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Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 212, 2 December 1873, Page 4

The usual monthly meeting of the Cromwell Miners' Association will be held on Saturday evening first, at 7 p.m. Mr J. Mitchinson has, >ve are informed, sold his store at the Cardrona to Messrs M'Dougall and Smith, of that place and Arrowtown. We are informed that Mr John A Ives, of Dnnedin, is the successful tenderer for the Clyde Courthouse. The amount of the tender i 3 reported at £590. Yesterday was St. Andrew's day, and an authorised Government holiday. Truth compels us to add, however, that it was honoured in the breach, not in the observance. We beg to remind those interested of the sale on Friday, by Messrs Eatnes and Stanbrook, of the privileges in connection with tho ensuing race meeting. We would also remind the public generally, that they may expect a visit from the collectors for the Jockey Club at an early period. Through the courtesy of Inspector Moore, we are enabled to give the following statement of gold forwarded from Clyde to Dnnedin by Escort on Monday morning :-- ozs. dwt9. Queenstown 1300 14 Cardrona 822 15 Arrow 509 4 Cromwell 2021 14 Clyde 200 0 Alexandra 602 0 Teviot 364 1 Total £SSO 8

A cider and perry factory has been started in Walker-street, Dunedin. The painters and carpenters in Wellington inteud Bhortly to strike for 12s. a day. Mr T. B. Gillies, late Superintendent of Auckland, has gone back to his businesa as a barrister A correspondent of a Northern paper says the amount of money annuallv disbursed at the Bay of Islands by foreign whaleships is not less than £12,000. The Directors of the National Insurance Company intend to proceed against one of the Auckland journals for libel. The whole of the journals there have been very severe in their comments upon the action of the Directors in question. The number of nominations transmitted to the Agent-General from the -Immigration Office, Dunedin. by the mail on the 27th inst. amounted to 308 souls, the nationalities of those nominated being':—England, 145: Scotland, 68; Ireland, 73; Denmark, 14; and Prussia, 8. His Excellency the Governor is to stay in Christchurch until after the anniversary of the Province. December 16. Great preparations are being made in Christchurch for the celebration of that day. Public sports are to be held, and in the evening there will be a torchlight procession. An invitation ball which was to have been given last Friday at Cardrona bv Mr and Mrs Lafranchi, has been postponed until the sth of December. The necessity for this has arisen from the occurrence of a fatal accident to one of their children, which fell from a chair and was instantaneously killed. The collection made at the opening of the First Church in Dunedin (ninety-five pounds) was hardly worthy of that city, and of the importance of the occasion. If'the amount was realised from both morning and evening services, the average given by each person present would •only be about one shilling. The Mail throws out a suggestion to the Wakatip Hospital Committee to the effect that they should get a few of the leading principles and rules of the Institution written out in Chinese, and posted up in Chinese stores. This would .not only induce subscriptions, but would banish from the Chinese mind the prevalent belief that the Hospital is free. We are glad to hear that an effort will be made to establish a Cricket Club in Cromwell. We trust the effort will be successful, although we are not very sanguine on the subject when we recollect how all preceding movements in that direction gradually after°a week ■or two fell to the ground. The game of cricket is one, it appears to us, which requires steady application at regular intervals, not enthusiastic playing for a week or two. If a chib can be started, we hope it will be with a large number of subscribers, and that the amount of their subscriptions will be paid down at once as an earnest of their good faith in the matter. Failing the Cricket Club, would it not be well to promote some other regular means of healthy ■amusement, swimming, football-playing, 'or something of that kind ? We notice that prizes are offered for various swimming matches at Lawrence during the approaching Christmas holidays. What is to hinder us in getting up something of that kind here? There are numbers of young men, and old men too, about here who bear the reputation of being first-rate swimmers, and we certainly possess unequalled facilities for a display of the noble art. The Tuapelca Times has been uplifting its testimony on the subject of the style of dress proper to be worn at the ball on the occasion of the Governor's visit. It begs to state "that a black swallow-tail coat will be very desirable, but the committee will not refuse admission to gentlemen wearing coats of another «cut,' provided that(the colour is dark, and the appearance •dressy.'" Ladies "areexpected to dress in their very best."_ For the information of those who have been living for the last ten years or so in such an uncivilised place as Tuapeka, the Times might have reprinted the following well-known rules:—That "Coats should have nothing of the triangle about them : at the same time, wrinkles behind should be carefully avoided ; The collar is a very important point; it should be low behind, and slightly rolled ; —No license of fashion can allow a man of delicate taste to adopt the posterial luxuriance of a Hottentot;— There is safety in a swallow-tail ;—The good sense of a gentleman is nowhere more finely developed than in his rings ;—lt is permitted to mankind, under certain restrictions, to wear white waistcoats ; —The trowsers must be exceedingly tight acro.ss the hips." These rules would surely have satisfied any tender conscience on the subject. A correspondent of ours at the Bannockburn, speaking of matters affecting that district, finishes with the following general remarks, on the reduction in the price of gold. He says:—"There is another subject, Mr Editor, of much importance to the district, which it would be well to ventilate, viz., the combination carried out by the various Banks for the purpose of reducing the price of our gold. The Bank directors don't seem to be content with from 10 to 15 per cent, dividends, but they must rob us of the sixpence per ounce which our generous Government conceded, thereby reducing our gold actually to £3 14s. 6d. per ounce as compared with last year's price. For my part, I think the time has come when the Government should hyye an assay office in the Province, where miners would have a just and honest price for the gold they earn so hard ; and all the more so when a few of the mighty potentates of Mammon can, in the course of a friendly chat and with a shake of the hand, decide the fate of the gold market throughout our adopted land. A suggestion was brought forward at the last Mining Conference which, if carried out, might bring those gentlemen to a more liberal spirit. What reason they can advance as an excuse for the sudden change puzzles many. It cannot be the inferior quality of the gold, for any one who has read the debates on the Gold Duty last session can see for themselves that the present market price is unjust. I would suggest that miners in the district combine together, and sell their gold to the Bank that will give the highest price, and plcdge'themselves to support the same."

The Queenstown Cricket Club is shortly to be brought into active operation. The " Blue-eyed Maiden" is to he the title of the fourth part of " Wild Will Enderby," by Vincent Pyke. All the preliminaries have been made, we understand, for cutting the track to the Cardroua via the Kirtleburn. Mr William Grant's tender for the erection of the Bannockburn schoolmaster's residence was accepted on Friday evening Inst. The amount, we are told, was a little over"£l9o. There was only one tender lodged. Many people in this district will be sorry to hear that Mrs Barry, the wife of our old citizen, Mr W. J. Barry, now resident in Queenstown, i" so exceedingly ill that very little hope is entertained of her recovery. We have to acknowledge receipt of the first two numbers of the Western Star, a paper published in Biverton. This paper presents a very creditable anpearance indeed, and will prove an accession to the journalistic ranks. Contractors will observe that tenders are called in our to-day's issue for the erection of police-quarters and a lock-up at Cromwell. Tenders are to be lodged with Mr Bnrwell, of Queenstown, not later than Friday at 6 p. m. The Otago Antimony Company have got about seven tons of stuff lying nt the foot of Smith's gutty, ready for sending off by the first waggon which can conveniently be got. As before reported, it is intended to send it to London, via Port Chalmers. It will be seen bv our advertising columns that tenders are called for cutting a track from the Lower to the Upper Nevis. At the latter place, Mr J. O'Connell, lately of this place, has all bills completed a substantial and commodious hotel. From all accounts, it will supply a want which has for a long time been felt. A contemporary writes as follows on the subject of the habits of colonial young men : " We venture to say that if our young men would go in more for cricket'ng, athletic sports, gymnastics, and above all for swimming, and indulge less in drinking, billiard-plaving, and dissipation, they would be a liner set of men, and would go fresher to the counter and the office than they do at present." Our readers will notice that the prospectus of the Cardrona Valley Great Extended Pompanv Ins now been issued for some time. The claim of the company is the largest arrant for mininsr purposes on record, heinsr 103 : 2 : 21 acres. Should it prove remunerative ground, (ami many speak highly of the prospects of it.) the quantity should make it a desirable investment for intending shareholders. The lease of the ground is now in the possession of Mr Oolclough, and will be open for inspection for a few days. The Town Council, after two or three meetings on the subject, have agreed to adopt a code of bye-laws for the Municipality, which will be published in due time The present Councillors appear to have made up their minds to do a good deal of dry preliminary work which ouqht to have been done by their predecessors. When they have got that feat happily accomplished, however, we hope to see some practical effect given to their labours. The dust nuisance remains to be abated, and the water supply and other matters are all urgently requiring attention. The following is a copy of a letter received by the Secretary to the Cromwell Miners' Association, on the Commonage question : " Dunedin, November 27, 1573. Sir.— T have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, relative to the question of the Cromwell Commonage, and in reply to inform you that T)r Webster, the Secretary for Lands, opened up negociations with the pastoral tenants in your district, but up to the present time has not made any satisfactory arrangement. The Government has no power to compel the Crown tenants to alienate portions of their runs, and owing to the value of pastoral property they are not disposed to part with any land except at a very high figure.—l have, &c, Horace Hastings, Secretary for Works aud Gold-fields." The Guardian draws attention to an effort which is being made in Melbourne by gas consumers, to render themselves independent of the Gas Companv. It also says that Mr Duffy, of Melbourne, has purchased the patent of one of these portable gas-manufacturing apparatus, and has called for tenders there for the manufacture of 400 gas machines of various sizes. If these machines are so effective as represented, it is worthy the attention of enterprising individuals amongst ourselves whether the time has not arrived for the establishment of a similar manufacture. A larger sum of money is annually spent for kerosene and candles in townships like Cromwell and Clvde than most people would be inclined to believe if it were stated to them. Excellent sites in each of these places can be obtained quite close to the local coal-pits. The Subject is one which might very profitably engage a little of the attention of the local Councils, at any rate, if it only resulted in furnishing the public with more information on the subject. Captain Hutton, the Provincial Government Geologist, is at present making a flying survey of the Province, in order to gain a general idea of the nature of the country, preparatory to a tour which he intends to make next year, during which he will visit and examine the virions alluvial gold-fields districts in detail. He is now paying attention only to the quartz reefs and to the lignite deposits throughout the greater portion of the Province. Thursday last he principally spent in visiting the reefs at Bendigo,—the Lucknow, the Cromwell Company's, and the Reliance claims particularly. On Friday he visited the Star, the Oak, the Elizabeth, and the various claims on the Carrick. He also specially visited the coal mines in the Bannockburn district, and the coalpit at Cromwell. We shall await with much interest the report which Captain Hutton will doubtless publish of his present flying visit, although it will be nothing like ?"* important as the detailed report which he will be able to give us after his next year's visit. He is now en route, for Dunedin, via Clyde, St. Bathans, Nascby, and other places in that direction.

The Spring Meeting of the Dimedin Jockey Club was to take place yesterday. There has been sent to the exhibition shortly to be held at Hokitika, a fossil h"sh that was found at Green's Gully, Westlaud, 300 feet above the sea-level. One of the cases to come before the District Court, at Queens'own, is that of Barton »i. Grace, claim of £750, for commission, &c, for floating the Shofcover Company. Mr Redwood's string of race-horses were offered by public auction at Christchurch on the 20th ult. Malvina realised 250 guineas, being bought by Mr EL. Oram, of Canterbury. Paringa was sold for 100 guineas to JNlr L Walker," Canterbury. Papapa passed in at 075 guineas. Teranga passed in at iSO guineas. Kakapo passed in at 450 guineas. The Lake District Jockoy Club have issued the programme of their annual meeting which is to be held on January 15 and 16, 1874. Three Handicaps are to be run on the first day, one of 50 and two of .35 sovereigns each (one of the latter open to district horses only) ; and on the second day, a Derby of 40, a Hack Hurdle Race of 25 a Handicap of 80, and a Ladies' Purse of 25 sovereigns each, are on the programme. The total amount to be run for is £350. The following telegram, relating to the new Licensing Act, has been received by his Honor the Superintendent from the Colonial Secretary. It will probably ease the minds of those requiring to take out annual licenses : "The necessary steps are being taken to bring the Licensing Act of 1873 into operation, so that licenses may be issued in accordance with its provisions (see 13th and subsequent clauses) for the year commencing on the Ist July proximo. In the meantime, any license that expires before the 30th June proximo may be renewed under the local Ordinance, with the understanding that the licensees must take the necessary steps to obtain licenses under the new Act at the proper time in March next, and that a proportionate deduction from the fee for the new license will be made for the unexpired term of any license that may be required to be issued under existing circumstances." Our Dunedin telegram last week announced the death of a < hinaman from an overdose of opium. The Dunedin papers make mention of a rather curious circumstance in connection with his death. His countrymen made application to the authorities that "they might be permitted to keep the body seven days, believing that he might return to life. This practice of watching the bodies seven days in the case of persons killed by opium, they say, prevails in China. Permission was granted by the Dunedin authorities. Before the term expired, however, complaints were rife among the ne ; fh hours that the Celestial was rather "high" for their tas f e. Speaking of the proceedings at the funeral, the Guardian says :—"The whole thing bore the appearance of a farce, and should hardly be tolerated in the centre of a burying-grouud where Christians lie. Scrambling for sweets and dried fruits over the graves of our departed friends is not a kind of ceremony calculated to imbue the public mind with that reverence for our Christian graveyards that ought to prevail."