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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 818, 11 March 1871, Page 2

The English mail, via San Francisco, was ilue yesterday at Auckland. News by electric telegraph may therefore reach us at any moment. We learn, however, that th 6 line to Napier has been down for the past two days, but it is now repaired, as we yesterday received messages from Auckland.

Messrs D. Maclean and Co. will sell, today at two o'clock, the sites for the booths and refreshment stall at the course during the Eace Meeting, also the right to tend horses on the course, and the sale of the authorised card of the races.

The attention of all persons who wish to see a public library and reading-room established in Greymouth is directed to a meeting which is to be held in Cameron's Union Hotel, this evening, at eigbt o'clock. It is to be hoped there will be a large attendance, a 8 the present Literary Society have offered their books, papers, and periodicals, to form a nucleus for the formation of a public library ; and if the general public oome forward and take an interest in the matter, there is no doubt tbat the movement will eventuate successfully.

A meeting of the members of the Greymouth Cricket Club was held at Cameron's Hotel last night, when it was arranged that the return match with the Hokitika Olub should be played here on the 16th inst. It was arranged to give the Hokitika team a banquet in the evening. The return match, "the Colonies v. the World," will be played on the ground to-day. All who played in the match last Saturday are requested to be on the field at two o'clock sharp.

Letters of naturalization have been issued by the Governor to Huinrich Diedrichs, of Hokitika, and Bazil Breinond, late of Maori Gully, Arnold.

The Treasurer of the Grey River Hospital begs to acknowledge the receipt of the following amounts : — L9 from the Curator of Intestate Estates, account of Wm. Donovan, a deceased patient ; LSO 16s 2d, Nelson subsidy for December ; L7l 19s lid, Nelson subsidy for January; L 5 Us, collected by Mr H. Barnhill ; L 6 10s, half nett proceeds of concert given by Mr and Mrs Collins. The Committee recorded on their minutes a vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Collins for the concert, and also to Mr Milburn for services gratuitously rendered as pianist on that occasion.

It is our melancholy duty to make another addition to the already long list of drownings in West Coast rivers. The name of the present victim is that of Edmund Trahey, the well-kuown keeper of the Teremakau Hotel, whose body was found yesterday morning at 10 o'clock washed up on the beach at about half-flood mark, by Mr A. M 'Williams, the driver of Cobb's coach. The body had evidently been washed up by the tide, and was lying on its back. The coachman and a Mr Appelby removed tbe body to above high.- water mark, and searched it. A watch and gold chain, but no money, were found on the body. Mr Trahey was in. town ou Thursday night until dark, and then started to ride home. During the night tte New River had broken out at the beach, and as he could not have been aware of it, he must have ridden right into deep water, been washed off his horse and out to sea, and drowned. When the information was brought to town Constable Muller was despatched to the spot, and, with the assistance of a number of residents at Paroa, removed the body to deceased's residence at the Teremakau, where an inquest will be held to-day. The deceased's horse was found quietly grazing on the beach not far from where the body was washed up.

A biter was nicely bit lately at.Wellington. A gentleman went the otter clay to a well-known livery-stable in this town, and inquired the charge for a horse to take him to the Hutt. He was told 10s. He took the h>>rse, and on his return he tendered half-a-sovereigu iv payment, but was told, to his astonishment, that he had ten shillings more to pay. "For what?" he inquired. "For the journey back," was the reply; "you only engaged tbe horse to take you to the Hutt. " The gentleman seeing he was caught paid the money and went away. The next day, he went and inquired the charge for a horse to take him to the Taita. He was told 15s. On his arrival at the Taita, he put the horse up at the hotel, and returned to town by the coach, went to the stables, and tendered the 15a in payment. "But where is my horse ?" asked tne astonished proprietor. "At the Taita," was the reply; "I only hired him to take me to the Taita. " A pawnbroker's license was yesberday granted by the Bench of Justices to Mr John Harris, for premises in Albert street. The Bench asked several questions with regard to premises, experience, &c, and added "What means have you of carrying on this business?" to which the applicant answered "cash." One of the Otago Gold Fields journals makes the following remarks on the Water Supply Scheme of the Government : — " We are aware that the subject is one surrounded with difficulties, from the fact that private enterprises Las already woven a network of water-races in the district, involving vested rights of vast magnitude. An idea of the extent of these rights -will be better conceived when we mention that the proceeds from the sale of water on the Blue Spur alone amounts to very little short of LIO,OOO a year. The difficulties in the way of carrying out any Government scheme ai c therefore very apparent. Whatever may be done, every care must be taken to prevent the Government coming into competition with private individuals. Had the appropriation of the loan for water supply been adequate to the wants of the colony — had three millions instead of three hundred thousand pounds been set apart for this grand object — the Government would have been placed in a position to purchase all the vested rights, and to construct reservoirs, races, and sludge channels, and tints extend tbe supply, and reduce the present exorbitant price paid for water. By this means they would have developed the Gold Fields to their fullest extent, made the present inhabitants of the country prosperous, and induced a large influx of population to our shores. But with the tenth part of three millions for the whole colony, very little good can be done. . The practice of persons riding in a furious manner through tbe streets of the town has frequently of late been tbe cause o^remark in these columns, and tbe police arc taking steps to put a stop to it. A case came before the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, in presence of E. S. Lapham, J. Greenwood, and E. Wickes, Esc|rs., J.P., whicb ought to act as a caution to those who indulge in tbis practice, especially upcountry residents, who appear to think that whenever they strike a good bit of road they ought to get over it as quickly as possible, in order to make up for the delay on the bad tracks. A most respectable resident at Half-Ounce was riding at a very quick pace from the punt to Boundary street, where he was stopped by two constables, one of whom

took charge of his horse and another of himself, and ordered him to march off to the police camp. Pie admitted that he was "elevated" at the time (having taken some rum to cure the toothache), but he was auite capable of looking after himself. Passing Morton's hotel defendant stopped to call for some one he knew, but he was dragged on by the constable. He resisted, and according to a witness, kicked at the constables, and, according to his own statement, his arms were twiated behitid 'him, he was thrown down, dragged along the roii!<h-gravelled footpath, and treated most unmercifully. Sub- Inspector Hicks m, Serjeant Hams, and the constables swore that the defendant was not dragged an inch along the footpath, but was lifted by four men and carried to the lock up, and* that the defendant was very violent. Against this^ witness swore thac the police threw the defendant on his back, twisted his arms and dragged him for over twenty yards along the footpath. The Bench fined the defendant 5s for being drunk, 10s for furious riding, and 20a for resisting the constables, and expressed an opinion that the constables had only done their duty, and had been guilty of no ill-treatment to the defendant. The fines were light because this was a first offence.

We are indebted to the Soss Neios for an important discovery, " Communicated by a Pedestrian." In describing the "bases" (sic) of the bluffs in the neighborhood' of Mount Cook, he makes the following remarks, which our readers will observe contain a really important ornithological discovery: — "The foreground is alive with small birds, many of them very musical, and beautified with a wonderful variety of evergreens." Most wonderful Burely ! By the way, how conies it that the writer in question does not know that Mount Cook is 13,200 feet in height ? He says it is 9000 feet.

According to the West Coast Times, the Arahura Road Board, while they are only able to satisfy their creditors to the extent of 7s 6d in the pound and leave others unsatisfied, are ambitious of undertaking that work which even the County Council hesitated to undertake — the formation of a dray road irom the Arahura to Stafford Town. The proposition is certainly a bold one, in the face of the present condition of their funds, and in the face of the fact that the district already possesses tbe convenience of a tramway ; and we imagine that there will be few acquainted with the district and the circumstances who will not agree with our correspondent that it would better become the Board to meet pressing wants, and to extend tributary road* throughout the district, than to undertake a work for which there is neither urgent necessity nor pecuniary provision. However laudable the design might be, if the County, the Board, or tne district were differently situated, under existing circumstances it is a proposition which is barely excusable.