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Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 213, 9 December 1873, Page 4

The election of James Dawkins, Esq,, as Mayor of Cromwell, is notified in the New, Zealand Gazette of 11 tli November. ■ Contractors are remiricled that the tenders for about si-. miles of track making' at the Nevis, must be sent in before Saturday next. •The Quarterly Licensing Meeting, which was to have been held on December 2,/ lapsed for want of a quorum. Adam Spence and William O’Conpell were the only applicants for generallicenses. i Tenders arc called for cutting thetrack I to the. Cardrona, via the/Kirtleburp. The'particulars came too late to hand' to be 'inserted in our advertising columns.Particulars, however, can he obtained on inquiry at the Anjus Office. Mr 0. F„ Johnson was duly elected Auditor for the Corporation on Thursday last. There was only the 'one nomination. The citizens of Cromwell were represented on the important occasion by three individuals : the Mayor, the Town-clerk, and the reporter. The business of the R.M.’s Court was delayed last Thursday for about half an hour, in consequence of the non-attendance at the proper hour of several parties having 1 business- with the' Court. His Worship intimated that, in the.

event of a plaintiff being absent, he-would in. future dismiss the case at. once ; on a similar tiling happening with defendant, judgment would be given by default. Much surprise has been created in Cromwell at the publication, in the Dunstan Times, of the names of candidates for the office of surgeon to the Hospital, up to date. Applications are to be received up till the 6th of January. Is there any desire to handicap the applicants who may apply later than those advertised ? Should not applications be treated like tenders, etc. ... The sale of the Cromwell Jockey Club privileges for the races .attracted quite a crowd, to the Town-hall on Friday afternoon last. Mr Stanbrook officiated .as auctioneer in bis usual masterly manner. The grand stand and - booth realised the sum of £125, Mr R. E. Dagg being the purchaser. Mr Dagg also purchased the horse-paddock for the sum of £ll. Mr R. Moore bought the right to issue the race-cards at £6 T2s 6d. Last year the sums were respectively £lO4, £6 10s, and £4 Is. We have received a letter from Mr .0; O’Neill in answer to Mr Crombie’s letter of last week. We do. not insert it, because, as Mr O’Neill himself must perceive, the, report of the Bamibckhurn Miners’ Association furnished by the Secretary to that body, and published by usin our seventh page, is, or ought to be, quite a sufficient answer to Mr Crombie. If Mr O’Neill will recollect that the report which produced Mr Crombie’s letter was sent by the Secretary, (of Acting-Secretary), he will easily seethe propriety of our refusal. We cannot a (ford room for two replies to Mr Crombic’s letter. The Provincial Secretary and the Sec-

rotary for the Gold-fields, (Messrs Turnbull and Bastings.) are now on an official tour through the Province. They are expected to arrive ia | Cromwell on Saturday afternoon or evening. The Town Council will probably arrange the 1 time and place for meeting the gentlemen, so that any persons who may have grievances to redress will have an opportunity of bringing them forward. Mo one need hesitate about doing so on the score of delicacy, because an enquiry into public wants ia one of the objects of the official visit, and no one need be frightened to tire their patience out. Good, hard, steady work is the special forte of both the honourable gentlemen, though in a special degree of out worthy Gold-fields Secretary. • • •

We regret to hear ttiat Mr S. Champion, of Bannockburn,, met with ah accident last week, whereby his arm. was Broken, From the Mount Ida paper we observe that Constable Gray (now in Cromwell) gave his salary (£5) as Inspector of Nuisances while at Naseby as a donation to the local hospital. At the last meeting of the Waste Lands Board in Dunedin, the application of John Fleming to purchase fifty acres on Run 245 (near the Cromwell rape-course), was the only one in any way affecting our district. The application was approved; land to be sold at £1 per acre. Some insane individual spread a report through the town last week that Mr J. Perry, of Carrickton had been killed by a fall from his horse. It will perhaps be sufficient to say that the ideas of the insane person alluded to were somewhat confused by a severe conflict with John Stewart, Esq., in which the latter had considerably the best of it. The Government has' generously consented to give an additional £3O to prepare and excavate a more suitable site for the new school building. The Committee have consequently pegged out a site on the sidling in the present school reserve,! with the view of having the new building in an airier situation, and also of increasing the size of the playground. Notice is given in the last Provincial Gazette, under the ,hand of the Secretary for the Gold-fields, that ten acres more or less of an agricultural lease held by Timothy Cottar in the Cardrona,' district, Baa been cancelled. It is hardly necessary to add that this is the piece of lapd which for a long time proved so effectual in raising disputes' between Mr Cottar and the miners at Cardrona. ~ Th,e Riverton people have got a model Town-clerk. ~Afj;ei; complaining of the conduct of some grown-np larrikins, the local paper savs : —“ As our energetic' Town-clerk has signified his intention of in future personally undertaking the detection of those who disturb the peace of ‘ Our Sovereign Lady,the Queen, her Crown and dignity;’ gentlemen who go ‘rolling home’ at untimely hours had better be circumspect.” A- serioqs accident occurred on Friday last at Queenstown to Mr M'Douall, of the National Bank, Cardrona, who was on a visit at the time. It occurred through the horse starting suddenly while Mr M‘Don all was in the act of stepping out of the buggy, and his foot by some means caiight in the wheel, fracturing the small bone above the ancle. We understand .that he is in, a fair way of recovery, —Arrow Observer. On Friday last an attempt was made to Imuich one of the girders of the bridge across the Kawarau above thd Nevis Ferry. After it . bad been launched for some distance, however, it was found that one-of the moorings of the wire ropes was defective, and it was deemed prudent:, by Mr M'Cormick to draw the partly launched girder to its original position. The all round will be strengthened for another trial. Wo trust Mr M ‘Cormick will have more success. next time.. From Ardgqur Station- we hear that about 16,000 sheep have already been shorn. The, manager expects to put through about 50,000 altogether before the end of the season. Even then there will be a large number of sheep condemned to.wear their wool for another year, as tbe number of hands necessary to do the work will hardly be got. The rate of yvages is 20s per hundred.' Sixteen hands are’now employed. At Morven Hills station, there are twenty-two hands;on, and they have got through a correspondingly increased number of sheen. Between the two stations, if the hands could be got, it is estimated that 140,000 sheep altogether could be shorn. We arc in receipt of Mills, Dick, and Co. *s Almanack for 1874. The publication is well got up, and <m the whole, after a hasty glance at it, we -should say it is well worth the money charged for it.- The diary for each day in the month, which, follows the calendar, is a new feature, and one which will be appreciated by many. In some respects, however, the local information isCsbmewhat defective ; but this is a fault attributable to all publishers of almanacks. It is rather too bad-to find lists ot J.P.’s, &c,, &c., of two ,or three years ago still qyoted as correct. It is,' however, highly gratifying to us Cromwelliana t6 hear that, in consequence of an agitation for commonage, “ a large tract of land around Cromwell has been set apart for that purpose, much to the satisfaction of everybody.” Our gratification would have been complete if the boundaries of this large tract had been given. Was the information that Mr M. Fraer had resigned: his Mayorship while passing through the press meant for a joke? ; On Thursday evening last a Presbyterian congregational meeting was held in the schoolroom, for the purpose of expressing an opinion in the matter of erecting a Presbyterian Church. The attendance was not very numerous. The Rev. Mr Drake occupied the chair, and briefly explained the steps which had already been taken in the matter. He said- the present movement had originated in the offer made by Mr Marsh to give a section of land and a donation of ten pounds for the purpose. The Church Building Committee had accepted the generous offer to a certain extent, but before taking any steps of their own, had made a proposal to the Episcopalian Church vestry to unite in building a church which would Ire suitable for both denominations. When the proposal was made it happened that the chairman of the vestry (the Rev. Mr Jones) was in Dunedin at the meeting of the Synod, so it could not for the time he entertained, The committee then telegraphed the Rev. Mr Jones the. terms of the proposal, and the answer of that gentleman was understood to convey an intimation that the matter was, or would be, brought under the consideration of the Synod. As could be seen from the reports of the Synod's proceedings the matter had not come under its notice, and the proposal had lain in abeyance till Mr Jones’ return to Clyde. Then a, letter was received from him stating that the union business could not he entertained by the vestry. Several gentlemen present expressed their regret that a union could not be effected, but since such was the case would encourage the Church Committee to proceed with the necessary steps towards the erection of a church for themse,vcs. Xha meeting then broke up.

The Auckland cricketers met v/itli an enthusiastic reception on their return. They were played through the city by the. band, and have since been entertained at a public dinner. The Governor telegraphs that he will be in Dunedin by the 22nd. He is travelling overland from Canterbury. He expresses a desire that no extensive preparations will be made for him, and, particularly no procession. He will make Dunedin his head-quarters for a month. We learn that Mr D; Maitland, of Eweburn station, tried an experiment to produce fine early lambs by crossing 400. half-bred Cheviot ewes with Leicester rams. The increase was this season 110 per cent., and the lambs have proved heavy weights and of very superior quality.— Mount Ida Chronicle. Atradesman in Westport, (says the local paper) when called upon last week for a donation to. a projected Catholic Church bazaar gave a whole hatful of watches, which had “accumulated in his safe as unredeemed pledges for borrowed notes and unpaid accounts, the owners having died, skedaddled, or become hopelessly hard up.” A report on creditable authority has come to Westport from the Lyell of an exceedingly rich yield from the Break-o’-Day stone. It is said that at the bottom of the shoot down which the first of stone was sent for crushing, 58ozs of loose gold were picked up, and from the second lot 48ozs. The crushing is, expected to yield at the very least lOozs to the ton.— Grey River Argus. • In its report of the Clutha Agricultural and Pastoral Show, the Bruce Herald says “ We may mention that a noble looking Lincoln sheep belonging to Waitepeka Station, which gained first honours (a silver cup), was put on the scales after the show. It weighed 2861b5., stood 2ft. 9iin. high, length 3ft. Gin., fleece 191b5., of long lustre wool. A ewe of the same flock weighed 23Glbs., and her fleece ISlbs., while the fleece of a hogget which was shewn when a lamb last Christmas weighed 201bs, Speaking of the reduction in the price of gold, the Mount Ida. Chronicle says “The Miners’ Associations might very well concert, together and use their influence in the different districts to prevent any gold whatever being sold to the banks who choose to co-operate to fleece the miners. Communications might be sent by the Central Association direct to the Melbourne and Sydney mints, the managers of which, or either of them, would no doubt establish an agency to which all the gold could be sent, a fair price be realised, and a nice little game upset. ” The Northern Escort last week, in addition to the quantities already reported, was as follows : bz. dwts. Blacks - - ♦ • 1200 0 St. Rathans - - . 290 0 Naseby . • . 1797 9 Palmerston • - - 43 15 Macraes - '. . 130 3 Waikouaiti ... . 5 11 Add - - , • - 5880 8 Total - . . 9347 6 The Dnhbo Despatch says:— They tell us of a certain metropolitan worthy, with more money than brains, who had. for a wonder, the whole Bench to. himself one morning. Looking down the sheet, he said to the attendant trap, “Call Pvegina v. Jones.” The blue called the case three times, and a dapper, and evidently earnest little fellow came up to the table. “ Who are vou ?” said the J.P. “I am Jones, an’please vour worship.” “Where’s Regina?” said the Magistrate. The constable attempted to explain, but the magistrate cut him short by saying, “You called him three times, and he doesn’t appear. Jones, you a--e discharged.” They say the watchhouse sergeant carefully enters his cases now, “ The Queen against so and so.” The following is the conclusion of the report submitted to tbe Government by James P. Maitland, Esq. R.M., who was appointed a Commissioner under seal by the Governor to inquire into the truth of the charges against the head teacher of the Tokomairiro Government School, to the effect that he had beaten a Roman Catholic boy for refusing to attend at Bible reading and Protestant prayers, -notwithstanding tbe remonstrance of the assistant teacher:—“ln conclusion, 1 repeat that a careful consideration of all the available evidence on the subject shows that the allegation that the head teacher of the Tokomairiro Government school had beaten a Roman Catholic bov for refusing to attend at Bible reading and Protestant prayers, notwithstandingtheremonstranceof theassistant teacher, is entirely without foundation.”—Since the report was sent in, the teacher, Mr Ross, sent in his resignation to the Tokomairiro School Committee. He intends following some more satisfactory occupation than that of schoolmastering. Major Richardson has resigned his seat in the Provincial Council. The writ is returnable on January 10th. It is. expected that Mr Thomson will be elected. Mr Murray, M. FT.R. for Bruce, addressed his constituents on Friday night, and received a vote of confidence. —ln notifying the fact of his resignation tohisClntha constituents, Major Richardson says it is due to them to state that, so soon as he learned, on the meeting of the Council, that Mr Donald Reid had resolved not to accept office, should the principles of which he was chief exponent be supported by a majority of the Council, he felt that one of the chief objects of his becoming a member had ceased to exist. His desire to withdraw had since been strengthened by perceiving that the real work of legislation, especially as regards the disposal of the waste lands of the Crown and the settlement of the people thereon, and also, in great measure, tbe work of administration so far as public works in the Province and immigration under loans were concerned, have been assumed by the General Legislature and Central Executive, and are but slightly influenced, if at all, by Provincial Legislatures and Executive Governments. Therefore he feels that his services, of whatever value thev might have been, can now be of little avail, and these considerations leave no alternative but to restore to his constituents the power entrusted to him as their representative.

From the Canterbury Times' report of the sale of Mr Nosworthy’s racing stock, we take the following : —“ Traitor, a three-year-old, by Traducer out of Deception, followed, and Mr H, Prince opened fire with a bid 'of 150 guineas. Mr Nosworthy stepped forward and said that in order to save time he would inform those present that he had a reserve of 400 guineas upon this colt, and unless a bid was made above, that amount he would be passed in. He said the colt was the finest one in New Zealand, and could beat Lurline. After waiting a short time no bid was made in advance of the reserve, and the colt was accordingly passed in.” Should it be a fact that Traitor can beat Lurline, his chance for the Dunedin Cup ought to be a good one. He has' to carry only 6st. 101b., while Lurline is in at 9st. 91b, One of the most remarkable tips we ever heard of (says the Ballarat Star) was given on the 6th inst. by Mr Isaac Coleman, a wellknown book-maker in Melbourne, to an equally well-known surgeon living in Collins-street. While these gentlemen were coming to the Flemington course in the train, Coleman said, “ Now, doctor, I will give you the tip for today’s events. Lend me your p»cket-book and I will write them in. ” The doctor lent his pocketbook, and the six horses were written down. Our informant could only remember five of them, but the names were given to us on the course long before the races were run, and the whole of these five were the winners ! Surely this is a very remarkable “ tip,” especially in such open races as some of them were.