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Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 262, 6 October 1874, Page 5

The meeting of the Fire Brigade which was to be held last Wednesday evening was postponed for a week. We publish this week a list of the subscriptions received up to date by the Secretary to the local Hospital. The Council meeting which was to have taken place last Friday night fell through, we understand, for want of a quorum. Last night, we understand, a similar occurrence took place. We believe the Council will endeavour to meet again to-night,—with a quorum, we hope. Why don’t the citizens show some interest in the proceedings by their attendance ? The Arrow Observer supports the position taken up by this paper re the sale of the present so-called Wakatip commonage. The Mail apparently declines to proceed further with the discussion of the question, being in favour rather of allowing it to be taken up by the residents themselves by a memorial to his Honor, or in some such way. A number of men, we believe, are to be shortly put on hy the District Engineer to make the road between Luggate and the Cardrona. Before doing so, they will probably be employed for a short tune repairing the road from slbertown to Pembroke, which is at present in a bad state. We are informed that a disgraceful disturbance took place on Sunday evening, apparently near Mr Dagg’s hotel, or between it and the new Atheneeum in Sligo-street, just about the time when people were going to church. The fighting and swearing and howling lasted for some considerable time. No policeman of course made bis appearance ; the police never do when anything serious is on. We have not heard who the authors of the row were, or we would gladly publish their names. It is generally reported that Mr Hazlett intends to withdraw his support to the local race meetings so far as running horses are concerned. A good many miners from the Lake and Mount Ida districts, who have determined to give the Palmer River diggings a trial, were passengers by the Tararua last trip. By the courtesy of Inspector Moore, we are enabled to give the following statement of gold forwarded by Escort from Clyde to Dunedin yesterday ; ozs, dwts. Queenstown - - - 1226 19 Arrow .... 600 0 Cromwell .... 2944 13 Clyde - - - - 250 0 Alexandra - . 555 0 Teviot - • - - 600 0 Total ..... 6176 12 The Star of the East will resume crushing to-day, the Star and Oak battery having had to stand idle this week past waiting for new 'cams from Dunedin. The manager in the claim has not broken through yet from the shaft, but hopes to co so this week, when he will be able not only to get stone faster but to secure plenty of ventilation. During the week since our last issue, Dr Carr gave two entertainments in Cromwell, and one at Bannockburn. The one in Cromwell on Wednesday evening was highly successful, but that at Bannockburn the following evening was not so as regarded attendance, the stormy weather preventing persons coming from any distance. The Doctor’s second entertainment in Cromwell was in the old schoolhouse on the race night, but the counter-attraction of the Bazaar militated against any great attendance. The Garrick W uter Company held a meeting on Tuesday for the purpose of appointing a working manager for the race. There were seventeen applications, and the Directors had some difficulty in choosing from among the applicants, supported as many were by such good testimonials. The final choice lay between Mr R. Varcne, of St. Bathans. and Mr W. Griffiths, of the Garrick ; and it was only by the casting vote of the chairmain that the former was appointed. Mr Varcne has been for some years connected wifh the Scandinavian Water llace, St. Bathans, and it was the very strong recommendations from the shareholders there that induced the chairman to give the casting vote in his favour.—The commencement of the work was put off for a week or two,' until the snow melts sufficiently along the course of the race.

It will be noticed by advertisement that Mr Longhnan is bruuring an entire horse into the district, 1o stand during the coming season. Architect is, we believe, a Tasmanian horse, and a highly bred animal. Owners of mares may therefore welcome his arrival. '

From our Dunedin exchanges, we notice that the bad weather which prevailed in OUgo at the beginning of last week, was universal all over the Colony. We understand that Messrs Heron and Drummy’s tender for the erection of the Police Camp stables has been accepted. The amount, we have been informed, is £OOO. The Council Ought to go in for having the lock-up declared a gaol. Of course only one or two (quite enough too) prisoners could be aceoriimodated, but their labour could thus, and thus only, be utilised to the town. We have been requested by the Secretary to render thanks, on behalf of the Church of England Committee, to Mesdames Wright and Kidd for the exertions used by them in collecting for the Bazaar ; to those ladies and gentlemen who kindly gave their assistance in carrying it to so successful an issue ; and to the public who so generously patronised it. The North Cross Eeef Company, Pleasant Creek, has declared its sixtieth dividend of 30s. per 10,000 th share, or £15,000 for the last five weeks’ work. A crushing cleaned up on Wednesday gave the following yield 4,4360zs 12dwts of gold, from 1.960 tons of quartz, or an average of sozs 12dwts 12grs per ton. In addition to this splendid return, the Pleasant Creek News states there were some small trifles in the shape of thousands of pounds worth of gold crushed from what is called the track of a reef, which is entirely supplementary to the main lode. A meeting of the shearers of Hampden and Moeraki was held in the house of Mr Thos. Hastie, at Hampden, on the evening of the 21st ultimo, for the purpose of fixing the price of shearing during the ensuing season. It was proposed and seconded, and carried unanimously, that the rate of shearing should bo £1 per hundred for ordinary sheep, and £2 per hundred for rams ; stud and paddock-fed sheep to be as per agreement. It was also agreed that the shearers of Moeraki district co-operate with the shearers in the other districts in the Otago Province to form a Shearers’ Union. Also, that not more than one learner be allowed on the shearing board to every ten shearers, and that the learner pay £1 into the Shearers’ Union fund. Other minor matters were discussed, and the meeting adjourned. The Heart of Oak Company have applied for a lease of sixteen acres, and are at present cutting. the entrance to the tunnel for which tenders are called. An extraordinary meeting of shareholders was called last week, for the purpose of considering the advisability of selling the Oak’s portion of the Star and Oak battery to the Star Company, as it will be some months before the deep tunnel can be got in ; but as a sufficient number of shareholders could not be got together to legalise the proceedings, the meeting w’as adjourned to Dunedin, and proxies sent to represent the shareholders here. Until an answer is received, no further action can bo taken in the matter. The Bruce Herald of a recent date contained a letter from the Dev. Mr Bannerman, pointing out the incorrectness of the statement made by us a few weeks ago regarding the number of Chinese converts baptized in Otago. Unfortunately we have mislaid the issue of the Herald in which the rev. gentleman wrote, and we therefore can only write from remembrance of what he said. The paragraph from the Argus, respecting the baptism of Ma Hoey by the Rev. Mr Drake, in which we stated that a similar ceremony had been only once previously performed in Otago,-r-by the Rev. Dr Copland, at Lawrence,—had been copied into the Herald, and there met the eye of Mr Bannerman. According to that gentleman, the foregoing statement was not the fact, —several Chinese having since been baptised at Lawrence, being converted through the labours of Mr Paul Ah Chin, the Chinese missionary. If we remember rightly, Mr Bannerman mentioned other instances ; so that it will be seen we were wrong, and we are now glad to be able to convey this information to our readers. A Lodge of the 1.0. G.T. was instituted at Bannockburn on Wednesday last by Brother A. Peach, D. D.P.G.W.C.T., assisted by several members of the Cromwell Lodge. The following persons were elected to office : W.C.T., Brother William Watson; W.V.T., Brother J. Bruce ; W.C., Brother David Cockburn ; W.S., Brother Robert Campbell ; W. F. S., Brother G. Cockburn; W.T., Brother W. G. Whetter; W.M., Brother Robert Maxwell; W.1.G., Brother Andrew Whitfield ; W. 0.5., Brother John Cockburn; L. H.S., Brother John Salton ; D.H.SI, Brother George Gilford ; W. A.S., Brother William Linwood. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks was given to the instituting officer, who replied in suitable terms, and also thanked the members of the Cromwell Lodge for their kind assistance on that occasion. It was decided to call it the Robert Bruce Lodge, No. 75 (pro tern.).