The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1874.

Dunstan Times, Issue 655, 6 November 1874, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1874.

Beneath the Rule o £ Men entirely just the pen is juouTiEßthan theawnm

Practice of the Cricket Club commences at three o’clock to-morrow afternoon (Saturday.)

Tenders are invited (see advertisement) for the erection of a stone and timber bridge at Spottis Creek.

The fortnightly meeting of the Clyde Town Council, to have been held on Wednesday evening in the Council Chambers lapsed for want of a quorum. The Concert on Wednesday evening next the 11th instant in the Town Hall, Clyde, on behalf of the funds of the Dunstau District Hospital, promiscs'to be a great success. We hope to see all the world and his cousin present.

We heard it said, but cannot believe, that the Post Office authorities have accepted the tender of Mr M'Nalty, of 1.52, for conveying the tri-weekly mail from Clyde to Queenstown. We are requested by the officers of the Dunstan District Hospital to acknowledge with thanks receipt of parcel of periodicals and journals from Mr John Young, of Sandy Point, Alexandra, for the use if the patients.

Hastic, M'Nally and’party are just finished that portion of their head race from Wia Keri Keri Creek to their claims in Connow’s Gully, and we hear are likely to c jmmcnce sluicing during the noxt week ; the six mile section of their race advertised for construction is let, and the contractor is pushing on the work in good style. This Company deserve for their energy no end of luck, which we hope they will get. Mr Fache reports having been unable to find a purchaser for the Salamander steam dredge on Wednesday last, the advertised day of sale. We have confidence there is still plenty of ground between Clyde and Alexandra that would pay handsomely, and are of opinion that if tho owners of the Salamander would make liberal terms with a party of men to take the dredge on tribute, there are plenty who would take it.

Tho Cromwell Jockey Club have put forth their programme, offering tho handsome sum of L 350 to be competed for. We have not yetheard -romtbo Dunstan Jockey Club, though if we mistake not their customary time of meeting to decide on the date of general meeting is passed. As the question is going from mouth to mouth, if there is to be a summer meeting, we hope tho Club will soon decide.

The weather continues as unsettled as it has been for months past, scarce two days alike, one being cold with heavy showers of ram, bringing top coats and mackintoshes into requisition ; the next warm, necessitating the removal of the ordinary cloth coat and the donning of linen and alpacca. However, there is one resemblance as it is an everlasting blow, blow, blow, whether hot or cold. Altogether the weather is most unseasonable, and anything but pleasant. On Wednesday last a miner named Charles M'Kenna whilst mounting his horse at the Bannockburn, through the stirrup breaking was thrown to the ground, and sustained a compound fracture of the leg, just above the ankle. After some considerable delay a stretcher was provided, and the sufferer carried into Cromwell and placed under Dr Stirling’s care. The case, we are informed, is a very bad one, as the bones of the leg are completely shattered. Tnc contractor for the new Library Hall, Clyde, commenced operations during the week. The huihjirg, when finished, will not only be an improvement on the old building that has done duty as Public Library for a good many years, but a considerable ornament to the Town and no mean adjunct to the Town Hall which it adjoins, tn a future issue we will endeavor to give a description of the building.

We are requested to draw attention to the alteration, by way of omission in the advertisement ot the Stud horse Architect, the alteration is in the expunging of paragraphs referring to payment foe paddock accommodation, and the giving Promissory Notes for service monies. We have had the pleasure of seeing Architect during the past week, and now take the opportunity of expressing'our ( beliefthat he is the noblest horse that ever travelled the Dunstan District, and, just such an animal as would be sought after for the breeding of orst-olass weight carrying hacks.

Monday the 9th instant to resident Government officials and Bank Officers is a proclaimedjholiday, and we fail to ‘see the reason why the day should not be proclaim ed by our local, Civic authorities a ganeral holiday, and,thus afford an opportunity for our business men and those employed by them enjoying a little recreation. “ All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and we think no day, than the anniversary of our future King’s birth-day, is more suitable for’rubhing off the rust accumulated in a whole year’s drudgery and brightening up' for renewed activity. A deputation from our local Cricket Club we would suggest should wait on the Mayor, and ask him to use his prerogative iu the matter. A moeting'of the Brethren of the Masonic L"dge, Dunstaa is called for this evening at Hawthorne’s Bendigo Hotel at 8.30, for the purpose of considering the mode of celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the Lodge, For the past four years the celebrationlhas taken the shape of an Invitatioa Bali, and no more enjoyable affairs could be desired. From this fact, to an extent (we will not go so far as to say) is for the public to decide, however, we hope the Brothers of the Mystic tie will consult public opinion before coming to a decision. For our own part we would prefer to give our guinea or two in aid of local charities and have done with it, but—What do the ladies say ?

The acceptors for tho Canterbury Races are very meagre for the Canterbury Cup, there being but one, (Sonmnbula,) and for the Hurdle Race, only two, (Theodore and Alice Gray.)

At Launceston, Bird, the pedestrian, and two publicans, have been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for couspi-acy in connection with a sham race.

“We were shown (says tho North Otago Times) a day or two ago, an enormous brocoli, grown by Mr Wansbiougb, of.this town. The head weighed 25!b5,, and measured 3ft. fiin. in circumference.”

. The Province of Canterbury bad, on the 30th June,"; 1874,’ the respectable credit balance of L 1,023,700.

A bov, aged 1C years, found guilty of attempting to throw an engine off the Oxford and Eangiora line Canterbury Province, by placing a plough share on the rails, was sentenced by the Bench to pay L 5, and LI 11s fid costs, or in default one month’s imprisonment. We don’t know which the more richly deserves whipping with the cat every morning for a month, the presiding justices for their leniency, or the boy for his abhorrent wickedness. For tho Melbourne Cup twenty-six horses have accepted as follows ;—Diver, Friendless, After Dark, Mountaineer, The Hook, Break of Day, King of the Ring, Protos, Fugleman, Haricot, Fitzyattendou, Cleolite, Speculation, Lurline, Papapa, Lapidist, Kettledrum, Dagworlh, Horatio, Gloom, Goldsbrough, Arrow, Goshawk, Blue Peter, Menindie, King Tom.” The Christchurch correspondent of the Daily Times writes “ Already here the performances of the narrow gauge engines have become a laughing stock, and 1 will just narrate two instances. A train was about starting from one station to another, some ten or twelve miles or so, when a man got his horse out of a neighboring stable—just an ordinary hack the horse was, and nothing more—mounted and started on the same journey as the train. The horseman reached his destination, stabled his horse, and was standing on tho platform several minutes before the train arrived. At one point there is a slight rise, and at this point the children going to school wait till the train comes up, race with, and beat it with the greatest ease ; and I apprehend that when things are in full working order, the engines will have to stop about every sixer say seven miles at the most—to lubricate.

Dyer, who was found guilty of the murder of a woman named Eliza Battersea, was executed at Auckland on Friday last the 30th ultimo. He made the following confession before he was executed “On July 9th, when excited by drink, but not in a state of intoxication, but exasperated by statements made by Eliza Battersea, he poured kerosene oil over her with the intention of frightening her into a confession of certain matters. He had no thought of causing her death. That he set fire to Eliza Battersea’s hair supposing he could put it out again before serious harm was done, and to screen him the woman did say before her death that she had accidentally upset kerosene from the feeder upon her clothes.”

It is not often, writes “ Athens ” in the Leader, that one has to chronicle such a princely act of liberality as that which was lately performed hy the son of one of onr Australian millionaires. In the division of the property one son found himself richer by 1,209,000 than the other, and, contrary to the usual fitness of things, 'he younger brother was Hie more wealthy. life insisted upon giving the elder born a cheque for an amount winch would make both their fortunes equal, and after some negotiation, which was equally honorable to both gentlemen, the younger brother banded over to the elder the sum of L 200,009. 1 wonder whether any member of tho proudest family in England has done so much. If he did, it is quite certain that there must be a blot somewhere in tho

family escutcheon, for a proper regard for money is a distinguishing characteristic of tho eupatril.

“Just one minute too late!” This was the excuse Mr Henry Ji Cope had to oiler the electors in the Library Hall the other evening for practically throwing them out of the choice of a representative. He had the unpleasant task of explaining to an unsympathising and sceptical audience—as well as in some sense a disappointed one how it came to pass that he was a minute too late in reaching the hustings to be nominated at Queenstown., Reason first was, he had been delayed by his proposer, and second, he had gone to the municipal nomination at the Town Hall, instead of to the Court house—and so on. The scene was amusing as the apology was pitiful, and we did not envy the apparently disappointed candidate, nor the manner in which he attempted to find consolation in a mishap of a similar nature which befel Mr Mandera when he was “ lost in the snow." The audience present felt that'the action of Mr Cope was, under any circumstances, a breach of his supporters’ confidence, the more especially as he had been in Queenstown in plenty of time for nominat : on, and treated his utterances accordingly. It is scarcely probable the issue of election would have been different than it is, but Mr Cope having accepted the request of a number of electors, should have made it his duty not to be “one minute too late.”

Some curious cases come before the Magistrate’s Courts from time to time. At Kaiapoi, the other day, a man named Thomas Hutt was charged on the information of Jane Hutt with refusing to contribute towards her support. Complainant stated that she was the wife of the defendant, who resided at Moeraki Downs. She had been living apart from him for some time on account of the bail treatment she bad received from him. She had been ill-used by the accused some time ago, and she did not apply to him for support till about a month, ago, when he refused to take her back or provide for her. When she resided with accused he never gave her a change of diet. It was nothing hut fat bacon from day to day, and when she spoke to him about it ho said if she did not like to cat the bacon she might cat the rind. In answer to Air Thomas, the witness said she was a widow when the defcndant'married her. Her former husband died in’the hospital at the Dnnstan, in Otago. His name was Robert Doig. She could not read, but a woman named Mrs Everett Tead a letter to her, | which stated that her husband was lying in the hospital very ill. A short time afterwards she was informedjby the same person that her husband was dead. This was about four years ago. She was quite snre that her husband was dead before she married the defendant. A witness named Archibald Bisset’was’’called for (the defence, and he stated that some time ago Mrs Hutt informed him that all she knew about her hnsband’s’death was’that she received one letter stating that he was lying in the Dunstan Hospital very ill. Complainant was married to Mr Hutt when she made that statement. Mr Thomas submitted to the Bench that the defendant was not-entitled to support the complainant, as there was no proof of her former husband's death. He was satisfied that complainant’s first husband was still alive, and he had been informed that she wanted to got rid of her present husband so that she could get married again. Ills Worship said he would adjourn the case for a month, so that the hospital authorities at the Dnnstan could be communicated with. Complainant had been receiving charitable aid for three weeks; and she would continue to receive it till the hearing of the ease. A Press Club has been formed in Dunedin, there being already 55 members. On Saturday last the opening was celebrated by a supper, and was eminently successful. Among the invited guests was His Honor Judge Chapman, who gave an interesting review of the Press of New Zealand. The first number of first newspaper established in Now Zealand, and called the New Zealand Gazette, was published iu London in September 1839, and it was not till the April following, six weeks after the arrival of the vessel in Wellington, that brought tho fi rst number and the’printing plant that the second number appealed. In speaking of Auckland he said—“ One of the first papers here established was, I think, the Herald, and was, I believe, printed by Mr Falwasser. He had plenty of type and other necessaries for a paper, but ho had not got a printing press. But, however, he bought what answered the purpose, that is to say, “somebody’s mother sold her mangle,” and he bought it. ’ (Loud laughter.) As policemen say, "I don’t know it of my own knowledge,” but, I have heard it so often that I quite believe' it. Von used to see such announcements in the Herald as this: “We have been compelled to stop the mangle to record” so aud-so. (Loud laughter.) From Messrs Fanning, Griffiths, and Co.’s Australian Wool Market Report for October, 1874, and which is before us we glean the following interesting particulars for our squatting readers : Prices current in tho colonies for New Zealand wools, fleece (inferior) Gd to S(t ; average to good, 9d to lOd ; super, lid to 131 ; cross bred—average to good 9.1 to 101; lambs, 6d to lOd ; pieces. 4d to fid. Washed—fleece. 18d to 22d ; lambs, 12d to 181 ; pieces, 9(1 to lid; scoured. Ifidto 22d. Tho report urges on producers sell in the colonial marker, and says : To all acquainted with tho present system of sending all the produce to one place it is scarcely necessary to mention that notwithstanding the excellent, management of the T ondon market the greatest, uncertainty attends won! business, and fluctuations, now so frequent, will, with say a production of some 709.900 hales to he submitted next year, and an adequate increase in future rears reach such propnrt.ions as greatly In injure station -proprietors, dea'ers, and manufacturers. This point is certainly deserving the considcra'ion of all engaged in th’s imnortant business ; nnd bv establishing direct, communication with all consuming countries these violent and too frequent relapses would not, only be matorially avoided, but. the trade on the whole implified, besides saying much time and reducing charges.