Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 17, 1873.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 188, 17 June 1873, Page 5

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 17, 1873.

The fire-bell rang out an alarm on Saturday afternoon, and a crowd collected almost instanter in front of Messrs Hallenstein's premises, whence a column of smoke was seen rising. Fortunately, however, it was only a chimney on fire, and the alarm soon subsided. We are informed that on Friday last, a very pleasant evening was spent by some thirty or forty persons, in response to an invitation sent ottt by Mr Spence, of the British Hotel and Store, Nevis. Several gentlemen from Cromwell were present. Dancing was kept up until three or four in the morning; and the spread provided by the hostess is described as unusually sumptuous. Taking advantage of Mr Bews being in the district during last week, the Mayor telegraphed to Mr Simpson, Provincial Engineer, stating the urgent necessity of making some improvements on the Carrick Range and Bannockburn road. We are glad to say the application has been successful. Three men were set to work yesterday, and two others will be put on when they can be obtained. Another meeting in connection with the movement for establishing a gymnasium in Cromwell was held last Tuesday evening, in the Town Hall. The names of several new members were added to the list. An honorary secretary and treasurer was appointed, pro tern. The meeting confirmed the action taken in regard to ordering the making of several articles of gymnastic material ; and decided also to conclude arrangenients for leasing a room for six months. The election of officers was held over until the gymnasium >had got into proper working order, when probably an addition to the number of members would take place. The Municipal Council held a meeting in the Town-hall on Thursday evening, at which the Mayor and Councillors Dawkins and Wright were present. The minutes of the previous meeting (held on Ist May) were read and confirmed ; and copies of outward correspondence read and approved. The Council resolved to call the attention of the Public Works Committee to the necessity of forming footpaths in Sligoand Enniscort streets, and of repairing the culvert in Melmore-terrace. The Mayor laid, on the table a.copy of the Municipal CorpoftitionS Waterworks Act, and read some of its clauses for the information of the Council. It was resolved to instruct the Town-clerk to communicate with the Government, requesting that the necessary.steps be taken to bring the Act into operation as regards the Municipality of. Cromwell. The Town-clerk having reported that a bill given bvMr G. Jenour (a firmer Town-clerk and Rate-collector) to the Corporation had not been met at maturity, it was decided toinform Mr Jenour that if the amount be not paid before next meeting of Council, proceedings will be taken to recover. With the customary compliment to the Mayor, the Council adjourned. Our Cardrona correspondent writes :—T was in hopes of being enabled to send you some good news from this locality, bnt I am sorry to say these hopes were blighted by the late flood, which did a great deal of damage to mining property. I do not know of a single party of miners, from the head of Cardrona to Branch Creek, who have not sustained more or less damage from this cause. In many cases it will take several weeks to get the claims again into i working order. At Branch Creek the effects of the flood were severely felt: one party, who were just about to wash up, had their paddock and tail-race comepletely filled with coarse gravel and stones. There is considerable agitation among the miners here with regard to the granting of agricultural leases, and all future applications are likely to be strongly opposed. This has arisen through the recent law-suit between Mr Timothy Cotter and the Banner of War Company; and the feeling is likely to continue until some alteration is made in the land laws. We are just now greatly in want of some Government money to make our roads and tracks good for the winter; and no doubt the candidates for Kawarau, on arrival here, will be made acquainted with our requirements in this and other respects. Cardrona has been very much neglected hitherto, and I trust the member about to ba elected will succeed in obtaining for us a greater share of attention for the future. The Rev. B. Drake held divine service here on Sunday last, and delivered a lecture on the following night—subject, " Mary, Queen of Scots." The lecture was well attended, and appeared to be much appreciated.—The same correspondent, in a letter dated 15th inst., says:—Mr Colclough addressed a meeting here last night (Saturday), and at the close received a unanimous vote of confidence. The Cardrona electors, as a body, seem to entertain a high opinion of Mr Coldough's fitness to represent them in the Council. He was long resident here, and rendered valuable service in the encouragement of mining enterprise in our midst. He possesses, moreover, a considerable share of ability ; and in fact I do not think a more suitable man to represent our interests could have come forward. I have reason to think Mr Colclough's candidature will he well supported on the Cardrona.

The estimated population of Victoria on March 31 was 774,710. An English cricketing eleven is expected to visit Australia next season. The Provincial Council has been convened by his Honor for the 30th instant. Sir David Monro has resigned his seat forWaikouaiti in the General Assembly, in consequence of serious illness in his family. A telegram in the papers brought by the Great Britain, states that the marriage of "the Duke of Edinburgh will not take place till next March, and that before it does the Queen wil 1 pay a visit to St. Petersburg. The famous Krohmann's claim in New South Wales continues to keep up its reputation. A late telegram from Sydnev states that 53 tons of stone from this claim yielded 5400 ounces of gold, or upwards of 100 ounces per ton. There are four entries from New Zealand for the Melbourne Cup of 1873, namely, Mr Hume's Castaway, 3yrs ; Mr Nosworthy's LurHne, 3yrs ; Mr Nosworthy's Calumny, 3yrs ; and Mr Ray's Tambourini, 4yrs. They are all Canterbury horses. By a proclamation gazetted On the 9th nit.,'lll Vaccination Districts were constituted under the provisions of the " Public Health Act, 1872." The same Gazette contains a notice appointing the Registrars of Births in the several districts to be Vaccination Inspectors under the said Act. Mr George Jenour is appointed Inspector for the Cromwell District. Sir James Fergusson did not come from Melbourne in the Albion, as expected. He is to arrive by the Claud Hamilton. There is to be a grand procession at Wellington, and a torchlight procession in the evening. The Catholics and the Freemasons are quarrelling in regard to the reception, the Catholics declining to take any part if the Freemasons appear in regalia. Mr Reeves, formerly well known as a mining engineer at Hokitika, and subsequently of Dunedin, has perfected a method for saving all the gold now lost under the ordinary crushing system, by the use of oxydrogen gas combined with platinum, by which the whole of the gold and other metals can be saved at a cost of a few shillings per ton. The method sounds rather problematical, but capitalists seem to think well of it, for we read that, at a meeting held in Greville's Rooms, Sydnev, it was resolved to place the invention before the public. . The respective debts of the Provinces, in the order of their amounts, are :—Otago, £1.332,425; Canterbury, £683.319; Auckland, £681,750; Wellington. £336,706; Westland, £207.343; Hawke's Bay, £133,343; Nelson, £81,372; Taranaki, £31,000; Marlborough, £13,527 ; total, £3.480,872. Counting three Natives as equal, in the average of tax-bearing powers, to one European, we may state the Provincial debts at per head of population, in round numbers :—Otago, £10; Canterbury, £l4; Wellington, £l2 10s.; Auckland, £9105.; Westland, £l3 10s.; Hawke's Bay, £ls 10s.; Nelson, £3 10s.; Taranaki, £6 ; Marlborough, £2 10s. A down-country exchange says damage was done to mining property at the Teviot by the late flood to the extent of several hundred pounds. The telegraph operator, although he had intelligence of the flood at the head of the river several hours before any indications of it were given at the Teviot, took no measures to inform the miners of its likelihood. The Superintendent has communicated with the General Government with the view of having it made a rule that in future approaching floods shall be telegraphed from one station to auother along the river bank, with the view of giving time for the miners and others to take precautionary measures to save themselves loss.