THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 809, 1 March 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1871.

The Supreme Court Hotel, Gresson street, has of late changed hands, having been purchased by the Rdv. Father Colomb for the I purpose of adapting ib for a school, and a portion for a mechanics' reading rocin, a -want that has always been felt by the miner when coming into town, where he could spend a comfortable evening's recreation without "the everlasting nobbier." A well-kflown resident of Nelson, Elizabeth Marten, the wife of Mr Robert Marten, h:is died from concussion of the brain, caused by accidentally falling down the stairs of her own house. We learn by the Napier papers further particulars of the fire which broke out on the 20th, in a house occupied by Mrs Bell in = Shakespeare-road, by which several houses were burnt. Six of them were occupied respectively by Messrs Webber, Grant, Simmon, Flynn, Brett, and Mrs Bell The seventh was used by the Volunteer band as a practice room. Three of the houses belonged to Mrs Bell, and were insured in the Victoria foi L2lO ; others were in the Alliance and Imperial. Paul Doran, the discoverer of a reef at Wangapeka, who was killed by a fall of earth last week, appeared to be ii: good spirits as his mates ca-ried him to the township, saying, "Take your time mates, have a rest ;" but shortly afterwards he hastily askei for a drink of water, and then vomited blood, exclaiming, '' I am dying," and almost ~"~nrcrowneT<fistrict surveyor, returned to Ross on Saturday, having completed the survey and marking out of a road from the Mikonui to Mount Rangitata, about eleven miles in length. The course is, says the Ross News, along a leading spur, and, although a little steep in places, it is described as far better than the Greenland track, having a good hard bottom throughout. The. cost is estimated roughly at L2O a mile, to render it fit for pack-horses ; and when the road is made a depot could be made on the mountain, from which all the Upper Mikonui and Waitaha could be supplied. By the Gothenburgas many as nine West Coast drapers, including representatives of the trade from We«tport, Greymouth, Hokitika, and Ross, sailed for Melbourne on Monday. The presumption. is that they did so for the purprse of purchasing their winter stock, and we may expect soon to hear of their return, heralded by flaming announcements of the latest fashions from all places outside of Paris, and from inside of Paris, probably, by balloon post. This is St. David's day — the day on which — we are told— the good old Welsh stock, in the year 540, with leek in cap, obtained a victory over their Saxon invaders. We have not heard of any festivities appointed for the occasion. The Auckland Star says that a statement has been made by John Cash, before the Provincial Council of Auckland, that Joe obtained, while prospecting on the West Coast of the North Island, as much as one and two ounces at gold to tie dish. The preliminary announcement is made of a musical entertainment to be given in the Volunteer Hall on Friday evening 1 , by Mr and Mrs Collins, for the benefit of the Grey River Hospital. Mr Branigan, says an Auckland correspondent, is sufficiently recovered to realise his sad condition, and everyone seems to feel for his misfortune. Now it is understood how some peculiarities that made him unpopular were, perhaps, owing to the gradual approach of a fearful malady. Every care is being taken for his comfort by express orders of the Defence Minister, wh*o, I hear, first apprehended the true state of affairs, and took measures accordingly some days before the arrest was found indispensable. The firing for the General Government prizes will commence at Auckland on the 6th inst. Henry Lee Robinson, Esq., has been appointed a Commissioner of the Waste Lands Board of the County of Westland. It is stated in the Nelson papers that the owners of the Dun Mountain property are offering the whole of it for sale. It embraces a large block of freehold mineral land, which some day may acquire considerable value. The fact of gold-bearing quartz leaders having been found in the land, the identity of the rocks with those at Gympie, Queensland, which has proved so rich a field, to say nothing of chrome and copper, and the fine slate and building stone, all adjoining the line of railway, makes the property well worthy the attention of mining speculators. We have to acknowledge receipt of Vol. 111. of the New Zealand Stud Book, compiled and edited by Mr Charles Elliott, of Nelson. It contains the pedigrees of racehones, &c, from their first introduction into he Colony to the year 1870, and a mass of information which must prove valuable to all who are interested in "horsey" affairs. There will, no doubt, be a large demand for

his work in connection with the forth coming race-meetings on the Coast.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yes•rday, before J. Greenwood, Esq. J.P., and W. H. Harrison, Esq, J.P.. Mark Fox was hied ss, or 12 hours' imprisonment, f >r having been drunk. On the civil side, the folowing cases were disposed of :—Ju'gments >v default— Broadbent and King v. Miss Barnes, W. Jones v. P. Crawford ; H. Noy v. Kate Greavea. In the case Anderson v Trahey, the plaintiff did not appear, and the case was struck out. Guinness v. Maxwell —this was further adjourned for a week. Covey v. Miss Barnes — this was a fraud Mimtnons, and as the defendant did not appear a warrant was ordered to issue. Emma Black sued Mrs Noy for Ll4, being the value of a brown silk dress alleged to have been damaged whilst in the possession jof the defendant. The facts were as follows —Shortly before New Year's day the plaintiff book a silk dress to defendaut to be made up; it was sent home to her on New Year's day, but as it did not fit was returned to the lefendant for alteration four or five days afterwards, the plaintiff, according to her statement, never having worn it. Subsequently the defendant refused to deliver up the dress until L 6, the price of making it, had been paid, and the dress was not finally delivered to plaintiff until a week or two ago, when on being opened it was found to be spotted with black marks in the front, and entirely spoiled. Plaintiff asserted that these spots had been put on the dress whilst it was in the possession of the defendant, and she therefore sued for its value — fiB for the silk, and L 6 paid to d-fendant for making it. For the plaintiff Mr Newton called a dressmaker from No Town, who gave it &s her opinion that the spots were caused by dirty oil from the sewing machine, and she described how such an accident could easily happen if the machine was not kept clean. For the defence, Mr Perkins set up the plea that the marks were merely fly spots, and this supposition was strengthened by the fact that the lining of the body was unmistakeably marked in that manner. The defendant and her witnesses swore that every care had been taken of the dress, and denied that the marks had happened whilst in her custody. It was contended that it was more likely that flies had had access to it whilst in the possession of the plaintiff before it was returned for alteration. The Bench made a critical examination of the spots, and came to the conclusion that they were caused by flies, but as there was no proof that the damage was caused by the neglect of the defendant, they dismissed the case, each party to pay their own costs. The Nelson Examiner, of a recent date, in i leading article says : — A good deal has esn said concerning tie promotion of "native industries, 11 as a means ol helping the Colony through its troubles. They are all very well, and they should receive every encouragement ; but they will not meet present necessities. The readiest and most certain industry to which encouragement can be given, is the cultivation of the land. Our observations have reference more particularly to this Province, where the grown-up sons of our early settlers are looking abroad for land on which to make their homes for themselves, and find a difficulty in getting suited. Aud yet there is laud in the Province available for settlement sufficient for the wants of many hundred families. There is the valley of the Grey, with its noble river to serve as a great highway for traffic until roads can be made, awaiting settlement. If a block of 5000 acres in the Grey Valley was laid off in small fanes, and sold to bona fide settlers on liberal terms, it would be caught up immediately, ami many of the young men now leading unprofitable lives in the settled districts of the Province, might with a little help in stock and implements from home become thriving settlers on their own accouut. One successful effort would induce others. FarmAr.<j...talk_ gloomily of markets ; but where the Jaiioris-^— -i — -~u^^ !,„,„„ f o^— «wr-w raised, and pastures make dairy produce rich and abundant, remunerative prices will be found. Canterbury wheat and Canterbury butter sell in England at prices which pay the producer. The West Coast of this island will make the finest pastures in the world. Instead of looking to Mr Jupiter Yogel for help, we have, in this Province at least, the means of restoring prosperity, if we only know how to set about the work. The public lands were given over to the Provinces that they might colonize them. Let the Provincial Governments think how this nan be done. If they go on year after year neglecting their functions, and leave the country a wilderness, the Colonial Government should resume the control of the land, and set about the task of colonizing it themselves. The remains of the late Mr E. H. Davis, brought to Wellington, from Greymouth, by the Alhambra, were interred on Wednesday last. The funeral was large, being attended by most of the members of the Civil Service, besides a number of other gentlemen. A curious item of news has reached us by the European mail It is to the effect that the King of Prussia, and with him the Princess Royal, have written to the Queen of Englaud conveying an intimation of their opposition to the intended marriage of the Princess Louisa to the Marquis of Lome ; and that the Royal Mother, with an Englishwoman's spirit, peremptorily told|them m homely language to mind their own busi--11838. At the Warden's Ccurt, Camptown, a few day 3 ago, the following important mining case was disposed of ;— John Barry and party of five men applied for an extended claim of 60l>ft by 60ft, at the Black Ball Creek. The applicants stated, in answer to the Warden, that they had made a dam. 90ft long by 14ft wide to divert the stream, as well is Gflflyds of a flood race, 16ft wide. The ground had been attempted to be tried several times within the last five years, but the difficulties were such that it required a large grant of ground to induce prospectors to try it again. The Warden said that the area the party applied for was too lar^e to grant under the rules without making enquiry. The Government Surveyor would visit the ground and report on it, and on his recommending the application the Court would recommend the granting of a special .claim to the applicants. The application Would in the meantime stand over. The reports from Wangapeka are very favorable. There is no difficulty in seeing the richness of the stone, either in Culliford or Doran's Reef, and this relieves the shareholders from the few of specimens only. Culliford's, Doran's, and the Waimea Company will soon advance. Fawcett's two stamper battery is not at work. The improvement of the work done and being done on the road by the Government is evident in the comparative ease with which the machinery is got on to the various sites.