Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 24, 1873.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 189, 24 June 1873, Page 4

Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, June 24, 1873.

The handsome stone building recently erected by Mr Kidd next tiie Cromwell Hotel, together with the ground on which it stands, have been purchased by the Bank of New Zealand, through its local agent, Mr M'Owen. The premises are centrally situated, and are in other respects admirably adapted for banking purposes. It will be observed from an advertisement elsewhere that the new bridge over the Kawarau at Binnockhurn is to be thrown open for traffic next Monday. We believe that Mr Warden Simpson and several other gentlemen of note have expressed their intention to be present on the auspicious occasion; and there will no doubt be a large assemblage of the general public to witness the proceedings. Several shares in mining properties at Cardrona have changed hands during the past ten days. A fourth share in the Young Pirate, and an eighth in the Empire, (both deep-sinking claims) were sold for £IOO each. A share in the Great Extended (late Band of FTope) realised I £BO ; and a fourth interest in acresk claim about | two miles above the township was bought for £IOO. These figures tend to show that the famous golden "lead"—upon which all the claims mentioned are situate—continues to yield very handsome returns. Very little interest was taken by the Cardrona electors in the late contest for the Superintendency. The whole number of votes recorded was thirty-six ; and of these, twentysix were for Mr Cillies, eight for Mr Macandrew, and two were informal. Mr Gillie.3, during an official tour of the district some years ago, made numerous friends ; and this circumstance, coupled with the fact that Mr Macandrew had never once visited, the place, was sufficient—apart from any consideration of policy—to give the former the large majority polled in his favour. The whole of the men employed by the Heart of Oak and Star of the East Companies struck work yesterday morning, in consequence of having received notice of a reduction of wages. The Heart of Oak has been paying £3 125., and the Stai £3 10s., per week of 49.$ hours ; and the reduced rate now offered is £3 ss. for the same number of hours. Wages men working on the lower grounds —at the Bannockburn, for instance—are paid from £3 to £3 ss. for 41 hours' work ; and the reefers claim the right to resist any reduction on their former wages on the grounds that the climate of the Bange is more severe, the work more arduous, and the hours of labour longer, than they are in less elevated parts of the district. j

In the R.M.'s Court last Thursday, Onsbnvus Beattic, for being drunk and disordorly, was fined ss. ; and G. Birchall, for tlie same j offence, was lined 10s. M. Praor was charged by | the police with allowing a chimney to take live ; I but no breach of the law was clearly proved, and ■the case was dismiss :d.— In the Warden's Court the undermentioned applications were dealt with :— Extended Claim*: John Arkell, B. de Bettenoor, K. Luseombe, and \V. Perriam, one acre each in Hatter's Gully—granted. Tailrace and Tunnel: 0. Wilson and another, Adams's Gully—granted. Water Race: T. i>. Clyde, Nevis, was granted an extension. Protection: W. Taliioys and live others, quartz claim, Carr'.ck Range : objections by E. fJijjg and others, who also claimed the ground. Decision adjourned, to enable objectors to bring the dispute before the Warden in his judicial capacity. '

The General Government will commence a system of free immigration on and after Ist July. They have instructed Dr Featherston accordingly. Sir James Fergusson, Lady Fergussen two Masters and two Misses Fergusson, arrived At Wellington on the 14th inst. During the evening, the new Governor was sworn in by torchlight. A late cablegram dated London, July 5 says :—At Penang a Dutch frigate fired at three ships carrying English colours bound for Sumatra, The Sumatrans arc preparing for a prolonged resistance against the Dutch. Mr T. S. Pratt announces himself as a candidate for Waikouaiti, in the General Assem. bly, in the room of Sir D. Monro. Mr It. Stout has been requested to stand ; and possibly Mr GreGn, M.P.G. for Blueskin, will be also asked. Mr Turnbnll is desirous of resigning his post of Treasurer, and rumour points to Mr Fish as his intended successor. The Witness hoj.es, for the credit of the Province both at home and abroad, that rumour will turn out to be mistaken in this instance. The elections to take place, further than those noticed under the head of " Political News" m another column, are : Makarewa, yesterday ; Mount Benger, yesterday ; and Kaikorai, to-day. For Mount Benger, Messrs Ireland, Beighton, Nicholson, and Bradshaw have been nominated. Messrs Barr and Roberts are in the field for Kaikorai. It will be remembered that Mr Thornson was beaten for the Clutha district by Messrs Richardson and John M'Neil. Mr Thomson has given notice that he wi 1 dispute the validity of the election, on the ground that the Deputy Re. turning Officer struck the name of Mr D. Henderson (who resigned in favour of Major Richarl. son after the nomination) off the list of camlidates without being formally desired to do so and without giving public notice thereof. The Cardrona district affords a goo:l example of the advantages of large public co; inons. There the butchers raise their own sheep and cattle, and the residents are supplied wi hj meat at about one-half less than the prices rulitw in Cromwell and its immediate neighbourhood, Mutton can be bought by the carcase at from Bs. to 10s., and beef at from 3d. to 61 i»t pound. No part of the Province is be f ter| adapted for fattening live stock than the Cardrona depasturing district. At Cardrona, on Friday afternoon, tlie I arrival of a special courier from Cromwell, bringing with him the list of nomiuaiohs and the] voting papers for the district electitm, was toe c uise of some little excitement; for it was nt t'll then that Mr Pyke's intention to contest the seat became known. On Saturday, however, another came from Newcastle, arriving at Cardrona about one o'clock, wicli the intelligent that Mr Pyke had withdrawn his candidature and the field was thus left to Messrs Colcloagh aud MacKellar.

The wet weather which, prevailed in various parts of the Kawaran district on Saturday prevented a considerable number of electors from recording their votes. At Bannockburn, Nevis, Newcastle, and Cardrona, heavy rain fell during the afternoon, and had the effect of damp- ! ing political enthusiasm to a very appreciable ex- ■ tent. Only four votes were recorded at Newcastle, and although a conveyance was sent from that place to the Luggate, not a solitary miner could be induced to brave the discomforts of the journey. It is estimated that at least twenty votes were lost at (Jardrona from the same cause. Much dissatisfaction prevails among the residents of Cardrona with regard to the track lately formed over Mount Pisa to Cromwell They complain of the disc mrtesy shown tow? \\ them by the Mayor and Town Council, inasmuch 9 as no reply was ever received to the Improve- 9 ment Committee's letter on the subject, ami no I steps were taken to .ascertain the opinions of §§ those most interested- namely, the people ol H Cardrona—as to the most advantageous line if K route. There seems very good reason to believe M that a ranch better and easier track could to 9 made by the Roaring Meg or Gen le Annie, f<*H in the course of a week's stay at Cardrona«'«■ met with only one gentleman who entertained B the contrary opinion. The District Engineer is K | in no way responsible for any blunder that maj'Bj have been committed : his instructions, we h-m lieve, were to act according to the directions of ■ the Town Council (or rather of the Mayor, furß the Council never interfered in the matter atfl all); and we know that Mr Bews was very care- ■ ful not to expend a sixpence more than wasaliso-M lutely necessary to form the existing track. TmBJ Mayor deputed Councillor Marsh to decile uponß the line of route, and Councillor Marsh, havinM an eve to business, naturally chose the line nvstjj likely to bring travellers direct to Cromwell. ■ Councillor Marsh did not trouble himself tjlf examine the route by the It oaring Meg, 1 )C1P ?B quite satisfied that the other would be moreai-M vantageous—not to the people of Cardrona, "»jB to some of the people of Cromwell. The Mayjß and Councillor Marsh are clearly to blame foHj having acted in the matter against the wishes ogl ; nineteen-twentieths r)f the Cardrona rcsUentsjK The Cardrona Miners' Association are about jK petition the Superintendent to place a sunt "Mt the Estimates for a track via the Roaring Mojw: or Gentle Annie. K

The West Coast Times records a some, what remarkable case of sudden death which occurred a few days ago at Woodstock. The report brought in states that the deceased, who was named Thomas Edmond Hughes, had been chopping some wood, and was observed by a miner named James Irwin to bo leaning against the garden fence. Irwin went on, and finding on returning that Hughes was still in tho same position, oalled to him, exclaiming, " You are taking a long look at your cabbages !" Getting no answer, Irwin went over to deceased and found that his head was between tw> palings of the fence. On lifting up the head deceased fell down, and then Irwin perceived that he was dead, of which he was unaware previously. "Go from home to hear news." Says the Cromwell correspondent of the Wakatip Mail: —" Mr Fraer, our Mayor, was solicited to stand for the Kawarau district, and he would have very likely been elected, but he stated in an addr?B3 to the electors that he was unable to spare the time necessary for so important an honour." Who can this correspondent be, that is so well-informed in matters political ? Perhaps he will inform the Mail by whom or how many "Mr Fraer, our Mayor," was solicited, and thereby earn the shilling reward the bellman promised when he paraded our streets crying, " Who struck Buckley, and asked him to stand for the Provincial Council ?" In matters municipal, also, this correspondent possesses no less knowledge, for he has it that "rumour says there are to be several candidates for the Mayoralty, but the present holder of the office will probably have the best chance, should he offer himself for re-election." "Rumour says" that, than this correspondent, there is no one more likely to know the intentions of the present holder of the office. On Tuesday" evening last, Mr Glenn's youngest boy, only nine months old, accidentally swallowed a big glass marble—at least, the marble was firmly fixed in the pharynx. The child was taken over to Dr Dick's, and was apparently lifeless. The doctor made many unsuccessful efforts to dislodge the marble, but, owing to it being so firmly and deeply lodged, for sometime his efforts were fruit'ess. At last, after great i perseverance, he succeeded in getting an instrument behind th; obstruction and thus removing it. About ten minutes must have passed during which life appeired to be extinct, and the lower extremities chilling. Those present were anxious that the child should be let alone, but Dr Dick was not to be beat ; with great perseverance and lvbour, artificial respiration being kept up, there was a slight natural response—the faintest pos- ', sible breathing at intervals of fully sixty seconds, which gradually was coaxed into stronger and well-regulated breathings of the natur.d state. Beyond irritation of the throat, there is nothing to keep b ick the little man, restored, as it were, from the very jaws of death, by a combination of skill, courage, and perseverance rarely equalled. — Mount Ida Chronicle. The particulars of a domestic romance, the princip.il persons concerned in which were for a long time residents in Melbourne, have bien recently communicated to an English paper. About twenty-two years ago a young man arrived in Melbourne, accompanied by a lady. Taeylivel together as man and wife, and several times visited England in company, and returned t > the Colony. The gentle nan eventually established himself in Melbourne as a notary, and was much respected. In 1883 he and his companion were married in Richmond Church, and they finally returned to England in 18G8. The lady then discovered that she had unwittingly committed bigamy, as at the time of the Richmond marriage her first husband was alive. It seems that she was a married woman when she accompanied the gentleman who figured as the Colonial bridegroom to Victoria, and that the second marriage took place ia consequence of an obituary notice which appeared in the London papers, in which the christian and surname were those of the lady's first husband. When she and number two arrived in England, they ascertained that the indivi lual whose death had been announce 1 was the father of the first husband. The lady subsequently quitted the notary, and ii now once more living in single blessedness. Both parties were well known in Melbourne. A good deal of merriment was recently caused in the Nelson Provincial-Council by a motion of Mr O'Connor to the effect that a sum of £IOO should be placed on the Supplementary I Estimates, for the purchase of 10.) acres of land as an endowment to Miss Rose Williams. The reason assigned for this unusual gift was that Miss Rose was fortunate enough to have been the first chill born of European parents in the Inangahua district. Mr Ivors supported the motion, on the ground, among others, that the v <Hing lady's father had done good service to the country. A sceptical member interrogated, "In what way?" to which Mr Ivers replied that Mr Williams had rendered a public service by keeping a store in Ihe early days of the goldfields, and bv supplying the necessaries of life. Mr Reid took another view of the matter, and declared pat "he would prefer to see a bonus of this pud given to those who went abroad prospecting m country, and not to a man who remained at pome fossicking," which declaration sent the Nincil into fits of laughter, though we don't R>w why. Mr Guirness followed with the Patement that " a similar proposition had once f. en laill the Westland County Council, pea it was argue 1 with some force that a grant

might just as well be made to the first cow that 'produced a calf in the district. The question was certainly open to discussion whether money should not be spent upon reproductive works, and possibly at some future date the subject of the resolution before them might prove reproductive." The result of all this badinage was the withdrawal of the motion.