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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 616, 28 December 1869, Page 2

We are agaiu disappointed in the receipt of the English mail. The s. s. Rangitoto, which ought to have brought it, sailed on the 20th, before the mail was telegraphed. It is probable that the s.s. Omeo, which was to leave Melbourne for the Bluff on the 23rd, will bring on the mail, sq that we may look for the telegrams of the news to-morrow or Thursday. The first crushing of the Mqonlight Quartz Company took place on Friday. The whole of the machinery worked beautifully, and the result of the crushing was to the entire satisfaction of the Manager, Mr WyMe. Until the manager's report is made to the directors, the precise result cannot be made public, but we may mention that it is more than payable. The sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, was a very light one, considering the large number of men who were in town spending their Christmas. Only five charges of diunkenness or disorderly oonduct, in three of which small fines were imposed, one was dismissed with a caution, and another adjourned until Wednesday for the production of evidence, as, the charge was denied. Mr Dennett presented a very able and elaborate report on the Wangapeka land sales on the 24th inst. 'lhe sales have been declared illegal and void. It is open for purchasers to appeal to the Supreme Court, but it is not supposed that will be done. The public generally are much pleased with the result, The inquest on the body of Eljiah Ford, who was drowned above Snag Fall, was concluded at 11 p.m. on Friday, when a verdict of "accidentally drowned" was returned, with the riiler " the jury are of opinion the river should be cleared of obstructions, as far as practicable." We are indebted to Mr Warden Lowe fjr copies of the depositions taken, bnt we regret we are unable to publish them in our present issue. A malicious act was committed on the North Beach 011 Sunday evening or Monday morning, to the machinery on the claim recently purchased by Mr J. Wilkie, of Cohden, which was broken in many places, nuts and bolts unscrewed, and sheets of iron cut to pi ces. Yesterday Constable Norrie proceeded to the neighborhood, and, from enquiries made, appiehended a man employed in the claim, on suspicion. A correspondent writing from Eight-mile, supplies the following information : — lt is surprising after the large rushes that have taken place at different; times that more country has not been prospected with greater success than the district between this township and No Name, yet it is still more surprising that No Name, some considerable time back, received a bad name amongst the miners, and consequently became neglected ; but very different a result is likely to take place after the Christinas holidays, which will, no doubt, surprise many, for already I have seen within two clays at least two miles of country pegged off for claims, and the whole of this district to the north, south, cast, and west of the little township is precisely of the same description as that on which at least three hundred are now on ' gold. The last claim that'struck gold on the German Terrace washed from one to five pennyweights to the dish. The present township laid out by the Government is much too limited — every section is already taken up, buildings of every description rapidly springing up, consequently another township must spring up, distant half-a-mile from the present one, at Cement Creek, which is more central, and a large extent of level terrace ground. Should the expectations of the miners turn out right, it will be a good pile for the owner of the tramway, for it at pr sent reaches within one and a-quarter miles of the township. I omitted to mention that the mining is principally driving into the terraces, some having struok gold varying from 20 to 200 feet. Some sluicing ground hfis been found, but they look forward to finding a large extent of it ; there would be a great drawback 011 these fiehts for want of water, but fortunately several enterprising men have made application for bringing in a good supply, and engage- 1 Mr Beauchainp, . mining surveyor, who has already been over the ground. We have to report another melancholy loss ' of life in the Grey lliver on Saturday morning. The, victim in this instance is .fames Myers, a laborer on the Government road, Nelson side, The facts of the case as detailed at the inquest held yesterday morning, before Mr Revell, E.M., at Gilmer's Hotel, areas follows :-- James Hewitt, a carpenter: On Friday nig/it, at half -past eleven o'clock, I accompanied the deceased over the river to Coal Creek Gardens, where there was a ball. At two, a.m. we started to come back. Deceased was. jolly — neither drunk nor sober. We called for a boat, and a man came across the river, He asked, "Is that you, Peter?" I said "No," and he then turned his boat and he would not bring ua over. There w.as an old boat 0,11 the beach,. We got into it, and tried to paddle it over with a piece of board. It. began, to fill with water, and we both started to bail her out. As she was sinking fast, the dece;ise 1 as,kod me if I could swim. I said "No." He then jumped wit of the bou't^ an -'l «ut. for tho shore.

As lie jumped out, the boat rolled over, and I was in the water. I clung to the boat, and she drifted down among the coal barges, where I got out. I went to an hotel, and the proprietor came with me to look for the deceased, but we could not find him. 1 went to the station to report the circumstance, but there was no one there. I reported it early in the morning. I believe "Fiji Jack" is the man who refused to take us over. \e is a licensed watermanWilliam Bijjft i I am a laborer in Cobden. On the morning of the 25th I saw the deceased at the Cobden wharf. His name is James Myres, and he was working on the Government road, Nelson side. He called after me, and when I got to him he said he had just got capsized in the canoe, and asked wheie he could get some paddles, aa he must go over tbe river. The last witness was with him. I told him I would not give him paddles, but I went back as far as a boat lying on the beach. They both jumped into the boat, shoved off, ami I went away. It wag a bright moonlight 7)ight. Myres was not Quite sober, but the other man was perfectly sober. Myres told me a boatman who was then going across the river would j not take him over. George Bacon : I am a boatman on the Grey River, and knew the deceased by the name of " Jimmy." He was a miner, and occasionally a boatman. I think he was a German, About two o'clock on Christmas morning I heard a coaey, and went over the river. As I came to the beach I saw two men, and deceased began to make use of abusive language. I turned the boat to the Greymouth side. I could see that they were intoxicated. Deceased aaked me to come aahore and have a few rounds with him. I came over and went to bed. My hut is near the beach, and I heard a squabble near the Greymouth shore. I heard the 1 j deceased's voice in particular. Next morning I saw him lying dead on the river beach. Ja,me,s Brimble : On Christmas morning, at six o'clock, I was above the Post Office, near the ferry place, and saw a coat above the water. I went down and saw a spotted shirt. I got a pole and tried to reach it, but could not, and a boatman who was coming aoross asked me what it was. I said I did not know. He went close alongside, said it was. a mon, and I saw him take the body out of tbe water. That is the same body now lying in the Hospital. Constable Moeller : On Christmas morning, about six o'clock, I was informed that a body had been found on the river bank. I went up and found it 'was taken ashore. His coat was only buttoned round the neck. He was perfectly dead, and bore no marks of violence. I searched the body and found a few articles and 10s Cd in silver. I had the body removed to the dead-house at the Hospital. The jury returned a verdict of " accidental death." The brethren of the above order met at their hall, Gilmer's Buildings, yesterday, at high noon, for the purpose of celebrating St. Johu's Day. A few minutes after 12 o'clock, Bro. G. W. Moss, Worshipful Master of the Greymouth Lodge took the chair, and opened the Lodge with prayer.. The W.M. then delivered an impressive and appropriate address to the brethren on the occasion. After some business of a routine character had been transacted, the brethren dispersed at 8 p.m., when the event was celebrated by a grand banquet at Gilmer's Hotel, during which a presentation of a P. M.'s jewel in gold and enamel, surrounded with brilliants, was made to Bro. Anchor. Owing to the late hour at which the proceedings terminated, we hold over our report.