Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 815, 8 March 1871, Page 2

Yesterday afternoon about four o'clock Mr Samuel Harris, slaughterman to Messr? Hildebrand and Weber, found the dead bod\ of a man on the shore of the lagoon at tht back of the slaughter-house, Blaketown Information was at once given to the police, and the body was removed to the dangerous goods store. It was ascertained to be that of Mr James Cattle, a resident in Arney street, who had been missing from his house since Wednesday morning last. The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, and the head and face were sadly disfigured, so much so as to make it difficult to identify the deceased by his features. I Some suspicion was at first fexcifced that tbe deceased had met with foul play, but the preliminary examination made by the i medical m«n did no<i lead to the opinion i bhab any violence had been done other than i what could be accounted for by the action iof the water. Deceased came home on Tuesday evwing in an excited state, and worse for drink, caused it is alleged by his having lost a case in the Magistrate's C<>urt that day. He had been drinking heavily during the afternoon and evening. On the following morning he had his breakfast and went out about nine o'clock, and was not again seen until his body was found as stated. It is believed that ho either accidentally fell into the lagoon, or committed suicide under the influence of liquor. He bad no money with him, and there is not at present anything to lead to any other hypothesis of his death than the one stated. It is explained that his absence did not occasiou any alarm to his family, as it was conjectured he had gone to Maori fiully, where he has a brother. An inquest will be held to-day. The adjourned meeting of the Borough Council, which was appointed to be held last night, to receive the report of the Committee on the Coal Reserve question, did not take j place, in consequence of the report not being ready. In connection with this matter, a telegram was yesterday received from the General Government, stating that no action would be taken with regard to the disposal of the Grey Coal Reserve until the opinion of the Borough Council of Greymouth was received. The preliminaries for the successful carrying out of the Greymouth annual races are being carefully attended to by the stewards. 'The-track between town and the Otnotumotu Creek is rei aired,\and now in better condition than usual, and the contracts for the erection of the bridge and the grand stand will be finished this week The course has been taken great care of, and is now as smooth as a bowling-green. Tt is reported that a large number of good horses will be present at the meeting, but nothing definite will be known until the entries are made on Monday next. On Saturday Messrs D. Maclean and Co. will sell by auction the right to six sites for booths, and one for a refreshment stall, on the race-course during the meeting. A sergeant in the Canterbury police force named Beattie has beeu committed for trial for embezzlement. On Monday a house in Bealey street, Hokitika, near the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, caught fire through the heat of a colonial oven communicating with some adjoining woodwork. The flames were extinguished before much damage was done. Mr E. Menlove, well known in Otago, had 'two' of "bis ribs broken lately by a fall from his horse at Waikouaiti. Two women at Westport recently agreed to settle their differences by a stand-up fight on the beach. The disgraceful combat lasted half-an-hour, and was only terminated by the complete exhaustion of one of the women. It is said a crowd of men witnessed the fight. Shame ! Hokitika had a very narrow excape from an extensive fire on Monday afternoon. The fire occurred in Messrs Manson and Co.'s large block of buildings at the intersection of Weld street and Revell street. In the centre of the block, there is a building which was at one time known as Riordan's Cafe, but which has not for s'»me time been regularly occupied except as store-rooms, or as sample rooms for travellers representing the importiug firms of Dunedin and Melbourne. Yesterday one of the upper rooms was so occupied by Mr Brown, representing the firm of Sargood and Co., of Melbourne, and, with the assistance of Mr George Gallop, he had packed up his sample?, and was concluding other business with his customers in town. While so engaged, he distinguished the smell of burning, and drew Mr Gallop's attention to the circumstance, but there was no other trace of any tire in the neighborhood. It was only until an hour or two afterwards f hat the alarm of tire was raised, and this was done by Mr Mendiirshausen, who happened to notice the papering of tbe scaircase burning as he passed along the street, and by Mr Mulligan and others who occupy premises opposite, and who observed smoke issuing from the roof and other parts of the building. There was, almost immediately afterwards, an alarm given from the bell-tower, and an early gathering of the members of the Fire Brigade, with other volunteers from the adjoining premises. After great exertions the fire was got under before much damage was done. It is with deep regret we have to record the appearance of scarlet fever in Invercaivill. Already one victim has succumbed to ie, and ar present three or four others are suffering from it. The Southland Neivs says the manner in which it has been commmunicated exuibits a remarkable feature in the latent charattr of the disease. The begiuning of the present year a girl — a passeu»er iiy the Robert Henderson— arrived at the Bluff per the Rangitoto from Port Chalmers. In Invercargill she took up her residence for a few. days in the house of Mr Adomson, a carrier, and afterwards proceeded to a situation at Switaers. During her stay with Mr Adamson she turned out her boxes and had them repacked For some weeks after she left Inverc iri;ill there was no sign whatever of the malady Ten or twelve days ago one of the family — a child was taken ill, and before the nature of the illness was known, either two or three meml>ers of the same family were similarly attacked. One of the number— a lad ten years of age — died on Thursday last. The fever is s-iid to be of a particularly virulent type, and the medical opinion is, that unless some very decided step is taken, its spread is inevitable. The mining news from parts south of Okarito brought to Hokitika by the s.s. Waipara, is that the miners are constructing a second water-race at Jackson's Bay, which will give them a permanent supply, and they feel confident of their success in that district. The store of Mr Marks was to have been removed from the Waitoto to Jackson's Bay, but as he bad not secured a good surf-boat to supply the wants of the miners in the, different rivers and bays, the removal was deferred until next trip. A private communication, received by a gentleman in Hokitika, states that the miners at work have two water-races- one at full work at 'the Haast, and the other in course of completion at Jackson's. It was stated that the miners contributed towards their

■onstruction, as far as their means would vllow, and all they desired was a supply of stores whilst they were at work completing hem, and they are snn^uine of their ulti nate success, and also of the district as gold •earing. Three new arrivals were reported from the North, who intended remaining in.fl two parties were out prospecting fo copper ore. Everybody seemed satisfied with their lot. A recent issue of the Wakatip Mail (Otago) says that building operations in Queenstown are being entered into with spirit, and the era of wood has changed for one of stone and ■ brick. We have three l iiick kilns in full operations in the immediate vicinity of the town. Sawn timber has been reduced to 15s per 100 ft, so no one need want a cheap and durable dwelling while the supply of land to build up'in is of course ad libitum. The breakwater to the rear of thf premises in Rees and Beach streets i 3 fast verging towards completion, and promises to be a substantial anil useful piece of workmanship. At Arrowtown there is also a marked improvement. The Government have actually expended one hundred pound out of the two voted for this undertaking three years ago Such liberality towards* the Arrow is withonfc precedent. A sitting of the licensing Bench was heW yesterday for the purpose of hearing anr l deciding applications for new spirit licence* and the renewal of existing ones. The Magistrates were J. Greenwood, Esq., E Wickes, Esq.. and W. H. Harrison, Esq J.P. The following licenses were granted the report of the police in each ca«e b?infavorable : — Patrick Flannery. Denis Carroll. John Bulstrode, '.. James Junes, Henrj Harris, J. C. Moore, Edward Ancher Matthew Fehmv and Joshua Shields Willium King's license was granted witl a direction to the applicant fro keep hi backyard clean, and John Muller's licen« was similarly accompanied by instructions t< improve the condition of his premises. Thi applications of John Stratford, Patriot Crawford, and S. Rich were a-ljourned unti Thursday. With regard to the first named the police reported that the applicant had a i reputed prostitute in his emp'oyraent. an<i he was warned that unless this objectinn was remove I before Thursday his license would be refused. The police had also reported unfavorably of the manner in whiclthe hotel formerly occupied by S. Rich had been conducted, and as he wa3 now applying for a n->w license the Bench would likto be satisfied upon his fitness to hold a license. The Licensing Court was adjourned until 11 o'clock on Thursday. Daring the hearing of the applications for spirit licenses yesterday Mr J. C. Moore drew the attention of the Bench to the great convenience th-ht would be afforded to licensees if they could pay the amount of their license fees into the hands of the Clerk of the Court instead of having to forward ie to Hokitika. The Bench regretted that the Act made the money payable direct to the County Treasurer, and they could only recommend that some arrangf-ment should be made so as to allow the license fees to be paid to the Clerk of the Court. Tn mining operations there is considerable activity throughout the Lake district, Otago, although water is becoming scarce in places. The Phoenix Company, at Skippers, (late the Scandinavian) have succeeded in striking the reef, but they have not found any gold. The Cornish Company, at the Shotover, have done their first crushing, and the result was an ounce and a-half t > the ton. Mr Southberg, at Skippers, has discovered a run of rich stone upon the old line, and he has a large quantity of stone rea ly for crushing. The Chinese are incre ising in number, and appear to be ail doing well, although the presence of these strangers is objectionable. Mr vVarbrick, the contractor for the mail between the 'hames and Tauranga, to.ik some Maori ladies, relatives of Mere Kuru, the renowned Amaz >n, the other day to see the Post and Telegraph Offices, and we learn from the Southern Cross, '• their astonishment reached a climax. One of the distinguished ladies .vas good enough to express to Mr Bull, through the medium of Air Warbrick, who officiated as interpreter on the ocensiou, her entire satisfaction with the 'talking wire.' She said that she had been led to believe that powder and guns were actually being ssnt along the wire by some mysterious process which rendered them invisible to Maori eyes, and that generally the telegraph was an infernal machine of the Pakeha devoted tn witchcraft and devilry. (She was, she said, delighted beyond measure that this was not true, that the apparatus was perfectly harmless, that the telegraphist was not a man with horns and cloven feet, and that the wires were made to talk by simply rattling two little knobs." Mr William— or, as he is best known, " Bill"- Fox, the well-known gold prospector, has made 'an offer to the Provincial Government of Otago to thoroughly piospect the country in the neighborhood of the Te Anau Lake. The Government have expressed their willingness to assist him, ami arrange- | mnnts for a prospecting tour under Fox's leadership are pending. The presentment of the Grand Jury upon the subject of granting spirit licenses to single females was laid before the Licensing Bench yesterday, but, as no applications of ttie kind refe red to were down for hearing, the Bench had no occasion to take any official cognisance of the recommendation of the Grand Jury. No doubt, when any applicaI tion of the kind comes before the Bench, the presentment of the Grand Jury will be seriously considered. A very pretty quarrel appeirs to have arisen in the Paroa township on the subject I of turning the New River, and we are informed that on Sunday last two bodies of workmen defied each other for some time, and were nearly coming to acts of violence. It seems that Mr O'Connor h is cut a channel through the beach from the Saltwater River . to the sea, immediately opposite the town ship, great.ly to the dismay of some of the owners of cottages and gardens, who have already suffered severely through the vagaries of the river in time of flood. On Sunday evening another party of men proceeded to the head *if the lagoon, in order, by cutting a gap from the lagoon and New River to the beach, to prevent the water flowing down to Paroa. The opposition men also mustered, and a row was nearly the result— indeed, we are informed that the only reason why blows were not struck was that one party was considerably stronger than the other, which fact induced the weaker one to subside quietly. There is a strong feeling in the district upon the question of diverting the river, ami it is certainly improper for any unauthorised person to interfere with the natural course of the stream. The Road Board is the only body legally qualified to meddle with matters of this kind, and it should at once interfere. \ shepherd named Cameron rejeutly died at Invercargill from the poisonous effects of tutu berries, which he ate in order to convince some companions that they were not so unwholesome as they were alleged to be. He entered into conversation with some men at the bar of an hotel, and the talk turneil upon the qualities of the plant. Cameron said that he had already eaten it, and to shjw that it was not so fatal as it was represented, he ate a quantity of what he had in his possession. Shortly afterwards he became unwell, and went to bed. He became sick, and continued retching and vomiting till the evening, when he expired. Latterly he is said to have exhibited all the symptoms

>f poisoning by strychnine. Mr Blake, •nanager on Mr Webster's station, was applied to, and administered an emetic, but ..he unfortunate man never rallied. The Governor is to make a tour through the Otago Gold Fields. He will proceed t'rom Invercargill to Lake Wakatip. The body of a man named Conn, a publicau and livery stable-keeper, on the South Spit, was found on the beach, near the vlonteznma Hotel. Tt is supposad that he was carried out to sea whilst ferrying himself across from Hokitika on Sunday night. The deceased was a man of about forty years of age, and was a very early settler on this part of the Coast. He had a wife, but had no family. Our Dunedin correspondent in his last letter mentioned the exhibition at the Otago Institute of the model of a new application of water power, invented by Mr J. T. Thompson, Chief Surveyor of Otago, by •iy which tbe current of streams can be •nade to do the wovk of lifting waber to a considerable height by means of a fan «jrew. The West Coast Titties of yesterday jiaims the priority of invention for two fToki:,ika residents, Mr P. Smebhurst and Mr J. P. Klein. Mr Smethurst, it is stated, did jo so far as to apply" for a patent some *even or eight years ago, but he did not follow the matter up.