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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 647, 12 March 1870, Page 2

In -jfiur- last leader on the action taken by the Resident Magistrate and the County Chairman with regard to granting licenses, it was incidentally stated that the application of Miss Hood passed through the Magistrate's Office, and therefore it was inferred that he must have known of it from the first of this unpleasant business. We have since found that in one particular we were mistaken. Mr Hoos, by letter, instructed Mr T. Kenriuk to make out an application for a license for Miss Hood, and iutinuting that should the police give her a good character he would grant the license. In this way it never came under the notice of Mr Revell, and we are assured by tha* gentleman that he was not aware until the licensing meeting that such a license had been issued. English mail letters will be sen.fc on to Melbourne by the Rangitoto on Monday, if specially addressed "Via Suez." All letters not so addressed will be transmitted by the new San Francisco mail route, the first steamer of which line leaves Auckland on the 2nd April. To join this steamer the mails will be sent away by coach on Monday, the 21st, but should a steamer.go North a few days later, a supplementary mail will be despatched. -„.-.. To-day, the Banks in town commence the practice of closing at. noon on Saturdays > instead of on Wednesdays, as formerly. From to-day no gold will be retorted, and it will be melted for miners on Fridays only. The Star Dramatic Company arrived from Nelson yesterday, and will give their first entertainment in the Volunteer Hall. this evening. The company includes several actors and actress of considerable colonial repute, and we notice that they have been very highly spoken of by our contemporaries in the Provinces they have lately visited. The programme for to-night, which is a very attractive one, will bo found iv our advertising columns. The foot-mce for £20 a-side, between Wright and Twohill, will take place this afternoon. By a private telegram received in Dunedin, from Cromwell, we learn that a trial crusting of 5f tons of quartz, from the Carriek Ranges, yielded 420z 4dwt of gold. A public meeting, at which Messrs Lahman and Harrison will explain their political conduct during tho last session of the County Council, will be held on Monday e,veniug in Gilmer's Hall, It is estimated that the amount due to the miners at the Thames for wages exceeds L 3000 .' A correspondent at Red Jack's sends, us the following items j— On Friday, the 4th inst., despite the continual downfall of rain, the inhabitants of Red Jack's diggings were favored by a visit from our new Warden and Resident Magistrate, Mr Whitefoord, Svhoso presence here was required to decide a disputed right of water between Keeaham and party, aud Christian Frank and party, both of w;hom having gone to great expense aud •labor in the,lr respective' claims (which seemed to be very liberally considered by our Warden), and if we may be allowed to judge from the patience exhibited, ami universal satisfaction of the parties concerned and the miners -generally, we cannot but feel happy

that we have again tho right man in the right place. We were also pleased to think that Mr Whitefoord had an opportunity of inspecting our track, if it may be called so, for any attempt to describe its disgraceful condition would be useless. When it is considered that this gully has beeu opened four years and a-half, and maintained a population of 120 to 180 miners, we would naturally expect that some provision in the shape of a roarl should be considered necessary by I the Nelson Provincial Government, and although we don't expect all that was promised by Messrs Laugdon and Steel at their meetings held here against the late separation movement, yet we would feel recognised if a portion only of the proceeds of the money paid for licenses, amounting to L 220 yearly, independent of miners' rights, &c, were cx P pended to benefit tnjs long neglected district. The representatives of Auckland at the colonial prize firing will be about forty in number. The members of the recently formed Oreymouth Amateur Dramatic and Histrionic Club announce their first public performance to take place at the Volunteer Hall, on Wednesday evening next. The programme is a good one for a iirst effort, including the drama, "Time Tries All," the farce "The Steeplechase," and some glees and readings. There is no doubt thab the amount of public patronage bestowed will be liberal. A settler, named William Tucker, wa a killed at the Hutt, Wellington, on Saturday, stli inst., by being thrown from his horse. The General Government intend to offer the Natives £5000 for the capture of Kooti, on the principle of no capture no pay. 1 The Governor and Premier left Auckland for Waikato on March 3. At the Warden's Court, Greymouth, yesterday, only one case was heard. Morton v. Isaacs — which was a misunderstanding between two mates. The defendant had recently bought in, and had worked in the claim for weeks ; but the defendant refused to give up the certificate so as to have it altered in the Warden's Office. The defence was that Morton refused to show his agreement of purchase. The defendant was ordered to give up the agreement and pay the costs of the action, and both parties got a deserved lecture from the Warden for the folly displayed in carrying their quarrel to such an exteut. The Auckland papers contradict the report that the General Government has purchased the steamer Luna. The report received by telegraph of a native deserting to the enemy is correct. His name is Kapa te Ahaueu an Uriwera, who received a decoration for good conduct on the West Coast. Another accident happened yesterday at the Brunner coal mine yrhereby a miner named John Morris narrowly escaped losing his life. It appears, that several blasts had been put in for the purpose of getting out the tops in the drive, and that before the loose coal had been taken' out Morris hod gone in to carry on his usual shift. While working one large lump of coal fell from the roof, narrowly missing his head, and crushed his foot severely. The accident is to be attributed in a great measure to carelessness, for had even ordinary precaution been taken it would not have happened. Morris was brought to town yesterday afternoon, and was attended to by Dr Morice previous to his admission to the hospital. At Waugapeka, Mr Warden Kynneraley has granted Culliford a prospecting claim of about two acres. Some splendid gold has been brought from the claim. The terrace claims at Skippers, Otago, are reported to continue to yield " astonishing returns." At a meeting of Scotchmen held in Melbourne a few days ago, it was resolved to form a benefit society, having for its objects the promotion of Scottish sports. ... We are informed that the District Surveyor, Mr Cooper, has, during the week, laid off two townships — one at Marsden (Card's Lower Store), and one at Peterborough (on Cement Creek, a tributary of No Name Creek). The miners in that neighborhood are very anxious that the Marsden Court, as agreed by the County Council, should be: at once established, as at they have to go to Greenstone, Clifton Court having been discontinued. Marsden is now in the centre of the district, and contaius a large population. r 1 A fire took place on the morning of ihe 3rd instant, in Dee street, Invercargill, by which the Noah's Ark Hotel, a restaurant, Eeese's grocery warehouse, a corn-store, and a blacksmith's shop were consumed. None of the premises destroyed were insured, except those of Mr "Reese, which are insured for LSOO in the New Zealand Insurance Company. It is stated by some Northern papers that the Thames news about destitution is greatly exaggerated. The settlers offer 5s per day, and cannot get men. Good returns are reported from several claims. The Thames is over-pppulated, because men are waitina for the opening of the Ohinemuri district. This is a delicate and dangerous operation if pressed. The " opponents are being backed by King Natives. • • : At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Thursday, before W. H. Revell, Esq.,R.M., the following list of civil cases was disposed of :— Caldwell and Co. v. Andrew Clarke— Claim of L 1 0; adjourned until Tuesday next. Boyd Thompson v. H. Lawrence — judgment by def aiilt for Ll3 3s lOd. C. C . Somers v. J. W. Parkinson— claim of L 22 10s 9d for wages; the defendant paid into Court Lls 13s. After hearing, judgment was given for Ll7 Os.Od and costs. M. L. Browne v. John Tucker— claim of L 22 2s for advertising aud printing ; judgment confessed, with costs. Joseph Kilgour v. — Coohrane— judgment by default for Ll2 0s Gd and costs. R. J. Scoltock v. D. O'D, Egan— judgment confessed for LI 3s 9d and costs, go be paid in one month, or in default 14 days' imprisonment. Patrick Downs v, Michael Ryan — claim of LI 7 ; judgment by default for Lls and costs. M. L. Browne v, C Brown— fraud summons for L39s i defendant ordered to pay th.9

amount in 14 days, or in default 14 days' imprisonment, SkoglundandPurcell v. D. O'D. Egan- judgment for plaintiff for L 35 10s and costs. J, Jenkins v. J. Cattle — adjourned to Tuesday next. Clave and Lahman v. B. S.ilvin— fraud summons for L 4 ISs 3d ; defendant did not appear, and a warrant was ordered to be issued for bis apprehension. Strike and Blackmorc v. H. Lawrence — judgment by default for L 23 4a and c6sts. L. Jacob v. Dreyer— olairn of L3B Os.Gd V'no return of the summons. Adjourned until Tuesday next I,—At1 ,— At the sain© Court yesterday, E, Salvin was brought up on a fraud summons for L 4 18s 3d, at the suit of Cleve and Lahman, He was ordered to pay LI per week, or, in default, one months' imprisonment. The damage done by rust to the wheat crops in the Oamaru and Otepopo districts is said to be so great that in some oases it has been decided to burn it as it stands. The crops in tho neighborhood of Care Valley have suffered most, their state being pitiable. • It is time some steps were taken to remedy the fast-in creasing decay in the piles that support the upper wharf, especially near the transit shed, by the driving of new one.', Any one curious to look at thoroughly rotten timber can, by visiting wheie we hive stated, see for themselves that every pile which supports the wharf is either thoroughly damaged, or so much so that it is unsafe to trust it as a support. If allowed to stand unrepaired until another freshet comes, in all probability, a large portion of the structui c must, from its superincumbent weight (having nothing on which to rest, tumble into the river, and go to sea. Last night the Council resolved to call for tenders for putting the wharf in a temporary state of repair. We understand that one tender only for the construction of the Clutha line of railway has been received by the Otago Provincial Government, the tenderer being Mr Millar, F.S.A. An advertisement calling for tenders has been published for some months past in the leading journals of the neighboring colonies, the Ist of March being fixed as the last day on which tenders could be sent in. The entries for the races are t6 be made tonight at the Melbourne HoteL Till then it is impossible to say how many horses will be present, but enough is already known to justify us in saying that, should the weather improve, our annual race meeting, which commences on Thursday, will be a very successful one. : Yesterday the Nelson horses Economy and Trump were landed from the Waipara, transhipped at Westport from the Murray ; Magenta is said to be on board the Kennedy, and will be here to-day ; Backbiter, Te Kooti, and Sir Tatton were yesterday on their way up from Hokitika, while Fljing Jib, Titokowaru, and XXX or Circassian, are expected by the John Perm. Besides these there are in town, at the Ahaura, and on the South Beach over a dozen '■ horses in training. We notice that Knottingley, Foretop, Don Pedro, and others, which were expected from Christchurch, are 1 entered for the Dunedin races, which commence on the 23rd inst. The Queenstown paper states that the weather in the Lake district, Otago, has been favorable for harvesting operations, and most of the crops are down, a small portion only remaining to be cut. The 40-bushel jielrl expected before the hot and dry ; spell of weather set in has to be much reduced. Some of the crops— especially in the Arrow portion of the district— are very light indeed. In one or two instances they will barely pay for expense of reaping, and might more advantageously be fed off. The general average will be about 30 bushels per acre. The potato crop will this year bring a good price- say from £12 to £14 per ton. It is now proposed in Hokitika to endeavor to get up an Autumn race meeting at all hazards under the auspices of the Westland Jockey Club, if that is still practicable, and without their countenance, and assistance should they still prove averse to the undertaking. A narrative by Mr C. D, Irvine, 8.A., C.E., of a trip made by him to Stewart's Island a few months ago is being published in the Southland News. The following is a specimen of Mr Irvine's style :— " The flesh (of the wood hen) is dark and tough, and toe whole bird requires . something like a four hours' boil to make it yield with satisfaction to the masticatory evolutions of the o-chy-drorniverous bimanian's denticular appendages." Several examples of the ignorance displayed by the English papers of the geography of the colonies have recently been going the round of the press of New Zealand. The following, from the London Daily Telegraph of December 29, is the latest instance of the kind :--" Thirteen out of fourteen seamen have been punished at Deal with the full penalty of the law, for mutiny on board an emigrant vessel named the Maryborough, bound from London to Brisbane, New Zealand; with emigrants." The W. G. Times gives the following details of a.shocking accident which occurred at Okarito on the 18th ult., and which has previously been shortly mentioned : — " On. the lSth ult., the deceased, whose name is Alexander Pinch, a native of Barking in Essex, England, was engaged with a mate, named John Barton, cutting timber at a saw mill, and while in the act of throwing a slab from off the saw bench, slipped his foot, and fell on the bench, his right arm coming in contact with the front of the circular saw. which cut off the limb close to the shoulder. In. trying to save himself -be placed his left arm against the back of the saw, whicn cut off that limb also close to the elbow? joint. This was all done almost instantaneously, as the saw was making two hundred revolutions per minute. Although the steam was immediately shut off, the weight of the driving wheel kept the saw going at the same speed for some time, Deceased was rescued as quickly as possible by Mr Bar '<oa and a, man named John Marks, who at once strapped the stujnps of the arms tightly down and succeeded in stopping the bleeding in' about.

a minute after the accident occurred. Deceased was then removed to Mr Watts' hotel, where he remained until his death, which occurred in three hours and a ha!J after the accident. He remained sensib c until about twenty minutes before death. He left no property, " except about £12 due to him in wages, which has since been paid into the hands of Mr Pratt, chemist, at Ok.irito. The shareholders in the claim in which he worked buried him. Ho had no relatives h} the colonies, but has left two sisters in London/ whose address is not known. Deceased worked for a long time as packer for Messrs Beal Bros,, of Stafford Town track. Under the head 'of •" Supposed Discovery of a Silver Mine," the Oromtodl Guardian (Otago) of Thursday last says :— Yesterday afternoon, W, J. Barry, Hutton, and Butler called at this office and exbibitcd a number of specimens, heavily impregnated with a metallic substance, understood to be silver. In appearance it bore a striking resemblance to that metal ; still we are not in a position to make an authoritative assertion upon the point. The statement of the prospectors is that tliey were following up a quartz lead on one of the adjoining ranges, when they came upon the lode cropping up to the surface. It is enclosed in a well-defined casing, and has been traced for a distance of 200 f yards. The lay of the country is east and west, and that of the vein north and south. The precise locality was communicated to us under the non-publication pledge; but we may state generally that it was taken out of a hill in good repute as regards mineral resources, situated not more than eighteen miles from Cromwell. We trust the discovery may turn out right, meantime we are in a position to say that steps will be at once adopted for settling the question.