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Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 January 1901, Page 2

The Harbor Board meeting last night, lapsed for want of a quorum, A meeting is convened for this afternoon. Members of the Ladies Khaki Company, are requested to attend at the Drill Shed this evening in full uniform, to consider whether the Company will continue or disband.

Owing to the rise in the river, consequent upon the heavy rain, work on the Grey River dredge is to-day suspended. One of the boats belonging to the dredge broke adrift during the night. The Dobson No 2 is also at a standstill.

The telegraphic authorities at Berne notifies that the South Australian administration announces, that notice has been received from New South Wales, that collective telegrams from troops in China can now be accepted at Shanghai, Taku, and Wai-hei-wai with address. The Orphens-Sydney, and the MarseillesBarcelona cable is interrupted. Madame do Norvell, takes this opportunity of thanking her many patrons during her short visit to Greymouth. She leaves for Brunner on Friday morning, and closes her shop in Albert Street on Thursday evening. In Sweden, capital punishment is never carried out unless the culprit confesses.

The fresh tenders for the Patterson’s Creek viaduct, Springfield section, Midland Railway, closed on the 7th inst, It is understood that the Westport Coal Company has made a general increase of 2s per ton in the price of coal.

The increase in the number of letters posted in New Zealand during the last nine years inclusive has been 11,286,990. The number posted in 1891 was 28,745,462 and in 1899 35,032,452.

During the last days of the Paris exhibition, an army of bailiffs was mobilised to levy distress warrants and seize the goods of over throe hundred Concessionaires, who were unable to meet their engagements. A misapprehension exists as to whether the old postage stamps can be used in prepaying correspondence. All postage stamps issued, however far back, by the Postal Department, can legally be used in prepayment of postage. Mr Scott, of Blaekbajl on Monday telegraphed as follows to Mr Tennent, Inspector of Minos. There are 32lbs pressure per square inch on the mine dam, which pressure is equal to 73 vertical feet of water in the mine. ’lt is decided to raise the water on the workings to a total height of 145 feet. The Colonial Secretary is to confer with the Auditor-General and the Secretary to the Treasury on the subject of devising a uniforn system of municipal book-keep-ing, the Government having been requested to bring about such a-change. The Tyr Connel mine (Lyell) has just completed crushing a parcel of stone from their mine. Wo are unable to obtain the figures of the actual yield, but the proprietors (Kelly and party) are highly satisfied with the return, which we understand will give something over £4 per week to each of the party.

One enterprising young man (says Christchurch Truth) established quite a corner in the new penny stamps. By some means he secured a good supply, and when the post office had sold out, which was very quickly, he stood on the steps of the office, and gradually raised his prices for the stamps from 2s per dozen to Is each. As numbers of people were bent on having the stamps, the latter price was easily obtained.

The dam on Chasm Creek side of the Cardiff mine was completed on Monday, and the water was rising in the mine. Owing to the;broken nature of the high givu ■ d, it will be impossible to flood the mine, but the fire will be confined to' the high outcrops, and will gradually burn out for lack of fuel. Cave Area, where the best field of coal lies, remains intact. A recommendation has also been made that a further area, where there is good, coal, over towards Mokihinui, be included in the Cardiff lease. There is good reason to believe that these new fields of coal will shortly be worked and the output of coal from the Buffer district much increased. Corporal Ooutts, who won one of the Queen’s scarves lor bravery, had intended to return to South Africa to resume his duties as a valuer under the military authorities, but the health of Mrs Goutt's is not of tho best, and, ..according to the Faweta “Star,” the idea has therefore been abandoned. Mr Coutts is on leave at present, but will apply for his discharge. He has had quite enough of campaigning, he says. The latest newspaper venture in Canada is one for the Iroquois Indians. It is printed in the Mohawk tongue, is called the “ Ork-we-on-we.” and will appear fortnightly under tho supervision of an official of the Indian Department. Tho paper will be circulated among a community numbering between fifteen .And twenty thousand souls. The editor, &0. Cook, is an Iroquois by birth, and has received an English education in Canada, Whilst assisting to celebrate the dawn of the new century with a display of fireworks, a member of the Westport Fire Brigade, owing to the bursting of a rdeket received a compound fracture of tho thumb, and a slight puncture of the abdoihen. A second rocket burst and knocked three men over, but no serious injury was done,

Mr Arthur P. Pender, son of Inspector Pender, was married at Wellington on Boxing Day to Miss Nora Mo Pftrland; eldest daughter of Sir F. McFarland, J.P, There was a large attends,noo of friends of both families at the rejoicings; prominent amongst them being the Right Hon. the Premier, Mrs and Miss May Seddon, and the Hon. J. G. Ward. The best man was Mr Frank Pender, brother of the bridegroom, and the bride was attended by her sister, Miss Kate McFarland. The happy couple left lor the North on a honeymoon tour immediately after the ceremony. " ! Where will you be at the close of the next century ?” asked a street preacher iu Master ton last Sunday night. “At a place where there is no water supply," interjected a small boy who was standing in the vicinity of one of the newly-inserted mains.

Two Auckland dentists were discussing the subject of painless extraction the other day. Said one, ‘The fact is I’ve got gentleness down to such a fine point that all my patients go to sleep while I am pulling their teeth.’ ‘That’s nothing,’ replied the other; mine are beginning to have their photographs taken while I operate, because they always have such pleasant expressions on their faces; When the Cardiff Coal Company's property, which has cost £BO,OOO, was confiscated by the Government for a debt of £4BOO, the Westport Harbor Board was entitled to receive a considerable sum from the company for royalties, etc. The Board considers that as the mine and plant have been taken over by the Government, the colony should pay the amount owing by the company, and it has decided to make a formal demand in that direction.

The Tongan correspondent of the Auckland "Star” states that an incident which is fortunately of rare occurence among the natives of Tonga happened recently at Nina-Foou, one of the outlying islands of this group. A native man, who was ill, was deserted by his wife, who went to live with another man. On his recovery the injured husband wont out with his gun, vowing it is said, to shoot his faithless spouse. He met the other man, high words passed between them, a.,d the injured man shot the other in the chest. The accused has been sent over for trial. There is every probability that ho will be hanged, which is the extreme penalty in Tongan law.

The Russian Government has decided upon the introduction of specially cheap fares upon the Trans-Siberian Railway, in order to encourage emigration to the country. A ticket from Russia to Tobolsk only costs 4a 9d, and from Tobolsk to any station whatever in Siberia the fare is only 9s. Thus the tripper can cover about 6,000 miles for t, matter of 13s.

Many instancies arc known where ladies have lost their feet because of foot-binding. Some of the Chinese ladies are very enthusiastic in seeking the welfare of the cause. No one will doubt tho genuine interesl; of a lady living in Canton. At one time she proudly boasted, that her feet were tho smallest in that city, but now her anxiety is to get them made as large as possible. Another lady by this tortuous habit Lad lost her feet, but had them preserved in spirits. ' That her faith in Mrs Little is unbounded may be seen from the fact that she took her “ preserved ” feet to that lady, accompanying them with a request that the lady should put them on again for her !

A gentleman who lost money at the Hokitika races tho other day declares that it could not be otherwise for as ho entered the course the band had just commenced to play, “A day’s march nearer home.” As the gentleman in question has formed an idea that horse-racing and bankruptcy are almost synomymous terms he lost heart at what he declared to bo the prophetic spirit of the band and invariably backing the wrong horse, got as he says, “A day’s march nearer the Bankruptcy Court.”

The Southland News, referring to th e capture of the two escaped prisoners) states that it was the intention of the oscajpees to get into the Kurow ranges, build a hut and remain there two months, getting what food they required with thej gun, and then to make for Dunedin, fronj which place they were to setf sail in lairge fishing boat for Australia, with Eloatley as navigator. While engaged in fishing from the north side of the mole on Saturday afternoon (says the “ Morning Post ”) a Timaru resident had a rather exciting experience. On pulling in his line on one occasion ho discovered he had engaged an octopus. Having had no previous experience, with cuttle fish, when he had pulled his hanl to the water’s edge, ho caught hold of one oi; its tentacles. Luckily he had a strong hold of a rock with the other hand, or the consequences might have been serious. The octopus, having a good hold of the large stones of which the mole is composed, exerted all its mastery, but help being at hand, it was landed and dissected. From tip to tip of its longest tentacles it measured 9ft. T. W. Tymons and 00. drapers apd clothiers are now opening up their second large shipment ex “Whakatane” from,' London, everything up to date and at their usual low prices.— Advt.