THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JULY. 21, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 393, 21 July 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, JULY. 21, 1868.

We publish to-day two letters from Nelson Creek, commenting upon a communication which lately appeared in our columns from i " A Storekeeper" in that Creek, ami also a i paragraph from an occasional correspondent, i both, having reference to an attack which I wa3 made on a party of young men who were J represented as having been maliciously j assailed and driven out of the Creek. Tho j letters published to-day give t'ho other side ; of tho picture, and we are very happy to find : that this Is the brighter side of the two for the character of the residents iv the Cruik. and the darker for the " victims of tho outrage. '' But, for ourselves, we must say that the previous communications were published by us in good faith, believing them to be strictly correct, and we are now only too happy to be ablo to make tho correction. Good accounts have been received from the rush up tho Ahaura .River. Two new .creeks have been opoued, in both of which payable gold has been stniuk. Taylor and party, spoken of iv our correspondent's last I report as trying v terrace below the prospectors, havo taken out 4oz. from a paddock 4ft. x 4ft. A letter from ft reliable source i to Mr Piukerton, of the Star Hotel, Ahaura Township, says: — "Taken altogether, the prospectu aro first-rate. Thero arc about SO men now on the gi'ound, and more arriving." Communication by enaeli between Hokitika and Greymouth, which haa boon smt pended since Thursday last by the (JooJ.s was resumed yesterday . Telegraphic communication is interrupted between Hokitika and Christchurch. The break has occurred somewhere near the Bealoy, and is expected to b« repaired to-day ; but it is supposed there is another break between that point and Clirißtuhureh, which may not bo repaired so speedily. The following accident from lightning is mentioned in Satunlay's Went Count Times ; — During tho heavy thunderstorm which prevailed yeßterday afternoon at about h.ilfpast three o'clock, tho lightning fell amongst a group of four diggers who woro working on Kroubev's chum, this eiilo of the Kanieri Terrace, striking one man seuseless to tlie earth, and bringing another to his knees. The poor fellow, who under tlie powerful in. iluonce of t)ie electric lluiil became insensible, was immediately conveyed to shelter by his mates, and Mr Shubart, apothecary, of the Kaniuri, was sent for. That gentleman was quickly iv attonilanco, and under his care the patient, whoso name is llitchin, gradually regained his senses, and at half-past four o'clock there was, although the shock to his nervous system has been great, every probability that ho would recover. Jlu states that it appeared to him as if a ball of lit c struck his shoulderaml ptinsed down his body, I going out at his left foot. The hair has been [ siugod from his shoulder to his naval where tho electric fluid appears to Lave struck across to the left leg, its passage from about . six inches below tho kueo to the foot being distinctly marked by a red streak, the leg and foot aro much scorched. The man wno was brought to his knees, was working with a pick" atthetime the lightning foil, aud such was tho forco with which he was thrown down that the pick was whirled from his handß to a considerable distance. Tlie.Pistriot Court will sit this morning at the Resident Magistrate's Court House. Au accident occurred yesterday by which a boatman, best known aa "Yankee Davie," broke his leg. Ho was riding down from the Ahaura, aud wlicu near Coal Creok his horse slipped, and falling on him, broke his leg. He was brought to towu, ami conveyed to his own house, and afterwards to the Hospital. A correspondent of tho New Zealand Iltrald, of the 4th iustant, writing from Paparoa, records the following sad accident : t -" Last week was marked by a melancholy event which will be long remembered in this settlement. Mr Jesse Davis, assisted by George Kirk, a youth about 16, sou of Mr Kirk, the fcoieutilio botanist, -werti bringing up a puut load of shells from the township on Wednesday evening, Not having reached home the following morning, suspicion was excited which led to tho discovery of the puut, sunk about a mile from tho place where the shells were procured. On the followii g day both, the bodies were found aud brought to the settlement. On Tueslay last, Dr Bell held au inquest, when a verdict according to the above stated facts was agreod t , with ttie addition of a rider to the effect that in the opinion of tho jury " there was very generally too much carelessness in tho use of flat-bottomed boats." It ought, however, to be stated that in this caae, as proved by the evidence, the sail loss is ty be attributed to tilts leaky state of the punt. At the funeral, which took place immediately after tho inque&t, tho Rev W. Gittos conducted the service. Mr Davis leaves a widow and three young children. Mr and Mrs Kirk, residing in Auckland, could not at the timo of tho fuueral have received any intelligence of their sad bereavement. Mr Chanuon was the principal witness at the inquest, he having last seeu them alive, and been the tirat to discover the bodies." We avo placed in possession of the following reliable items of news from Maori Gully : - At the head of the gully, the' Welshman's claim is yielding 13oz to the set of timber. Adjoining this an extended claim has been granted to James and Co, who havo just completed an underground tail-race, between 300 ami 400 feet in length. They aro now engaged in sinking their shaft, and will in a few dayH bo ablo to tent their ground. A party of Ccrnifhintn, old rfbidents in the

district, aro busily employed bringing in a tunnel from Maori Gully to TCiverton Gully, about ono and a quarter miles in length. Madden and patty's head-race, live miles in 1. i.gth, will be completed in a few weeks, ;uid wiU command all tho high tftrrac.es from StoiiL-Y (Ji"!:l; to l,hu township, which arc j known to li > .•HirilVnms. This raoo will be t-lic lar-ost. iiu.l l)o.-:t iii the Arnold linhric-t. ,'Scvcf)) }'.■(:• (,!/':,• v. lir» Ji-fl. Mio Joc;i]il,y somo inotiUu; :uj'> li;:vf: lvinniod from Queensland^ with the intention of remaining hero for Lliewinter. A gi.inl number of miners are work ing with some success in the smalt tributaries near Lake Bruimor, this having been a ■ favorable season for sluicing. Great compiainbj arc made hero at the exorbitant prices | charged for provisions; the storekeepers have it all their own way, as they have all, with the exception of Dnncan, bound tho boatmen j under a heavy penalty not to convey pro- | visions for tho miners, 'J.he tracks in tho ! district aro almost impassable, and tbo lto.-ul Board has not yet commenced tho construction of that .portion from tho Arnold to the Terrace, although the tenders for the work S were called for nearly two months ago. A j finohotel aud billiard-room is being erected i for Mr Philips, which will be a great acqui- ; aifcion, as there in not a place of amusement ! in the district. i A communication to hand gives ub the i following gratifying intelligence regarding the Bran ncr Coal Mine : — "I was exceedingly I glad to find from a conversation I had a few ; days ago with a gentleman wlmso position j affords the strongestguaianteefortheauthenj ticity of his statements, that there is every j probability of a satisfactory arrangement { bciug speedily come to by tho Nelson Goj vermnent iv regard to the working of the ! Brumier Coal Mine ; and it was no lesssatisfactory to hear that the construction of the tramway will engage imiuediabo attention, : aud its cost be reduced to lees than one-half i of what was originally named ; indeed, I am told that it can be done for sixteen thousand ; pounds." j A case of some considerable interest was < heard in the Kesiileut Magistrate's Court j yesterday, wherein Mr John Usher, traffic j manager anil general superintendent of the Nelson Coal Company, was charged,- on tho ! information of Mr Morgan, tho permanent secretary and attorney of the Company, with having embezzled monies tbo property of his master. Wheu the caso for the prosecution j W7»B closed, the Magistrate dismissed the caso j without calliug ou counsel for any defence, expressing his opinion that there was not the slightest foundation upon which to ground the charge. Many of our readers will remember the ti'uvoller Suhafer. Tho poor little man was nearly drowned, lost his clothes, and what littio money he had in travelling, a week ago, between Waipnkurau and Wellingford, iv Hawko's Bay Province. After being detained four days at Wellingford (says tho Hawh?* Bay Herald), on the fifth he attempted to reach Waipukurau ; but the country was so Hooded uear Motuotaraia that, after being four hours in the water and nearly drowned, he had to return to tho Bridyo lun at nightfall. A Maori mailman happened to pass whilo Mr Schafer was stuck iv tho water, unable to get on, asked Ll to carry him over on his horsa, and would not help him for less. A Maori passing was also askerl for assistance, but after examining the contents of Mr Idebafer's pockets, declined all help unless ho gave him money, of which ho had nouo at the tiuio to givo. Tho offer of his valuable compass, and a pair of new boots were not sufficient- he continued to demand money, and then went ou hia way. During Liia stay at ft village, not 50 miles away, Mr Schafer wp.s charged Ll 14s. 6\i. which exhausted all his uieaus, and ho was allowed to proceed on his journey during the late inclement weather ou foot— tho loan of a home whii-h lio asked from the innkeeper to carry him through tho water, somu three miles off, being refused.