Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 385, 2 July 1868, Page 2

The news from Nelson Creek continues good, the recently discovered leads turning out in a very satisfactory manner. From Liverpool Bill's we hear that the celebrated claim belonging to John Dick and party has | changed hands' this week, at a good price, but the precise figure has not transpired. The purchasers are Bell and party. This well-known claim has now been worked for nea'-ly three years, and has been " a pile" to its fortunate proprietors. It is estimated that there are still eight years' work in the claim. As much as Boz 6dwt to the set of timber has been about its average produce for.some time past. The gold we have seen from it is coarse, consisting of pieces all sizes up to lOdwt. In the neighborhood of this claim there is plenty of ground yet untouched, but it would require a considerable amount of capital to work it. The polling for the election of members of the Committee of Management of the Grey River Hospital for the ensuing year, took place yesterday at the Star Hotel. The following gentlemen were elected — Messrs G. King, D. Maclean, W. H. Revell, W. S. Smith, J R. Dutton, W. Perkins, H. Kenrick, J. 11. Ball, — Laphain, F. Hamilton, E. Masters, J. W. Parkinson, and George H Gilmer. A meeting of the newly-elected Committee took place in the evening, at the Albion Hotel, when Mr Lapham was elected treasurer, and Mr Perkins secretary. The Rev. Father Royer was in attendance, a^d gave valuable information as to the best means of collecting up-country subscriptions in support of the Hospital. It was resolved that the Chairman of the Coun'y Council b e written to informing him that thirteen members of Committee had been elected by the public, but they did not consider it necessary to elect a Piesident and Vice-Pre-sidents, and asking authority for the Committee to elect its own Chairman at each meeting ; and also requesting that the promised guarantee of non-liability of members be forwarded. The remaining business was of a routine character. There has been no business of any importance before the Ttesident Magistrate's Court during the last two days. We learn that the tender of Mr Charles Nees, for the extination of the on the coal seam, at the rear of the Camp, Charleston, has been accepted, the sum quoted being £50. The tenders ranged from £50 to ;£3OO. We are irifoi'med that a miner named Hezzlegrove has[,been lost in the bush between No Town -and Red Jack's, on the No Town range. As he had not arrived at Red Jack's three days after leaving No Town, on Sunday last over 150 miners went out to scour the country in search of him, ,but up to the time of our informant leaving no trace of the missing man had been discovered. A very serious case of assault, which may yet terminate in the death of one of the parties engaged, occurred at Charleston on Sunday night last, at the house of a woman named Mary Ann Hayes, in Camp street. The Charleston Herald, of Tuesday, says :— "On the evening in que&tion, we are informed, a miner named George Bullen, in company with other of his acquaintances, visited the house, and was quietly taking something to drink when two blacksmiths, named Michael Bohan and Whelan, demanded admittance. They were refused, and without further ceremony they burst in the door. Having forced an entrance, they called for drink, and were iuformed by Mary Ann Hayes that she had none. They are stated to have then used some offensive language to the woman, and Bullen, remonstrating with them upon their conduct, was set upon, knocked down and kicked. The woman tried to rescue him by dragging him into another room and locking the door. This was burst open by the assailants, aud

they again beat the men. The police were sent for in the meantime, and on arrival found tho man insensible, and in a most precarious condition. He was not expected . to survive, but at the hour of going to press faint hopes wore entertained of his recovery. The police desciibe Bullen's appearance as horrible ju the extreme at the time of their rescuing him. Bohan aud Whelaa were brought before the Court yesterday morning and remanded. The deposition of Bullen was taken on Monday afternoon at the hospital, his recovery being doubtful. Bohan was admitted to bail, " Yesterday morning, a foot-raoe, distance 200 yards, took place in .Arney street for £10 a-side, between G. Bradley and D, Duncan' which was won by the latter, who had some advantage at stai ting. It is likely that the race will be again contested. We also learn that another match for £10 a-side (which will probably be increased to £100) has been arranged, to come off in a fortnight, between D. Duncan and Sydney Harry-— the distance to bo half-a-mile The first deposit of £7 has been made. A fatal accident occurred to a miner named Garrett Barry, at Addison's Flat, on Saturday last. The Charleston Jjerald says:— "The deceased was working in a shaft fortyrfive feet in depth, and his death was caused by insufficient care on the part of his mates in unshipping a bucket of dirt from the windlass. Tug bucket slipped and struck Barry, who expired shortly afterwards. An inquest was held by Dr Gile3 the same day, when the jury found a verdict of accidental death. The corpse of the unfortunate man was brought down to AVestport on Sunday for. interment,." A correspondent writing to the Weatland Observer from Christchurch says : — The allabsorbing topic of the week is the late arrest of Mr T. B. Bain, clerk to the Hesident Magistrate's Court here. It appears that on Thursday last he obtained leave of absence for a few days from the Resident Magistrate, ostensibly to take his wife up the country. Instead of this he took his passage in a steamer to Dunedin the same night. When he reached Dunedin, the. authorities, here received a telegram announcing his arrival, and an answer was immediately sent back to have him arrested. He was about to take his passage in the ship Bouverie, to London which sailed on Sunday. His public accounts a i% e said to be in a, most unsatisfactory condition He bad apparently formed a disreputable liaison with a. notorious character for some time <t resident in Christchurch, and they had agreed to take the homeward passage together.. When he was arrested, the parting scene, I have been informed, was very touching. His "friend" has sailed without him. He was brought over the first opportunity, and appeared at the Pob'ce Court yesterday, and was remanded till Saturday. Discrepancies are said to appear as far back as two. years ago. It is a most disgiaceful affair, and the more so because Bain has been trusted so implicitly by the Resident Magistrate ; and, in fact, by everybody \vb,o has had any transactions at the court. Bail was accepted till Saturday, iv two sureties of LSOO each. A rather unusual case of gold stealing was brought before It. Dutton, Esq., R.M., Twelve-Mile Landing, lately. James Duncan was charged by his mates William Tally aud Delano, with stealing gold out of a race in Red Jack's Creek, the property of the three mates conjointly. The prosecutors' evidence was that they bought some gold in small nuggets, marked them, and put them in the race from time to time, but when they washed up the marked "gold was not to be found. There was one bit in particular, about 2dwt., which was opened and a bit of lead put into it, in such a way that it could not be noticed except by the person who put the lead into it. It was proved that Duncan gave one ounce of gold to Deriu, a shoemaker, as payment for boots, and the prosecutor Tally bought the same ounce of gold from Mr Muir's storeman, to whom Derm sold it, and identified the bit of gold with lead in it. The result was that Duncan was convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment, which he is serving now at the Twelve-mile; his share in the claim and race was forfeited. A subscription was raised on the creek in aid of Duncan's wife and family, which amounted to about £50. The gold fields regulations of the Nelson South-west Gold Fields set forth that any person sinking a shaft or making any excavation within the distance of twenty feet from any road, footpath, or crossing-place in ordinary use, shall properly protect such id the satisfaction of the Warden. A movement is at present on foot in Otago to found a settlement at Martin's Bay. The sslect committee of the Provincial Council appointed on this subject recommend free grants of 160 acres to bonafide settlers there, in order to secure actual settlement — the placing of 150,000 acre*3 of land in the market at an upset price from 5s to 20s — and that immediate steps be taken to open up a packhorse track from Wakatip to Kakauo. The evidence given before the committee is very valuable, to the effect that the country is rich agricultural land, well watered and timbered, good navigation, aud the climate superior to the East Coast. A few -iaya ago we promised a description of the workings on the beach to the north of the Grey — a promise which we now proceed to fulfil. The London Terrace rush has not turned out so well as was anticipated, several blanks having been bottomed on the south end of the lead. There are some eight good payable claims at work on the terrace, which will find employment for about fifty men. On what is known as the beach lead many of the claims are nearly worked out, and not a few of the shareholders are preparing for a trip to Melbourne to " knook down" some of the gold they have worked so hard to obtain during the last six months. They all speak highly of the richness of the claims they are about to leave. On the once famous Darkies Terrace only one party are now making good wages. On Herbert's Terrace five parties are now at work, getting vory good gold, and art! quite content to remain where they

are. Further north, at the Seven Mile, two parties have just finished bringing in races to work their ground, and will now set in with energy to obtain what they fully expect, a I good reward for their labor. One of these j parties have flumed the Seven Mile Creek, and have done the work in such splendid manner that we are credibly informed it looks more like the work of first-class engineers than that of a party of miners. It is also a great convenience to travellers, who can cross the creek with safety on the flume in times of flood. At. the Twelve Mile, there is nothing new to report since our last noticeAt the Seventeen Mil*, a party ig now engaged prospecting up the creek from M'llroy's store, They have got a little gold, and are confident they will very soon drop upon something payable. The parties of miners on the beaoh here are working with average success. A great change for the better is apparent at Canoe Creek, where matters have iduch improved lately. The new lead which I we previously announced as having been struck on the North Terrace has turned out first-rate, and most of the miners here have moved tfcejr huts and tents to this terrace, and are in excellent spirits at tho splendid prospects they have obtained. On this terrace there are over forty men profitably employed, and the population is rapidly increasing. ..We. liavemuch pleasurein liofcic-. ing the enterprise of Messrs Symons aud Graham, storekeepers at the oreek, who last week cut a track on the top of the bank from the beach to the township, a distance of about two and a half miles. This is an immense benefit to pedestrians, who formerly were compelled* to wade up the bed of the creek, but now they can walk dry-sliod to the diggings. Between Canoe Creek and liuzorback most of the miners seem to be doing well, aud very little grumbling is to be heard, Mr Stafford, the Premier of New Zealand, writes as follows to the editor of the Nelson Colonial : — "I am led to believe that the opinion recently expressed by me at Nelson in favor of an income-tax has been assumed by some persons to mean that I desired to increase the taxation of the colony by means of such a tax. Such an assumption is incor. rect ; what I intended to imply was that a ! portion of the aggregate revenue might be obtained by an income-tax preferably to raising it by some of the customs duties now j levied on articles of consumption. This could ! be secured by an enactment which provided that so soon as an income tax came into operation, certain duties of customs, now levied, should be abolished, and certain others considerably lowered. I believe such a course to be desirable, both on fiscal grounds I and as a question of fairness as regards the ! individual taxpayer." We are informed that one of the most miraculous escapes from drowning that has probably evei occurred on the West Coast happened to Mr Carroll, of this town, on 1 Sunday last. It appears that Mr Carroll I was engaged in steering his boat round the turn of the river a short distance above Lvngilon's crossing at the Twelve Mile, when^, from some defect in the fastening of the steer-oar, the latter became detached from the boat, and Mr Carroll sticking rather too pluckily — perhaps rather imprudently — to I his charge was drawn out of the boat into one .of the heaviest currents of the Grey, with a depth of water probably varying from twelve to twenty fee!;, and with no apparent possibility of being saved. Fortunately, htwevei, Mr Laugdon happened to be in his boat, and, rushing to the rescue, succeeded in catching the drowning man by the hair, and pulling him into his boat, in the worst of the cur- 1 reut, and at the very moment when he was | about to sink to rise no more. It is imposi sible to commend too highly the humane efforts which have been made by Mr Langdon in this and siinilai cases. Our informant states that happening to name this circum. stance on his way down, an order was immediately given to remedy a similar defect in another boat on its arrival at Greymouth, so that it would seem that there is a want of precaution in these matters. It must be admitted that there is considerable recklessness shown in boating up the river, and hence such accideuts as that which happened, we are told, near Nelson's Creek last Thursday, and which, we have reason to believe, was accompanied with such demonstrations as clearly proved that the parties are not insensible to danger when too deeply involved in it. If such fool-hardy rivalry for the lead in going up be continued, it will be the duty of the Government to cause a close supervision of the boating business. The Press of Thursday last says, apparently on authority:—" We are informed that aftw the Ist Tuly next, the Land Funds of all the Provinces, except those which are, or are likely to become in debt to the General Government in the monthly account, will no longer be transmitted to Wellington. The Controller will, upon requisition of the Colonial Treasurer, issue his orders to the Bank into which the Land Fund is paid in each Province, to transfer that Fund to the account of the Colonial Treasurer in that Bank, without transmitting it to Wellington. And the Colonial Treasurer has directed that it shall be paid over in full, day by day 1 , to the Provincial Account. This arrangement does not, we understand, include the Gold Duties, which are often collected in one province, although legally the property of another. The Gold Duties will therefore be sent to Wellington as heretofore, to be distributed to the provinces in which the gold has been found. " Our readers will remember, that a Bhort time ago, three desperate fellows, who were awaiting their trial on the charges of garrotting and housebreaking, attacked a warder, named Dunn, at the Auckland Stockade, and nearly killed him. They have since been tried at Auckland for their double crimes, and Jud fe e Moore in sentencing them, said: «' You, Bryant, ha\e been found guilty, and you, Kersting, have pleaded guilty to an indictment charging you with attempting to choke and strangle the prosecutor (Mr Caley, biker, of Auckland), iv order to deprive him of his property. It is the worst ewe «f tho

kind I have ever heard, and I feel bound to put the recent Act in force in your case. The sentence of the Court is, that you and each of you be kept in penal servitude iot three years ; and further, 'that you each, be once whipped with the instrument commonly called the cat, receiving twenty-five lashes. Goldsmith aud Bryant, you have been found guilty of attempting to choke one of the warders of the Mount Edin Stockade, and fop this offence you must be kept in penal servitude for five years, and receive twenty-five hshes with the cat. Goldsmith and Bryant; for the robbery on Dunn, the warder, I shall pass upon you no sentence, but upon you, Kersting, the sentence is two years' penal servitude. Your sentences must run conse* cutively, the one to begin on the expiration of the other. You, Golrlsmith, have also been found guilty of housebreaking, and for that offence you must be kept in penal Ber« vitude for three years, to commence at tbe expiration of tho sentence which I have al« ready passed on you." . An application has been made in Melbourne for letters patent by John Tyler, East Collingwood, for •• an invention f;»r a combined and portable quartz crushing, amalgam mating, and puddling machine for the ex* traction -of gold from all . auriferous earths, rocks, or matters." / The- latest freak of. the /lion. , memberJor the Grey in the Nelson Provincial Council, is thus reoorded by the Evening Mail: — The members of the Provincial Counoil celebrated the termination of the sossion by dining to* gother at the Nelson Hotel, on Saturday evening. The entertainment was strictly confined to the members of the legislative body, but we understand that the repast did great credit to the culinary resources of Mr M 'Gee's establishment, and that the evening was spent very agreeably. In connection with this dinner we may mention a circumstance whioh we are sura that our readers will appreciate, as being highly characteristic ' of the peculiar proclivities of a member of that august assembly who Las invested him* self with a most unenviable notoriety during the past session. It appears that the members of the Council were desirous of showing the usual courtesy to the representatives of the Fourth Estate by inviting them to their dinner, but on this fact being intimated to Mr Douns, he announced his intention, m such an event, to absent himself In order, therefore, to avoid any unpleasantness, the invitations to the Pross were not issued. After dinner, Mr Home proposed " The Press," and our readers will be somewhat astonished to learn that the individual who presented himself — to the intense amusement of the company — to respond to the toast, waa no other than uur pugnacious friend Mr Donne ! It has been suggested, and with much truth, that Mr Donne's reminiscences in connection with the Press : ajre not of that happy character, which should render a re* currence to them pleasant or satisfactory.