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Dunstan Times, Issue 652, 16 October 1874, Page 2

Just as we are going to press the intelligence has arrived to 'the effect 'that |the Cromwell Company have just brought down the largest cake of gold they have yet crushed, which weighs about 1200 ounces.

Shareholders in the Shotover Terrace Gold-mining Company may be congratulated on the improvedjprospecta of the mine, the yield for the past week being sixty ounces for eleven men’s work.

Wo 'understand tho firstf’practice of the Cricket Club takes place to morrow afternoon, wickets to be pitched at 3 o’clock sharp. We hope to see'a good muster.

We, are requested to draw the attention of laboring men to the advertisement inviting tenders for'the construction of sections of the Golden Gate Water Race.

On Jit. Wo learn that Messrs L. Ryan anil A. Bine, who, it will he remembered, were submitted to the indignity of incarceration in the Alexandra Lock-up, fora whole night, have instituted proceedings against the apprehending constable.

Wo are sorry to hear that through the inclement season the most serious losses are being sustained by the squatters amongst their lambing flocks. One gentleman informs us his loss willjbe fully 20 per cent. On Tuesday next Mr Fache sells by auction the freehold section adjoining the private resilience of Mr Wilson, solicitor.

We hear that the Resident Magistrate’s Court, Cromwell, to day will be engaged in hearing’a charge of perjury [preferred against Dr Corse, of Cromwell, at the instance of Messrs Max Gall and Company, likewise of Cromwell.

We are requested to notify that the sitting of the District Court will be adjourned from Monday next] the 19th instant to Thursday the 22nd. The Palmer “rushions” are reminded that the sailing of the barque Comet, from Port Chalmers to the Palmer is postponed to the 20th inst.

The town of Clyde was enlivened on Wednesday evening last by theßrass Band, whose strains of music were welcomed with exclamations of delight, as usual announcing to the public that dancing was about to commence. On entering the Hall we perceived that everything was prepared for an evening’s excellent amusement. What astonished us the most was that the Band agreed, on this particular occasion, to allow all comers to take part in the amusement free of charge, providing they conducted themselves properly. At the commencement of the programmme there was but a few to answer “ the call,” but as the evening wore on a goodly company had asBumbled, and all did justice to this opportunity of enjoying themselves. A meeting of the Cromwell Athenaeum Committee was held on Tuesday evening last, when, among other matters it was arranged to celebrate the opening of the new Hall by a Ball. J. A. Preshaw, Esq., occupied the chair. In our next issue we hope to give the date of the proposed Ball, and other particulars. We regret to chronicle the death of Mrs Holdan, of Bannockburn, a lady who, during a lengthened residence of over seven years in the district had, by her unassuming manners, and kindliness of disposition gained the good-will and respect of all who knew her. Mrs Holdan was a daughter of Mr Andrew Craig, of Dunedin, and the wife of Mr John Holdan, for whom deep sympathy is expressed at bis bereavement. The line of telegraph is now completed from Nasehy, via Black’s to Clyde, the connection having b«en made yesterday. The opening of the line will however be delayed some time as the instruments for the side stations have not yet arrived. At a sale of the supposed “ Arthur Orton's ” jewellery a few days since, some of the articles fetched good prices—a gold keyless chronometer, engraved with Tichborno arms, L 32; Albert chain, LI 9; gold fusee case, L 7 10s; a gold locket, L 3 10s ; electroplated fepergne service, L 44; Ac., &c. It is stated that most of the articles fetched double their intrinsic value.

From the reports in the Dunedin papers of the Criminal Sessions wo learn that J. Blakeley was discharged on both charges of cattle stealing.

1 Wo learn that tho weather at the Upper I Nevis is, and has been so severe for the past six months tha| Ijttle'or no work has been done doling the whole of |that period. That at the ifcvis things are not so bad, but the weather is no very hard that work is only done fn: fits and starts, just whenever a sun-shining day or two occurs. On Tuesday night last eighteen inches of snow felTou the'LowcrNevis Flat. (i Xfiv /I ' j .-lull Water is now plentiful throughout the district, and every branch of mining, when the weatner permits, If; bring pushed aheal most vigorously, -, At Drybrgad, Tinkers, and oath other place under the uunatau Range the greatest activity prevails, the result of -which will be shown in a short time by the increased Escort from Blacks.

Ninety railway companies lufthe United States.have suspended.'fpayment of interest on their bonds, and the total amount of bonds thus dishonored amounts to nearly three hundred and fifty millions of dollars. Is it any wonder, asks tho New York Herald, that American credit abroad is no better than that of Turkey or Brazil ? The Police, during the past week, mado a raid on all the cattle rambling unattended within the Municipal boundary, and drove them —to the number of about twenty—to the pound. It will be as well for cattle owners, if they do not desire a repetition of the same, to either remove their cattle 'or employ a herd boy. We are requested to draw the attention of capitalists and miners to the advertisement in another column, notifying the sale by auctionof the Steam Dredge Salamander, on the 4th proximo. The dredge and the whole of the machinery has lately had a thorough overhaul, and the auctioneer finforms us that for practical purposes she was never in better trim. To a small party of practical men we look upon tho Salamander Dradge as safe an investment as there is in the country. Breeders and owners of horses will be very hard to please if from {the stud horses to travel the district they do not find one to please them. Among the thoroughbreds is one of the latest importations—- “ Architect a horse most highly spoken of by the Provincial Press ; there is also “ Caliph,” a horse well and favorably known in theAistrict. .The draughts are “Surprise,” “Royal Duke,” and “Young Prince Charlie.” For the pedigrees we refer to the advetisements. We understand that one of the mares of IV. Fraser, Esq., Earnscleugh Station, during the past week dropped .twin foals ; the sire of these, however, was “Thaneof Clyde,” that travelled the district last season.

Renewed life and animation is observable amongst the miners in the Alexandra district, the plenteous supply of water doubtless producing this desirable effect; nothing fresh has been discovered, but the whole of the well-known auriferous deposits are occupied, and we are authoritively informed that all the parties are being well paid for their labor. The busiest spot however, is the old Manorbuni Flat, which is employing at least one hundred of the Heathen Chinee, and from the steady perseverance exhibited by our yellow brothers, we must conclude they are doing well. The Wakatip Mail says—“ October this year is a most disagreeable month. Every one exclaims what horrible weather. Blustering winds, thunder and lightning, heavy rain, snow and sleet, the hills covered with snow ns in mid-winter, colds and rheumatism afflicting the body, young lambs perishing on the pastures, and blossoming fruit trees stripped, all make a gloomy picture of the mouth.” The following appeared in the telegraphic news of the last issue of theWakatip Mail: “The General and Provincial Governments are at loggerheads over the vote for construction of a bridge over the Maerewhenua. In agreeing to advance the sura required, the General Government insist that plans should be submitted for the ap-' proval of the Colonial Architect; and the work bo subject to the approval of the Minister for Public Works—which are conditions imposed by the Advances to Provinces’ Act. Mr D. Reid, the Provincial Secretary, replies :—‘ This is so serious an innovation, giving a divided responsibility and control of public works, which would have most serious effects, that the Executive are compelled, however reluctantly, to let the work stand over until a vote of the Provincial Council is taken. This Government cannot agree to allow a Minister of the Public Works to have an over-riding control over the expenditure of Provincial funds, and it considers such an expenditure should be carried out by the Provincial Executive, responsible only to the Provincial Council.”

Potatoes are selling in Christchurch at L 9 per ton ; beef is quoted at 40s per cwt. Mr H. A. Stratford, B-.M. and Warden, who passed through Clyde on Monday last for his old quarters, Arrow, informed ns that Mr H. W. Robinson has again returned to his duties at Naseby, and that he is thoroughly recovered from the serious indisposition that necessitated his leave of absence.

We learn that a MrF. J. Bunny, from the Dunedin office, is to take charge of the Telegraph and Post Office, at St. Bathans ; and Mr J. Alexander, of Clyde, will be located at Blacks.

In accordance with the terms of Section 5, Sub-section 25 of tbe Town and Country Police Ordinance, 1862, “ Any person guilty of carrying any firearms, sword, dirk dagger, or other offensive weapon, within any town or public place in the Province of Otago is liable to be fined in the sum of L 20.” Tbe above information appears as an advertisement in the Daily Times. We, the Daily Times, hear that an action for libel will shortly come before the Supreme Court, in which a member of the Provincial Government will be the plaintiff, and a member of the Provincial Council the defendant.

A survey party (says the Tuapeka Times) have arrived from the Provincial Engineer’s Office, Dunedin, to lay off the railv»y line from Lawrence to the Beaumont. They will no dohbt complete the survey as far as Roxburgh before returning to town. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the first number of .the “Spiritist Exterminator and Free Trade Advocate,” published in Melbourne by the well known Jock Graham, late of Dunedin.

Mr Barton, in receut'y defending a charge of cattle-stealing,|reinarked thatjour squatters (mentioning Lord A and Lord B) could allow their cattle to stray for several months and not exert themselves to find them. They could recline upon their magnificent couches and read “ Ouida,” or listen to some charming music. All they had to do, if any of their cattle were lost, was to put the law in motion against some suspected cockatoo, and say, “ It is all right; the Supreme Court is my Chief Shepherd!” The learned counsel also spoke of the cattle alluded to in his case as “'spiritualistic cattle," because they were said to le in several places at the same time, lie sug gested that a certain lawyer who was a prominent member of the Society for investigating Spiritualism, should have conducted that case for the Crown. The remarks naturally caused much amusement.

We have to acknowledge the receipt, from Mr G. Didshury, Government Printer, Wellington, of the last numbers of the Statutes passed during the last Ression of Parliament.

Mr George Purton of St. Bathan’s is gazetted as Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, and Vaccination inspector for the district of Blackstone.

The first piece of woollen cloth made in Tasmania was lately sold for L2 a yard. The total of the sale amounted to L 1,140. Tho Melbourne correspondent of the Daily Times says:—“ The “ larrikins ”of Melbourne are very troublesome subjects. Some of the papers say they are no worse than others elsewhere, and that “ boys will be boys.” I don’t know whether it is elsewhere considered merely a freak of boyish spirits when a mob of young ruffians get a policeman into a cornerjand stone him nearly to death with road metal, or when they hold regular prize-fighting meetings on Sunday mornings, or smash in the doors of a public-house and half kill the inmates who refuse to provide them with drink. At any rate the feeling has become general here that it is tin e to try and check this kind of thing. The ordinary law proving ineffectual, a measure has been introduced to empower the magistrates to order flogging. There is no reason to doubt that this remedy—if it is applied—will have (the desired effect; and although the need of such legislation may be regretted, yet the evil it is sought to cure is, or ought to be, very much more a master of regret. If it is lamentable, as one of our morning papers (the Daily Telegraph) seems to consider, that such a stigma should be attached to onr lads, it would be more lamentable if by tbe absence of the required restraining influences tbe rising generation should grow up into a lot of lawless ruffians.”

The following very short hut very meaning announcement in the advertising columns of the Melbourne. Argus, addressed to an unfortunate (or fortunate ?) Victorian has some little local interest in it:—“lf this should meet the eye of J. J. Campbell, your wife, with a baby, was seen on board the Hero, for New Zealand.” A nice piece of “sporting " rascality has come to light in the Launceston Police Court. A running match recently came off between Bird, the noted pedestrian, and a man named Harris, the stakes being lodged with Robert Keene, landlord of tho Duke of Wellington Hotel. Bird won the race, and thereafter applied to Keene for the stakes, which the latter refused to pay, whereupon Bird charged him with larceny as a bailee. At the hearing of the case Bird stated that he had staked his L 25. On applying to Kceno after the race, tho latter denied having any money. For the defence, Harris stated that it was a “ double race,” and that he had not put any stakes down. Bird was to lose the race to pluck some young fellows . This pleasant arrangement, however, foil through, and Harris and his friends were “sold.” Keene has been committed to take his trial at tho next sittings of the Supreme Court. The following paragraph appeared in a late issue of the Clutha Leader:—“ln a recent issue of the Bruce Herald appeared a paragraph purporting to bo ‘Josh Billings’ definition of an Editor.’ Amongst other things ‘Josh’ is made to say—‘ An editor steals matter, takes white beans and apple sass for pay when he can get it, works 19 hours out uv every 24, knows no Sunday, gets damned by everybody, and once in a w-hile whipt by somebody, lives poor, and dies middle-aged and often broken-hearted, leaves no tnency, is rewarded for a life of oil with a short but free obituary puff in the mire papers.’ The above is so truthful as applied to our contemporary that we must be excused for suggesting that he has merely given in Josh’s name his own practice in tho past and anticipations for the future. As to tho first characteristic of an editor mentioned, viz., that he ‘ steals matter,’ we can safely say we have never in onr expericice known a more systematic and impudent literary thief than the Bruce Herald, nor do we believe has any other journalist in the colony. Our reports, neivs paragraphs, &c., aro regularly copied by the editor, and never once acknowledged. Leading articles have also appeared in tho Herald upon tho subject of our reports, and wherein they are referred to as their own. Little wonder that the editor goes on to say he ‘gets damned by everybody, while once in a while whipt by somebody.’ His conduct places him entirely beyond tho pale ot journalistic etiquette, and the retaliation he has experienced is the only one appropriate to the course of piracy be has bo long pursued towards this and other journals.

Dunedin exchanges inform us that the annexation of Fiji by Great Britain has been completed, and that a rumor is cur. rent that Sir Donald M’Lean, Native Mi. uister, will be offered the Governorship. A most extraordinary rumor is afloat on a subject which has lately exercised tho opinions of some of our antediluvian contemporaries. The rum-r is that owing to Dr Haasf's jealousy of his pet theory of the extinction of tho moa being capsized by the capture of the real bird, he'had sent a man up to cut the rope, by which the captured moas were [ made fast. The painter was cut and thence the escape. This is really too bad, if true. We understand however, that Dr Haast has himself started for the back ranges to try to re-capture the birds and we heartily wish him success. What a lot he will have to write about, and how the Christchurch savants will lionise him, and how they will all " blow ” as Anthony Trollope calls it—and Christchurch big wigs can blow.—South Cantor, bury Times.