Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 148, 22 December 1866, Page 2

We have received a telegram from Christchurch, to the effect that at the nomination at Papanui, Messrs Duncan and Stewart had a majority over the opposition candidate, Mr St Quentin, the member, viz, Duncan, 22 ; .Stewart, 11; St Quentin, <). A poll was demanded. The Council stands adjourned, until Wednesday . We observe by our Custom-house report that the Bruce brought upwaids of JOOOozs. of gold from tho Pakihi for the Bank of New Zealand. We understand that a large amount of gold is in the hands of the digger?, which will probably be sold during Christmas week. One way or another plenty of amusement is provided for the ensuing Christmas holidays. First and foremost of course come the sports provided by the inhabitants of Gre; • mouth, which will be held on a site at the lower end of the town, near the Lagoon Bridge "tcfßlaketown. The programme need hardly lie recapitulated, it comprises almost eviry kind of athletic trials, as avcll as that necessary adjunct in a maritime town, a regatta. The prizes are sufficiently liberal to induce an active competition, and should the weather prove fine, plenty of amusement may be anticipated, In the town several other entertainments, and other things in the way of amusement arc announced, amongst which we may mention Pablo Fanque and his woi.dcrful performing dogs at Kilgour's theatre, and a scries of dramatic performances at the theatre at Sweeney's Hotel" by an entirely new company, which is said to include actors of meiifc. Prize shooting will also take place every evening at Hillicr's gallery, next the Star Hotel. In the way of pic-nics, Mr Nelson of the Coal Creek gardens has made great preparations, and from a recent visit we have paid to his gardens we can afford to award him great praise for his exertions to provide for the recreation of the citizens of Greymouth. He has cleared a lurge enclosure as a playground, and opened up several pretty walks and arbors, where conveniences for pic-uic parties have boon placed in the shape of forms and tables. Swings and other means of amusement are also provided, and no doubt Mr. Nelson will find his reward in extensive public patronage. Two "Art Unions" as they arc temled, are also announced, which will afford an opportunity for those \\\\o choose to run the chance of drawing a rich prize. Mr Chiistenson and Messrs Broadbcnt & East have catalogued a large assortment of valuable jewelry and bijouterie in their respective lotteries, and as a fair amount of prizes is provided, there will probably be no lack of investors. We must not forget to mention that a large Christmas cake will be i allied for the benefit of the Hospital at the Alliance Hotel on Monday. Outside the town too amusements are provided for the residents. At the Ahaura a very extensive programme of sports has been issued by the Sports Committee comprising wrestling, foot races, leaping and other athletic feats, besides two days horse racing, in which prizes worth LI OO will be awarded. At Fox's the local sports committee have drawn wp an attractive list of sports, so that the " young men in the country" will have no lack of fun and amusement. Win. Henry Chamberlain who, it will be remembered, was the witness through whose testimony Burgess was acquitted on the charge of stealing rcvolvors from the police camp at Hokitika was brought before the llesiilent Magistrate at Hokitika on Tuesday Several witnesses were examined, and the examination was adjourned to the following day. On Wednesday Sullivan the approver gave his evidence, -.which was to the effect that the prisoner had concocted with him the plan of securing the acquittal of Burgess on the charge of stealing revolvers from the camp at Hokitika. He also stated that Carr the constable assisted in compiling the brief for Burgess's counsel, and supplied the money for the defence. In cross-examination it was elicited that the prisoner was an intimate friend of Burgess's, and had prepared the slugs that were intended to have been used in the attack upon Mr Kerr, the Bank agent. The prisoner read a written statement* denying Sullivan's allegations, and affirming that the revolver coses were found on the beach, as ho (prisoner) had told the Magistrate on the occasion of ..Burgess's arrest. He was fully committed for trial. We learn from the Brighton Tunes of Wednesday that " the body of a man was found near Jacob's Ladder, on Sunday hist. We are indebted to Mr Warden Kynnersley for the following particulars: — The deceased was about 30 years of age, ;"> feet (> inches high, medium size, swarthy complexion) black curly hair and whiskers, blue eyes' gold rings in the cars, marked on left arm the form of a heart and southern cross ; should think him a native of Italy, remarkably handsome features, no marks or scar on any portion of the body, except that described, is of opinion that lie died from disease of the heart, no froth or discharge from the mouth, -the countenance placid, high forehead, oval face, Roman nose, small ikonth and regular teeth. Property :— Old pair blue blankets, old tent, pick and shovel, wrapped the body in blanket and tent ; L6l Ss found on his persoiji." We notice that upwards of a hundred: pounds has beoij sub scribed at Fox's for tho Christmas sports to be held at Brighton. Fully two hundred jjjuuds is expected Wbe raised f of tUcpuquw,

We have been requested to state that the special services of the Roman Catholic Church during tho ensuing Christmas week, will be as follows :— On Christmas Eve high mass will be celebrated in St Patrick's Church, commencing at 12 o'clock, midnight On Christinas Day mass will be celebrated at the Dan O'Connell Hotel at half-past (5 a.m., and at Sweeney's Hotel at 9 a.m. Mass will take place at St. Patrick's Church at 1) a.m., and again at half-past 10 a.m. High mass will be celebrated at 12 o'clock, noon, during which a sermon will be de" livered by Father Royer, and a collection Avill be made for the support of the clergy. On Xew Years' Day mass will take phue at 0 and 12 o'clock, and from the 2(sth instant to the sth January, two masses will be sai-1 daily, and vespers each evening at seven o'clock. The West Count Times of Thursday says : — The Overland mail from Okarita arrived yesterday, and we arc in formed by Mr Allen's mailman that his journey was marked by a most melancholy occurrence, which unhappily was attended by loss of life? On reaching the Little Wangaimi ~jlr Allen hailed a boatman on this side to ferry him over, and his summons was promptly responded to by an Italian known by the name of "John," who at once pushed off from the southern shore. The river, however, was high and rapid, and the current proved too heavy fo r the unfortunate man to contend against, as the boat was' hurried .into the surf and swamped. John immediately struck out for the shore, and made desperate efforts to reach it, but failed to do so, as the back tow was fearful. He then made for the boat again and succeeded in gaining it, and for a quarter of an hour was observed clinging to it by the mailman. He then disappeared, having — there is no doubt — been washed off ami drowned. Allen waited upon tho beach for three hours, hoping to recover the body, but nevor saw it afterwards, We notice that the Hokitika butchers have reduced the price of meat. Steaks and roasting beef are quoted at Is per lb ; mutton lOd and Is ; and boiling beef lOd per lb. It is time the Greymouth butchers followed the example. Poli'-e Constable M'Connick, recently in the force at (ireyiuouth. has been promoted to the rank of sergeant, and is to be removed to Hokitika. The Dunstan correspondent of the Daily Times, writing on the Sth instant, says : - " Tho prospects of the Nevis are improving daily, and new ground is constantly being opened. The terrace workings are doubtless paying the best, and in all cases where water can be obtained, handsome returns may be ensured. A rush took place last week to a line of terraces bounding the river ; the prospects vary from one to two pennyweights to the tin dishful. The discovery will give work to a large number of men. Mining matters generally in the Dunstan district are in a highly prosperous condition, and it is difficult to find a man at all industriously inclined that cannot make a good living. The banks of the Molyneux are becoming a favorite field of labor, the use of the bar iron pavement .and 'big heads' of water is making ground pay that nobody would look at six months ago." Mr Thompson, of the Ballarat Hotel, has written to us complaining that his house is specially favored by the police as the temporary place of deposit of bodies found in the neighborhood. He states that on the last occasion, the body was brought to his house, although there wan another public-house nearer to the place where it was found. It certainly docs appear hard that Mr Thompson should be exclusively subjected to the unpleasantness necessarily occasioned by tho custody of dead bodies, as we think the police should as much as possible select the hotcj nearest to the place where a body is found. The following paragraph from the Melbourne Aye. may convey a useful hint to cultivators on the West Coast :— it has been stated as a fact that JMr John S Simpson, a farmer at Tarnagulla, has discovered a plan for protecting crops firm the destructive invasion of caterpillars. The Bemliyo Advertize r says : — "lt appears that Mr Simpson had nine acres of barley totally destroyed b) r the caterpillars, and adjoining this field was another of thirty acres, containing wheat, which probably have been attacked next. In order to prevent this, if jiossiblc, he engaged a number of men, who set to work' with spades and quickly cut a trench a spit and a half deep round the wheat field. The trench was cut iv such a way that a perpendicular line dropped from the top edge of the side next the wheat would touch tho bottom of the trench about midway. The result was then waited for, and it is certainly astonishing. Within twenty-one days after, no less than one and a-half tons of caterpillars were taken from the trench, weighed, boiled, and given to the pigs for food. The caterpillars, it seems, notwithstanding their most, persevering efforts, wore unable to scale the projecting side of the trench, dropping back as often as they attempted the feat ; and thus the wheat was saved." A serious accident happened to Cobb's coach near Timaru lately. When the coach from the south arrived at the Waihou, the river -was found to be in a heavy flood : in attempting to cross the coach was capsized by the heavy rush of -water, and the king bolt dropped out, the fore-carriage, horses, and driver (who pluckily stuck to. his reins), got landed in safety on the north bank. Luckily, with the exception of one man on the box, there were no other passengers, or the consequences might have been very disastrous, as the body of tho coach was swept some considerable distance down the river, and this man only saved himself by holding on to the body. The mails were all recovered, and with the usual promptitude which characterises Cobb and Co. , were delivered hi Timaru within a few minutes of the contract time, haying been forwarded on by a. horseman. The mail bags and contents were of course, completely drc|ichcd ; but, ibeyoiul that, and the damage necessarily done to the coach when rolled 6ver7by the water, (i tljer(i was favtuiiHtely uo-otb^v uusshajx

Yesterday afternoon, an inquest was held at the Court-house, Cobden, by Justin Aylmer, Esq, R.M., on the body: of a man taken out nf the river opposite Gobdeii, on the previous day. Improved 'to' be 'that of the boatman John Jones, whose death by drowning whilst tracking a boat near the Arnold Junction, on the 14jbh instai.fc, was reported a few days a;_'o. It appears that the deceased was pulled into the current owing to the boat taking a sheer whilst being tracked up the falls. A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury: In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday, two drunkards were fined the usual penalty, and Jn. Kuhhnan, for a breach of the Police Ordinance, was fined 10s. Judgment for' the plaintiffs was given in the following civil cases : -Annie Hogaii v. Margaret Scanlan, LI ; Thos. Wallace v. Annie Reichart, L 3 , r >s , London v. Morris, L 8 ss. Several other cases were dismissed for non-appearance of the parties. Yesterday, the only business was two cases of drunkenness, which 'were disposed of in the usual mamcr. We are requested to draw attention to the extensive sale of jewelry, watches, &c, the stock of Mr J. P. Christenson, which takes place to-day by Messrs Maclean, ,Fisher and Co. The sale urnmenecs at 12 o'clock. Our latest advices from Fox's are to the effect that business in every branch is very much overdone, and that unless an unlooked for change takes place a serious decline in the prices of almost every article of consumption is likely to occur. The newa from the diggings is on the whole favorable so far as it goes, but it is an undoubted fact that there is a much larger population than can find profitable employment. We feel justified in saying that the rush of men has already reached dimensions considerably exceeding the means of support, and that if it should continue it cau only be attemle.l with dis astrous results to many. We take the following from the W?A Count Tjme.i of yesterday : — " If the rumor is worthy of credence there is cause for con. gratnlation, as payable gold has at last been discovered many miles up the Ka:iieri River —quite in the back county— for it is stated that two men who have been prospecting in that direction hit upon several narrow gullies, out of which the/ obtained large, heavy gold, of good quality. Some of the pieces are described as resembling pcapods in size and sliape. We give this for what it is worth, but hope that in a few days ■wo shall be able to supply our readers with authentic information on the subject. On Thursday last John Achcson Carr, lately a member of the police force, was brought up before 'the 'Resident 'Magistrate at Hokitika, charged with having whilst a constable stolen four revolver.} and other articles from the police camp. Sullivan again gave evidence directly; inculpating the prisoner. The case was not concluded on Thursday. During the recent hot weather, s veral bush fires .occurred in the neighborhood of Hokitika, and in one instance the Fire Brigade were Mimed out under a falso alarm of the fire being somewhere in tho town. The WcH Count Time* states that another lead has been discovered at a place known as the Big Paddock, as two shafts bottome I last week in the centre of it. a long distance from the old workings, and out of one a prospect of ;->dwts to the dish was obtained, whilst the other gave 1 to the same amount of dirt. A tremendous rush occurred the ground was marked off for miles in the supposed direction of the gold.. The depth of sinking on this now lead runs from 100 feet to 1 15 feet. There is a scarcity of water in the Big Pad, lock for every other purpose save domestic uses. The Auckland Provircial Council has recommended- the offir of Five thousand pounds for the discovery of a payable gold field. A road is to be constructed as quickly as possible between Brighton (Fox's,) and Charleston (Pakihi). It is to be twenty feet wide. The following mining infoimation is given by the* Briyhton Times of Wednesday : — At the Welshman's terrace, which is situated about two miles from this town, tlic miners we arc happy to state seem to be busy at work. There are about 300 men at work all on gold, sonic arc only setting in, and .consequently the yield is not ascertained, but from reliable information from parties at work we understand there .are none of the claims turning out 'less than LlO to 112 a week per man, and others what we may term in the mining language " rises" of a substantial nature together with a few "pilers." Quite a township is now formed consisting of I hotels, stores, and general business establishments. Tho inhabitants of the shiall township of Waikonaiti in Ofcago have been visited with a singular and serious fever which has proved fatal iv many cases. The disease is scarlet fever, originally imported in the persons of two children from Melbourne some months ago. It spread over the town ami vicinity, and out of fifty cases fourteen proved fatal. The West Count Times has the following relative to the diggings iv the neighborhood of the Teremakau : — A gentleman who arrived in town yesterday favored us with the following eonmunieation : — Mining intelligence from the various diggings on the Tere. inakau is very discouraging at present. On' Cameron's Flat, Cameron's Hill, and Candlelight Gully, many of the claims are getting worked out. On the last named field only two or three parties are at work, and these purpose clearing out in a few weeks. The lead which M\as supposed to run* along the terrace between Cameron's and Candlelight has been lost, and no hope entertained of it boing again struck. An Inter-provincial Cricket Match between Otago and Canterbury is fixed to take place at Christchurch on the. 7th and Sth of February next. It will be remembered tbTat in the last match the Otago players were victorious. ' : \ : : ' ; Wo notice that Mr Hill, late landing, surveyor at Wellington has been appointed Collector of Curtoms at Pwnedhi.

We have reccived|^B||^>{ th m - |^^^^^| ber of the Briyh ton ffl&Sßmjfoshi s i^^^^^l lliver. We hcartJNJHmra|mr ] >u l ' plucky contemporai!jj«Bffl«Pcesß is. Extracts from the pa^^^^wen >.>. . There appears to^jmgg^nPsrob.f ~-^^^^^H payable yield bcing^HHßt^ : r 4 its tributaries. Our '^Jaßßß conte > says that the workings^^Hß'o^ ,tl \ taries of the Taipo whiq||ilffis fchat \ near the ltangariri st'a^^ffiße^il \ prosecuted, and with 1 '' proving payable. Tlm '^^^pa.lre \ Hunting the crook, and sevefßnnmK :]. ] of gold have recently been folfflßv.Th is said to be heavy and mucJ^HHeftwo The Hokitiki papers repa^^ptish t junction of Black's and Tvtjjmjm'lßXL' where a party of miners has tNHporkii. some time. A prospect of^a^fwls t< dish in shallow ground is swjKen of. country is said to be similar "ffi:ones' Ci — a flat 'U miles long, ami abofll^n. quarto a mile wide. Jltfe" ■ It is reported in the JIW C^&t-Thim Wednesday that tlic body |||||^|.nian w washed ashore between big|||§|Fown ai. the entrance of the H(>kitil^^per. Th clothing on the body was scw||3u;by th l*>dy -was searched by the pollptiut o:il two empty chamois bags and <^^up knif were found. Tho corpse was thaWof a mai about .30 years of age, 5 feet- 10 inches ii. height, of stout build, dark auburii' hair, with a few hairs of the same color on each side of the chin, small ears, medium forehead, snub nose. The body was dressed mV moleskin trousers, grey shirt, Wellington boots, red neckerchief, and a narrow belt. <^H