Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1901.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 13 April 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1901.

G. W. Moss and Co. will sell at Ashton's stables on Monday at 11 J3O, four heavy draught horses and a five y?ar old draught horse.

Q. W. Moss and Co. will sell at Preston yards on Monday, at 12 00, fat cattle, sheep, and pigs. Wo have received a programme of the Holritika Horticultural and Poultry Society's Chrysanthemum exhibition to be held on May Ist and 2nd. The programme is a most liberal one, and should ensure keen competition and a largo attendance.

Special anniversary services will bo held in the Wesleyan Church to-morrow morning and evening. The usual trained choru3 of scholars will take part. Altogether, the services will be very interesting. Mr H. A. Gordon, Chairman of the Rivers Commission, and Mr F. B. Flatman, M.H.B. are in Hokitika. They will be assisted by Mr Murray, Commissioner of Crown Lands, in their inquiries in that district. The First Westland Eiflcs will bo represented in the Contingent for the Federal celebrations in Melbourne, by Private Bowling, who took his departure by the Wainui for Wellington to report himself at headquarters.

The well-known racehorse Skirmisher was sold privately at Ilokitika to Mr J. Deehan, for £'4o. Evidently our southern neighbours intend to improve their stock of horseilesh for the future.

We are pleased to hear (says the " Press ") that Miss Ewarts, matron of the Christchurch Hospital, who met with a severe accident an Tuesday whilst riding on her bicycle from Stafford, is making very excellent progress under Dr. Teichelrnann's care. Her left arm was broken near the wrist, and though she sustained severo cuts and bruises on her face it is gratifying to knew the unfortunate lady will suffer no permanent injury-

Among tho older residents of Greymouth the name of "Snider" Brown will be well remembered. In the 60's he started the Greymouth Star, and for some years conducted it successfully, his quaint maimer of writing being much appreciated. "Old Snider" has long since departed, but we note in our midst one of his sons, Mr M. H. Brown now over the half hundred years of age who in those days was a frolicsome youth of the Star. ''Marsh" as he was then known by his forsakcr, tho compositor's bench for ways that are more lucrative, and now is the New Zealand agent for Bile Beans. From what wo know of Mr Brown a quarter of a century ago, we are satisfied that Bile Beans has got a real live agent, for energy, resource and determination characteristics of tho lad will yet remain in the man ; notwithstanding the 27 years that have elapsed since wo last saw him. Mr Brown looks well on it, and those who knew him 27 years ago could readily recognise him again, although time has set its stamp upon his features.

We draw special attention to G. W. Moss and Go's advertisement in another column. They advertise cattle, horses, furniture, and house property for sale. By reference to our advertising columns it will he seen that Mrs Biitchclor, of Aralmra, offers £IOO reward to any person who can give any .information ■who has stabbed her horse Hotu, while in the stables at Greymouth yesterday The horsa was entered for the Nelson races, and was about to bs shipped by the Wainui last evening, when the trainer noticed something wrong with its fetlock, and on looking found that the horse had been stabbed. The horse had cost Mrs Batchclor £3lO, and it is very unlikely that he will race again. "Wo hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice which they richly deserve to be.

A fire broke out at Mrs Gilmer's residence at Left hand Branch at 1 30 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, says the 'Herald' the house being burned to the ground. If appears that Mrs Gilmer was absent in Keefton at the time, her sister Miss Allen, being left in charge of the place. The latter was engaged in domestic duties, and left the house to feed some poultry, a brisk lire burning in the fireplace at the time. When she returned a few minutes later she found the room in flames, and at once made efforts 1o save some of the things, bus beyond a sewing machine and some of her personal belongings was unsuccessful. The adjacent out buildings were in danger of being burned, and the dairy was actually on lire when Mr E. Lockington and some of his men arrived on the scene, but further damage was averted by their timely assistance. The building contained four rooms, and is understood to be insured for £IOO.

The Salvation Army Barracks in Kovell Street, Hokitika, was the scsne of great pubiic interest yesterday afternoon, the occasion being the weddii.g of two Army members, Mr Augustus Thorpe, of Woodstock and Miss Selina Jones, of this town. Adjutant Ward of Greymnuth, united the young pair, who were in Army uniform. After the ceremony the happy couple and a number of friends departed in a brake amidst the good wishes and tokens of a large gathering of friends. The new bridgo over the Shotover at Skipper's, Otago, which was opened by the Minister for Mines last week, is swung by means of steel cables resting on concrete piers over a rocky gorge, and is said to be the highest in New Zealand, there being a drop of 250 ft from the floor to the stream below. The span is about 315 ft. Until tho bridge was completed the dray road from Queenstown ended some little way from the Skipper's Piotel, and consequently everything had to bo " packed" for tho latter part of the dtstance. It now only remains for a road five or six miles in length to be constructed in order to render communication complete for vehicles of all kinds from Queenstown to the reefs. The "New Zealand Herald" states that the timber trade in Auckland is undergoing somewhat of a boom at the present time, and the steamers engaged in towing rafts of logs from the coast ports to Auckland are all fully employed. Tho timber mil's arc workidg night and day to keep pace with the requirements of the trade. Only one place in llio colony (Papakura) chosen Tuesday for the weekly halfholiday, Manaia is the only place that has chosen Friday, and Amberely and Outram are observing Saturday afternoon. Wednesday is the most popular day, 65 cities, towns, and borough having chosen it, and Thursday is observed in 37 places.

The sudden countermanding of' the Premier's decision to submit the question of Federation to the people by means of the referendum caused no liltJe surprise at the time. The Wellington correspondent of ihc Chris tchurcli Press now stales that Mr Seddon's hand was forced by the Commissioners. On hearing of the proposal, they considered the matter, and decided to resign their commission if the referendum was persisted in. Mr Seddon did not reyly to their telegram promptly, and the Commissioners weie just on the point of deciding to abandon their work when the reply did come. It was to the effect that the proposal had been abandoned.

Speaking of the Government's forestry experiments in the pumice lands of Waiatapu, beyond llotorua, a recent visitor writes :—"The oaks and deciduous trees did not look very happy, but the pines of all kinds wero strong and healthy. What a field for a forestry department there is on this enormous stretch of at present valueless land ! What is to be its future? It is to be a great forest planted by tho band of man, or will it be smothered with pumice in a greater eruption than that of 1886?"

A peculiar case is being argued in the Brisbane Courts. An Irish domettic servant who came out to|tho colony in tho emigrant steamer Duke of Norfolk last year is suing the captain of that vessel for JsoOO damages for alleged ill-treatment and imprisonment during the voyage. She takes exception to the way in which the doc*or physicked her, accuses tho captain of dragging her about tho vessel, an! complains that the steward threw hot tea over her.

We hear, on reliable authority (says the Patca •' County Press".) that it is very probable,that, if the war continues, Mr George Hutchison, M.H.R., will be in New Zealand in time to take his seat when the House meets. In any case, we know his resignation will not he sent in for sonic time. It is a pity (adds our contemporary) Mr Hutchison does not know Hie almost unanimous feeling of resentment that exists throughout the electorate on account of his action in leaving it unrepresented, and we feel sure he will strike a hornet's nest when he returns.

Regarding the discovery of an illicit still in the Coromandcl district the other day, the New Zealand Herald stales that the building in which the still was found was beside a pig-sty. It was provided with a pump which drew the water from an adjacent creek into a small water-race, which conveyed tho water into the building. To the casual observer from outside the whole arrangement appeared to be excellently adapted for the boiling and preparation of pigs' food. The existence of a still in the district has been suspected by the Customs Depart for some lime, and two unsuccessful searches have been made in the last two years. Recent information obtained by the police led to the expedition which resulted in the seizure of the still.

Circulars are now being issued to Cornishmen throughout New Zealand, requesting them to co-operate with a central committee of Cornishmen in Wellington, in reference to presenting a loyal address to their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Dutchess of Cornwall, who are shortly to visit the colony. It is the object of the Committee to have tho namo of every Cornishmenand the parish from which he came inserted in the address. As there are a number of Cornishmen residing in this district, we presume they will take a note of the above.

Tho return of railway receipts and expenditure for the four weeks ending 2nd March shows the former to have been £150,780 Ms 7d, and the latter £87,811 13s lid. In the corresponding period of the previous year the figures were £136,196 is 3d and £85,823 16s 3d respsctively. Of the revenue, the North Island lines contributed £57,89219s 4d as against £52,463 19s Id, and the South Island lines £92.887 15s 3d, against £83,732 2s 2d. The North Island lines absorbed £32,048 2s 7d, as against £35,563 17s lOd, and the South Island lines £55,763 lis 4'l, as against £50,250 18s sd,

Por the first lime in history, says a London contemporary, there is likely to be a Swiss Ambassador at the Court of St. Petersburg. The thrifty burgher of tlic mountains has long since proved that he can hold his own on the plains of commerce, and it is the prosperous Swiss manufacturers of the Russian capital who have applied to their motherland for a representative to look after their interests add give them a better standing in the land of the Tsar.

The official lis', containing the names of all. Justices of the Peace, shows that thero are about, 2,700 Justices of the Peace in New Zealand.

The Minister for Marine (Hon. W. Hall-Jones) has given instructions that the Government steamers are to be thoroughly overhauled both inside and outside in view of the Royal visit. It is understood (says the Christchurch Press) that fifteen of the police force, under a sergeant, from each centre will accompany the Royal visitors from Auckland to Dunedin. A thigh bone of a moa is now on view in Damicvrrke. It is part of a skeleton found on Mr Warrington's section ill the Ngapacrurn. The other bones were too decayed to bear handling. A rather gruesome discovery wes made by an Indian in Bendo road, near Gundagai (N.S.W,) last week. He noticed a dog some distance from the road, and on going to the place found the headless body of a minor named Ryan. The head was lying several yards away,