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Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 809, 8 December 1865, Page 2

Yesterday afternoon about five o’clock the Volunteer Fire Brigade were again called into service to extinguish a chimney -which was on fire up the right-of-way off Rattray-st., at the back of the Crown Hotel. On the Brigade arriving on the spot with their small hand engine, they found the fire to be of a dangerous character, hut by dint of exertions they managed to exJinpuish it in a short space of time.

Ws are requested to call attention to the fact that the letter-receiving box formerly stationed at the shop of Mr Wilson, grocer, in Maclaggan street, has "been removed to his new premises near the Arcade, in the same street.

'Mr Barlow, the old Victorian celebrity, who so often amused the public in that colony with his vocal description of the “Blue tail’d fly,’ has, we observe, arrived in Dunedin by the Echunga, and we believe that it is his intention shortly to commence an entertainment in the town.

To-night there is a change of performance at the Circus, and to-morrow there will be a “ grand day performance,” under the patronage His Honor the Superintendent.

The Wakatip Mail says:—“lt is rumored that Major Richardson and Mr Haughton are going to contest the Goldfields election. Both of these gentlemen may, however, save themselves the trouble, as their actions in the General Assembly have been keenly watched. It is also said that this is a move of the Weld party, so as to divide the Otago members. These rumors may be put forward as feelers, so it may be as well to tell both these hon. members that they will not succeed in their object, and that every care will be taken to defeat any insiduous movement of this kind. We are quite satisfied, looking at the keen manner the Weld party are attempting to control the elections in Canterbury, that such a conjunction as that of Major Richardson and Mr C. E. Haughton is, perhaps, possible. Another candidate—a new one—we hear, intends to come forward in the person of Mr Bailey, mining agent at the Dunstan, and it is said that Messrs Brodie and Bradshaw will also contest tlie election. Mr Mandera, on the fall of the Weld Ministry, announced himself a candidate for the goldfields, so that as far as the goldfields are concerned there will be no paucity of candidates. Some time ago Capt. Baldwin, at a public dinner at the Teviot, declared his ; intention to come forward and contest the goldfields election, and probablv one or two more will yet enter the list.”

We notice by an advertisement in another column that the time for the reception of tenders for the Grand Stand for the Caledonian Society is extended till to-morrow at 5 p.m.

The Neiv Zealand Advertiser mentions a rumor to the effect that the electors of the city of Wellington are likely to invite Major Richardson to become a candidate for the representation of that city in the General Assembly.

The first pigeon match of the season is announced to take place at Vauxhall to-morrow afternoon. We see by an advertisement in another column that in future (weather permitting) steamers will run to and from the Gardens on Sunday afternoons. This will enable many who are pent up in town during the week to enjoy a pleasant ramble with their families at a trifling expense, especially as no charge is made for admittance to the gardens.

The following letter from a miner on the West Coast appears in the Wakatip Mail: —“ George River, West Coast, November 11th, 1865.—Rear Huff, —I am now at the place that I wrote you about from Jackson’s Bay. I can assure you it is a poor place. There are about SO men at work here, but they are getting very little gold; what they are getting is of a coarse descriptionAt any place we have tried yet we can get the color, but nothing to pay. I am of opinion that there is payable gold about here, but it will have to be well looked for ; and this is a very difficult country to prospect, being very thickly timbered. '1 here are one or two parties at work about 15 miles up the river, but I know nothing of what they are doing. I will go up in a day or two and see. There are no provisions to be had here ; the most of the people have boats of their own, so as to bring their supplies from the Bluff. I would advise no one to come here from Queenstown just now, unless there is something better found out. I should not have written you for a little longer, but there is a cutter about to start for the Bluff, so this is a good chance to send you a few lines. Before I left Jackson’s Bay, the steam-ship Alhambra called in, on her way to Hokitika. I went on board, and saw John Angus and A. S. George, and a few other Queenstown people. * * I will stop here a week or two and give this place a trial. I do not know where to go from here - I cannot get back the way I came without the assistance of boats ; so you will see I am jammed for a time. I am, &c., Alex. Aitken.— P.S.—I may mention that we have had no fresh meat since we left Queenstown. The meat portion of our food has been shell-fish. There seem to be very few wood-hens or ducks on the coast.” The Mail remarks that “no river called

the George is laid down on any of the surveyed charts that we have seen. It is probable that it is a stream running into Bam Bay, about 20 miles north of Martin’s Bay.”