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Dunstan Times, Issue 359, 12 March 1869, Page 2

The Escort on Monday last took down the following quantities of gold:— Lakes District. Queenstown 7350z. Bdwt. Arrowtown.. 7380z Odwt Dunstan District. Clyde 2020z Odwt. Cromwell 5040z. Odwt. Alexandra 4500z. 14dwt. Mount Ida District. Mount Ida' 5440z. Odwt Dunstan Creek 4470z. sdwt.

Total ... 3,62 loz. 7dwt. We perceive by the Daily Times telegrams from Wellington, that Mr George Fache,Clyde, has been appointed (under the Mining Companies’ Act) Official Agent forthe Otago Goldfields, vice Mr. 11, J. Cope, resigned. The following are the results of the Oamaru Daces. First day.—Maiden Plate.—Maid of the Mill first, Gaiety second, Fiery Cross third. Town Plate —Miss King first, Grey Camden second- Innkeepers’ Purse - Little Nell first, True Bill second. Only two started. Ladies’ Purse.—Centurion first, Grey Cam! m second. Second day.—Hurdle Race.—Mr. Martelli’s Centurion first, Fiery Cross second Oamaru. Jockey Club Handicap.— Miss King first. Selling Dace.— Purgundy first’ Maid of the Mill second, Kuri By third. With much regret we have *o an nounce the death of the e tire horse “Ugly Buck” belonging to Mr. James Mo aghan, the well known trainer. After serving the season in the Dunst.in district, it was the intention of his owner that he should bo paddocked for the winter at Waikouaiti, where he was removed. • On the first night of his being-placed there, he attempted to leap the paddock fence, and .Was feund the next morning staked.

On Monday last the Bth inst. an inquest Was held at Kidd’s CiomWell Hotel, 'Cromwell, by the District Coroner, V. Pyko, Esq on the body of George Humphreys, a news vendor and reporter, who was found dead on Saturday morning 6th inst. in a race at the Twenty mile Creek (twenty miles front Cromwell. W. M. Griffiths sworn, deposed.— lam a miner residing at Poison Creek ; on Wed nesday, 3rd inst. deceased called at my house, and borrowed a horse to take him to Cardrona, I saw him again on the evening of Friday, the sth, sitting by a water race, holding the bridle of the horse in his hand, I perceived he was drunk, upon receiving no reply to questions I put to him, I took the horse away, leaving deceased where I found him. By the Coroner, —I did not think I was doing wrong in leaving him 'there I told my mates where I had left him. On the following morning, C. Binge, rny mate, told me Humphreys was drowned, in the race, in company with two others and Binge, I proceeded to the race and assisted in lifting the body out, it was lying on its face immersed. C. Binge sworn deposed, I am mate of the last witness. On Saturday morning the water in the race being short, I went t<> ascertain the cause. Upon proceeding a certain distance, I saw a man laying in the race. I did not go within twenty feet of it but returned and told my mates. In company with with them and another man, I went to the body and assisted in taking it out of the face, I recognised it as being that of G Humphreys, I proceeded to Cromwell and gave information to the police who hud the body removed to where it is now lying. J. Corse. 3M. 1)., sworn deposed, That death was caused by asphyxia through drosvning The Jury after considering for a short time returned a verdict in accOr 1 ance with the medical testimony “Found d.owned”.

The high rate of wages in the colony forms the subject of a sensible letter in the Wellington Independent, frotn which we take the following:—Within the last three years sheep have fallen in value from about 20s. a head to something between Is. ss. I have heard of good flocks sold at Is. and 2s. Wool has gone down 50 per cent, or thereabouts. Horses are absolutely unsaleable, and animals, which three years ago. realized 2 51. to 30/., are now without market, or fetcli at the outside 5 1 or 6 1. Now, these are some of the principal sources out of which wages are paid, and others have fallen in like proportion, and yet wages have during the above period scarcely, if at all declined. We pay both for farm, pasto ral, and mechanical labor the same wages as we paid three years ago. Is this right? Can it go on? If the income of the employer has fallen form 1000/ to 500/., why has that of the laborer and mechanic remained without reduction? In on old comitry, so heavy a fall in profits would be accompanied by a corresponding i-eduction in wages; or if that did not at once follow, manufactories would be closed and improvements of all sorts cease. How i- it that the principle does not apply in these colonies? How much longer can these things remain as they are ? I( wages arc to be paid at all, they must be paid out of profits If there are no profits no wages will be paid. How many stations are now paying a profit? Are any? If not, how far are we from a col'apse? and when it comes, what will be the condition of thelaborer who at present declines any reduction in wages? — Daily Times.

The Cromwell annual races will be held on the 17th and 18th inst. From the very liberal programme advertised we antic pate that the meeting will be a successful one The subject of meat-preserving ap pears to be at present occupying tin public attention in several parts of tb< colohy In addition to the companii projected in Dunedin and Christchurch the advisability of starting a meat-pn serving es'aUißhment in Wellingto. has been discu. set there; and at Nape also, experimen's were being made 1 the Hawke’s Day Steam Bolling Dow Company with the view of testing t.h English market by sra ■!! consignment be the Ida Ziegler, when the wreck o that ship putatampo rary stop to their operations. The tact that a liberal reward has been offered by the Cover) meat of South Australia for the bet system of meat-preserving, may ter aa an incentive to llmeo persons in th. col.my who arc interested in the s\; ject to coatiniio their efforts in tL line. —Daily Timas.

| On Tuesday afternoon the 9th inst. ah inquiry was held before the District Coroner, V. Pyke, Esq. into the Cahse of the burning on the night of , the sth inst. of a detached bail dug at the rear of Mr, Ryan’s Bendigo Hotel Clyde. The jury having examined the building, E. Ryan was sworn, and depbsed, I am a licensed Publican and owner Of the Bendigo Hotel. The building destroyed had three rooms, and were used as bed-rooms, the fire originated in the room at, the north end of the building, no person had slept in that room for about four weeks-, two men had slept in one ot the other rooms about eight or ten days ago. Poi* a week previous to the fire, I had a man named T.ouis working for me as a general servant, he was working for his tucker until such time he could get other employment. On the morning of the sth, ho left my house, taking with him tho whole of his property, in the evening about 7 o’clock, he calhe into the bar, and asked me for the loan of five shillings, I refused, he then went away grumbling, I did not notice which way he went. About ten minutes after he left whilst at tea, I smelt something burning, I thorouAlly examined the premises, but could not discover the cause of the sun 11, and concluded it arose from some of the neighbours burning rags, I returned to my tea, I was sitting opposite a passage that leads through tho hotel and faces the buildingdestroyedj whilst there, ’ saw a flash of light, and upon going out L discovered the buildingtoheon fire,just as I wentoutl saw an old man, named Frank, who I have in my. employ in the act of throwing a bucket of water at the di or of the room the lire was confined to; the , three rooms had doors which were j shut, a pane of glass ih the room in which the fire originated was I roken . There was a man named o‘Connor j having tea at the time the fire broke 1 out, he arrived at my house in tho afternoon, he was sober when he arrived and when having tea, after the fire I saw him under the influence of liquor. By the Coroner, I did not discharge Louis, he went away of his own accord, he told me on the Thursday night he was going away, the pane of glass had been broken for over two months. The evidence of the wife of thef rmer witness was corobor th e. Francis Bate (Frank) sworn, said, remember Friday the sth. I was engaged the afternoon of that day in carrying ashes f-om tho kitchen '0 the ash heap, a disrance of onehni d d yards from the house. I had to j ass the south end of the build j ing, the wind was blowing from the | north therefore if any ashes had been I blown about they would have gone in an opposite direction to the house, I did not see either Louis or O’Conner about the yard that day, when I first saw the fire the flames werecoming out at thetopof door of roomatextreme end of building, Mr Ryan came out as I was throwing the bucket of water at the door. By the Coroner: when I first discovered the fire no one was about or I must have seen them. Louis Gavaroni sworn, said, I remember Friday, the 5 th inst. On the morning of that day I loft Mr. Ryan’s house. 1 had been working for him for my tucker. I did not expect any payment. In the evening I returned, and asked Mr. Ryan for the loan of ss. He refused. I then went away up the street to Patterson’s, and had my tea. I stayed there about an hour and a half, when I heard cries of fire. I immediately came out and followed the people who were running, and issisted to pot out the fire. Cecelia Sophia Fowler, sworn, said : I reside immediately apposite the Bendigo Intel. I remember the evening of Friday, the sth inst. About 7 p.ra. I saw the last witness leave Mr. ’lvan’s bar, and go down the street. ' did notsee where lie went. My attenion was drawn o him in consequence ■f his appearing excited. About half in hour afterwards tho cry of fire was aised. I did not notice the smell of nothing burning previous to the alarm he Jury after consulting for about quarter of an hour, returned a v >r- • -c That not sufficient evidence had on adduced to prove whether tho ■ e was tho ,-cc of an incendiary or hat was the origin of tho fire. An Emergency meeting of tho Hinstan Masonic Lodge, No. 470 ■ 10), will be held on Tuesday, the d ‘sth inst., at the School House, at I lydc. ;• ■ . . C, . • A ) fro rama)3.o; tho Tck- tmuriio > res, to Lt Lildon the 24th and 25th : , has been published: The total ;" mount of fctahes tc te tenant<xi fcr ... 4pW?- ‘ : '

On Tuesday evening last Mr. S. M. | Clarke, the schoolmaster of Clyde, by i a stupid piece of—we will say—care-1 lessbess, caused quite a commotion by ! setting fire to a lot of rubbish in his ; garden. Upon the first. sight of the flames, the ominous cry of fire was raised, and one and all rushed helterskelter in the direction of the conflagration. When about midway, the flames subsided, and the alarm was found to be a false one. As the matter is likely to be brought before the Resident Magistrate’s Court, we refrain from saying mme. Messrs Domett and Strode, two of the commissionersappointedto inquire into (he administranon ormal-admxni-of (he Waste Lands of Otago, Saturday last, we are given to understand, had an interview with the Mayor and several members of the Town C< uneil of Clyde, at Ryan’s Bendigo Hotel, and on the previous day (Friday) the royal commission had an interview with the Mayor and several citizens of Cromwell. If the same course has been pursued by the 'c 'inmission throughout the country as in this immediate district, we have not the slightest doubt the information obtained will be most us ful and tend 'more to Settle the much vexed question of settlement than any other that 'conld have been devised. Mr, George Fache reports that at the sale of horses, at the Commercial Yards, Clyde, on Saturday last, prices realized were satisfactory; medium classed hacks realized 1 G(., inferior from 81. to 10(. A correspondent at Cromwel infonns us that the Town Council, apprehensive (hat injury to Town Property may arise through the working of Messrs. Starkey and Co. of their freehold ground, have issued an ultimatum tha 1 mining within the boundary of the Cromwell Municipality will not be allowed; he winds up his re marks by saying that the step is a most suicidal one, as to have a payable deep lead in full work within the ■boundary of the Town, would be of incalculable benefit to all classes. At the last sitting of the Supreme 'Court, James M'Nulty was found guilty of stealing a horse at Spear Grass Flat, and sentenced to three

years, penal' servitude. It wi 1 be seen by our advertising columns tha 7 there will bea excursion party to the head of Lake Wakatip, by the steamer “Antrim, ” on St. Patrick’s Day M . G F a clip requests us to draw attention to (he unreserved sale by Auction to morrow at ten o’clock, tit Germ n Til. o Stoiv.s, Drapery. Boots, Ironmongery ic.