Local and General.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1023, 25 November 1881, Page 2

Local and General.

A Chinese Opera Company are playing at the School of Arts, Sydney-

Scott and Co ’s dredge is still lying idle, the river being too high.

TllEwoikof placing the supension wire ropes in position at the Alexandra biidge has commenced, the first by now being already placed. The task by no means was an easy one.

The large steam dredge being built at Alexandra by McQueen and Co is now well nigh comple ed, some few of the fixings connected with the washing apparatus being alone required. The stalling her to work takes place, we believe, next week.

News are to hand of the total destruction by fire, between 11 and 12 o’clock on Tin sday night, of Eecles's Welcome Inn, Naseby. The lire started in the dining room. The total loss, including about £3l) in notes and silver and three months wages of one of the servants, is about £(i00, of which only 1200 is covered in the Victoria.

The “Mount Ida Chronicle” says It seems strange that an unusual number of aspirants to all places of honour are at present springing up from the squatting ranks. It makes one believe that the allusion about the squatters association, which appeared in the Otago Witness some time ago,was true. All the nothern ridings of this county have squatters in the field seeking for election.

A fire occurred between 3 and 4 o’clock on Tuesday morning last in a range of buildings used as loose boxes, fowl house, and bath room, in connection with Mrs George’s Dunstan Hotel, Clyde. The ser-vant-maid. by a fortunate circumstance, awoke just at the time, and, thinking it might bo late, pulled aside the curtain of the window, and to her great fright saw (La flames, and at once gave the alarm. Tho particulars of tho enquiry held is given in another column. At the last moment wo are informed tho enquiry cannot bo held till some day next week

Some men for a few weeks past have been prospecting a quartz lode on the slope ot the Old Man Bange, at the head of Blackman’s Golly. On Tuesday last a party —including Mr Goodger of Cromwell, Mr Holt of Clyde, and others—made a visit of inspection to the lode and its locality. Mr Holt informs us that the lode is well defined for a long distance, but that so far as it is tested it i very loose and friable,and yields a f*ir prospect of loose gold, hut scarcely in quantities sufficient to pay for working; and that the solid quartz when found contained good gold, the party securing a good many very fair specimens. The exact future intentions of the party do not transpire, but we understand the work ef prospecting is to be proceeded with for a time longer to see if a solid lode exists.

An-esteemed correspondent from Blacks, writing us, says; -The dry weather still prevails, and the farmer’s hopes, freshened by the late rains, are fading wi hj the crops Tho oats about here are holding their own a great deal better than the wheat and barley, but they too are putting firth signs of a poor harvest.—Mr Corrigal withdrew from hi-> candidature for a seat in the County Council for Mimuherikia Biding, seeing he had but small hopes of success .against the other two candidates. His idea doubtless was that he might, by splitting the votes, slip into the coveted seat; hut seeing there—the chances of such a thing to be remote, he wisely retired. Of remaining two in the field I can’t say which ■will win, ?nd as the secret mill be known before your next issue, 1 will not speculate ■on the subject.

James Hogan, a man well known to the police in this district, was on Wednesday arrested by Constable Bell of Blacks, at Eweburn Station, on the charge of burglariously entering Mr M’Kenna’s hotel at Cromwell on tho night of Oct 27. He is also charged with larceny from the dwelling of Thos Bain of Kawaran Flat, near Cromwell, on the evening of 27th ult, an' l stealing therefrom a box containing several games, also LI. total value Lo; also with the larceny of a quantity of dried fish from Jas Claik, near Kawaran Bridge, on Nevis Bead, on 28ili ult, and of burglary at Nevis Hotel, kept by Thus O’ConnelL, ■on 29th ult. In escaping from M‘Senna’s hotel at Cromwell he left his hat and coat behind him It was after this that the other robberies were committed, and the offender, instead of a coat bad a bag on bis head and shoulders coal-heaver fashion. He was brought before the Naseby Bench yi gterday, and remanded to Cromwell for trial on November 30.

A MOST disastrous fire oocured at Pembroke last week, resulting in the total destruction of the large range of stabling attached to Mrs RusseTs hotel, also three valuable horses, including the thoronghhre 1 entire “ Merry King”, also a large quantity of saddlery and oth r things. From the particulars to hand we understand that the groom and one or two others had barely left the stables after attending to the horses for the night and got inside the house, when the alarm of tire was given, and on again -coining out t hey found the whole structure in a blaze, and burning with so much fury ’that their every energy had to be directed to save the flames from attacking the hotel. By pulling down the buggy sheds and some small outbuildings, and by the display of immense exertions the lire fortnnati ly was confined to the stables, and in but a short time the whole was reduced to a mass of smouldering embers The wind, though pretty strong at the time, was fortunately blowing away from the hotel, or no exertions of the few willing hands who gathered -could have prevented its destruction. Tire estimated damage is between £3OO and £4OO, ■while theinsnrance ison'y £IOO