THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 762, 6 December 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1870.

A new code of Rules and Regulations for the Nelson South-west Gold Fields (the result of the recent conference of Wardens at Cobden) was published and brought into force yesterday. We intend to give a summary of the n shortly ; but in the meantime we may mention aa one of the principal features that two men are now allowed to take up an ordinary claim of half-an-acre, irstead of a quarter acre as formerly, and six men can hold two acres. A Bench of Magistrates will sit at the Court House this morning at ten o'clock, for the purpose of hearing application for spirit licenses in the town. A sitting of the District Court is appointed to be held at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, at eleven o'clock. The return shooting match between the Duuedin Artillery and the Greymouth Rangers was not fired by the local team on Saturday, in consequence of the boisterous weather then prevailing. A meeting of gentlemen interested in the formation of a Cricket Club, at the Ahaura, was held at Pinkerton's Hotel, at that place, on Thursday, Ist inst. A considerable number were present, a Provisional Committee was elected, and a sub-committee appointed to draw up rules and make the preliminary arrangements. Another meeting of the committee will take place next Thursday, when those desirous of joining the club can do so if they are eligible. The lead has been struck in Sheehan and Wildridge's claim at Half Ounce Creek, and it is said to be veiy rich. This discovery has revived the drooping spirits of the shareholders at the lower end of the lead, a good many of whom were seriously thinking of abandoning "the ground. The application of Messrs Mabille and party, for a lease of 11 cicres at Half Ounce, above the junction with Duffer Creek, was refused by the Warden, at the Ahaura, on Thursday, Ist inst., in consequence of the strong opposition which was made to the granting of it. The business at the Resident Magistrate's ' and Warden's Courts at the Ahaura was unusually heavy on Thursday. A young man, well-known in the district, was charged with vagrancy, but he was dismissed. A charge of horse-stealing was partly gone into, and remanded for one day for additional evidence. The accused was admitted to bail . Three miners weie fined L 5 each for being drunk and disorderly at the Ahaura. There »vas a long list of civil cases, most of the actions for large amounts, and several important applications in the Warden's Court. One of the cases partly heard in the latter Court will necessitate a personal visit of Mr Whitefoord to the extreme Upper Grey diggings before it can be finally decided. The "Bridges and Ferries Act, 1868," which has been loudly complained against throughout the Colony, was proclaimed as being iv force in the County of Westland on the 2Gth September last, and Mr Hoos, the Governor's Delegate, has, by proclamation, brought the following public femes and bridges under the Act : — Okarito Ferry, Waitangi and Waitotara, Saltwater, Little Wanganui, Wanganui, Waita, Mikouni, Waiho, Cook's River, Teremakau (lower ! ferry), Totara Ferry, Teremakau and Hohonu Ferry, Three-mile Creek, Okarito,

Kanieri Ferry, Teremakan Ferry, Arnold Ferry, Arahura Bridge, Waimea Bridge, Geordie's Ferry, and the Uppgr Teremakau Ferry (Lake Brunner.) This Act gives the ferryman or bridge-owner, as the case may be, power to charge full rates from every person who fords a creek within one mile on either side of the bridge or ferry, according to the schedule of toils faxed by the Gazette. In beach travelling it will be a constant source of annoyauce, as there are seasons of thayear when most of the rivers and creeks can be forded ; and it is the more annoying when it is remembered that the Act was brought into force by Mr Hoos without consulting the County Council, and just as his term of office was about to expire. Curious that some of the leases are dated to commence a few. days after Mr Hoos has vacated the County Chair. He appears to have profited by his study of the old parable of the " Unjust Steward." We learn that prime beef and mutton is now being sold at Rutherglen, and the Eight Mile at from threepence to fivepence per pound, The continued heavy rainfall of the last two days and nights has prevented Mr and Mrs Lachlan M'Gowan from giving their promised entertainments at the Volunteer Hall, but they announce their intention of giving performances t>night and to-morro.v evening. Should the weathei clear up to-day, there is no doubt these clever artistes, who are old favorites on the Coast, will have crowded houses on both of these occasions, An inquest was >ield by Mr Warden Whitefoord, on Saturday, at Abe's Gully, on the body of a miner named Christopher Hildin, who had been taken ill a few days ago while at dinner, and died on the following morning. His mates requested that the inquest should be held, as there was no medical man in attendance on the deceased, and they had administered medicine to him. The verdict of the jury was that Hildin died from natural causes, and the evidence showed that his mates had given him constant attendance and every comfort in their pow<r during his illness. The regular monthly meeting of the Greymouth Masonic Lodge will be held this evening, at Gilmer's Hall, at eight o'clock. A number of the business people of the No Town district waited on Mr Whitefoord at Camptown, on Wednesday last, to ascertain if the Government would give any assistance towards making a track from No Town to the new rush at Kaka Creek. The Warden said he would recommend the granting of a small subsidy on having Mr Woolley" report as to the most practicable route and the probpble cost before him, provided the inhabitants themselves raised a certain amount. This was willingly agreed to by the storekeepers and others, and it is likely the track will be immediately cut. An accident of a very serious nature occurred to Mr Henry Gihner, of Cobden, on Sunday afternoon. It appears that that gentleman has a horse with a propensity to buck aud unseat any person attempting to ride him. Determined to break him of this bad habit, Mr Giluier, on the day mentioned, mounted him, aud was proceeding out of town. He, however, had only gone a short distance when the brute commenced to display his temper, and, after a struggle, succeeded in unseating his rider. As soon as it got him off, the horse kicked out with loth hind feet, striking the unfortunate rider upon the bridge of the nose, smashing the boue in, and tetrihly disfiguring him. The horse also struck him across the mouth, cutting him very severely, and striking him several tin- s en the body. After Mr Giliner was taken home, the services of Dr Morice were called into requisition, and Mr Gilmer, we are happy to hear, was yesterday progressing favorably. Mr Cutten, one of the oldest and most respected residents in Otago, is a caudidatc for the Bruce district in the Assembly, and Major Richardson is authoritatively stated to be a candidate for the Superintendency. Messrs Mitchell; Burton, and Co. are stated by the W. C. Times to have disposed of their FTolu'tika and Greymouth coach property to Messrs Cassidy and Co., whose contract for th« conveyance of the mails between the two places was recently accepted. The nominations for the Auckland Handicap were — Nebula. Orlando, Laeenfeed, Yatterina, Marsella, Numa, and Mariner. From all we can lean the race meeting is likely to prove successful. A large nugget weighing 58oz lldwt was sold to George Muir, Camptown, on Monday last, being obtained from a claim in Rangies's (Maori) Creek. The claim has, singularly enough, never turned out anything like wages, although being worked for some months previously, and is at present all but worke.l out. The lucky finders were Messrs James Rew and Rangies, a native, wellknown at Red Jack's Creek Below their claim many have set in to work in a payable flat, distance, three and a half miles from Red Jacks, and it is expected to turn out well, as good faith is placed in this district, which has been little prospected, and is supposed to contain more or less auriferous ground, being a series of gullies between No ■Town and Red Jack's Creek. Finnery and Poulter's paity obtained eighty pounds weight of gold in a terrace at the Shotover, Otago, recently. The recent controversy on the coal question has caiisei close attention to be paid to the quantities shipped from the barges into the vessels alongside the wharf. We notice that the cargo recently despatched from Hokitika by the Wild Wave is to be weighed out basket- by basket, and that the brig Magnet, a few days ago, weighed in the whole of her cargo for Melbourne. On the last occasion Mr Dartnall accompanied the j barge from the mine at Mr Wilkie's request, and checked the weight. In a report to the Warden he saya that Mr Wilkie asked him to weigh only ten baskets, each to pick five, and thereby average the remainder of the cargo ; but he refused, and insisted upon weighing every basket. The result was 6081bs overweight. In order to show the absurdity of averaging the cargo by weighing ten baskets, Mr Dartnall instances tfciee cases, in two of which the weight was short, and in the third overweight ; and he explains why the weights should vary thus :— The baskets are filled, and then a lump of coal is put on the top of the basket— some are small lumps, and others as much as a man can lift. We may mention that since this controversy arose, Mr Whitefoord has [.purchased and sent to the mine a new weighing machine, so that all question as to the weight of coal supplied, may be done away with. With regard to the supposed gold discovery recently reported from the North Island, by tefegraph, we take the following from the Hawke's Bay Herald :— " King, one of a prospecting party, composed of three men who, assisted from the funds of the Hawke's Bay Gold Mining and Prospecting Company, has been engaged for some time prospecting the country, returned to town on Friday lost. His immediate object iv coming was , to get further assistance, the rough, nature of I the country in which they are working, aud the consequent necessity of packing supplie?, rendering the original allowance — 12s a week per man — altogether inadequate. We believe no difficulty was offered to a reasonable increase, and the man returned to the. ranges. He left with Mr Tiffen a specimen of black sand, in which several specs of gold can be distinctly seen. He reports that Btuff equally auriferous is to be found

througliout a belt of country twelve miles j wide, which they have latterly explored. It is on the Kaimanawa range, and is, so far as we can gather, near the locality which tie Messrs Sweeuex examined and reported favorably upon. The formation is different from that of must of the country they ha I previously explored, being a schistous slate, thickly intersected with quartz veius. The precise locality is not known, but it is believed to be somewhere on the run of the Messrs Birch. In all this there is really nothing that we did not know before. Nevertheless, it strengthens the idea which we, in contnton with many others, have all along held, that the gold is there, and that the only question is whether, in so inaccessible a country, it can be got in payable quantity. Another week or two may probably tell us more about the matter. In the meantime it would be folly to be sanguine. The position, we believe, is in the province of Wellington, but it is more easily got at from Napier than it could from either Wellington or Wanganui. A public meeting was held at Port Chalmers on Wednesday last, wheu resolutions, approving of the General Government scheme, and condemnatory of the action of the Council, and Provincial Government, •were carried. It is said that there is to be a demonstration to Mr Yogel at the Port. The new mail contract is favorably spoken of throughout the Otago Province. The Times opposes Port Chalmers, and considers Sydney has the best claims to termhrus. In the course of his tour through the Nelson South-west Gold Fields, Mr Donne visited No Town on- 'Friday last, and was met by a few of the business men of the place, who did their best, in a quarter of an hour's notice, to lay before him the requirements of the district, with the following results : — The subjects of a recent memorial to the Superintendent, &c, to wit, the track from Twelve-mile and the Warden's Court, were first considered. Mr Donne said he did not know why the track should be constructed only half the distance from the Twelve-mi' e, but would enquire, and if there was money available, he would confer with his colleagues and endeavor to have it finished all the way. At the same time, he could no* hold out very bright hopes that anything further could be done until the Council met. From what he had seen of the district, he was fully convinced that it was of more than sufficient importance to be entitled to have a Court held at No Town once a fortnight, and he would strongly recommend ib if a suitable room could be made available without erecting buildings. Mr Haisty at once placed the large room of the Union Hotel at his disposal, with which he was satisfied. The incidents of the current week were sufficient evidence of the necessity for police protection, and, when laid before Mr Donne, he promised to advise the immediate appointment of a constable to be stationed at No Town. The rush to Deadman's Flat which has taken place lately is almost in the direct line of a track to Eed Jack's Creek, and when Mr Donne was made aware of the fact that fifteen claims were on gold there already, and that L3O or L4O would be sufficient to clear a track passable for horses right through to Red Jack's; he promised to strongly recommend the expenditure of such a sum. With regard to water supply, Mr Donne advised the preparation of a general scheme for supplying the district, to be submitted to Mr Dobson, who is at present collecting information, with a view to the expenditure of the L 70,000 which is to be Nelson's share of the proposed L 300,000 loan. As it is more than probable that a long time will elapse before any of that loan will be available, Mr Donne was asked if the Provincial Council or Executive would subsidize or guarantee the undertaliings of public companies which would meet their approval ? He said it was contrary;to the expressed policy of the Council to do so, and he could give no hope of it. After explaining his position with regard to the Executive, and the manner of disbursing the votes of the Council, which there seemed to be some erroneous impressions entertained about, Mr Donne promised that his visits would be frequent in future, and he would endeavor to allay the causes of discontent at present existing. The proceedings terminated in a cordial vote of thanks to Mr Donne. The Buninyong reporter for the Ballarat Mail writes as follows, on the 22nd November : — v A most diabolical attempt was made this morning by the New Homeward Company to get possession of the Scotchman's United Company's claim. The Homeward Bound had a previous knowledge of the richness of the reef, and have followed it, not only to the claim of the Scotchman United, but up to the very shaft, which is now discovered to have been driven out all round to within about 30ft of the bottom of the shaft, with the intention, as is supposed, of destroying it. This not succeeding, the most diabolical means were devised, and with an ingenuity which, shows the parties concerned to be too well acquainted with those infernal chemicals-: for the destruction of human life which they this morning brought into use. While I write this, in the Buninyong Police Court, the facts of the case are being detailed out to the presiding magistrate. I hurriedly give them in order that your readers may be acquainted with the main features of the horrible case. As the man states, two of his mates now lie nearly suffocated, and others are suffering from its effects, and he himself appears from some cause or other to be very much shaken. This morning he states the Homeward Bound Company drove into the Scotchman's ground, when presently a hissing sound as if from asteampipe shot through the opening made. From its sulphurous smell and suffocating effect they had to crawl to the shaft as best they could. Being hauled up, the fumes ! ascended the shaft in dense vapor, driving away those at the top. The bucket now being set to work acted as a pair of valves, and drove" it away sufficiently to allow of again descending, when one man, enraged to madness, made a bolt through the opening, and seized upon one who he persists was the manager, but who iv the darkness slipped from his grasp. He managed, however, to secure the infernal apparatus, which consisted of a contrivance made of iron and a bucket for burning a quantity of brimstone and saltpetre, with other ingredients not yet known. These were in a state of ignition, and being driven into the New Homeward claim by the force of steam. The police were quickly on the spot, and, as I write, are waiting at the mouth of the shaft for the appearance of the very Christian miners, who,; it is hoped, will get the full measure of their deserts for this diabolical attempt to get what is not their own." Later on in the day, by electric telegraph, the correspondent sent to the Mail the following message :— " Since my parcel was despatched, a warrant for the apprehension of R. H. King, the manager of the Homewai'd Bound Company, has been issued, and is now being executed. The apparatus, together with about 301 bof sulphur and a gallon of turpentine, is at the police camp. The above is three parrs charged with what appears to be sulphur, saltpetre, turpentine, and a grey powder, the name of which is not known. The police have returned to the claim."