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Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 139, 9 July 1872, Page 4

A list of subscriptions collected at tlie Gorge in aid of the Duustan Hospital will appear i in our next issue. in response to a requisition (which, toi gether with the reply, appears in another co--1 lumn), Mr James Taylor, tHe present Mayor, ■ expresses his intention to oiler himself for rej election. It is expected the contest will be a very close one. S We arc informed that the Committee of Delegates appointed by the various Friendly Societies in tins district have concluded arrangements with Ih J. !*>. Lake, of Switzers, to acts medical officer to the members of those Societies for a specified period. Dr Lake arrived in Cromwell yesterday morning, but we believe he inj ten Is revisiting Switzers before commencing I practice in this district. The main drive in Messrs Nicholas and Martin's coalpit fell in a few days ago, causing* complete stoppage of work in the mine. T' e consequent scarcity of fuel has been severely let by the townspeople, who have been accustomed to draw their supplies of that essential comuiodtv chiefly from the Cromwell Coal-pits. The coal from the Gorge pit has, however, greatly improved in quality of late, and the lessee finds some difficulty in keeping pace with the growing demand. Within the past week or two, a new seam of lignite, of very fair quality, has been opened on the east bank of the Kawarau, close to Richards's Ferry ; and from this source a considerable proportion of our supplies of fuel present obtained. We hope to be able to announce, in the course of a few days, that .Messrs Nicholas and Martin's pit is once more in ‘ u * working order.

Jlr Fraer, one of the candidates for the civic chair, announces his intention to address the ratepayers next Thursday evening, at the Tovvn-haU.

\Ve are informed that since the lamentable accident by which George Goss lost his life, jdr Richards’s ferryman has made a practice of putting a rail across the punt before going to bed. Sad experience has too clearly proved the necessity for increased caution : the rail should be put up immediately after sundown, and not removed till daylight. The Tuapeka Times is informed that <i punedin is still honoured by the presence of Kawarau’s illustrious representative. It is supposed that he is incubating some tremendous reform in the present system of licensing publi > houses, and is patriotically devoting the whole of his honorarium in making observations and collecting information for that laudable purpose.” The Elizabeth Company finished a crushing of 117 tons at their own battery on Thursday last, with the result of 70 ozs. 7 dwts. of gold. The average per ton is a fraction over 12 dwts. The stamper-shoes belonging to the b ittery being completely worn out, the machine has been stopped to allow of new ones being attached to the stamp-heads. Very little will be done in the way of crushing until the present severe weather moderates.

The Mayor and Councillors sat as a Municipal Court of Revision in the Council Chamber at one p.m. yesterday. The Court, shortly after meeting, adjourned till six o’clock, a t which hour there was a full attendance. Nineteen applications for insertion of names on the Municipal Roll were received and consi lered, and of these only seven were allowed, viz. : fowaran Ward— W. Williams, W. O’Connell, W. (toolall, 11. Donegau, J. W. Thompson. Bridge Ward—T. Heron, J. W. Thompson. In the Thames Guardian of June 1-1 we find the following explanation Wish regard to the remarks of the Cromwell Argus respecting the publication by us of a letter signed “ Tom Crusher,” we beg to state that the letter was sent to us as an original contribution, and that not having received the files of the Cromwell Arijus regularly, we did not see the letter until it was sent to us as above stated. As regards its publication in the Coromandel Mail, their files generally reach us so long after public ition as to be entirely useless, consequently they are, as a rule, put aside without being looked at.” The following notice dated 2nd July, and signed by his Honor the Superintendent, appears in last Wednesday’s Gazette: —“ Whereas it has been shown to me that the residence area, situated 509 yards west of the Ferry Hotel, liuimickburn, in Graver’s Gully, in the Province of Otago, held by Mr Stades 8. Graver, is required for public purposes, and should be resumed : I hereby, under the powers conferred by section 9, part XX, of the Regulations of the Otago Gold Field, resume possession of the sai I resi leuee area accordingly ; of all which notice is hereby given to the said Stades S. Graver and all others concerned.’’ It is hardly necessary to mention that the area referred to forms a portion of the southern approach to vhe bridge now in course of erection over the Kawarau River.

The following curious case has just been heird bv the Resident Magistrate in Auckland ; —The defendant, Mrs Mew, had rented from Mr Overton a cottage in Cook-street, for which she paid him one year’s rent in advance. This she proved by producing Overton’s receipt, the authenticity of which was not denied. Mrs Overton now came forward and produced a deed by which, previous to Overton’s letting the premises to Mrs Mew, Overton had conveyed the property to his wile. It was a.lmitte I that Mrs Mew might know nothing of this arrangement between man and wife, as she swore site did not; still, in law, Overton not being the owner of the property, it was ruled that not only must Mrs Mews, the defendant, lose the £4l) she had paid to Overton, but she must pay Mrs Overton the rent due for term of occupancy. His Worship admitted the case to bo a hard one. It may he stated that immediately after Overton received Mrs Mew’s £4l) for a twelve month’s rent in advance, he had left for California.

A correspondent, writing from Makarora Bush, (head of Lake VVanaka), has sent us; 'like following account of the starting of the new saw-mills on the Makarora River The machinery of the new saw-mills erected by Messrs 1 Isbef Farquhar, and Ross, was set in motion for the first time on Wednesday, the ‘24th of June, i ’.nthe presence of a numerous party of visitors, j and was found to work very satisfactorily. The ceremony of christening the machine was gracefully performed by Mrs Pipson. A large log having been placed in position for cutting up, the saws were set to work, and the tree was quickly converted into boards and scantling, the whole of the appliances worked as smoothly as if the mill had been in operation for a month, After the testing of the machinery, the party adjourned to a large hut alongside the mill, I jfheie a substantial dinner had been prepared; by the direction of the proprietors. The repast over, the company afterwards spent a very plea-! sant evening, and with toast and song the happy hours flew quickly by. The water for driving ! the machinery is obtained from a crock about j *o wiles distant from the mill. For a eonsi- i derable distance the race traverses very rough ; ground, over which it is conveyed by means of I timber fluraing five feet six inches in width, throughout the remainder of its course, until it Wives within a short distance of the mill, the "ater runs in an ordinary race. The mill-race proper is constructed in the ordinal y way, and ■ S yards in length. The water-wheel ® in diameter, and 5 ft. G in. wide, with a nim of 15 ft. diameter. Attached to this drum I s a gutta-percha belt, which is again attached “ the centre drum, the fly-wheel of which is ft. m diameter. A leather belt communicates from the fly-wheel to the driving-wheel impaits motion to the saws and log-frames. Great Mertit is due to the proprietors for the skilful efficient manner in which the mill has been nstructed ; and it is to be hopod their entersafa i rewar( l e( k au< l their outlay compenii ea ’ ’J a n extensive and continuous demand roughout the district for those descriptions of B,, l'piy tlm,)er " hick the }’ are so "’ell prepared to

At a meeting of the Bannockburn School Committee held on the sth instant, it was stated that the proceeds of the late concert and ball amounted to £l4 11s., which, added to the sum of £lB 14s. 6d. received in the shape of subscriptions, brought the funds at the Committee’s disposal up to £BB os () I. The undermentioned accounts were passed for payment, viz.: —Argus, printing and advertising, £1 19s. 6d. ; Mr J. Taylor, contractor, £29 ills. ; sundries, 18s. 6d., —in all, £32 Bs.. There is still a balance of £lO due on the building, and with a view of clearing it off, the Committee resolved to organise another entertainment for Tuesday, 20th August. The Committee are entitled to great credit for the zealous and energetic manner in which they have exerted themselves to pay off the cost of the School building, and we hope shortly to be able to congratulate them upon having a balance on the credit side of the ledger.