Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell : Tuesday, March 25, 1873.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 176, 25 March 1873, Page 4

Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell : Tuesday, March 25, 1873.

T./fCcTormatioa of the track over Mount Pisa to Cardrona is to be commenced within a few days. Mr Bews, the district engineer, left Cromwell to-day with the intention of laying off the line ; and it will be observed that tenders for its formation are advertised for in our present issue. It is but right to add that the Mayor has taken a very active part in connection with this matter, and to his exertions may be attributed the present initiation of the w'ork. The contractor for the Quartz Reef Point road —Mr Edward M’Nulty—commenced operations last Tuesday, and already several chains of the road have been cut along the face of the steep rocky bank opposite the Police Camp. The contract price for the whole work, as we learn by the last Gazette, is £420. The crushing of 183 tons for the Colleen Bawn Company -was finished at Logan’s battery on Wednesday, and the quantity of gold obtained was 116 ozs. 9 dwts. 6 grs. This was considerably less than had been anticipated, and much disappointment and dissatisfaction have been expressed by the shareholders, nearly all of whom are local residents. There seems good reason to believe that they were fully justified in expecting an average yield of at least 25 dwts. to the ton from this crushing, for not only was the stone proved by actual test to be uncommonly rich, but the quantity of amalgam which had accumulated in the ripples of the machine before the crushing had been half was such as to encourage the sanguine hopes entertained as to the final result. The time occupied in crushing, from first to last, was eight weeks, during which period many stoppages occurred from want of sufficient water, No portion of the amalgam was removed from the stamper-boxes or ripples until the entire crushing was finished ; and as the machine was not in any way protected during the intervals of working, it is be-, lieved that a considerable quantity of amalgam was stolen. “Itisof no use crying over spilt milk,” but there can be no doubt that the heavy loss the Colleen Bawn Company has sustained is the result of gross negligence in some quarter. A heavy shower of rain is such an unfrequent occurrence here that it may almost he called a phenomenon. We had a phenomenon of this description on Sunday night: it lasted for two or three hours, and was universally appreciated. The John Bull Company had a very satisfactory cleaning-up last Wednesday, at the Nil Desperandum Co.’s battery. The quantity of stone crushed was about 59 tons, and the yield of retorted gold 49 ozs.,—showing an average return of dwts. per ton. We feel a pleasure in directing attention to the fact that Mr J. P. Armstrong, the wellknown dentist, has taken up his temporary abode in Cromwell with the view of practising his profession. Mr Armstrong has had many years’ experience in dental surgery ; and as his visits are “ few and far between,” those who need his services ought not to neglect the present opportunity. At Mr J. Oliver White’s portrait-rooms, Melmore-street, we have examined a number of beautifully-executed photographic views of Cromwell, Arrow-town, and Queenstown, —all of them taken by Mr White within the last few weeks. A landscape view of Cromwell, as seen from the Dunstan road, with the township, the Bridge, and the “ meeting of the waters” in the foreground, and the lofty and picturesque outline of Mount Pisa in the distance, is especially noticeable. We have seldom seen so perfect a sample of the wonderful accuracy that may be attained in this branch of photography by a skilled artist. Mr White lias also superior facilities for producing portraits, from carte-dc-visife to large cabinet size ; and his success in this department is acknowledged to be unequivocal. As Mr White’s stay is limited to the present week, intending sitters should not delay paying a visit to the studio. The Cromwell agency of the Bank of New Zealand is beginning to make itself felt in connection with gold-buying transactions. TT p to the time of its establishment here, all the Nevis gold went to Clyde ; but since the advent of Mr M'Owen, a very considerable portion of it lias come to Cromwell. We would suggest that henceforth the quantity of gold re- ; ceived each month from the Nevis should be i separately specified in the Escort returns. i At the Waste Land Board meeting on Thursday last, Mr 11. IT. Leary applied, on behalf of Mr James Stuart, Bannockburn, for a coal lease of live acres, on the north side of the fvawarau, in Cromwell district. It was resolved, j t)iat on a survey being submitted, the applicaItion.would bo considered.

We huvo received a letter from J, Q, Garrick ton. The matters he comments upon ar« of no public interest, and the letter is full 0 | personalities. For these reasons wo must cleolioj to publish it. Mr E. T. George has been elected first Mayor of Naseby. The polling took place 0 j the I4th inst., and much amusement was create! Mr George polled 93, and his opponent, J], Busch, 51. The former was therefore declared elected, and was afterwards chaired. The Provincial Govennsnt have accepts] the offer of Messes Ndcoll and Co. to construct a bridge over the Molyneux at the Beaumont. An exchange says the Dr Cur who escaped from the Melbourne Lunatic Asylum, jj not Dr Carr of mesmeric celebrity. The Dunstan Times, is “anthoritively" informed there is no foundation for the rumom that his Honor Wilson Gray, Esq., Judge of th{ District Court, is to have twelve months’ leave of absence. Carl Whitting, the husband of the woman who drowned her two children in the Waikivi Creek, in December last, has been com. raitted to the Lunatic Asylum by the Invercat. gill Bench, as being “of unsound mind and hoinj. cidal tendencies.” The evidence showed that he was a man of perfectly ungovernable temper, Several times his children had been driven by his threats to pass the whole night in the open air, afraid to venture wLhin his reach ; and one wit. ness—Peter Myers, a labourer, —said he would not live alone with him for all New Zealand, On the conclusion of his son’s evidence, WhittiA was asked if he had any questions to put: whe.| (says the Southland Times) “ he broke out into an ungovernable paroxysm of rage, violently shaking his fist in the direction of the Bench, and denouncing his children, the police, aad the magistrate in a torrent of broken English expie. lives. As he could not be prevailed upon to be silent, he was forcibly removed by the police, and locked up.” One can hardly read this with, out a feeling of commiseration for his poor wife, who can hardly be wondered at for attempting, in the only way that sunned open to her, to dissolve a life-connection with such a man. New Zealand immigration arrangements seem to be in a disgraceful state of disorganise, don and neglect at Home, notwithstanding the fact that so many gentlemen have been sent pro. fessedly to look after them. The following are telegrams from Wellington which have appeared recently in Dunedin papers The report’ ol the Commissioners regarding the ship Forfar, shire, [which arrived in Wellington,] is to the effect that Shaw, Savil], and Co. have not com. plied with the conditions of their contract. The Captain admits that there was only two days’ water aboard on her arrival, although she made an average passage, and that the condensing apparatus was useless. Only one-fourth of the regulation quantity of soap was on board, preventing necessary cleanliness amongst, immigrants. Government have decided to take legal proceedings against the ship.”—“ A strong memorandum has been forwarded to the \gentGeneral, protesting against allowing private pas. sengers to come with Government immigrants, several cases having occurred in which the system has disturbed the discipline amongst the single females.”—ln Dunedin, also, a Commission has been sitting to inquire into the allegations made by the doctor of the Charlotte Gladstone, who ascribes the sickness of those on hoard to the bad selection of immigrants and want of proper inspection. The Tokomuiriro paper reports a singular accident which occurred at Bald nth a a few jdavs ago to a boy. the son of Mr James MelroW While playing in close proximity to a hf> ) which was hobbled, something frightened tbr animal and induced it to stirt in the direction oi the boy. who, taken by supriso and unable to get out of the way, found himself locked and carried between the horse’s forelegs. After being carried for about fifty yards, the little fellow either managed to extricate liiinso’f or was shaken oat as he was taken in. Although no bones were broken, the boy was severely ent and bruised, and has since required the careful attention ol a medical man. A letter from Captain Thompson, of Okavito, under date 26th February, has been received by the Harbor-master of Westland, in which it is stated that three men had just come in from the Glacier, where they had washed out in five weeks 38 ozs. of beautiful, large, scaly gold. There was also a party in from the Lake district, on the clay the letter was written, who spoke in very high terms of the ground throughout the district. Several men have gone from Okarito to the vicinity of the Glacier, to folio* up the discovery already made. The chief clerk in tho Warden’s Cowl l at the Thames has been arrested on a charge of j embezzling the sum of £4O. Mr E. B. Cargill, having occasion tojp to England, has therefore resigned his seat u the Provincial Council for Dunedin. Messrs H. S. Fish, C. S. Reeves, and E. Prosser (the latter at one time a member of tho Canterbury Council) j are in the field. j A Wellington telegram savs Mr Vogel ß | patent of Knighthood is expected by the S' lo2 j Mail. It is.rumoured in well-informed circle 3 j that he goes home, and that Mr Stafford will Atked to reconstruct the Ministry’.

At Oastlemaiue, a man named Wright has been hanged for an attempt to murder a man with a driving-pick. The Dunedin cricketers have resolved to send to England for a professional to “ coach 1 ' players,—“an efficient all-round player and competent teacher for the club. ” Levy and Chamberlain (says a telegram dated Hokitika, March 20,) were re-captured in a hut on Russell’s run, Hurunui Plains, on Monday by the police and the Commissioner. They were brought np to-day. Chamberlain was summarily sentenced to an additional year’s imprisonment under the Vagrant Act, and under the Prisoners Ordinance to be kept in irons during pleasure. There is a strong impression that the sentence is illegal. Great excitement prevailed in Court, and the Magistrate threatened to have Levy gagged. The prisoners demanded a committal for trial, but the Magistrate refused it. Levy was sentenced to 24 hours’ solitary confinement for contempt of Court. He will be brought up to-morrow on a charge of escaping from legal custody.