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Dunstan Times, Issue 965, 15 October 1880, Page 2

To-day the Clyde Spring meeting will be held on the Dunstan course. There are very fair entries for the principal events, and should the weather be favorable there is every prospect of an enjoyable day. In the Kyeburn murder case tried at the last Criminal Session of theSuprerae Court, Ah Leo was found "guilty,” and Lee Gay not guilty,” who was then discharged. The Clyde bridge contractors appear to he very dilatory with their work. For some time past there has been a very conspicuous absence of xvoik and of workmen. Probably they aro waiting to sea the fate of the tenders for approaches.

The’ settlers in the Earasdough Blosk are giving evidence of their bona tides in asking that the land might be thrown open. Ploughing, and sowing and fencing are the order of the day, and “ from morn to dewy eve” they are all hard at work. They oer. taiuly deserve success and we sincerely hope they will achieve it. To-morrow, Saturday, the first match of the seasons will be played on the Clyde ground between an Eleven of Cromwell and a combined team of Clyde and district. The Cromwell team is spoken of as being a strong one, the odds accordingly are in favor of them scoring a win, though they will doubtless “ have some trouble to do it." The Clyde team will be selected from the following Messrs W. O. Rees, C. Rees, Leahy, Williams, B -urchier, Ari , Macgenrge, Stevens, M‘Kay, Hogan, Camphell, Shaw, Ramsden, and Pyke,

Our friends at Matakauui have decided to hold a race meeting on the 31st Decen • her. The programme will appear iu future issues. Last week we mentioned that Mr Holt in his now lease at the bead of Cooper’s Gully had at a depth of about 150 feet got strong indications of coal. Since then we learn that at 160 feet he struck the seam, and from the sample of coal shown us we should imagine there will be a body of it. We may expect that Mr Holt will in consequence soon he in the market with his coal.

We learn on good authority that the Government are about to erect uew offices at Cromwell for the use of the Warden at a cost of between L3OO and L4OO. This is a strange procedure iu these times of rigid economy. Thu offices have sufficed for all wants hitherto ; and when we reflect that an equal sum of money has, on various pretences, been refused for a Court house at Ophir, where there is literally no accomodation for the magistrate and clerk. The proposed expenditure at Cromwell dpeg bear the appearance of irrjustice anfi favoritism.

The weather during the past week has been exceptionally flue—Clear blue skies and very little wind. It is a matter -for congratulation that the Government can neither levy a tax on the climate, nor tako “ten per cent” off it, as they assuredly would do if they had the power. The truib orchards in magnificent condition, showing promise of an abundant harvest. Apricots are already as large as the first j■ -iLit of outs finger, an I they are multitudinous. Peaches and pears are also looking well, and the blossom on the apple trees just now presents a perfect picture of loveliness. The flower gardens are blooming, and the sweat scent of their blossoms pervades the atmosphere. Notwithstanding all our troubles —public ami private—thero is mach pleasure iu existence here. The well-known thoroughbred entire horse “ Roebuck ” will travel Clyde, Alexandra, Blacks and surrounding districts this season. His stock is generally admitted to bo first-class. Further comment is unnecessary.

A curious story reaches ns from a remote corner of this district. A' certain, storekeeper, hearing that a Chinaman to whom he had given credit was about to decamp, obtained the assistance of a policeman and started in pursuit of the defaulter. John was found without much trouble, but pay ho would not ; so his creditor compelled him to hand over the cash by the simple process of taking it from him vi el amis. John went on his way considerably crestfallen, and the storekeeper returned home triumphantly. But his triumph was of brief duration ; for he soon discovered that he had taken the money from the wrong Chinaman ! - a fact which was made more manifest to him by the contents of an epistle from a Dunedin lawyer. The matter was finally “settled out of Court,” but in the meantime the right Chinaman has levanted, and that storekeeper it now a weary ami a wiser man. On Monday last the move celebrated River claim (Coleman’s) at Butch u’s Point, below Alexandra, was sold by auction at Alexandra under a warrant of distress, and realised thu insignificant sum of fifty pounds. Messrs M ‘Benzie, Fraser and M'Leod, the owners of the current wheeldredge, were the purchasers, and it is understood they purpose dropping their dredge down stream and working their new purchase with it. The last season this claim was woiked over six hundred pounds worth of gold -vas obtained, and as there was no indication of the gravel running out or the rock bottom rising, it is not at all improbable the new proprietory will reap a rich harvest.

The pure-bred Clydesdale entire horse “ Glasgow Gcordie ” will travel this season Alexandra, Blacks, and surrounding districts. For pedigree and full particulars see advertisement which appears in another column, Thu branch of the National Bank at Milton has been closed.

In comparison with former years the number of miners iu the neighborhood of Alexandra and Clyde is nothing so large, though still scattered about there are a good many parties. The Dunstan com* monage employs some seven or eight parties, two of whom are using large bodies of water, one race being brought from the head waters of Chatto Creek, a distance of nearly 25 miles, and carrying some ten head of water ; another from the head of Leaning Rock Crefck, a distance of about twclva miles and carrying six heads—the other parties are using the small local streams, and from the close application of all to their work we assume they are doing fairly. The banks of the Molyneux, both East and West also employ a good many parties, the latter using the Fraser river water, and the former taking their supply from various sources—the Wia Puna, Chatto, and other creeks. There aro also a good few parties in Conroy’s, Butcher’s, Blackman’s, Brennan’s, and other gullies. Tbo whole, it

can (airly be Resumed, from the steady manner they pursue their work are being remunerated for their labor. The quartz reef at Conroy’s is still lying idle feuding information from the agent who undertook the forming it into a company. Our Blacks correspondent informs us that Monday next is likely to be a day long to be remembered in that district. In the morning a trotting match between Mr M’Morran’s (Devil) and Mr Pitches’ (Sam) forLIO aside, owners up—distance two miles—will take place. In the afternoon, a meeting of farmers will be held with the object pf forming a farmers' club, while in the evening a public meeting will be held at Gavan’s Hotel, Blacks, to protest against the action of the Government m throwing the Black’s division of the Duustan district into the Nascby district. The work of driving the piles for the Eastern approach to the Alexandra Bridge is anything but an easy job, the ground being remarkably hard, in fact it is of that hard and compact nature that to the eye of the unprofessional man the piles are a superfluous expense, and could well have been dispensed with. The contractors however, are battling manfully with the obstacles that beset them, and by a continued exercise of the perseverance they have up to the present observed, they may be expected in the long run to be victorious. Material for the superstructure is daily arriving on the ground so that when this pile driving is finished the other work can be proceeded with without delay. Some of the wire ropes arrived on the ground during the week.

Our P. D. has been playing up again, and indulging his funniosity by inserting an uunecesoary “ o ” in the word “ calibre ” which occurred in our sub-leader last week. His excuse is that he did not know whether our local contemporary had any " mental calibre" to speak of, but that he knew him to be a “bore” ot the first magnitude. This is sad. We fear that bov will go to grief, or become a centurion in the “ Skidmore Brigade.” It is very amusing to read of the Lake County Councillors saying that they did nut wish to “ follow in the wake of the extravagant Vincent County" by cutting down expenses. That they did not see any occasion for such nonsense in fact. But they did cut them down all the same, and now they feel that they have been equally extravagant economists, no doubt.

At the meeting of the jj;ind Board held on the 6th instant—The Chairman of Vincent County Council wrote asking that section 13, block 111, township of Ophir, recently surveyed, may be reserved as a grave! pit for the use of Vincent County Council. Government to be recommended to make the reserve for the purpose namedXt has been resolved by the Timaru Harb6r Board to reduce the salaries of all their officers by 10 per ceut. An Auckland telegram states that an important seizure of smuggled spirits and beer has b*en made by sub-inspector Thomas at Whangatata, near Katikati. It is estimated at L3OO in value. The casus were found buriad in the sand.

Judging by the loial paper cash is not plentiful down Southland way. The people have consequently taken to bartering by means of rabbit skins. Ten skins purchase a bushel of oats ; ten skins buy lib of butter; three skins procure a nip of brandy ; and so on. The following is a specimen of an American advertisement.—“ It is said that Prince Leopold and his royal sister Louis of Lorne are extremely dissappointed that unavoidable circumstances will prevent them coming as far west as San F.-ancisco. They have both stated to their intimate friends that the chiet cause of their regret lit s in the fact that they will not now be able to have their photographs taken at Bradley and Rulofson’s, 419 Montgomery street We sympathise with them as deeply as their misfortune deserves.”

The Blue Spur correspondent of the Tuapeka Times gives the following items of mining news : The Great Extended Co. have pierced through their tunnel on the Munro's side, and will soon be in full awing in their usual style. The Company last week extended their pipes to enable them to get more pressure. Livingston and Co. are driving a tunnel for a blast. The Tailings Co, are making great progress in their work, which has been carried on in a very economical manner. This company are worthy of being successful in their spirited enterprise. Scrip changed hands here lately at ss.

Ho went to law. On the afternoon of the day of trial he met a friend, and said in mournful accents, “I’ve Inst ray case. By the way, arc you a religions man ?" “ Not much,” was the discouraging response “Well now, I am, and I prayed this morning that if ray claim was unjust 1 might lose my case. I have lost it. But for all that my claim ic(i3 just I think Providence must mike mistakes sometimes.” “Perhaps,” said his friend, “ Providence might see differently if you applied for a new trial and retained Browbeat !” He did, and won, with coats, and his trust in Providence is now, he says, “ Stronger than ever.”— -dEgles.

Hard things are frequently said about “ lay magistrates ” —that is, magistrates who are not professional lawyers, and last session a bill to allow Resident Magistrates to be admitted to the bar without serving articles, provided they were able to pass the usual examination was thrown out by the Legislative Council, although it had passed the House of Representatives. We have no desire to argue the question with our legal friends, whose anxiety to establish a close monopoly is quite natural even if it bo out of accordance with the spirit of the times. But it is instructive to note that out of the first Wardens of these gold-fields two are now District Judges, three others occupy the magie'e-

rial bemlh at Dunedin, Invercargill and Wellington respectively, and to other three has been entrusted the judicial work of the whole interior of Otago. And every one of these were “ lay magistrates." Thi» fact speaks volumes and requires no comment. It may be added that the gentlemen referred to a''e all of the original Gold-fields Staff who have remained in the service.

A desperate struggle lately occurred with burglars at Collingwood, near Melbourne, Victoria. Being disturbed while robbing a house they 'vero seized, hut attempted a rescue. A firht ensued, but the burglars were eventually overpowered and tied with ropes. During the conveyance of the prisoners to thn lock up a number of larrikins effected their rescue.

A Sydney paper reports rich finds in particular claims a) the Temora gold-fields, but it stilljlangulshcs for want of water. A number are leaving, being unable to hold out, but the belief in the permanency and ultimate profitableness of the field is very general.

“ There swims rw» goose so grey," says the poet, “butsooui or late she finds soma fitting gander for her mate,” and the same thing, it seems, may be said of the gander. A man without arms was brought before the magistrate last week for bigamy (says the writer of London Town Talk in the Melbourne Argus) : the defence was that there could have beea no putting on of the ring by the husbani (as enjoined in tho Church Service), and also that he could not have given the wife his hand. This was admitted, but the father of the first wife testified that she put the ring on her knuckle and that the bridegroom “ shoved it on with his teeth.” “That," observed the Judge, “is not according to the Rubric.” The bigamist, however, was acquitted on other grounds, the first wife deserted him for seven years. Even this does not equal the once famous case of Miss Biffin, who found a husband albeit she had neither arms nor le«s. It is perhaps unnecessary to add that she had property. Indeed she muved—or rather was carried about—in goud society. There is a story of her being left by accident in the assembly, rooms at Cheltenham after a ball. When the lights were all put *ut she began to scream, and the night porter came up to know what was the matter. I have been left behind and forgotten,’’ she cried ; “It’s most shameful,”—“Then step this way, | ma’am."—"l cant; I’ve got no legs." This frightened the man, fur ho had never heard of Miss Biffin and of her fondness (like Dickens’dwarf) “forgoing into society.” However, he mustered courage, and approached her with “ Put out your hand, ma’am."—“l have got neither hands nor arms,” was the astounding reply, at which i he fled, exclaiming very illogically that she I must he the devil.

The Pa ris Custom House -officials made a haul the other day. The tram from Metz brought over a courier to the Ilusaiau embassy whoso baggage bore the impress of the Statu seal, which of course saved him from the payment of any duty. Fortunately, one of the employes remembered that about three years ago the Customs authorities had been informed of the theft of a llussinu seal of State. The boxes wen* accordingly opened, and no loss than 24,000 cigars were revealed to view. The false courier was at once arrested and imprisoned at Nancy. Afterwards another courier made his appearance with the samo number of cigars, and shared a like fate.

The American ladies are continuing to capture the British aristocracy. Their wealth, no less than thoir freshness and beauty, is the attraction—‘‘The American element in high society has,” says the Lon lon World, “now received a powerful addition—already it was very predominant. Many of the handsomest and most popular among the leaders of fashion hail from the other side of the Atlantic—Viscountess Mandeville, Mrs Arthur Paget, the Hon. Mrs W. Carrington, Lady Randolph Churchill, and now the Marchioness of Anglesea, form a galaxy difficult to match both for looks and social charms.”

The National Car Builder says that a locomotive on the Pennsylvania railroad made the fastest run on record a fuw evenings ago. It was ordered fiom the roundhouse to the scene of an accident, and ran 60 miles in 45 minutes and 8 seconds. This is at the rate of a trifle under 60 miles an hour, and is a very remarkable performance.

Throat Affection's and Hoarseness. - All suffering from irritation of the throat and hoarseness will be agreeably surprised at the almost immediate relief afforded by the use of “Brown’s Bronchial Troches." these famous “ lozenges ” are now sold hy most respectable chemists in this counts y at Is l|d per box. People troubled with a “ hacking cough,” a “slight cold,” or bronchial affections, cannot try them too soon as similar troubles, if allowed to progress result iu serious Pulmonary and Asthmatic affections See that the words ‘ - Brown's Bronchial Troches ” are on the Government Stamp around each box. —Manufactured hy John I. Brown & Sons, Boston, United StatesOepot. 4P3. Oxford.stieet, London