Untitled

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 221, 3 February 1874, Page 5

The Warden’s Court will be held tomorrow (Wednesday), instead of on Friday. Two or three very interesting cases come on for hearing, we believe. We regret to hear that Mr Eastwood, the enterprising agent for Bachelder’s Company, met with an accident on his road to the Teviot, whereby his leg was broken. We have not heard the particulars. We regret to hear that Mr James Scott, baker, of this town, incurred a serious loss yesterday evening. By some means or other, the stubble in his paddock caught fire, and spread till it caught the stack of oats which was situated in one comer. The stack was totally destroyed. The loss will be something like £9O or £IOO. A very distinct shock of earthquake was felt in Cromwell on Sunday evening last. It lasted from about emht to ten seconds, although the trembling and vibration which followed did not cease for fully half a minute. The direction of the shock was, as near as we could judge, from north-west to south-east. The time when it occurred was 6.37 p. m. We have not received the usual returns of gold which went by escort from Clyde yesterday morning. We have been given to understand, however, that the return from Cromwell is about 980 ounces, and from Queenstown, Cardrona, and Arrow combined, something over 2000 ounces. The escort from Cardrona is this time particularly good, we believe. Our sporting friends are reminded that the Dunstan Jockey Club annual race meeting takes place on Thursday and Friday next. The privileges in connection with it were sold last week, fetching the following prices:—Grand Stand, £7B ; fcorse-paddock, £3 5s ; sole right to sell fruit, £5 ; Cards. £5. Total, £9l oa. Mr Hawthorne is the purchaser of the Stand. Ou the 22ad instant the thermometer at Christchurch registered 115 degrees in the sun, and 94 degrees in the shade. On Wednesday last, in Cromwell, it was at one time 102 in the shade. In the sun (with the thermometer hanging on an iron wall, however,) it ranged bezen might make an attempt to register the real degree of heat with some certainty. A remarkable case came before the

Supreme Court on Wednesday last. In November last a member of a Chinese firm in Dunedin. Mow Tie, died.. Ah Hung, storekeeper at the Bannockburn, claiming to be deceased’s brother, obtained letters of administration, whereupon he applied to the firm for an account of partnership transactions, and the delivery to himself of Mow Tie’s assets; The firm replied that Ah Hung was not Tie’s brother. A rule nisi to show cause why letters of administration should not he withheld until a jury determine the question of relationship was granted.

Our readers will recollect the letter published in our last week’s issue, in reference to Mr Sbinhrook’s license as an auctioneer, the original of which was sent to the Superintendent by Messrs Fache and Chappie. The somewhat “ shabby” question cropped up at the hist meeting of the Clyde Town Council, when the Town Clerk saiil : —“No reply had yet been received to his letter to the Government, drawing attention to the fact of this Council being, as it were, defrauded of the sum of £SO, (Mr Stanbrook’s license,) through his misstating his place of residence.” After a considerable discussion, it was resolved, “ That, unless a favourable reply be received from the Government, this Council appoint a solicitor to test the question.” If the Clyde Town Councillors would only speak their feelings, and ask for the’ amount in forma pa uperis, we should strongly urge the Cromwell Council to refund the money.

Yesterday evening was enlivened by the performance of Bachelder’s Colossean Pantascope and Mammoth Combination Company. There was a very large attendance, and we are justified, from the expressions made on every side by those present, in saying that it was the most enjoyable entertainment we have been favoured with for a long time. The scenes were mostly American, representing, in fact, the most striking natural pictures of that great country, the United States, from New York on the east to San Franon the west, on the route followed by the Pacific Pailway. The interest with which the various features, were viewed was not lessened whilst listening to the able and humourous descriptions given by Mr Bent. The various Niagara views were a great source of attraction and wonderment to many present. After about half the pictures had been disclosed, an interval took place, on the conclusion of which Mr Bent appeared in two character songs, in the first of which, “The Leader of that leetle German Band, ” he was exceedingly good, and called forth a unanimous am’ well-'deserved encore. Mr Illingworth’s “ Auld Robin Gray,”—a solo on the trombone, —was also well received. Then followed the scenes on the road to California, and from thence to New Zealand and Australia. On the whole, we must say that no company for a long time has given greater and more unanimous satisfaction than the one of which we are now speaking They appear to-night again for the .ast time, —then thev proceed to Clvde. At the conclusion of to-night s performance, there will be a ball, when the orchestra will provide the music. / ’' •’ •’

The Sim Francisco mail will leave Dunedin on or about the 6bh instant.

On Wednesday lust the Judges granted a rule prohibiting the purchasers of the Surat from disposing of the passengers’ luggage. A voraan stated at the Thames Police Court recently that her husband, during their married life* had given her 107 black eyes. The carpenter work of the Beaumont bridge has been commenced. All the piers are completed. The contractor expects to complete the job in six months’ time. —TuaptJca Times.

As an instance of the scarcity of labour in other Provinces, we mav mention that Mr Brogden’s manager went on board the Alhambra at Wellington, and offered to engage 100 of the Chinese at 7s. per day. The offer was refused. An awkward auctioneer at Hokitika the other day, when “knocking down” a lot struck a I bystander a severe blow on the head with the whip he used as a hammer. The report does not say whether the bystander was knocked down with the lot. The Havelock school committee are advertising for a schoolmaster and schoolmistress for the Havelock school, at a salary, conjointly, of £l5O per annum, with house and ground. We sincerely trust they will be successful in getting a master and mistress worth ihe money—and not a shilling more. A young lady Templar writes to the Tuapeka paper deploring the inability of the sisterhood—especially the married portion—to keep secrets. She plaintively says :—“ Any pledge of secresy administered to them is a melancholy farce. This is a fact—not a mere opinion. Almost every transaction of recent lodge meetings is known in Tuapeka, and women have been the tell-tales.” The late Government sales of township sections in the Clyde district realised as follows :-r-Crbmwell, 65 sections, £249 ; Etfcrick (Bengerburn). 18 sections, £95 ss. For allotmen f s in Clyde, Alexandra, Bendigo, Newcastle, Gladstone, ano Pembroke, no bids could be obtained.'’ Ihe Dunstan 'Times will perhaps be good enough to explain the reason why the metropolitan city did not shape better on the occasion : it was very successfu , as may be remembered, in explaining the reason why Cromwell had such a decent Christmas escort, and why Clyde had such a small one. The Melbourne correspondent of the Times says : —Mr Clarke answered the description given of himself hv one of our wealthy lower orders—he was “ disgustingly rich. ” 1 remember the action brought several years ago by Mr Clarke against somebody who had agreed to borrow £50,000 from him, and afterwards refused to do so. Fancy taking proceedings against your friends to make them borrow money from you ! But his case was, that instead of having the money placed on mortgage at 8 per cent., he was obliged to leave it in a bank, where he only got Unhappy, i-llused-inau ! , English telegram published in the. B'ail!/ 'Times 'says “ Import mt gold discoveries have taken place in Natal, where nine hundred diggers are working. Access to the field from the, coast is very difficult.” The following paragraph, which we take from the City article of the London Times of November 20th, probably relates to the same gold-field “ The advices from the Cape of Good Hope state that the gold ; discoveries reported by the previous mail, are at a locality about 500 or 600 miles north of the diamond fields, whence they can be reached in about seven or eight days. .A t present there seems to be no information sufficient to attract many explorers, but the fact of two nuggets having been found, one weighing 164 ounces, and the other nearly 23 ounces, has led to the inference that the district may be rich.” From the Dunstan Times we extract the , judgment given in the case instituted against Mr . T. Stanbrook, for soiling Calcutta sweeps after the usual hours permitted by the Auctioneers

; Ordinance:—“ After remarking on the loose . way the case had been conducted for the prosei cution, the Bench said the omission to prove that Stan brook was a Licensed Auctioneer must Vie fatal to the case, but the Bench were of opinion the case must fail on its merits. An Auction, which was of Homan origin, looking at its hi tory and derivation, in the opinion of the i Bench must be public, and in terms of the Ordinance under which the Incense is issued it must he so, while the so-called information was i wor, being confined to subscribers. But what is it that is said to have been sold at this Auction ? | A chance/—-but none of the terms used in the interpretation clause of the Ordinance will embrace such a word. In fact it represents nothing the law can recognise or enforce. But further, what is a Calcutta sweep? Nothing, in the opinion of the Bench, hut a ‘ Lottery,’ and therefore illegal ah initio. Ex nihil nihil ? The therefore, cannot lend itself to an illegality, and must therefore dismiss the information.” An extraordinary meeting of the Garrick

Range Water Company took place on Wednesday evening. The number of shares represented, personally and by proxy, only amounted to about 900, and as this was not a quorum the meeting was adjourned till the 11th of February. Before the meeting did adjourn, however, a long discussion took place in reference to the affairs of the corap my, and more especially as to the state of the race itself. Considerable misapprehension existed in the minds of a good many who were present as to the progress which had been made with the works, and also as to the manner in which the work had been done. The shareholders from St. Bathans, (Messrs Pyle, Burton, Tiernay, and Smith.) resolved at last to go up the range on the following day and see the work for themselves. The next day they did go, we understand, and these gentlemen are so satisfied with the work, that they expressed themselves quite willing to take 700 or 800 ad- j ditional shares, if arrangements can he made for an additional number being taken up by the ether shareholders. They further give 'it as their opinion that if the public can be induced to take up a respee’ahle number of shares, the Government loan of £4OOO should be entirely dispensed with.—At the anjourned meeting on the 11th, it is desirable that every shareholder '■should bp.jv.ssnt, either personally ot by proxy.

At tlifl Burns’ anniversary celebration in Dunedin last week, in proposing the toast of tho “ Agricultural, Commercial, Pastoral, and Minins' Interests in Otago,” Mr Pyke said, amongst other things :—" Before sitting down he wished to say one word to those gent'emen who represented the commercial interest.’ It seemed to him thev tarried too much in their affairs, and therefore knew little or nothing of Otago beyond Dunedin and its suburbs. If they would travel a little into the country they would benefit not only themselves hut probably also the industrial bees who brought all the honey to the Dunedin hive. With reference to the pastoral interest, he might sav 7 that he had a great respect for the squatters. It was very kind of them to come out hero and take up large tracts of land and grow wool for ua. W hen the people to tread on their heels they would no doubt sav that they were the pioneers, but the pioneers of the country, ns well as the pioneers of an army, should not block the way, but march on ahead. —(Applause.)” A contributor to the Timaru H<rald, describing a journey through the Otago goldfields, says:—“ The first stage out of Queenstown takes one to Arrowtown, a queer looking little place, packed away under a terrace of. the Arrow river. The town possesses one narrow street, a newspaper office, the business of which,

report says, in times of scarce labour, is carried on by one man, who is editor, reporter, compositor, pressman, and the devil. Arrowtown, I believe, owns a Mayor. Talking of Mayors ; • reminds me of a capital story. In a certain town in Otago (it was not Arrowtown, I emphatically declare) its Mayor was elected for the oddest reason possible to conceive.. It appears that this town had amongst its inhabitants an individual worthy in most respects, but unhappily muchly given, to liquor ; not to put too fine a point on it, he was cons antly drunk. His friends had, done all in their power to draw him from the thraldom of the brandy bottle, hut ’twas of no avail, for the fellow 7 would get drunk in spite of them all. At last the Mayoralty was vacant, and here was al chance to reform the drunkard. M .ke him Mayor, cried his friends ; and, strange to say, Mayor he w 7 as. The result is not known.”