Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 752, 12 November 1870, Page 2

Mr H. H. Lahman and Mr F. Guinness today announce themselves as candidates for the representation of Greymouth in the County Council. The names of at least other two candidates are publicly mentioned. Since the late floods the river has been sounded in front of Messrs Rae and Wickes', timber-wharf, and it has been proved that no scour worth mentioning has taken place. There are still seventeen feet of water at iow tide alongside the wharf. A carpenter named William Sansbury has been missing for over a week, and it is feared that something serious has befallen him. He was working at the English C ? hurch, brought home his tools to the Full and i Plenty Hotel on Thursday, the 3rd insfc, laid I them down on his buuk, went out, and has not since been heard of. His wages were due on Saturday last, but he did not call for them. He is a sober, steady man, and is almost a stranger here, having only recently arrived from Auckland and Wanganui. A Court was held at Christy's Accommo-dation-house on the Inangahua River, on Tuesday last, by Mr Warden Giles, when the application by a local company for a lease of sixteen acres, lying between Cooney's and the Cement Claim, at Murray Creek, was heard. This ground had been taken up by the company, and subsequently jumped by four parties of miners. The Warden decided in favor of the miners. We believe that the General Government has entirely' remitted the fine of TilO which, under the stringent clauses of the Stamp Act, the Resident Magistrate was lately compelled to impose upon Mr F. Cook, against whom an information was laid by Mr A. Guinness for neglecting to stamp a receipt. All he has now to pay are the costs, amounting to Us Gd. The usual Captain's parade of the Greymouth Rifles was held on Thursday, at the Drill Shed, under the command of Captain Hamilton. There was not a good muster; which was more to be regretted as the night was co fine and favorable for out-door drill. There were several recruits present, who were drilled by Captain Hamilton in the shed, while the rest of the Company, under Ensign Hall, marched to the upper part of Mawhera Quay, where they had an hour's company drill, and returned to the shed. After electing two new members, Captain Hamilton spoke of the bad attendance and dismissed the paiade. At the Warden's Court yesterday, before W. H. Revell, Esq^, Warden, the following case was heard :— Butler and party (Leviathan Water Race Company) v. M'Grath and party (Great Extended Race Company), both on the South Beach. This important case, which has previously, in a different form, been heard both in this Court and in the District Court, came on for hearing. Mr Guinness appeared for the complainants, and Mr Perkins and Mr Newton for the defendants. The], complaint in subßtanco

was as follows :--That the defendants (who liold the first right in the Saltwater- dcek.) bad by means of their race cut off from the Saltwater Creek certi""* tributaries which naturally, flowed into the creek between the defend.-*" ta' and the complainants'. dam, thus forming (as complainants alleged) part of their simply of water. Evidence wa9 given for the complainantsjproving these facts. Mr Newton then moved for a nonsuit on the ground that no proof had been given of any written notice (under rule 10, page 11, of the Gold Fields Regulations) from complainants to defendants to let down the supply of water to which complainants were entitled, and further that it had not been proved that complainants' supply of water had been short since defendants had cut- off the said tributaries. Mr Guinness replied, contending that as defendants had not yet proved any right to the tributaries, they were not entitled to notice. The Warden granted the nonsuit on the grounds taken, with costs, L 9 13s. The firat of a aeries of competitions, to elect representatives for the Colonial Prize Firing, took place at the Rifle Range on Thursday. Our Greymouth company will send five men to compete against the Ross and Hokitika Volunteers, at the latter place, during some time in December, tho three highest scorers on which occasion will represent this district at Auckland, where the Government prize shooting takes place this year. As there will be two more competitions to select our live champions from, any remarks as to the probable result would be premature. The shooting on Thursday was decidedly bad, the average being below that of tho late matches. An exception must be made of the score of Color-Sergeant Chamberlain, who made 53 points out of «•» possible GO, at 400, 500 and GOO yards, this being, we believe, the highest yet reached on this range. We append the scores : — 400 500 600 T1 yards, yards, yards Col-SgtChamber-

The President and Vice-President of the Grey River Cricket Club being desirous to forward the interests of cricket this season, have, as a preliminary sbep, got up a scratch match for Saturday next. The sides are as follows:— Mr King's (president) side :— Messrs Atkinson, Bowman, Barron, Chuck, A. R, Guinness, F: Gleeson, Grutt, Hogg, Milburn, Ollivier, S. Poole, P. Twohill and Waters. Mr F. Guinness' (vice-president)— Messrs Broadbent, Brunn, Buckingham, Goff, Kenrick, Martin, Masters, W. A. Moss, Paul, Strike, D. Twohill, and White. The wicketa will be pitched at two o'clock, play to commence at a quarter-past two. All players are requested to be punctual. An appeal has been lodged in the civil case recently heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Drury v. Guinness, and the requisite bonds have been entered into for the payment of the costs. The grounds of appeal are as follows :— l. That the plaintiff being engaged as the clerk of the defendant for three years, and no time being agreed to for the payment of his wages, the dismissal of the plaintiff by the defendant for misconduct during the term of service is a forfeiture of all wages due to him up to the date of such dismissal. 2. That the plaintiff was dismissed for misconduct, and this Court was of that opinion, as it reduced a part of his claim on that ground. All those persons who take any interest in the approaching Christmas sports are requested by advertisement to meet at John-, ston's Melbourne Hotel, at eight o'clock on Monday night. His Honor the Superintendent of Nelson left Westport in the s.s. Kennedy, which arrived at Hokifcika yesterday, and may be looked for here to-day. Mr Muller is at present acting chief surveyor for Westland. Messrs Dwan and Co. sold by public auction, on Saturday last, 67 scrip, Charleston Progress Water-race Company, for Ll4O, Mr James Parsons, of Charleston, purchaser ; [ one share in Greenslade and party's claim, Candlelight, for L9l, Mr J. Maver, from Brighton, purchaser. On the right bank of the Inangahua, Mr Long is erecting an accommodation-house, which will be shortly completed. He is also clearing an agricultural area. A party just down from the reefs states that the population in that locality is steadily increasing, and at present numbers about 250. The alluvial diggings are still much the same as last, but the population is decreasing, numbers having left their claims for the purpose of taking up ground along the line of reefs. Kelly and party, at the Murray, continue to obtain splendid stone, the quality, if possible, improving as the reef is driven into. At Anderson's, the prospectors have just completed a long tail-race of 300 or 400 feet, and are now engaged in moving the debris and stripping the terrace, making room for machinery. A meeting of the shareholders will be called very shortly, to take steps for procuring machinery. The following is the motion which was carried, almost unanimously, at the public meeting at Westport, called by his Honor the Superintendent of Nelson: — "That, having heard the address of his Honor the Superintendent, and while thanking him for the full explanation of matters connected with the Province, this meeting is of opinion that the utmost confidence in the administration of the present Government under the Superintendent of his Honor, might be secured, provided — that he will make amends for past neglect, by liberally and rigidly carrying out the promises now made for further improvements ; that he will candidly acknowledge that he has misunderstood the character and wants of the Mining Community of the Buller district, and that he will pledge himself to visit us more frequently, in order to establish mutual confidence." Arthur John Lynd has been committed for trial at Westport, on two charges for embezzling monies, the property of his employers, Me3srs Tonks and Hughes, .hoteN keeper. Mr H. S. Fish, jun., has been elected one of the representatives of Duuedin in the Otago Provincial Council. A miner named Henry Driver had his arm broken in two places at the Kanieri on Thursday. Yesterday's West Coast Times contained the following very melancholy incident : — Many past and present residents of Hokitika will hear with regret of the death, under peculiarly distressing circumstances, of a former townsman, Mr Marcus Ryrie. According to our telegram from Dunedin yesterday, and a private telegram received by Mr Stewart, the local represent! ve of the firm of Messrs Anderson and Mowat, Mr Ryrie was accidentally killed by the npsotting of Cobb's coach on Wednesday afternoon, on its way from Dunedin to Clutha Ferry. The death of a young man like Mr Ryrie under such circumstances would in itself be a painful incident, but there were surrounding circumstances which constitute it an incident of an extremely distressing character. It appears that Mr Ryrie had only on the previous day been married to a

young Jady who had been a youthful companion of his at home, anil who had recently arrived in Otago, in fulfilment of an "engagement" which had been maintained between them for a number of years, Jt was jvliile proceeding to his home at Balclutha, and while in company with hi" young bride, that the coach by which they were passengers was capsized, that Mr Ryrie received injuries which resulted in death. Volunteer Skene, of the Ist Westland Rifles, has, for the third time, won Captain Bonar's Cup, with .the excellent score of 55 points out of a possible 60. Goats are now So numerous on the ranges near Alexandra, Otago, that it is expected they will soon outnumber sheep in that locality. The Chinese continue to increase in numbers at the Arrow, Otago. The European .miners in the district are now in a decided minority. Among the candidates for the Supetintendency of Ofcago, the Dunstan Times states that it hears the name of Mr Donald Reid favorably mentioned. Mr Vincent Pykedoes not intend to come forward. Messrs Eobertson and Co., of Queenstown, are about to build a large schooner there to trade on Lake Wakatip. The amount of fluining destroyed by the late gale at Blacks is very large, and will necessitate the outlay of a very large sum of money before operations can be continued as ' formerly. The incorporation of the city of Wellington, under the Municipal Corporation Act, has caused one or two of the other chief towns in the North Island to think of doing the same. The Auckland and Napier papers j urge the propriety of those towns taking advantage of this measure. A correspondent of the Marlborough Express, writing from the Thames, says : — "Things on the Thames are in a frightful state. Indeed, I don't know what they are coming to ; they seem to be getting worse every day." Nineteen Chinamen have gone over to Tasmania from Victoria to try the alluvial diggings near Fingal. They state that if their report is favourable, they will be followed by between 1000 and 2000 of their countrymen. The Tasmanian papers do not view this threatened irrujtion of the Chinese with favour, and they urge that they should not be allowed to land on the island. With one exception— the Alabama — all the dredges at Alexandra, Otago, have been laid up for the season. Halters made of New Zealand flax are now sold at Auckland for 6d each. Suicides may be expected to increase. On her last trip the Government offered LSO for the Rangitoto to come direct from Nelson to Wellington, instead of calling at Picton, but the offer was refused. Great dissatisfaction exists with the mail arrangements. Alluvial gold has been discovered at the junction of the Wangapeka and Rolling River. The washdirt is from three to four feet thick. The prospects are five grains per dish. Judge Forbes, in a recent decision at Geelong, determined that, as an old Act of George 11. was still in force, no person could obtain a verdict for liquors sold in quantities less in value than 20s at a time. On Sunday last, a man named Wilson, a shepherd, employed on the Lyndon station, was drowned whilst bathing in a waterhole. At an inquest subsequently held, a verdict of " Death from drowning " was returned. A man named George Elliot wai accidentally killed a few days ago whilst driving a horse and dray along the road leading from Captaiu Boyd's to the Main North Road, Dunedin. Two men, who arrived at the spot shortly after the accident occurred, found that it had been caused by the back band giving way whilst the horse was being driven down a steep hill. The dray was loaded with wooden posts, which fell over the horse and knocked it down. The deceased was found lying against a bank a few yards behind the horse and dray. How he had come by his injuries, whether by being struck by the shaft, or by the posts which formed the load, or a wheel of the dray afterwards passing over him, we could not learn. He lived for sometime after the accident, but never spoke. Recent telegrams announced the death of Mr H. S. Selfe, who for many years acted as agent in London for the Province of Canterbury. We take the following from the Pall Mall Gazette, of the 7th September :—" Mr H. S. Selfe, one of the magistrates of the Westminster police court, died yesterday, in his fifty-ninth year. He was educated at Rugby and Corpus Christi, Oxford, and was called to the Bar in 1834 by the Hon. Society of Lincoln's Inn. He was appointed to the Thames Police Court in 1556, and transferred thence to Westminster in 1863. He had been for years a sufferer from gout, and was taken ill about a month ago, but no unfavorable symptoms were noticed until about a week since, when general debility set in. Mr Selfe married Miss Tait, a sister of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who survives him, and he leaves several children, one of whom is at the Bar, and another, a chaplain in the Royal Artillery at Bouiba} 7 ." To the above we may add Mr Selfe acted for many years as agent for the Canterbury Province in Englaud, and for the valuable services rendered in that capacity a piece of plate, and subsequently, iv 1867, a honorarium of LSOO was voted to him by the Provincial Council. The receipt of the latter was gratefully acknowledged by the deceased gentleman in visiting Canterbury contemporaneously in 1868. The Lyttelton Times states that the number of houses destroyed by the late fire was 129, aud the damage is estimated at over LIOO,OOO. Temporary buildings are being erected, but it is impossible to commence work, as the ruins are still smouldering. The large heap of grain has been removed, a great quantity of it being uninjured. Mr Dransfleld, of the Shades, has erected a good-sized house, and Mr Pitcaithley's shop is approaching completion. Handsome shops will be erected on the sites occupied by Mr Bunker and Mr Ayers. We hear that Mr Pratt has purchased the ground on which Mr Walker's large stone building stood, and will erect commodious premises thereon. Mr Merson is clearing away the debris, preparatory to building. The Government Engineer has not yet been over to survey the block, but it is expected that he will do so next week, when all the buildings will be pushed forward. During the past few days, several tradespeople have had to call meetings of their creditors, and amicable arrangements have been effected. Mr J. Kenner, coal and timber merchant, has most liberally given receipts to all his debtors who resided in the block. The sum amounts to upwards of L3O. With respect to the beach diggings near Port Molyneux, recently reported as having been opened, we learn from the Bruce Herald that only five parties are now left, numbering fifteen men in all. They seem very well satisfied with the result of their labour, which is about ten shilliugs a day per man. The payable ground starts at the beach side of the sandbanks, and is traced iuto th< bush. The sinking is from one to fourteen fourteen feet, all sand. The bottom it lignite iv an early state of formation. Then is about a foot of washdirt, which consists ol gravel and a large portion of steel sand,

which renders quicksilver indispensable, the gold being also of a very fine nature. There have been a number of holes sunk and a dish of stuff tried from them, then abandoned. This is a very unfair trial, seeing that in New Zealand the golden deposits are more frequently in patches than in leads. In all probability the whole of the ground that has been prospected will ultimately be worked up. Should the present system of washing now in use on the ground pay 10s a man a day, with good quicksilver cradles double could be obtained. The means in use a^ present is n box fitted up in the same style^ as a cradle inside, but stationary, with a small stream of water playing into the hopper, which takes two men to work, one to fill a spoonful at a time, and one to clear away the tailings. Now, with one extra man, two quicksilver cradles could be worked, which would put through more than double the amount of stuff, and would give the ground that ha 3 been abandoned a better trial. A shocking accident, resulting in the death of a butcher, named James Gardner, occurred at the South Spit, Wesfcport, on Saturday afternoon. The deceased, in company with a number of other butchers, attended a cattle sale, and was driving his purchases to Addison's, across the lagoon, when he met with his death by drowning. The following are the circumstances, as detailed by a witness at the inquest :— Deceased was driving cattle with him across the lagoon. The cattle were crossing a narrow place — not the regular ford. They had often before crossed cattle and sheep at the same place, but they never rode across it. After the cattle crossed, deceased followed them on horseback. "He got into deep water, and the horse reared, the deceased pulling the reins, and the horse .began to plunge and kick in the water. The deceased was unseated, and drifted gradually away with the current, which was pretty strong at the time. Deceased floated on his back for a short time. He kept gradually sinking, until he disappeared altogether about ten o" twelve yards off, his whip being the last thing seen. He believed the deceased could not swim, and that the horse struck him. He was perfectly sober. Witness could render no assistance. There was no occasion for the deceased to cross the lagoon. Witness told him not to do so. The body was recovered by the Harbor-Master on Sunday, and at the close of the inquest the remains were deposited in the Orawaiti Cemetery, being followed to their final restingplace by about 100 friends and acquaintances. Mr J. Browiilie, of Charleston, represented his fellow-tradesmen in that locality. Deceased was a native of Scotland, and about 32 years old, of sandy complexion, and about sft Gin high.

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