PROVINCIAL NEWS

Cromwell Argus, Volume 1, Issue 43, 7 September 1870, Page 6

PROVINCIAL NEWS

— o— Day Star , a spiritualist organ recently started in Dunedin, has set. The price of bread at Oamaru was lately reduced to sevenpence per four pound loaf. A silver cradle is to be presented to the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr H. 8. Fish, junr.) by the ratepayers, of Dunedin, on account of a son having been bom to him during his mayoralty. A man named David Marr, a cooper residing at Port Chalmers, whilst on his way hbnie on a dark night, fell down a cutting eight feet deep, breaking leg between the knee and ankle. l W A new weekly paper, to be caAed the Clutha Ensign 1 is to be issued at Balclutha on or about the 10th inst., by Mr John Mackay, younger brother of Mr Joseph Mackay of the Bruce Herald. During the sitting of the Warden's Court at Queenstown on the 26th nit., Mr Warden Beetham (as we learn from the Wakatip Mail), in giving his decision in an opposed application for land at the Shotover, said ;—“ There is no doubt that agricultural land is getting fearfully scarce in che district, and 1 have no doubt that if 20,000 acres could be opened to-mor-row, it would be taken up in a very short time.” Great damage has been done by the floods down-country. At Oamaru the plain was flooded, and several persons were obliged to vacate their houses. The creek rose very high, carried away the dam, and washed away the landing-place. Two of the tender-boats were broken up. At Tokomairiro, considerable portions of the plain were inundated, and the main road about a mile south of the township was submerged to the depth of several feet. Posts were driven into the ground to indicate the line of road, and by this means the traffic was only paitially suspended. At the Taieri the farms on the low-lying parts of the plain were inundated. The fences were submerged, and the water rose to within six inches of the height reached on the 7th June. The crops generally are damaged, and very serious injury has been done to the farms in all the districts aliovc mentioned. The West Taieri correspondent of tho Bruce Herald states that Wiihelmina Ross, the young girl lately under a trance at Maungatua, has recovered, and is able to converse freely. She appears to be very weak, but does not seem to stiller great pain ; she takes very little food. Great numbers have visited her during the last fortnight ; she receives everyone with pleasure, converses with them about what she saw and felt while in the trance, exhorts them to lie earnest Christians, and pleads with them not to delay in seeking salvation until it be too late, advising, them to pay more attention to religious duties. She has made a good impression upon many in the district, and there is no one who has visited and conversed with her that will not be benefited by it. Tho deep anxiety she lias for the spiritual welfare of all, and the earnest manner in which she pleads with everyone to seek Christ, cannot fail to make a deep impression on even the most careless.” A waggoner named William Colgan (says the Daily Times) committed suicide by hanging himself on Wednesday morning, at Morrison’s Hill, near Mount Ida, It appears that he left Dunedin on the 18th ult., with a waggon-load of goods from Messrs Whittingham Brothers, and having got as far as tho above place he got stuck on tho road. He asked assistance of a fellow-waggoner, which was refused ; and in despair, he hanged himself to the roof of his waggon. A small shock of earthquake was felt at the following places on the evening of the 31st ult: —Greymouth, Hokitika, Queenstown, Dunedin, Oamaru, Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Kaiapoi. The shock occurred at about twenty minutes past six, and lasted nearly half a minute. At Lyttelton a number of chimneys were shaken down by it. The body of a man who was drowned in the Tokomairiro River a few days ago, was found by the police on the afternoon of the 30th ult, about fifty yards below the spot where he was approach the bank. He seems to have 1 been about 35 years of age, sft. Gin. in height, with light, hair and sandy-coloured moustach' - ' and whiskers, the latter cut short. It is supposed the unfortunate man had been engaged in Dunedin to work for a settler at Wangaloa, and was on his way to fulfil his engagement when he met his death. During the recent heavy floods downcountry, a shepherd named M'Bride, in attempting to cross Shag River, at a place known as Gilligan-sold ford, was drowned. The horse lie was .riding was also caviled away, and drowned.