The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1880.

Dunstan Times, Issue 945, 28 May 1880, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1880.

Beneaththerule of men entirely jvstlJi TEN is .MIGHTIER than i/i(S WORD.

Mr Vincent Pyke, M.H.R. for the Dunstan, left on Friday last tor Dunedin, on his way to Wellington, We have to remind those interested that the usual Quarterly Licensing Meetings for the various local districts will be held on Tuesday next. Captain Barry is working his way upcountry. We observe by the local papers that he has been lecturing at Tokotuairiro and Lawrence, and we presume that Clyde will be honoured with his presence in a few days. There was no sitting of the R.M. Court in Clyde yesterday', owing to the unavoidable absence of the Warden. Good times are in store for housekeepers. Mr Begg, in our advertising columns, announces that, at the request of a large number of families in the district, he will open a grocery store in addition to his other business in a few days, at prices hitherto unknown in the district, and that he will do business for “ cash only.” Nominations of persons qualified to serve as auditors for the Borough of Alexandra, must be sent to the Returning Officer by noon of Tuesday next. The recent decisions of Mr -Stratford, R. M., re the closing of sitting-rooms of hotels generally used by the public, has been quoted by' sections of the Press as a startling decision We understand that the hotelkeepers intend to pe'ition the Legislature (the Wakatip M-nl says) to define what part of a hotel should b closed at legal hours —tv he be ■ il is right to demand, in the interests of the public, that, all parts should be closed at the same time as is tne bar. The complete returns of railway revenue and expenditure for the financial year, or rather for a period of nine months emlc 1 31st March, 1880, are now published. The gross receipts amounted to L 574.538, or L 05,412 under the Colonial Treasurer’s estimate of L 675.000. The working expenses were L 430.284, being 74| per cent, on the receipts, thus leaving 25| per cent , or L 145,.304, as net revenue available for interest on cost of construction. The Echo writes : —Mr Pyke says the County system gave free bridges and punts. Granted. But the County system also gave our up-country settlers the glorious privi lego of paying rates. This also they had not under the Provincial system. Our opinion is that the up-country people are well satisfied to pay rates under the County sy'stem, especially in Vincent County, where, during the last three years, splendid bridges and good roads have taken the place of Provincial Government “ pack- ! tracks ” and wooden punts. The Echo, if | it desires to advocate provincialism, need not come into the County districts for support, as, although the County system has not been an unmixed blessing in this part of the Country there is no desire for a return to provincialism.

The right hand haa not yet lost its cunning to old Oakobau (says the Fiji Argus of April 2.) A few days ago he walked into a well-known hostelry on Levuka beach to get a drink, and, while standing at the bar, a white man, said to be rather the worse for liquor, came up and began bothering the old man in the way that semi-drunken men do, and would not let him alone. Old Oakobau, without more ado, caught the white man a swinging back-hander on the month, which knocked him over; and then the old king stood quite still, and didn’t speak a word till the prostrate votary of Bacchus had got Up and walked away, which he did without a murmur, even of delight at the honour of having been smitten by the ex-king of the Canuibal Islands.

Rumours were current some time' since, (says the Cook town Courier) that the existence of a white woman among the blacks was well known, and as the account is substantiated by the natives themselves, there can no longer be any doubt upon the subject. The blacks from whom this information was obtained were camped about CO miles north of where the wreck reported was observed by Mr Jack.

The Phoenix claim at Skippers purposes sending to Ballarat shortly two tons of quartz to be tested there by the grinding and amalgamating machine The manager, Mr F. Evans, informs the Wakatip Mail that ho will accompany the stone, which will he tested under his immediate supervision As the machine which i- to be used is the latest invention, and said to lie a wonderful gold-saver, the present affords an excellent opportunity—especially to those owners of quartz mines who are about erecting machinery—to communicate with Mr Evans on the subject.

Mr J. Watson, the Sandhurst mill owner made his fortune out of the Kent claim, Garden Gully. For several years he kept twelve batteries going on his own quartz, and got so much gold that the small difference between the mint, and bank prices naided him to net thousands by selling dim." to Go'-emineut. He has 1,500, n OO investe I in Melbourne prooerfy, and hj s larue i ■ ■ rt■: ears i . Sydney, where lie has a brother. He has seven uumarri .1 'laughters.

A dispatch from S'cat' !••, (Vifoniia, says:—“ Michael Fad :eu ami e ihb-.ur named Clark lai I .-iai n to a pif-.-e of land at Leboure, and during Choke’.- absence Padden commence.l fencing in the land. Mrs. Clarke ordered him off. and on his refusal to go put a shot gun into the hands of her son, only eight years old, ami told him to drive Padden away, whereupon the boy shot Padden dead. No arrests have yet been made.” In an article criticising Sir George Grey’s recent addresses, the New Zealand Times says : —“ That Sir George Grey will have a following is certain ; but it will be a small and purely personal one, anil will be a weakness rather than a strength to any organised Opposition that may be formed. Wo have always been of opinion, indeed, that so long as he remains in Parliament it will never be possible to organise an Opposition that would not be liable at any moment to disruption through internal intrigues ; and the course that he has just now adopted in opening what his followers call his campaign tends entirely to confirm that opinion.” The Rangitikei Advocate is responsible for the following ‘ ‘ The thickness of the skull of one of our Colonial youths was testified to in a practical manner the other day at Carnarvon A young man named Cameron, aged about 15 years, slipped off a bullock dray, and fell in front of the wheel, which passed completely over his head, from the left temple to the back of the neck. Beyond a black eye and a bruised head ho is now knocking about as usual. ”

When he door get a chance, a weatherbeaten station hand can (“ iEgles ” thinks) ‘ • pile it on ”tn a new chum Snoh a one up north was riding over tho run with a young ami corresponding!y innocent late arrival. The veteran was unfolding the mysteries of travelling stock, and keeping up a running fire of cross-examination all the time. “Now, young'un,” said he, “if you had a mol) of 300 head' of cattle travelling, and put them in the camp at night, how would you count, vhem ?” The disciple knew none but the oivi-.a"- .e'innl, and was then informed, “You s ", they always turn over and sigh 12 ■ ■’clock midnight, and in the dark" "vh. of the year you can ch ck i»er your moo by counting the sighs.” Young Snckdove firmly believes it to this day. Do you ?

It is cheering to not-! (s-iys ' n cio-Aus-tralian) that the*' ■is eve-y civ,nee o' - powerful c unpanv being formed to carry on the fresh meat iudustrv so successfully iniMateil by the charterers of the Strathloven. Indeed, the Ans"v»!iaii Fresh Meat Company is semi-offi d idy announce I. That is to siy, a p.-otp-iems has nee-i sent out to those capitalists who may he supposed to take an interest in the dm elopment of the resume, s of Australia and New Zealand, pointing out that if the mi lertaking meets with their support, and that if a fair portion of the capital is privately subscribed, the pu ilio will rea lily take up ho rest. The c ipital required is L 150,000 in 15,000 shares of 1,10 cacii, and as application has already been made for a large number of shares, it is to be noped that the remainder may be speedily subscribed, in order that the company may commence operations with as little delay as possible. It is proposed that the company shall obtain eligible sites at the ports of shipment, and erect plant of the most approved description for slaughtering and refrigerating ; also, appliances for melting down tallow, and curing hides and skins. Arrangements would also be made with lines of steamers for space in which to erect meat rooms and fit up refrigerating engines, with the necessary apparatus for treating the meat on board ship.

Sir George Grey is now on his stumping tour. On Tuesday he addressed a large meeting at the Princess Theatre, Dunedin, and received a vote of thanks.

A frightful accident happened at the Talbot (Victoria) railway station on the morning of Sunday week, which resulted in the death of Mr John Richardson, the well-known draper and clothier. Mr Richardson went to the station to see a friend off to Maryborough by the train, ami in taking leave of him, when the train was in motion, was observed by Constable Dann, who was on duty, to lose his footing, and fall between the platform and the footboard. An alarm was given, but not in time to stop the train, which proceeded to Maryborough. A party, headed by Sergeant Britt, with Dr Massey in attendance, started with lanterns along the lino. About 150 yards from the station, the deceased’s watch and chain was found, with traces of blood on the edges of the sleepers. Farther on the party came upon the deceased’s waistcoat, saturated with blood and torn to ribbons.' At about a quarter of a mile farther, a boot and parts of the body were met with, but it W'as not until the Back Creek Bridge, fully a mile and a half from Talbot, was reached that the body, ■which presented a sickening spectacle, was found. Nearly every member of the body was disjointed, but the face although the back part of the head was tom away, was painfully recognisable. The biter is sometimes bit, as the following true story will prove A lady with more beauty than morals was allowed by a notorious West-end dressmaker to run up a bill to the tune of LllOO. One tine day the beauty was offered a present of LSOO by one of the numerous greenhorns who have existed from time immemorial. A mode of settling her long standing account at once suggested itself to the fertile mind of the lady. Hurrying off to the modiste, she informed her that a gentleman was coming that day to pay LSOO on account, but that she must write on the receipt Paid in full,” as the gentleman thought he was paying the whole bill, and might otherwise refuse to pay anything. The bait took, and a receipt was duly given as requested. The following day the dressmaker received a polite message from the lady to say that she intended to transfer her patronage to another shop.

The Claimant has just received another visit from Mr Guildford Onslow and Mr Quartermaine East. His hair and hoard are no longer kept cropped, and as this is always the ease some month or so before a convict’s discharge, it is looked upon by his friends as a favourable sign. Ho expressed much sorrow on hearing of the death of Lord Rivers, from whom he expected a legacy of LIOO a year. An understanding was arrived at that should the Claimant be released he would at once com-

mence divorce proceedings. Since the birth of the last child he has frequently expressed a desire to hear no more of his wife, and is also anxious that his children should be removed from under her care.