INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 868, 9 May 1871, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

A man named William Brown was knocked down and robbed by a gang of four men in the town of Beechworth. A young man named James Maxfield was killed instantaneously at the claim of the Alpine Company, Big Hill, Bendigo, by falling down the shaft. A disastrous fire occurred at Woodbourne, about four miles from Meredith, on the premises of George Nangle, a selector. The dwellinghouse, a shed, and stacks containing tie produce of 50 acre 3, were consumed, nothing whatever being saved. The German Association of Maryborough has resolved to celebrate the declaration of peace between Germany and France by an open-air demonstration, to take place. <»n Whit Monday. At Campbell's Creek, an old gentleman, Mr Seenier, died ,at the ripe old age of 92. He was 36 years old when the battle of Waterloo was fought, and retained a vivid recollection of that stirring period. The two men — Welsh and O'Rourke — who were arrested atßenalla, charged with the murder of James Charles, at the Dry Creek, near Kilmore, were committed on a Coroner's warrant to take their trial for manslaughter. "Potatoes are so cheap in Ores wick," " writes the Greswick Advertiser, " that on a farmer asking a produce merchant lately what he would give him for a load of ' spuds,' coolly told him if he liked to leave them there he would return him civility and the bags in a few days, but they were worth nothing more." As an instance of longevity, a correspondent of the Ballarat Star mentions a couple named Fyland, living at Lai' Lai. The husband is now in his 91st year, enjoying physical strength unusual for his age ; and the wife, now in her 80th year, is hale and hearty. She milks a cow every morning, and also discharges other domestic duties. The presence of deer in this neighborhood (says the Mortkike Despatch) cannot now be disputed. We are informed by Mr Donald Munro that whilst he was travelling from Hexham, in company with another resident of this place, a deer was descried quietly browsing on the banks of he Salt Creek, about six miles from Mortlake. It wa3 rnmqred on Friday in Ballarat that a clerk in one of the local banks had embezzled a sum of money and had disappeared. Upon enquiry it was found that the young gentleman in question has "ceased his connection with the bank, but that he owes nothing to the proprietary." In brief (says the Courier) the matter has been squared. Mr Martin Simonsen, who, with his wife, will leave the colonies for Europe in a few months, intends (says the Wcirrnanibool Examiner) shortly, to start on a professional tour through the Western district, wilh an operatic company, which he states is " the finest which lias ever travelled through the Australian Colonies."

Mr Walter H. Cooper, a Sydney journalist, and the author of the play '"'Sunshine and Shadow," has completed a new sensation drama, entitled, " Foiled; or, Australia Twenty Years Ago," which will be produced at the Prince of Wales Opera-house shortly. It is (says the S. M. Advertiser) in three acts, and contains several sensational effects never before attempted on any stage. The charge of bigamy against Mr Scarlett, of Beechworth, when heard at the local police court, broke down so helplessly (says the Ovens Spectator) that without calling any witnesses for the defence the Bench, after a short consultation dismissed the case. The defendant's counsel successfully urged that the extract fromthe registration »«f the alleged former marriage could not be admitted as evidence without some proof of its authenticity being produced. " 'Only a drunken spree.' Such," says the Kilmore Guardian, "is the exclamation of a witness at the adjourned inquest on the body of James Charles, who died

in the hospital from injuries received at the hands of three or four drunken rowdies at the Dry Creek. Of course the disturbance occurred at one of those iniquitous colonial institutions —' a shanty,' and the result is that one poor fellow has lost his life while defending his neighbor's property. These 'shanties ' are like so many plagne-spots along the railway line, and every means should be used to do away with them, and thus prevent strife and murder." Valeria and'Zeliea are scratched for the St. Leger. Australian Buck, Klaphonia, and Cloth of Gold, have been scratched for all their engagements. Blue Gown is scratched for the Champagne Stakes. Mermaid, Wooroo, and Woolgon are scratched for the Doncaster Handicap. The Waranga Chronicle, referring to tlfe now rush in that locality, observes : — " Prospects look bright. Several fresh holes have been sunk since our last report, and gold struck, but not at present payable. On Tuesday, in one of the shafts bottomed, a piece of gold Sklwt was found. The washdirt is 3ft in depth, yielding from two to three grains to the dish. People are arriving daily from all the adjacent diggings." The Clnncs Gazette mentions: — "As Cobb's 4 o'clock coach from Ballarat came in on Monday, opposite Mr Godenzi's store, a little child belonging to him fell before the leaders, when the sagacious animals opened out and left the child scatheless. The polers, not being able to extend themselves as fully, yet, -with astonishing care, picked up their feet and passed over the little creature •without harming it ; the coach also passed over without touching it." " A curious statement," says the Geelong Advertiser, "was made by an insolvent on Tuesday, when questioned as to a legacy, in the Insolvent Court. Under his father's will, he said, his wife was entitled to a legacy of L4OOO, but this money could not be paid until the death of the Earl of Dysart. Whether the money would ever be paid at all was very problematical, as the son of the present Earl had gone insolvent, and the payment of the money, therefore, depended upon the son's honor. What relation the Earl bore to the insolvent, Johnston, was not elicited." " Mr Hopton, of Fyansford," says the Geelong Advertiser, " had a very narrow escape a few days ago whilst standing by to see one of his large wine butts purified. In aocordance with the usual custom he sprinkled brandy inside the butt, and then applied a match. The spirit, however, did not ignite, and another bottle of cognac was called into requisition. Mr Hop ton's man then put in a light through the 'man hole,' when some gas having generated, an explosion followed ; the man was knocked over, and Mr Hopton's whiskers and hair were singed, and his face rendered very painful for some time." The Daylesford Mercury states that on a recent day a peculiar and fearful accident happened to Mr Pattersou, one of the proprietors of the Telegraph Sawmills. While standing beside the circular saw, a splinter, three feet long, broke off the log on the bench, and struck the uufortunate gentleman full in the chest. Such was the force of the blow that the wood passed through the ribs near the clavicle, and very nearly camo out of his back. The sufferer drew out the splinter himself, leaving, however, it is said, a piece in the wound. Mr Patterson lies in a critical state from internal haemorrhage. A meeting of the Executive Council of Victoria, was recently held to consider the case of Patrick Casey, sentenced to death at the last Circuit Court at Geelong, for a rape on Lucy Simms. After a lengthened deliberation it was resolved to commute the sentence to 20 years' hard labor — the first three in irons. The Talbot Leader writes: — "Amongt the curiosities of census-taking must be classed the fact that one of the country sub-enumerators outside of Talbot had a householder's schedule tendered him, duly filled up, that had been left ten years ago, and had never been called for." "A few leading gentlemen of Sandhurst, Melbourne, and Echuca, are about," says the Bendigo AdvcHiser, " to form a company for the purpose of erecting floating steam saw-mills for cutting the redgum on the Murray. The project is of such a practicable nature, and the demand for this description of timber for railway sleepers, wharf-making, and mining purposes is so great that, with unlimited supply to work on, the undertaking is sure to be a profitable and useful one. The promoters have patented their project in this colony and New South Wales. As the company's head-quarters will be at Sandhurst, there is no doubt but that they will supply a want that has been long felt by the mining community of tliis district, namely, a good supply of machinery and mining timber at a reasonable price." One of the collectors of the census, whose district was an outlying one, assures the Yirws Courier that during his travels he witnessed more abject poverty amongst the settlers than he had ever seen in the poorest portions of Ireland during famine time. He describes the feeling existing in many localities in the bush as unneighborly in the extreme. Some time ago, when the best means of relieving BaHarat East of danger from floods was th© general topic of discussion, Mr Fnssell, a member of the Eastern Borough Council, proposed that a tunnel should be cut from a tunnel in the Canadian Gully, down which a large stream of water came after heavy rains, to a point on the Yarrowee, for the purpose of diverting so much water from entering the j latter stream above the town to an entrance below it ; but the matter has been allowed to lie over. A private company is now about to be organised to take the job off the hands of the Eastern Council, if that body can see its way clear to grant the company a subsidy equivalent to the benefits the borough may deri /& from such diversion of the water. The length of the tunnel as at present proposed will be 6000 ft, with a width of 10ft and a height of Bft, to carry a double line of rails, with a small sludge channel between each line, and it is intended to erect a battery and puddling and sluicing machinery at either end, the object of which is to enable the company to wash and crush all auriferous dirt and stone they may meet with, and to afford facilities for numbers of small mining parties in the neighborhood to do the same, who at present have no»such opportunities. It is also expected that the tunnel will intersect nearly all the known lodes on Golden Point rarge, and that it will afford singular facilities to the company or to miners to take tin se up and to follow them ; besides, it may be the means of developing some entirely unexpected fact in connection with our quartz

lode's. The tunnel will have a fall of about j in 62, and the floor of it will be 225 ft below tjjie highest point of the hill intersected. It is proposed to have a capital of L 30,000, but that is not decided yet. " Our readers," says the Yass Courier, " may remember that on the 26th May, 1869, bushrangers attempted to stick up the mail from this place to Goulburn, and on that occasion Mr J. Longfield, dentist, of Goulburn, who was a passenger on the box, was badly wounded, and lost the sight of one eye. On Friday last a man named Peter Gray, residing at Woodhouseleigh, about 20 miles from Goulburn, was committed for trial together with another man, for the armed robbery of John White's place at Pejar, also in the Goulburn district. Mr Longfield had occasion to go into court while the case was proceeding, and he then recognised Gray as the man who shot him. Gray was accordingly brought before the police magistrate on Saturday, and after the evidence of Mr Longfield had been taken, was remanded."