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Dunstan Times, Issue 533, 5 July 1872, Page 2

The mail from Dunedin, due at Clyde on Saturday evening, at 7 o’clock, did not reach here until Sunday afternoon, and the one due on Tuesday arrived on Wednesday evening, twenty-four hours after its appointed time. These delays undoubtedly are, not only a source of annoyance, but, what is of more consequence still, entail oftentimes considerable anxiety and even loss to the business community. In both these instances —and in many others beside—had the mails been delivered according to contract, recipients of letters would have been enabled to reply to their correspondents by return post. Some short time ago a great deal was said both at Naseby and Cromwell anent the desirability of an alteration of the contract, so that the mails should reach Naseby on the first night from Dunedin, and the Cromwell on the second. The Cromwell Town Council strenuously advocated the change, as did the Naseby Chamber of Commerce, while the local journals of both places teemed with articles pointing out the desirability of the change, and memorial after memo-

rial .was sent to the head opthoToEtal Department praying for the change. But, alas ! without effect. The very cogent reasons given by the’-Postmaster-Goneral for refusing the petition of the memorialists decided the matter "as ’once. The nonpunctuality of the mail is a great inconvenience to the public, and although the respective drivers are well known as men of experience and energy, and'undouhtedly do all that is possible, considering the dreadful state of the roads and the limited means at their Command, Jibe fact remains the same, and it is quite time measures should be taken to ensure the punctual delivery of the mails. We'are sorry to record that the Frenchman’s coal-pit, Cooper’s Gully, caved in a few days ago, so all hopes of obtaining a supply of fuel from that source are (for some time at least) at an end. We are still dependent on the pit 'at Alexandra for our supply, as owing to want of water, the choking of the pumps, and other causes, Mr. Holt, spite his indomitable energy and perseverance, has not yet been able to overcome the water in. the Clyde pit. At Mount Ida work is still impossible, the partial thaw during'the'day being counteracted by the frosts at night. Our Black's corrsepondeut informs us that the Homeward Bound Company are still raising wash-dirt showing very good prospects, with every indication of a continuance. At a meeting of the Clyde School Committee, held on Wednesday evening last, Mr. Stevens of Invercargill, was elected Master. The late severe frosts have’.heen a severe loss to the spirited proprietor"’of the Clyde Coal-pit, Mr. James Holt, he having been swamped out for want of water to work the pumps. The old saying : “ One man’s loss is another man’s gain,” has been verified in this instance, tho necessary coal for consumption at Clyde having to be obtained from Alexandra. At the weekly meeting of the Waste Lands Board held on the 26th ult., Charles Binge; of the Kaw.vau, applied (through his agent, Mr. Smythies) to have the lease of a coal-pit sent up to the original owners for their signatures, he having bought their interest in the same imagining they (had already signed tho lease. It was decided that, if the lease be notlsigned by the original owners, the land should be opeu for application. We are happy to he enabled to state that, notwithstanding the croakings of a few individuals, the late hall in aid of the funds of the Clyde School proved anything but a failure. On tho contrary, there was a goodly attendance, and everyone appeared to thoroughly enjoy the evening’s amusement. The result was that a sum of 107. 4s. has been added to the School funds. This announcement would have appeared in our last issue hut from the sudden illness of one of the Committee. The R.M. Court, Cromwell, was occupied yesterday in settling a case of an assault and battery between two of the leading citizens. The case arose out of a misunderstanding, and the horse whip was called in requisition. The Court after hearing the evidence, gave a verdict of Is. damages. A miner named George Heidelberg, from the Bannockburn, was admitted into the Hospital on Thursday night, the 27th ult., and died shortly [afterwards from internal hemorrhage. Mr. George Fache announces by advertisement in another column that he will sell by auction, by order of the trustee, the Bendigo .Hotel, Clyde ; also the superior household furniture, horses, and other effects. A telegram to the Evening Star from Wellington states: —That Mr. Sherrin from Dunedin, intends prospecting fronr Tuhua to Tauranga. He expects to receive aid from the General Government. He is the original discoverer of the Westland gold-fields. We extract the following from the Mount Ida Chronicle : —“ For the last few days a petition has been in course of signature, having for its object tho exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy iu favor of John Ewing, who was convicted at the last session of the Supreme Court of an attempt by shooting, to do grievous bodily harm to a Chinaman at St. Bathan’s, caught i* the act of robbing Ewing’s tail-race and grappling with his watchman. A legal point had been reserved for the opinion of the Appeal Court, and judgment deferred to abide the issue. The Court of Appeal has decided against the reserved point, and. Ewing will now have to surrender himself for sentence. Considering the whole of the circumstances of the case, as set forth in the memorial to his'Excollency the Governor ; considering, moreover, tho expense and mental anxiety to which Ewing has been subjected since the commission of the offence, we cannot hut think the case one in which the prerogative of mercy might and could he fair y exercised. Indeed, we have little doubt that the memorial to which we have referred will have the desired effect, aud we sincerely trust that it may. A copy of the petition is lying at the office of this paper for signature. A canvass of the district has been made and a number of signatures obtained. By the London and Californian commercial news we learn that the decline in the price of wool has been confined to the lower and unwashed descriptions, the bettor class maintaining nearly the same value as they commanded in February ; also that the decline has been principally in Australian wools, which have fallen 3d. to 4d. per pound, while the fall in New Zealand has been hut Id. The appointment of Mr. E. ff. Ward as Deputy Commissioner of Stamps for the Province of Otago, vice Mr. A. W. Smith, resigned, and of Mr.. H. W. Robinson as Deputy Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, is notified in the General Government Gazette. Rich finds are reported from the quartz reefs at Coromandel.

Accounts from the Arrow are to the effect that, through the late very severe weather, most of the miners are at a stand-stil for want of water. The Arrow Observer says:—“We are glad to perceive that the building of Mr. Pritchard’s new premises is proceeding steadily. The roof is now on, and the internal work begun, i Jt is expected to be completed in a month. These new premises are quite a feature in the town, and prove that Mr. Pritchard has every confidence in the future'of the Arrow district. Mr. Paterson’s new shops are all being puahed.fonvard. The Eockhampton Arv/iw after describing a narrow escape from fire consequent upon the explosion of a keroseneflamp, says:— “We have frequently stated that a few teaspoonfuls of salt thrown into a tin of kerosene will effectually prevent the oil from taking light; we have partically proved that such is the case, and we’strongly urge upon those who burn kerosene to adopt a very simple remedy.fThat'our wooden building* will yet many of them be swept away by fire we thoroughly believe but it is the duty of all those who occupy them to take every precaution to prevent so far as possible a most grevious certainty.” The Wanganui Chronicle isjresponsible for the following-—Sometime ago two youths were out in the neighborhood of Mangawhem and got asperated for some little time during which one of them was forcing his way through some tlrck scrub; all at once he startled a large animal which jumped up and revealed to his horrnr-striken optics the gigantic outlines of a bird some eight or nine feet high. The boy gazed a second at the monster, which returned the compliment and then they both'made off in different directions, the boy in his’ihurry and fright falling and rolling away down the side rf a declivity. When he regained his companion the latter sayshe was ashy pale and looked as though he had smoked his first cigar, or seen a “ghost” Little notice was taken of the boy’s story'at the time hut latterly ajperson of credibility has distinctly asserted that he saw footprints of a gigantic bird whose stride covered three op-four feet in the same locality as that above mentioned, We have to acknowledge the receipt of the Illustrated New Zealand Herald with thanks. According to the Kentish Express the Dover Hospital has appointed a dispenser at ss. (?) per week. The Evening Post says, it was expected that the mail just arrived, would bring to the Hon. Mr. Dillon Bell a patent of knighthood. We are instructed to draw attention to the advertisement, which appears in another column, of the sale by public auction of business premises, situate at the new Township of Manuherikia, and state that the day and hour of jsale will appear in our next issue. We take the following from the Thames Advertiser : —“Our readers are aware [that objection was made by Mr. Gisborne to the survey forwarded with the petition for the municipality, and that, in consequence, it has been examined. It is found, we believe, that owing to some mistake, the proposed municipality would take in the foreshore and nine miles out to sea.” The K ing of Siam’Jhas called Cornish miners to his aid developing the metaliferous riches of his country. They will act under the direction of Mr Charles Twite, formerly lecturer to the Miners Association. At Norwich Lord Chief Baron Kelly heard the case of “Kent v. Croat,” which was an action for a breach of promise of marriage against a dead man The singularity of the case was that it was not brought against the person who committed the breach, hut his executor. The judge held the promis to have been made and not redeemed as it might have been and the juiy returned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages, 150. 1. A curious case has'_been submitted to the English Education Department. At Gulval, in Cornwall, five parents have been convicted of neglecting to send their children to school, and a charge of two guineas has been made against the Board by the magistrates’ clerk. The Act says that “No penalty for the breach <>f any bye-law shall exceed such amount as with the costs will amount to five shillings for each offence.” Therefore the Board object to the charge of two guineas. This is hewever a point of law on which the English Education Department decline to offer an opinion and the Board are left to fight the matter out with their magistrates’ clerk. School Board Chronicle. There are 30,000 working men idle in New York this winter.