Untitled

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 175, 18 March 1873, Page 4

We are gratified to learn that the Colonial Executive has at length agreed to advance the loan applied for by the Garrick 1 tango Water Supply Company, only stipulating that plans amt specifications of the work are to be for. warded for inspection and approval by the Em gineer-in-Chief. The Minister of Public Works has intimated that the General Government are of opinion, from the evidence before them, that the carrying out of the scheme will he of great advantage to the district. Members of the Bannockburn and Carrick I’ange Miners’ Association are reminded that a general meeting lakes place on Wednes. day (to-morrow) evening, for the transaction of important business. The fall of rain on Wednesday ni<dit caused a general revival of mining operating throughout the district; and present indications favour the hope that the drought— from the effects of which all have suffered loss in some degree— will not recur to any serious extent at all events until next summer, A crushing of 140 tons for the Star of the East Company, finished at the United Go ’s battery last Wednesday, yielded 116 ozs. of gold, We are informed that che great scarcity of water necessitated the use of light stamps’ and very fine gratings, so that the quantity of stone crushed was comparatively small.—The directors have declared a dividend of 4s, per share, which is now payable at the manager’s office. ’ Yesterday, being St. Patrick’s Day, the Banks in Cromwell transacted no business. A half-holiday was graute I to the children attending the public school. With these exceptions, there were no outward or visible signs of any departure from the ordinary routine of our everyday life. -

Two of the oldest inhabitants of the Upper Clutli,a district—Mr Norman, (! f Newcastle, and Mr Maid man, of Luggate Creek left Cromwell on a visit to Knglaud one day Inst week. They were accompanied by Mr Nipper, late of the Luggate, who goes In one to inherit a legacy ; and by another fortunate miner from the same locality.

Madame Cora performed to good houses in K dd's .Hall last week, on every evening except Wednesday, when the heavy rain prevented a sufficient attendance. An afternoon pertormanes for the children was announced for Saturday, and on that day something like a hundred youngsters assembled at the hail, many of them from the Bannockburn, kc. But they were doome 1 to disappointment, for they were informed that their numbers did not justify any performance, and that three hundred children had been expected. Doubtless one hundred would not have paid well, but an hour miglt certainly have been devoted to their amusement at no great loss or trouble.

We hear some talk of the likelihood of an effort being made to establish a Gymnasium in Cromwell. Of course, it neel on'y be on a small scale, and p rhaps would amply suffice t > cover all the necessary expense in the matter. This sum could very easily lie raised by public subscription ; in fact, we believe something like half of it lias been already guaranteed by two or three gentlemen who take an interest in the effort. At Charleston, a mining township on the West Coast of the Nelson Province, we notice that a private gymnasium has been thrown open to the public, ami the local paper says it is the nightly resort of numbers : the youngsters, , youths, and many of graver age may be seen disporting themselves on the flying trapeze, horizontal bar, ami so on. The evoniiurs are quickly drawing in, and the winter nights pass drearily away in a small township like Cromwell. We hope, therefore, tint so excellent an institution as a gymnasium will soon be something more than talked about and wished for. The Heart of Oak Company is at present crushing at the Star-and-Uak battery. The crushing for the Colleen Bavvn Company, at Logan’s machine, is progressing slowly, a full supply of water not being as yet available. The Nil Desperandnm machine is at work on a parcel of stone from the John Bull.

We regret to learn that the hut owned and occupied by Mr G. B. 1 o aid as, miner, Bendigo Gully, took fire on the night of Thursday, Gtb inst. The building and its contents wore utterly destroyed, and Mr Douglas was left with nothing but tire clothes lie was weiring at the time. “The candle by some means set the lining alight, and everything being as dry ns tinder, the whole affair went in a Hash.” This unfortunate occurrence explains the non-appearance for the last week or two of our Bendigo correspondent's always interesting and well-written contributions.

A general meeting of. the Cromwell Miners’ Association is advertised for Thursday next, the 20th inst., in the Torn-hall.

Three tons of old iron, intended for exportation to China, were sent to Dunedin the other day by a local Chinese storekeeper. The c msigurnonh chiefly consisted of worn-out horseshoes, which the thrifty Celestials sell to the Chinese Government for conversion into cannonballs and other war like projectiles.

Several small parcels of mining shares wore quitted at auction by Mr Chappie after the land sale on Friday. Five shares in the Heart of Oak, and the same number in the Star of the East, realised £4 each ; and six Elizabeth shares were sold for £7 10?.

Wo that the police have laid mi information against a well-known lady public,in for keeping a disorderly house. The case will come before the Bench on Thursday next. Mr J. C. Chappie, the well known auctioneer, held a sale of town allotments here on Friday last, nt noon. Three of the lots offered irere disposed of ; the remainder, being mostly in the neighbourhood of the Sahara, and therefore useless for any purpose, were passed without (isingle hid being made for either of them. Mr James Taylor bought a five-acre allotment in Plock XI for £3 10s, per acre ; and Mr John Marsh was the purchaser of two similar lots at the upset price—£2 an acre. The Colleen Bawn Q. M. Company, Registered, held its half-yearly general meeting nt the manager’s office on Saturday, the 15th inst. Bye-laws for regulating the company’s proceedings were submitted and adopted, tlie rules provided in the seventh schedule to the Mining Companies Act, 1572, being taken as the basis. Messrs Kidd, Bell, Reid, M‘o\ven, and Murrell were appointed directors for the current half-year. —We learn that the late chairman of directors. Mr J. S. Mulford, retired from the directorate in order to take the working management of the claim.—lt is expected that Mr T.ogan will be enabled to clean-up the company’s crushing to-morrow (Wednesday). Town sections in Bendigo, Newcastle, Gladstone, and Pembroke were offered at auction by Mr Chappie on Saturday, at Bendigo. Only three lots were disposed of, all of these situate in the township of Newcastle. Messrs Norman and M'Pherson were the buyers, and the allotments ivrjjit for the upset price. We are informed that Mr B. Washer, of Welshman’s Gully, has purchased Mr Pierce’s interest in the coal-pit at that place. is just now attracting a deal ,i attention' in Dunedin, Messrs- Peebles and l)nnn having re-awakened the interest in the subject which was created some time ago by Mr James Smith, of Melbourne. To such an extent ii this the case that the clergy have felt it their duty t) try to explain away the arguments and testimony adduced in favour of the faith. The Her. Mr Reid, the Rev. Mr Oow, and the Rev. Pr Copland, have each delivered either a sermon or a lecture in connection with the subject; and Bishop Nevill has lectured on “ What we know emcerning the Angels.” The Rev. Mr' Watt, too, Presbyterian Minister of Green Island, has reached the second of a series of letters on the subject in the Bruce Herald, both of which have teen very readable. He admits that spiritualPtic manifestations are genuine—that they are the work of powers unseen, —hut holds that these powers are entirely under the control and cunmand of the devil: and while so far he has duly advanced evidence—such as the silly and infidel nature of the messages from spirit land, k.—corroborative of his belief, he promises before he has done to adduce proof, or what he considers proof. In the report of a lecture deli vered by Mr Peebles in Christchurch, we notice he says that while he was a clergyman settled near New York,- this subject of Spiritualism bepn to attract notice, and bo, in common with many of bis ministerial brethren, decided that it was a delusion of the devil. “ How we prayed to Israel’s God to pot down this nasty vice!’says Mr Peebles. Mr Watt, therefore, seems to be but following in the footsteps of Mr Peebles; and itwiil be interesting to notice how fir lie will travel after him—surely not to the cud. Tlie recent disclosures made in the Hokitika Resident Magistrate’s Court as to the profits made on drinks provoke the following remarks frain the v elson Colonist :• -“ We think the disclosure of such facts as these requires the immediate attention of the Government. Every clause of the Licensing Act should be strictly enforced, and inspectors appointed to supervise the sale of intoxicating liquors, especially in mining districts. When scandalously enormous profits are made on the sale of spirits, (which are the pr nEprd drinks consumed by miners,) it is evident that they must be adulterated to a frightful extent, and something should at once be clone to remedy such an evil stale of affairs, as it is admitted that to the al sorption of poisonous liquors, more than to any other cause, is attri(i vJjl- 0 ' the increasing evil of lunacy in our r a , says the Tuapeka Times :—There is a township in one of the agricultural districts of Ibp'o, in or near to winch no Justice iff Peace esides It is, however, so far advanced in aviiisation ns to possess a gaol, and a resident jioiceman. The latter is a vigilant guardian of he peace who takes a professional pride in havsgliisg occasionally occupied. In the ordi>yv course of tilings it would be useless for im to “ run in” perpetrators of sina 1 delin[uencies, for it won d be impossible to have the mes tii d within a reasonable time. But the wliccmau is a man who will not allow trifles to nferfere with the discharge of what he considers ''Minty; so to the duties lie is paid for diswginc, be adds those of tlie “great unpaid,” ‘believer a man in this district gets drunk or tterwiss misbehaves himself, he is incarcerated ' r a time the policeman considers suffi lent to tone for his offence. Such primitive simplicity Mite administration of justice is worthy of all ltll3e aud extensive imitation.

It is provable that next session will ■ ni o a dissolution. Last session consolidated Jo pretty nearly even parties, but there is ll ‘ a considerable section of trimmers, who i 'w their profit from the difficulties of Govern ■t!us Mr Vogel, our political Judge, cannot t ™ re tins slippery party much longer, and will 'I 6 1° bid high and appeal to the country at an ■ ? date. It will not, from our point oif view, •enough to,obtain an adverse vote against him !“V Minister, What is wanted is, that the of the House of Representatives "“' be more respectable, that it should be ,"o eil °f Job Trotters, and filled with a class tnen more truly representing the mind of the oong, tax-paying public. The crisis is really •a 6, bonest man can govern the country " l, ’ : a great purification of the legislature, and 1 rst step to this, wo say to the working and 'Paying population, do not neglect your duty, ■remember the 31st March, and register.— li 3« baimier.

;Bet{ween the Ist? November and the 30tli April, foil an average £9,500 are given annually away in prizes for horse-racing in the province of; Otago. During the Christmas and New Year holidays the amount expended in prizes for various sports exceeds £2,500. On the various racecourses of the province there is annually spent £21,500 in liquor. This makes a total of £33,' 500 devoted every year to sporting. Not so bad for a province of 70,000 inhabitants of essentially not sporting tastes. Nearly one half of the population never visits a racecourse, and a considerable portion consider sporting of every description disreputable. —Tuapeka Times. In connection with Cobb mul Co.’s line of coaches, Mr Job Wain, junr., paid a visit to Clyde on Tuesday last, the 11th inst., having journeyed via Mount Ida. On the following morning, he took the road again for Dunedin, vki Tuapeka. We are informed the object of the trip was to inspect the roads, and to arrange for the running of a six-horse coach from Tokomairiro to Clyde in one day. The new arrangement is not to commence till the opening of the Tokomairiro Railway, which is expected to bo ready for traffic in about five months. Dunedin will thus be within one day’s journey of Clyde.— Dunstan Times.