THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 11, 19 January 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1870.

In order to give our readers full reports of the Mount Ida and Queenstown race meetings, »hd also a report of the annual meeting of contributors to the funds of the Dunatan District Hospital, we are reluctantly compelled to hold over our usual leading article. The fortnightly sitting of the Resident Magistrate's aad Warden's Courts at Cromwell ■will be held to-day. The out-going English mail will close at the Cromwell Post-office to-morrow at 3 p.m. Between twelve and one o'clock on Monday last, a fire broke out in the kitchen of the Bank of New South Wales, Clyde. It was • soon extinguished, however, by tho aid of a few buckets of water from the town race, and the , prompt assistance rendered by some of the 1 neighbours. With the exception of a few yards , of calico being burned, there was no damage done. The origin of the fire was the igniting of i some calico near the stove. Wo learn with much satisfaction that i the postal authorities have called for tenders " for the conveyance of mails once weekly each \ way between the post-office at Rocky Point and ] a post-office proposed to be opened at Bendigo ( Gully, from Ist February to 31st December, j 1870.'' As the Chief Postmaster seems to have s overlooked the fact that there is a widely-circu- c latedadvertiamginediuih,(the Cromwell Akous) a published within fifteen miles of Bendigo Gully, s we take this opportunity of informing intending i contractors that Tuesday, the 25th inst., is the t day fixed for receiving tenders for the proposed c service. The days on which the mails are to c be carried are not specified in the advertisement, \ and we would therefore respectfully suggest that, >• as the Cardrona mail passes Rooky Point Post- \ office on Wednesdays, and returns by the same routs on Thursdays, those days would be most n convenient for the conveyance of the mail to and j from Bendigo. n A ball was held at Mr Buare's hotel, n Logantown, on Friday evening last, a large num.- ti bur bt-itig present. Dancing was vigorously kept | ol up till morning, and tho aii'air was in ovory re- i ot jsj.wt a groat success, j fa

r Another of those sad accidents which 1 J lavo rece ntly been of such frequent occurronco l « in this and the neighbouring districts, took place at Lake Wauaka ou the 12th inst. From inferk mation supplied us, wo learn that three mou were entering the lake from the Makarora iiiver - ia a ‘hngy belonging to Mr Russell, a strong i) w i n< i blowing at the time. There was a heavy swell on the lake, and just as tho dingy got into deep water she capsized, throwing the three men iinto tho water. Two of them were good swimiiurs, and they twice succeeded in getting their ’ companion, whose name was William Smith, ou to the bottom of the boat. Tho second time, _ however, she suddenly righted, and Smith was , again thrown into the water, when he sank—calling his dog, which had been in the boat The dog was making for the shore, but turned ). hack when he heard his master’s voice. The faithful animal remained near the spot for several > days, going into tho water, and swimming about i. in search of his unfortunate master. The other two men after a great struggle, succeeded in I reaching the shore, each holding on to the boat with one hand while they swam with tho other. All search for the body of the missing man has 38 been unavailing. ! d We are .glad to observe that the Town t Council have, within the last few days, caused the town water-race to be thoroughly cleansed I- of the rubbish with which it has for a length of ;o time been infested. The water is now comparatively clear and pure, and has been running regularly for a week. The Council is entitled _ to the thanks of the .public -for this greatlyimproved state of things ; and if it will only incur the expense of employing a man for a few days in every month to keep the race clean and ® in good order, the townspeople need not again be under the necessity of carrying water for domestic purposes up the steep banks of the Clutha or the Kawarau, as many have recently been compelled to do. From the Nevis, our correspondent Writes as follows :—“ Excepting a decided move-

ment of the miners to the upper part of the : river, there has not heen much worth noting in this locality. There is a subject I should like to bring under the notice of the residents in the various townships in this district- that is, the e advisability of erecting bridges across the 3 I Molyneux and Kawarau rivers —at first, I would say, for horses and foot passengers. Ju6t | above the Danstan, the rocks look like natural 1 i piers ; and I have no doubt an eligible site for j ft bridge might be found on the Kawaran. When | you take into consideration the sums of money Subscribed for horse-racing, I think a sufficient ! sum might be collected for the purpose I have j mentioned. The uncertain charges for crossing ! merchandise must be a great drawback to the j I trade of the town. Although Cromwell ia so j 1 J much nearer to the Nevis, many dray-loads of | , | goods have been brought up from the Manuhori- | kia to the Chinese stores here. There must be I some reason thut they pay so much more in cartage from the lower towns, when Cromwell ! is so much nearer, and there ought not to be ! such a difference in prices as to induce them to travel so far with their orders. Why don't some I of your merchants bestir themselves for their i : o .rn pro!it and the benefit of the town ?" j | The Shamrock and Thistle Company's I claim and tail-race at Moke Creek, Wakatip, together with plant and working materials, are offered for private Bale by Messrs I. Hallenstein and Co., as agents for the holders. Those on the look-out for a good mining property should ! not lose sight of this opportunity. Particulars ! will be found in the advertisement which ap- I pears in another column. j The Presbyterian Synod of Otago and | Southland met in Dunedin last week. At the ! evening sederunt on Wednesday, the 12th inst., j the case of the Rev. Mr Drake was considered, j

and after a long discussion, the Synod resolved, on the motion of the Rev. Mr Bannermau, that the Presbytery of Clutha should be instructed to visit Cromwell, by commission or otherwise, with full powers to arrange for the dispensation of ordinances there, retaining the services of Air Drake, if practicable.—[from all we can learn about the matter, we are inclined to think that the people will " retain the services of Mr Drake," whether the Piesbytery of Clutha find it "practicable" or not.] We have received a copy of Mackay's Gold-fields Almanac for IS7O. As usual, it contains a great deal of useful information, and may fairly lay claim to being the best of its kind published in Otago. We have also to acknowledge receipt of the Canterbury Times and the Southland News sheet almanacs for 1870, both being very creditable productions. The Misses and Master Howe invited their juvenile confreres to a pic-nic at Mr Kidd's farm, about two miles from Cromwell, on Monday last. The children mustered in great force, and a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen also responded to tho polite note of invitation issued. Games of all descriptions were entered into with spirit, and enjoyment seemed to be the order of the day with young and old. After partaking of a capital too, spread on tho green sward under the superintendence of Mrs Howe, who did her utmost to add to the enjoyment of those assembled together, sports

were again entered into for a, couple of hours, when a general start homewards was made, all being highly pleased with their day's enjoy men t. We have received the first and second numbers of the Otago and Southland Mining Journal, a " Farmer's Supplement" (to be issued monthly) heing also published with the Brat number. It contains a quantity of news of particular interest to mining communities, and i other readable matter. We wish it every sue- J cess, and have n i doubt that it will receive a fair share of supp-irt. j