The Dunstan Times CLYDE FRIDAY, SEPT 26, 1884.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1178, 26 September 1884, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

CLYDE FRIDAY, SEPT 26, 1884.

- Beneath the rule of men entirely Jns» The pen is mightier than the sword.

The San Francisco Mail will close at Clyde on Wednesday, Bth October, at 2 o’clock p.m.

In the R.M. Court. Clyde, before Major Keddefl, R.M.. on Thursday, the 25th inst., a man named William Thomas Maofarlane, who for some time past has been working and knocking about Clyde, was charged with the forgery of a cheque for L 7 6s, on the Colonial Bank, Ophir, in the name of Robert Ah xander. Accused, it appears, was indebted to Robert Sheppard, of Tinkers, in the sum of L 5, and on being asked for the money, tendered the cheque in payment, receiving L2 odd in change, at the same time saying the cheque was all right, as he had been working for Alexander, On the cheque being presented for payment, it transpired that no such a man as Robert Alexander had an account at the Bank. At once suspicion was raised and accused was arrested. Accusaed had been mining with a man named Robert Alexander, near Clyde, but left him some two months since. The evidence of Mr Sheppard and Mr Fergnson, the Bank accountant, and the police having been taken, accused was committed for trial The accused appeared to think lightly of his position at first, and before the evidence was taken suggested to the magistrate the advisability of asking him how he intended pleading, guilty or otherwise, but when ha was commuted for trial, and it was intimated that 3 years imprisonment was the lowest penalty for the offence of forgery, he then appeared to realise his position and appeared very crest fallen. The weather during the past week habeen extremely rough, high winds and storms of cold rain being the order of the day and The amount of moisture will doubtless make the grass grow, but it is playing sad havoc amongst the younu lambs which are now dropping throughout the district. In many olacss the extreme moisture is preventing the sowing of grain.

We are sorry to hear that measles has made its appearance in the district. ' tlw disease is evidently making its wiy thro gh the country, at Naaehy and St B ith ms, we believe, there were few families esc rjad the trouble.

. The Clyde races takes place to-day oa tha Duns tan Baee course.

,Iu the Victorian Parliament Mr M‘Lei lan severely admonished Mr Mirams f r pDeaking sneeringly of the ability of Wilson Gray, who was a Parliamentary glalt.vor in the days of intellectual giants. Wilson Gray did not address the House like a schoolboy,telling tellin.» the same story over and over again. Mr Miiams does not in Mr M‘Lallan’s opbtiou, yet know the alphabet of land legislation. The Timara Herald writes : “ If what we hear from an old settler in this district is true—and we have no reason to doubt his word—there is one imported bird that is proving quite a blessinc to farmers both large and small. Wo refer to the starling. We are assuied that these birds settle on the backs of sheep and peck out the ticks from the wool, the sheep take the matter very quietly, and are apparently as well satisfied with the operation as the birds themselves, The benefit derived from the pecking proclivities of the starling applies particularly to long wool and crossbred sheep, which are much more liable to be ‘ cast ’ than merinvS, or other short wools.” The rowing match for the amateur championship of the colonies and a trophy valued at LIOO, betwen W. G. Brett, of New South Wales, and H. Sharlan ■, of Tasmania, took place at Sydney. The Sydney mao was the favorite, and ho deserved the confidence of his friends, for he won rather easily by for lengths. On account of a flood-tido tha time was slow. There is a probability of Pittes, of Victoria, disputing the title with Brett,

There is quite a re-action sotting in on many of the old Victorian goldfields by the discoveries of highly payable quartz reefs. At Oastlemaine a wonderfully rich reef has been discovered by a fanner whilst grubbing outja stump,and at Malmsbury some of the old abandoned rei fs have been opened out again, and are yielding remarkably well.

Mr Beetham had to deal with a rather novel application at the R.M. Court in Christchurch on Monday (says the Lyttelton Tim’s). It is not often that persons think so little of iheir liberty ns ask to be deprived of it; yet the applicant in this case, a man hardly middle-aged, who described himself as a shoemaker, wished to be sent to a gaol for a month. He represented that hi" endeavours to get work had been unavailing, and he was reduced to the greatest straits. Feeling ill, he had gone to the Hospital, but the person he saw was, as 'he put it, “ most impertinent,” and refused to have anything to do with. him. Of course the magistrate could not comply with his request, but said he had no doubt if the man was really in want Mr March would relieve him and Inspector Pender volunteered to represent the ease to tiro relieving officer. Piom inquiries made subsequently, it has been found that the man hails from Rangtora, and has some fiiends in Wellington. For the past few days he baa been apparently loafing round the town, though-in this connection it wonld.be only charitable to . suppose that he was looking for the work which ho failed to obtain.