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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2027, 3 November 1869, Page 2

Telegraphic. —The telegraph station at Wanganui is now open for transmission of messages. City Council. The fortnightly meeting of the Council was held this afternoon. There were present: his Worship the Mayor, Councillors Dods, Fish, Thoneman, M'Clashan, Gnffen, Walter, and Wilkinson. The business transacted was unimportant. Masonic. —The third number of the Masonic Magazine has been received. This work improves, is of a high literary order, and contains matter of an exceedingly interesting character to masons. The masons of New Zealand may be congratulated on being sufficiently powerful to sustain a work possessing such sterling merit.

Cricket.—We understand that a tTegram was received in town to-day from Christchurch, advising that the interprovincial cricket match should he played daring tile second week of December. The subject will be considered at a special meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Club this evening.

Dunedin Jockey Club. —At a meeting of the members of the club, hold at the Empire Hotel last evening, a resolution was adopted to the effect that the club endorsed the action taken by the Forbury Park Company, in securing a site for a racecourse near town, and affirming the dcsirabilitv of the club furthering the project by taking up shares in it.

Corporation Baths.—A deputation from the City Council wait'd on the directors of the Waterworks Company a few days ago, wi'h a view to ascertaining on what terms the company would give a supply of water to the proposed corporation baths. The deputation was well received by the directors, who undertook to give a supply free of charge, provided the Government made no objection. His Honor the Superintendent informed a deputation that waited upon him to-day that the Government would make no objection, and he thought they would give a free site for the baths. He suggested that the bath should include wash-houses. The official reply of the Government will he received during the week ; and, if favorable, tenders for tbe erection of the works will at once be called for. Princess Theatre. —“ The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein,” as played last evening, was a decided imjjrovement on the first night's representation. It now goes without a hitch ; the performers are bolter acquainted with their parts, and tbe choristers sing with greater evenness and uniformity. The character of the Grand Duchess is very ably sustained by Miss Fordo, who does ample justice to the splendid music allotted to it. Her best efforts arc decidedly the rondo, “ [ dote on the military;” the sabre song; the aria, “Tell him from me,” and “The Hamburg journal.” the three first-mentioned are already favorites with the audience, notably the sabre song, which was again encored last evening. “Tbe Hamburg "journal” which is exquisitely sung, is to our thinking one of the most sparkling hits of music iu the piece. The part of Wanda is entrusted to Miss Nye, who both acts and sings well. Her duetts with Fritz were well rendered. We should like to hear the regulation song in the first act given iu its < ntirety. The soldier Fritz is represented by Mr WEitworth, who acts very well indeed. It is a pity that Mrs Howard should have been saddled with the unimportant part of Prince Paul, which only requires to be well dressed, and it is almost needless to say that this lady has done that. Mr Howard dresses and plays well as General Boom ; and Mr Joyce is equally successful as Baron Puck. Mr Bell and Mr Ingl s do well what little there is to be do e as Nepoumac and General Grog respectively. Wc were glad to notic > that the pugilistic encounter between tbe General and Fritz was not given last night. There was a good house, and at the end of the first act Miss Forde and Mr Whitworth were called before the curtain.

Westland Mining News. For weeks past there have been reports of good finds, and these reports have been true, and here and there lit;le patches of ground likely to be remunerative for some time have boon opened up. Steadily the prosecution of work on all grounds has been proceeded with, and more than one company has obtained, in a legitimate matter—not by rigging the markets —an addition of capital, which has been faithfully invested in means and appliances for the better getting at the gold. It is not generally known, but it is a fact, that, during the last few weeks, very very nearly LB,OOO has been expended in mining machinery alone. This, in itself, is a sound sign, and when, as in the lloss Drainage Company, great spirit and activity is shown is surmounting no' slight difficulties, so as to make that machinery available as speedily as possible, a thorough confidence in the place is preserved. During the week just ended, the impetus recently given to prospecting for quartz reefs has not been allowed to flag, and there is every indication of the successlul inauguration in Westland of this important branch of the mining industry. But the most important event of the month has been the discovery of payable gold so close to the town as at Woodstock. Perhaps the mere fact of a discovery of good wash would not have caused 540 men to go on to the field in one day, but there is something more. There is the fact that the prospectors have not gone haphazard to work ‘with the hope of dropping on the rkdit spot, but that they started with the firm belief that a continuation of the old Han Han lead could he traced, and that, taking bearings, they worked upon that belief. Their succcsadias opened the eyes of those who are practically acquainted with the mining history of the country, and there is no doubt that, ‘should their premises prove correct, other lost leads will be searched for and found. We give the fullest and latest particulars of the rush below, and can only add that up to the last moment nothing has occurred to damp the faith of the men oa the "round, but rather increased confhlence has set in thro igh its being seen that those expected to know something are not shepherding their claims, but arc commencing to work. Another item of mining news to which we refer, is the discovery of wash said to run an ounce to the load, further up the river, and in the neighborhood of the Longford station. Very little reliable information respecting this rush is obtainable yet, but this much is known, that gold in good quantity has been got with very little trouble. It "has long been believed that the country near is auriferous, and : now a systematic prospect will be made. The newly-started Prospecting Association has been making great progress. The public have responded liberally to the call made Nr aid, and, as will be seen by the report of the proceedings, some practical use of the funds that have been raised will at once be made. Ihe only other item to notice is the rapul strides taken down south. Not only have old alluvial workings turned out well, but new ground has been opened up, and, in addition, some attention has been turned to the development of quartz reefs at Okarita, and at Tne Waipara on her present trip took down a large number of passengers for the district. Altogether the mining m tvs is very encouraging, and leads to the belief that the star of Westland’s fortune is in the ascendant. The (Jhuvlfston Jfo'uld (Nelson) says ;—From time to time wo have been encouraged to beiieve that quartz reefs equal to any country would yet be found in the neighbourhood of Charleston. It seems that '

the long-postponed fulfilment of this hopp is about to be realised. A number of men known as Clark and party have been prospecting for the past three or four weeks in the neighborhood of Deep Creek. On Saturday they reported having found a reef on the north side of the creek, and not far from the Brighton road possessing every indication of gold. A number of people visited the locality on Sunday, and remained over night with the view of pegging off ground on the following morning, 'the r:ef is on the side of a hill shelving down to the creek, and presents a face of four feet in depth. A number of gentlemen in town have offered to supplement the efforts of Clark and party to furl her prospect the reef. Gold has been found in the neighborhood of the reef in a deuosit of broken quartz, shale, and black sand.— Leader, Oct. 2.

Our attention has been called to the disgraceful practice that has long been complained about of persons taking flowers from graves iu tbe Cemetery. This outrage upon the feelings of friends and relatives can only have been perpetrated by those whoso moral sense is more degraded than the Maoris, for oven they have some reverence for their dead. We are glad that efforts will be made to bring the offenders to punishment.