Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 723, 6 September 1870, Page 2

Our readers will remember that a petition was forwarded some time ago, to the Nelson Provincial Government, by the residents of Totara Flat and Upper Grey, praying that the new road proposed to be made to the Iriangah'ua might; be carried by way of the Little Grey diggings, instead of in the direction of the road already in existence. An answer has been read from Mr Greenfield, through Mr Wbitefoord, by Mr David Donald of Totara Flat, informing the memoralists that the matter has been referred to the District Engineer, for his opinion of the suitability and probable cost of the new route. • ■ The suag which used to be so dangerous to parties fording the Ahaura Eiver has been removed. The cost of taking it out was only Lo, and for the sake of saving this paltry sum the obstruction was allowed to remain, and the crossing rendered perilous for the last two months. The ford is shifting higher, and it requires a guide post on either bank of the river to properly mark the right crossing. The erection of these posts will cost about LI, and no doubt they will be put up at o^ce. An accident, which fortunately did not terminate very seriously, happened to Monnted Constable William Clarke at Camptown, on the 10th inst. The constable was going on duty to the Twelve-mile, mounted on a horse well known up the river as " Old Dent." On leaving Oamptown, "Dent," as is usual with him, when he fohnd he was leav- ■ ing his "happy feeding ground," began to buck, 1 and would insist on performing an

acrobatic feat of his of travelling backwards on his forelegs. He eventually rolled into the deep water drain on the roadside, and got jammed in it with his rider under him, who was in such a position that, although not actually under the horse, he was unable to get out until the drain was deepened below him, which operation was performed by a number of ablebodied publicans and policemen armed with long-tailed shovels. ; Mr Clarke escaped by getting his left leg badly bruised. "Dent" all this time was sitting upon his tail, and using his forelegs in the most scientific manner to prevent any attempt to reach his head from the front, which he did effectually. The meeting of the Mawhera Quartz Mining Company was yesterday adjourned for waut of a quorum until to-day, at the Melbourne Hotel, at 4 p.m. Cobb and Co. 's coach from town reached the Teremakau as usual yesterday, but after waiting an hour and a half, and the coach from Hokitika not having arrived, Mr Slattery was compelled to bring the mails and passengers back to town. The overland mail arrived by the s.s. Murray from Hokitika in the evening. A large still for the distillery erecting in Auckland has been received from Sydney. Sergeant Lambert., who has been coAnected with the Nelson police since the earliest settlement of the South- West Gold Fields, has tendered his resignation, and purposes sailing the schooner Woodquest, recently purchased by him in Nelson. Mr Lambert was a deserving and zealous officer, and he receives the good wishes of all who know him in the new enterprise in which he has embarked. The manufacture of paper is shortly to be undertaken in Auckland, a company to erect a paper mill being in course of formation. The Rev. Father O'JBrien, Roman Catholic clergyman, stationed at Tauranga, was found •dead in his bed on the morning of the 14th ult. A coroner's inquest was held the same day, and a verdict returned of death from natural causes. Mr John Page, commision agent, at Oainaru, has committed suicide by taking poison. •....■ At Hokitika, on Saturday evening, a number of the friends of MrlHolloway, late accountant in the branch of the Bank of New Zealand there, met together for the purpose of wishing that gentleman a. hearty farewell, he being about to leave for Nelson on promotion in the same banking corporation. A large wooden house belonging to Poara Toru Toru, at Wakatu, has been burned down. The cause of the fire is unknown. The second deposits of L4O a-side were made on Saturday evening at the Brian Boru Hotel, in the predesfcrian matches between Twohill and Howe, to come off on the racecourse on Saturday, the 17th, and Monday, the 19th inst. The men are both in active training, and are both heavily backed. At Napier, a policeman, named Hebberly, has been sent to prison for six months for stealing a saddle. Wardens Broad and Giles, from Charleston and Westport, aro at present on a visit to Cobden, for the purpose of holding a conference with Warden Whitefoord »s to the amendment of the mining rules and regulations of the. Nelson South- West Gold Fields. Something eutirely new to the people of Greymouth will be produced this evening at the Volunteer Hall, when Mr G. Cotterell will give what he calls a musical and dramatic Drawing-room Entertainment, table talk, and unframed pictures Mr Cotterell has been very highly spoken of by the press of the colony in every town he has yet visited, and he will no doubt' sustain his reputation here. Only two "entertainments are to be given here, t'o-jiright and tomorrow. '-"•■ • Sheehau and party struck" gold in HalfOunce on Friday last, about a quarter of a mile below any of the other chums on the lead, which proves that it ;is continuous. I Some time ago, the ground "was all taken up and shepherded, and the parties on both sides of Sheehau and party joined with them in proving their claim. They sunk 50 feet below the bed of the creek, thiin drove 60 feet. Thinking they were too low, they made two " jumps up," and in the second one were successful in striking a good payable prospect. The men in the othei claims all set to work to sink yesterday morning. Our mining reporter has proceeded to the spot, and will furnish all the details in a few days. There has been some considerable excitement in the East Ward lately over the vacant seat in the Borough Council, and all sorts of arrangements have from time to time been come to. On Saturday Mr J. Kilgour retired from the contest, and we be-: lieve that yesterday Dr Morice also agreed to retire, in order to allow. Mr Woolcock to be elected, but on the distinct pledge that within two days after his return he will resign, so as to allow a re-election, when several new candidates will probably be brought forward. A lamp-trimmer aud seaman named James jaffany, belonging to the steamer Taranaki, in going on board his vessel at Onehunga, on the 2lßt ult., fell into the water aud was drowned. ..•.-.. The Christy Minstrels made their last appearance at the Volunteer Hall last evening, when the performance was for the benefit of Mr A. Carroll, the accomplished tambourinist and dancer of the company. The house was an average one, but nothing •like what it ought to have been. The singing of the various members of the company was as excellent as usual, but the dancing of Mr Carroll excelled anything he had previously done in town, his silver-belt jig being really a splendid performance, well worth being seen. Mr Samuel Poole assisted the troupe on this occasion, aud added his quota to the enjoyment of the evening. The troupe leave to-day for the Ahaura, where they appear this evening, and at Napoleon Hill on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. - So heavy was the rainfall at Auckland on the morning of the 23rd nit., that a milkman coming into town on his cart had his horse swept off Ms Jess by the current across the roact, and got all his milk spilt. The monthly meeting of the Volunteer Fire Brigade was held last nieht, in the hall. \No reports were received irom the comI mittees of citizens appointed to cauvas the town for subscriptions, and considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at this want of action on their part. A deputation was appointed to wait upon these committees, for the purpose of enquiring what had been done in the matter entrusted to them— to report on Monday. Accounts were received amounting to over LIOO, and the Treasurer stated that there were only L 9 on hand to meet them. A resolution was carried to the effect that a foreman and company be appointed to work the small engine wheu fires take place. The meeting then adjourned. During the discussion on the resolution of the Commiltee oii the Militia Bill in the House on Thursday evening last, the Hon. Defence Minister intimated the intention of the Government to place the sum of L 2500 on the Estimates for the colonial prize firing, instead of the LIOOO voted last year. We feel snre that this concession on the part of the Government will be hailed with much satisfaction by the Volunteer force generally. Constable Patrick Sweeney left Cauaptown this i morning en route to the new station during the recent police Jarrangements. _Mr '

Sweeney has been stationed up the Grey River over four years, during the greater portion of which time he has acted' as Clerk to the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts at the Twelve-mile Landing and at Camptown. The duties of his office, especially in the latter capacity, have at times been very onerous, particularly during the larger rushes to Nelson Creek and No Town, and he has always performed them with consistency and impartiality. Mr Sweeney leaves the district with the good wishes for his future welfare of a large circle of friends. He is succeeded by Sergeant M'Myn, late of the Westland Police Force. A shoemaker named Patrick Reid, lately from Dunedin, attempted self-destruction, by cutting his throat in a boarding-house in Queen street, Auckland, on the 19th ult. The man was discovered before life was extinct, and there is hope he may recover. The .application of Messrs McCarthy and Company, Town Lead, to mine under Princes street, Charleston, has been granted by the . Warden, ond a petition is being numerously signed, asking that the permission should be cancelled as it would interfere with the traffic and seriously injure a street at present in excellent repair, and which originally cost a very considerable sura to construct. The above party have already laid a tramway previous to working the ground. A raid has been made by the police upon Sunday traders on the South Beach, Paroa, Rutharglen, Marsden, &c, and yesterday nearly thirty hotel and storekeepers were fined in a small amount by way of a caution. They appeared mostly to be in ignorance of the fact that the law only allowed them to keep their premises open from one to two o'clock on Sundays, and this is not to be wondered at, because this is the first time the law has been enforced in this district. The Magistrate .announced that the same law would be strictly enforced in town in future, so that, for their own sakes, publicans aud those who have bceu in the habit of keeping their places of business open on Sundays, had better take warning in time, as offenders will be very severely dealt with. Information reached the Camp at Ahaura, on Friday, 2nd instant, that a miner named Thomas Cavan had been robbed of 21oz 13dwt of gold, in a grog shanty at Antonio's Flat, Upper Grey, on the previous day. Mounted Constable Dorris at once proceeded to the place, and, on making enquiries, he learned that the man had been drinking about the shanty and exposiug his gold. He eventually fell asleep, and on waking tip he found he had been eased of his bullirn. The constable arrested the wife of the owner of the house and a man who was seen in company with Cavan before the gold was missed. The aocused parties were lodged in the lock-up at the Ahaura on Saturday. The following are fuller details of one of tlie telegrams we published in our last. The Nelson Colonist says :— "A miner, who had been at work on the Kar.imea, near Salisbury's Open, returned after five weeks' sojourn with Ll5O worth of gold obtained during that time. We were unable to learn whether this was his own party of five, of which he formed one. If it is the latter, it i 3 a very good result ; if the former, it is magnificent. The snow in the region referred to has fallen very heavily, and there is said to be much need for son<e road-making. It is expected that the Karamea district will attract a large number of people during the summer. At present the weather is cold, aud the snow is so prevalent that work cannot be undertaken." When the proposition to erect a lighthouse on the Snares was brought up, in the Legislative Council the other day, the Hon. Mr Gisborne stated that the question had been under consideration of the Government for some time past. In March, 1869, an attempt was made by the late Mr Balfour to land at the Snares in the "Blanche," but he was unable to do so. The object then entertrained was that an examination of the Snares should be made and a report submitted, with a view to erecting a lighthouse. It was also one of the subjects which the conference that was to have sat in December last was to consider, but the conference did not sit. Ihe New Zealand delegates did bring the matter under the notice of the Victorian Government, to see what could be done. He was afraid that the expense which would have to incurred would be very great, in consequence, amongst other difficulties, of the difficulty of access to the islands, and their great distance from land. What the erection of a lighthouse would cost he could not tell. England and Victoria were, no doubt, more interested- in the matter than was New Zealand ; aud> from advices received from the Australian colonies, he believed that some of them would be willing to contribute towards the erection of a lighthouse on the Snares. As he had already intimated he would again remind the Government of Victoria of the matter, in order that some practical steps should, if possible, be taken to carry out the object in view. The following are all the' additional particulars regarding the robbery of treasure at Clyde, contained in the Otago papers received .last night. From a Cromwell letter, the Tua-peka Times learns that Rennie, accompanied by Detective Farrell, passed through that township on Sunday last, on their way to the Gentle Annie. It appears that iusteacl of losing the parcel of notes and gold at that place, as previously stated, 'Rennie confessed to having, planted it, and they had gone to remove it. The game letter states that M'Leunan, the policeman implicated in the robbery, attempted to dash his brains out against the wall of the cell in which he was confined. The police, to prevent his committing any violence against himself, put him in chains. M'Lenuan was brought up on Tne_3day last before Mr Vincent Pike, II. M. at Clyde, on the. charge of being au accessory in the late gold robbery. Evidence against the prisoner was given in a clear and conclusive warmer by the informer Rennie. Two other witnesses also gave evidence, and the hearing of the case was then adjourned till to-day, when both prisoners will be proceeded agaiust on the charge of stealing treasure, the property of the Bank of New South Wale?, aud ' on a similar charge of stealing treasure, the property of the Bank of New Zealand. The ease will, in all probability, occupy ttve local court for some days. There is but little doubt that they will be committed for trial on the facts already made public, aud if time allows the wituesses to attend, and of the charges being prepared, the prisoners will most likely be tried at the ensuing Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court, which opens on the sfch pvox.