of procuring a minister, the mayor—who was also chairman of a committee appointed to get a weekly newspaper established for the town and district—came on the scene. As soon as he had ascertained the subject under discussion and the general unanimity with which it was regarded, he began a great