The Dunstan Times. CLYDE, FRIDAY. AUGUST 4. 1882

Dunstan Times, Issue 1059, 4 August 1882, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

CLYDE, FRIDAY. AUGUST 4. 1882

, Beneath the rule of men entirely juaft The pen Is mightier than the sword.

House-racin'!} is now tho chief topic of conversation throughout the district* and, wo suppose, will remain so, even to the exclusion of the Irish troubles question and the Egyptian Crisis, until the latter end of October when the flag will have fallen to the last race on Min Lowburn. In this issue we give the preliminary announcement of tho : Clyde meeting, to be he hold on tho 29th of ■September 5 and also the programme of the Alexandra meeting, to be held on the 22nd of September, a week previous to the Clyde meeting', from other sources it will be learnt that meo ings are to be held at Cromwell and Lowburn on October 6h and 20th respectively. No surer sign of the stability of tho district can possibly bo given than these periodical meet n a s; and they must give

the lie direct to the everlasting whining and croaking of 11 bad times.” The one question, however, that must arise in the minds of all, is, in the thing not overdone, and are not four meetings in four weeks—the whole within a- radius of twenty-one or twentytwo miles—rather too much of a good thing? It is 100 late in the day to hope of any unalgamation taking place this year ; but we think that in the interests of all concerned—the general public, who for the pure love of seeing a good gallop, and who we willing and able to set aside an ocoaronal day or two to the pleasure—and to he owners and breeders of horses—arrangements could easily be made by the amalgamation of Clyde and Alexandra for one - meeting to be held at each place alternately, and similarly for Cromwell and Lowburn. ITn'. der such an arrangement,insteadof the prizes ranging from £5 to £25 each, they could be more than doubled 5 the interest taken in the meetings be more intensified, and a greater incentive given to people to go in for breeding good horses. The advantage, therefore, would be a general all round one, and the whole question is consequently well worth considering on all sides. Not the smallest question in the business is that of funds, which we feel inclined to think would flow in more readily, as instead of the load resting entirely on the shoulders of the few it would he more evenly distributed. Many then would give to one meeting who now very reasonably withhold giving to two. The argument is no new one with us, years ago we advocated it, and now bring it up in the hope of gaining converts,

A Wise Man.—A bibulous Gore resident has, under the provisions of the -Licensing Act, taken out a prohibition order against himself.

Hansard. —We have to acknowledge the receipt of a batch of Parliamentary papers and bills, also several numbers of Hansard from the Government Printer.

A Hew Pest.— According to a Victorian exchange, foxes and hares are getting very plentiful in several parts of Victoria, and lately some boys casght score white hares. Local Option.— lt will be seen, on reference to our advertising columns that the polling under the local option clauses of the Licensing Act will take place, for the district of Manuherekia on Thursday, 10th August, aud for the district of Alatakanui on Saturday, 19th August.

Hospital Surgeon. —Pending the appointment of a Resident Surgeon to the Dunstan District Hospital, arrangements have been made with Dr. Hyde, of Blacks, to visit the institution four times a week, that, is unday afternoon, Monday morning, Thursday afternoon, and Friday morning.

I Photography. —Messrs Nicholas and j D mgall intimate by advertisement that I they have opened their studio at Ophir, op- ! posite the establishment of Mr Fitzgerald, in the main street. We cannot do better j than advise the residents of Blacks and district to pay these artists a visit, if they desire a life-like picture of themselves or families.

‘‘P rinters Art J ournal.”—The June number of the Printers Art Journal is to hand, and it fully maintains its past excellence. Under the heading of “New Z.aland”, “ from our correspondent,” we distinguish the cramped hand of one who here shall be nameless, bat who we would advise to be careful m the use of edged tools. Scarlatina in the Dunstak.—We learn tnat some few children and an adult or two in the immediate neighbourhood of Clyde are suffering from scarlatina of a very mild form. We are no alarmists, but as the disease is in a greater or lesser degree infectious, it would be well to keep the patients as much isolated as possible. Sales of Fat Stock.-—Mr. Fache requests us to draw attention to the sales by auction of fat cattle at Alexandra, and of fat sheep on the following weeks, and intimates that these sales are but the prelude to a series of sales he purposes holding during the Spring and Summer months, providing the support given is commensurate with the attendant expenses.

Take all he can.—Griffith Griffiths, a boarding-house keeper at Queenstown, has been fined £5 for sly-grog selling. The ii • formation was laid by Wong Gye, Chinese interpreter, who described himself as “a police constable for the Chinese, but ah o supposed to look after Europeans.” He added, “ My doty lies all over Otago, and I will take up Europeans as well as Chinese, if I can manage it.” Entertainment at Blacks.—The entertainment to be given at Blacks, on the 25th inst., in aid of the funds of the Dun,tan District Hospital, promises to be a very stylish and superior affair of the kind. The committee who have it in hand are using every effort to obtain the best talent in the district for the concert, and from what we hear, in most instances the desired assistance has been granted. Singular Bigamy Case.—Tlio case against Samuel Joy is a singular one. It appears that four years ago he married a halfcaste woman at Tapari, who within an hi ur after the completion of the ceremony eloped to the King country with a Maori lover. January last Joy contracted a matrimonial alliance with a woman named Pramley, who arrived by the Lady Jooelyn, and it is understood she has laid an information. He was brought up and remanded on bail.

The Weather.—Very heavy ami disastrous floods occurred down country on Saturday and Sunday last, caused by the heavy and continuous rains that fell throughout Saturday. The lower parts of the town of Lawrence was inundated, flooding out the houses in many places. The railway from Lawrence, as far as Milton, was seriously damaged through the ballasting being carried away by the flooded creeks and by land slips. On Saturday traffic was stopped, but by working all day on Sunday it was

resumed on Monday morning, It will bs rememberd that the rain hero was very slight, it being merely a drizzle during the afternoon and evening. Fire at Earnscleuoh Flat.—On Wednesday night, the 26th ult., a stack of oats belonging to Mr, John Holly, was found to be on fire, Mrs, Holly had occasion to pass the stack about six o’clock, half-an-hour before the fire broke out, and at that time there was nothing unusual in its appearance. Immediately the fire was discovered tw<v® water races were diverted and turned upon the burning mass; without avail, however. A new threshing-machine, standing near the stack, was saved with difficulty. The damage is estimated at over £IOO.

Death by Starvation.—At the inquest at Invercargill on the man M’Watt, who died from starvation, Dr. Galbraith deposed that he had examined the body of deceased. He found that there was a very rotten ragge i cotton shirt, but no undershirt on the body. He was extremely emaciated, and there was not the slightest trace of fat near the skin nor on the internal organs" In his experience he had scarcely ever seen a body so emaciated. The stomach was contracted considerably, and contained what appeared to him to be bits of raw turnip and cabbage or turniptops. He inferred that deceased died of syncope, or fainting from extreme exhaustion. He had probably got out of bed for some purpose, and fallen to the floor, from " hicn he had been nnable to rise. Death was caused by exhaustion following on starvation and exposure to cold. He was of opinion that the weak state in which M’Watt was in was caused by starve ion, and by nothing else. In this he felt confirmed by the extieme destitution apparent. The clothing on the body was so thin that a man in that condition must have suffered intensely from cold, and if he had had the means of purchasing clothing he would not have endured such sufferings, 1 here was nothing to show that drink was the cause of death. The Coroner said the deceased appeared to’have been of a proud, sensitive, and ne-vons disposition, shrinking from the exposure of his poverty, and preferring to die rather than to make his necessities known. The Jury found that Archibald M'Watt died of “ syncope, or fainting, brought on by want of nourishment.”