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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 997, 6 October 1871, Page 2

The Greymouth Literary Association will give their Hsual fortnightly entertainment this evening at Gilmer's hall, when, from the very excellent programme provided, and judging from the success which ha 3 attended its previous entertainments, a crowded house may be expected. A miner named Daniel Dwyer was brought down from Maori Gully to the Hospital yesterday, whose escape from death was almost marvellous. Dwyer was engaged on Tuesday in ground sluicing, and in doing so struck a prop, which gave way, striking Dwyer on the hip, knocking him down and burying him under a heap of mullook which gave way at the same rime. Fortunately, Dwyer was released before he had sustained much injury, and conveyed to the Hospital, where he is going on very favorably. A narrow escape from a fatal accident occurred yesterday morning. A carpenter named John Richmond was engaged in fixing a piece of quartering on the top of the works now in progress at Gilmer's Hotel, when a plank slipped, and he fell to the ground, some twenty or thirty feet. In falling, he struck a cross piece, shivering it to atoms, but this had the effect of breaking his fall, although he received a severe cut on his forehead, fortunately escaping his eye, or doing him any serious injury. He was at once taken to Dr Morice's, who saw the accident, and had his wounds dressed, after which he was led home. There is no doubt but for the break in the fall the accident would have been of a very serious character. Mr Prank Weston, better known as the "Wizard Oil Prince," who has been amusing and entertaining crowded audiences at Hokitika, Ross, and other places on the West Coast, will "dig down " and "speak apiece" at the Volunteer Hall, this and to-morrow evenings. From the vast fund of humor possessed by Mr Weston, and his inimitable manner of relating anecdotes, a rare treat is in store for those who attend his entertainment. A correspondent draws our attention to the want of public baths in Greymoutli, stating that a decision of the Resident Magistrate rendered public bathing out of the reach of the great majority of the inhabitants. He suggests that the Corporation should take the matter up, and erect bathing houses on the lagoon between the Preston road and the beach. He says : — " All that, in my humble opinion, is required is the erection of stalls wherein to undress and dress, and in framing regulations to make it compulsory on bathers to be provided with bathing pants, to authorise a charge of say 6d for a single bath, aud issue weekly, monthly, or season tickets, of course at a considerable reduction on the charge of a single bath. The right of keeping the bath will readily sell or let, by auction or tender, each season, and I have no doubt the original outlay would soon be covered." The total yield of gold in the Colony, from the first discovery to the 30th June, 1871, amounted to 5,897,909 ounces, valued in the aggregate at twenty-three millions sterling, and a quarterly yield of 109,684 ounces. "This should," says the Southern O7'oss, ' ' surely be regarded as affording reason for dispelling that despondency which some seem to cherish when considering the present and the future state of the Colony." At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, before W. H. Revell^Esq. , R.M., the only cases were those of— James J. Birch v. Elizabeth Coffey. This was an application to cause defendant to keep the peace towards plaintiff and his wife. The parties are neighbors living near the tramway, Tainui street, and hare been in a state of feud for some time. On the 4th October, Mr Coffey emptied the contents of a ewer on the ground of the plaintiff; and for which the present case was brought. There was no proof of any abusive or threatening language having been used. The case was dismissed, the Magistrate remarking that if the parties came before him again, he should bind them both over to keep the peace. — Wright v. Hassett. This was an action to bind the defendant over to keep the peace. Mr Newton appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Guinness for defendant. It appeared that both parties live at the Teremakau, and on the 3rd October Wright went to the house of Mrs Trahey, and when he went in Hassett, who had some ill-feeling towards him, left. Wright remained at the house for several I hours, when Mrs Trahey said she heard footsteps approaching, and he went out to see who it was, and saw a man going towards the beach. About a quarter of an hour afterwards a large stone was thrown violently against the side of the house close to where Wright was sitting. Shortly afterwards Mrs Trahey and Wright went outside with a lantern to see if there were any traces of the person who had thrown the stone, and saw footmarks on the damp sand, which, from their peculiar appearance, Mrs Trahey identified as belonging to Hassett, who lived on Sunday Flat. They entered the hut, and Wright picked up a boot, when Hassett, who was lying in bed, jumped up, and a fight ensued ; but which struck first was a matter of dispute. . Mrs Trahey corroborated the facts as to the throwing of the stone and the footmarks. A witness named John Ryan, fresh from Ireland, was called, who kept the Court convulsed with laughter, but it was very doubt,ful what he meant to convey. A crosssummons of Hassett v . Wright was then gone into, arising out of the above, in which Hassett charged Wright with assaulting him in his hut, denying that be threw the stone, or that he was out of Ms hut at the time in question. Ultimately, Hassett was bound over in the sum of LlO to keep the peace towards Wright for three months and to pay the costs of Court, but each party had to pay their own costs. — Badger v. Camaletto: Claim for L 8 2s 2d for goods supplisd ; judgment by default for the amount claimed. The fourteenth Synod of the Church of England in the diocese of Nelson met at Nelson on Thursday, the 28th ulfc., at which time the West Coast Clergy had not arrived. The President (the Bishop of Nelson), delivered his annual address, commenting on the state of the Church and the prospects of education. Bishop Suter evidently does not believe in sinecure Bishoprics or dogmatism, as the following rather plain-spoken portion of his address snows :- -" As soon as a Bishop, from age or inability to travel, has not such a knowledge of his Diocese, and is so ' deficient in insight into human nature, and so foolish as not to take advice of his clergy or the laity in a matter where there is any doubt, the sooner he gives up his Bishopric the better. He is not fitted for it, and never was ; but I have yet to learn that such has j

been or is the case with any of the Bishops of New Zealand. There are, however, persons who are afraid of individuality ; who think only of their own ideals, and will not tolerate those of others ; anclas long as their own tastes are satisfied, aud their own standard of propriety reached, others not so finical are to be passed over disregarded, and bidden to find elsewhere that which both gratifies and improves^ them. We need in Church govemineift Snd organization still to have the words re-echoed in our hearing — ' Look not every man on his own things,' " " The Waikouaiti Herald says that five hundred head of store cattle, said to be the best mob in Southland, were recently sold from a station there at L 2 per head. We notice from tlfe Melbourne Leader that Charles Brock Longbottoin, gentleman, Melbourne, has completed a patent for "an improved safety blasting powder." Mix together 301 b nitrate of potash with 401 b nitrate of soda, 121 b sulphur, 81b charcoal, 41b common coal, and 61b tartrate of potash ; grind them all up together, and the result is the production of a blasting powder.