Untitled

Charleston Argus, 9 March 1867, Page 2

Some little excitement has been evinced in reference to a tramway between here aid Westport, and the question of route lus been considerably discussed. We are iiformed by a professional gentleman that afar better route than that laid out in the p-esent track between the two places can le found by traversing the level ground, sorting from Waite's station. "We should Ike to have other opinions in reference to tiis matter, and will gladly publish any faat we may be favored with. Dr. Hector arrived in Charleston on Thursday afternoon, and purposes spending i few days in this and the Brighton district. We see that he has favored our Westport contemporary with several interesting items in reference to his tour, and we hope that next week we may be fortu-

nate enough to procure similar particulars, the result of ijia-visit to this part of the Y A rather large number of miners have lone north durifeg the past few days* into via» the but tUo Krodus, small alit may be, seems scarcely jjustified by thei accounts that have come [down. It is that the Maoris got some flirty or"forty <7%cca of gold,, and that 1 ' other parcels, amounting in all to about the quantity, have been sold at the Buller, but this is not enough to occasion a seventy mile tramp, for that is about the distance from Charleston to the entrance of the Karamea. The building committee of the Catholic tTtureh met on Thursday for the purpose •>f accepting a tender for the new building. There were present Messrs. Creed, Glennon, ind Barry, Mr P. Hehir, the fourth mem ler, being detained by business at the duller. Tenders were received as follows: —Burgoyne and Co, £249 ; J. Repath, ,£243 ; T. King, £244 ; A. Morson,c£249; C. Holman, £249 10s ; Charles Humphries, £220; J. Vevers, £290; R. Scott, £318; J M'Conachie, £337. The lowest tender, tLat of C. Humphries, was accented,, and the work will be commenced at onee. As w& stated last week, the site originally selected was not considered satisfactory by a targe number of the congregation, and a groat desire to change it was expressed by many. The Rev. Father Royer, after mass on. Sunday last, put the question to those present, and it was unanimously resolved to leave the selection of the site in his Reverence's hands. He subsequently chose a spot on the Fox's road, about 500 yards fron the camp, and on a gradual ascent. The change is considered a very satisfactory one. and no delay will now take place in completing the erection.. We omitted to state that every provision has been made for the comfort of worshippers, and foiins to the door have been contr d i'or. For reasons elsewhere stated we are ob iged to omit our detailed mining report. We may, however, say that mining affairs are flourishing and improve daily. At Thompson's rush, beyond the Darkie's terrace, there are nearly twenty claims on gold, some of them giving as much as two and three grains to the fistfull. O'Brien and party have completed a race from Darkie's terrace to the lower lead on the north township, two miles and a half in length, and it is already of considerable service to the n iners. A new rush has taken place to Candlelight, and a few good claims are bottomed. Owing to the extens : ve and interesting extracts we ha\e made from the " New York Hera'd " w>! are obliged to omit our mining column, much local matter and several letters. I We will bring up these arrea s in our next issue. Mr Kyi nersley held a Court at Westport on Wednesday, and proceeded to Nel-j

The bridge to say, completed, traffic to foot passengers and horses. ™ has been built by J. Blanehard and Co., who have projection, and are authorised to collect tolls for a term as compensation for their outlay. It is 200 feet in length, but only six feet in the clear in breadth. The latter is a great, mistake, for drays will not be able to cross, though they can have their contents unloaded and carried over, and the drays can be brought through the river. The work appears to be well and substantially done, and will be a great convenience to the travelling public. We shall not hear again of the escort beiug stuck up for a day, we suppose. We are delighted to find that our Brighton contemporary has at last woke up to a serseof his errors, and is going to double his size, engage the services of competent reporters, and make the paper worthy of the district. We are the more pleased with this exhibition of energy because, presumptuous as it may seem 011 our part, we have a strong suspicion that the change would not have taken place if the Charleston Anous had not come into existence. That improvement was imperatively necessary there cannot be a question, and we congratulate our contemporary on the recognition of so obvious a fact.

A rather singular case, partaking of the horrible and the ridiculous occurred the other day. A poor fellow, put on board one of the stermers at Fox's for conveyance to the Grey hospital died soon after the vessel started. The cabin was crowded, but the ladies' cabin had no occupants, and the corpse was therefore placed there and decently covered with blankets, &c. \ certain storekeeper, a passenger by the vessel, had been sacrificing pretty freely at the shrine of Bacchus, and did not come down to seek a resting place till late, when all the available space was taken up. After some consideration, knowing probably that the ladies' cabin was unoccupied, he went in there and saw what lie suppicsed to be a t)ing man with plenty of ..blankets, sequently he at once turned in with sleeper, and remained all t~ in red with the corpse:- Hjs horror on waking in the morning maybe imagined, particularly, as owing to the libiitions he had swallowed, on the night his nerves were not in the best order possible. As we have stated in'another paragraph, Mr Kynuersley has gone to Nelson for the purpose of making arrangements respecting the forthcoming election of members for the West Coast, and on his return we may expect to know how the mem bers are to be apportioned. In the Electoral Act two members are provided for the Cobden and one for the Buller district, for at the time the amendment was passed neither Charleston nor Brighton were in existence, and of course it was impossible to foresee that such centres of population would be so soon founded. As to Cobden itself, it would be ridiculous to send two members from it, and a readjustment of the Act must necessarily take place. We do not* know what power the Executive possess.in this'matter exactly, but if they are permitted to vary the apportionment at all, they are permitted to vary it as seems most equitable. This, to our thinking, would be to give to Cobden and Fox's one member, and to Charleston and Buller districts one each. We learn from the " Brighton Times" tliat there are already two candidates in the field, Mr Donne, of Brighton, and Mr J. P. Klein, residing and carrying on business in Hokitika as a jeweller, and part proprietor of that journal. The Courthouse is rapidly approaching completion, and will be a comfortable building when finished. There cannot be a doubt that this accommodation is greatly needed. It is quite time that the 10 x 12 tent hitherto the head quarters of justice on the Pakihi should be substituted by some nobler temple. We regret to say that petty robberies are becoming numerous, and storekeepers are complaining of constant losses. On Thursday night a case of porter was stolen from Hennelly and Millen, and a few days ago Fail* and M'Coy lost a case of potatoes. At the same time, we cannot think the sutferers altogether free from blame in allowing their goods to be so readily accessible. The Rev. W. Lewis arrived per Halcyon at Fox's, and came over to Charleston on Tuesday last. lie will be located here for a fortnight, and a cottage belonging to Mr Dwan has been most courteously placed at his disposal during his stay. He is m king a tour of the diggings, and expresses the greatest surprise at their richness and extent. He will hold Divine service to-morrow at the Pakihi Hotel, in the morning at 11, and in the evening at 7 o'clock. The llev- Father lioyer left here last Sunday for Fox's, en route to Greymouth. He will return here on the 17th of March, St. Patricks Day, and will celebrate mass at 12 o'clock on that day at Creed's hotel. He purposes bringing with him a bell for the new church, and several other necessary fittings, and we need nit say he will be cordially welcomed on his return.