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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 998, 7 October 1871, Page 2

The usual fortnightly entertainment given by the Grreymoufch Literary Society took place lasb night, in Gilmer's Hotel. Notwithstanding the "free" attraction of the Wizard Weston, at the Volunteer Hall, the entertainment was well patronised, the large hall being comfortably filled. The | lady and gentlemen amateurs who assisted upon the occasion deserve the best thanks of the community, because bytheiv efforts they supplied a very pleasant evening's amusement to a large audience. The entertainment pass 3d cff very well, and we only hope we may have to record the . recurrence of many such in Greymouth. The Cricket Club will play a scratch match on the Camp Reserve this day, commencing about two o'clock. Sides will be chosen from all members who are on the ground at that time. A meeting of the Mechanics Cricket Club was held at the Queen's Hotel, on Wednesday evening last, when the following officers were appointed ; — President, Mr J. Kilgour ; Vice-President, Mr Whitmore j Treasurer, Mr Holder ; and the following gentlemen were appointed a Committee : Messrs Gleeson, Poole, Simpson, Farwig, Jones, and Moore. There is no doubt but that the club will have a successful issue. There will be no service in the Presbyterian Church to-morrow, in consequence of the absence of the Rev. Mr Mackintosh in Hokitika. Mr James Laing, of Coal Creek, writes to us denying that he was the author, or in any way connected with the writing of the paragraph which appeared in our columns regarding the recent tar-and-feathering case. We have only to add that Mr Laing is entirely innocent of the charge brought against him. The regular Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Court will be held at Camptown on Monday, the 9th instant, and at Ahaiua on the following day. The postponement from the usual day on which the Courts are held was rendered necessary by the absence of Mr Whitefoord at the Wardens' Conference at Charleston. There are a number of important causes to be heard at both places, and it is said that a large bar is retained for the defandants in the revenue cases from No Town, should they be brought on at Camptown on Monday. A meeting was held on Saturday evening last, at Hay ward, s Hotel, Hatters Terrace, Nelson Creek, to consider the propriety of sending a memorial to the Government on behalf of Mr B. M'Gee, who proposed erecting a suspension bridge across the creek behind the township. There were about 70 persons present. Mr Brennau being called to the chair, lucidly pointed out the advantages the district would derive from a bridge such as Mr M'Gee proposed erecting. Mr Manahan also maintained that- the district of Caljaghan of itself should be sufficient to induce the Government to grant Mr M'Gee the requisite protection, After other speakers was formed, consisting of Messrs Stevens, F. Davis, Kennedy, Manahan, Condy, Clausey, and the Chairman, to present the memorial to Caleb Whitefoord, Esq, Warden, to forward to the Government. A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. A report is current, says the West Coast Times, that the General Government have forwarded a notification to Mr Warden Schaw that his services are not further required. The name of the man who was so brutally assaulted at Deadman's Creek, No Town, on the 2nd instant, is Nicolas Johns. The wound he received is serious, but not so dangerous as was at first anticipated. The Maori who inflicted it made his escape before the police received information bf the outrage, and he has . up to this time .succeeded in keeping out of the way, although an exciting chase is going on after him. He is known to have taken the bush in the direction of Nelson Creek. The offender is well known in the Ahaura district, being for a long time in the employment of Messrs Reid and Carter, cattle-dealers. It is announced in the Boss Guardian that Mr C. E. Button will preach in the Presbyterian Church at Ross on Sunday evening next. "Ministers of the Presbyterian Church," says the Guardian, "are at a premium at present, and Mr Button has offered his services to fill up the breach." Mr Theodore Ranft, at Brunnerton, has just completed an elaborate and highlyfinished model of the Brunner Coal Mine, with sections of the superincumbent and subordinate strata, according to surveys made by W. W. Dartnell, Esq., C.E. It is constructed on a scale of two inches to the chain, and although all the intricate underground workings are minutely described, there is no appearance of confusion, owing to the large size of the model. The excavations made by Batty and Co., the Ballarat Company, and the Nelson Government, from the first opening of the mine to the present time, are shown in different colors. The model is accompanied by an. explanatory geological chart, also in colors, aud the work of Mr Ranft.B The probable depth and extent of the fault in the coal-seam, from careful calculations made, are also shown, as well as the probable extent of the seam itself. The model is made of a new composite substance, invented by .Mr Ranft, and consisting almost entirely of materials found in or about the mine. The whole forms a beautiful specimen of local art well worthy a visit. Mr Ranft exhibited a similar work at the Otago Exhibition in 1865. On that occasion he displayed a model of the Frenchman's celebrated claim and workings on the Molyneux river, near the Manuherikia junction, and he received a medal, besides honorable mention in the report of the Commissioners.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Henry Price was brought up charged with robbing the till of Mr P. Flannery, on Thursday night, of about 30s. From the evidence of Mr Garrison, barm&n to Mr Flannery, it appeared that the prisoner was iv. the billjard • room playing billiards. Witness went out And one of the lodgers told him that he saw prisoner behind the bar. He went and examined the till, and found about 30s missing, and he then accused prisoner of the robbery. On asking the prisoner whether he had any money on him, he said he had some silver. He then searched the prisoner, and found the £l-note produced and 8s 6d in Bilver. By the prisoner : When ho played the game of billiards prisoner produced a shilling. John M'Hugh, a miner, belonging to Napoleon'?, but at present staying at Flannery's Hotel, stated he was in the billiard-room about eleven o'clock the previous evening. He saw the prisoner leave the billiard-room, go into the sitting-room, and from thence behind the bar. He told Garrison what he had seen upon, which Gar,

rison examined the till, and then accused prisoner of robbing it ; but he denied it : for being questioned by Garrison before he was searched, he said be had some silver, „ but no n6te upou him. Garrison then searched him, and found the note produced. James Black said he believed the prisoner was employed at Messrs Butter worth Bros.' office, in Castlemaine, some years singe. He gave him no money on the previous day. Constable Keating arrested the prisoner about a quarter-past eleven o'clock on Thursday night. He received a £l-note and some silver from Garrison, which prisoner claimed as his, and said that Mr Black gave him £2 after he (prisoner) had come out of gaol. Prisoner was discharged from prison about five p.m. on the previous day, when he had no money. The prisoner, in defence, stated that Mr Black, a digger from Ross, who had a claim "somewhere about the Totara," met him in Greymouth during Thursday evening, and gave him two £1 -notes, and he had changed one of them. Sergeant White stated th&t the prisoner had been convicted of a similar offence on the 22nd September, and was then sentenced to iourteen days' imprisonment. The Resident Magistrate, after pointing out the improbabilities of the prisoner's statement, sentenced him to six months' imprisonment with hard labor.

The Volunteer Hall was well filled last eveniug, to hear Mr Frank Weston, the Wizard Oil Prince, " Speak a Piece," and this he did very successfully. Mr Weston is a humorist and a business man in the strict sense of the word, and he tells the audience plainly that in seeking to amuse them, he, like Sam Slick, wants to sell his Clocks — there is, nothing on earth like these clocks, for they will go and go and keep on going— till they stop, and bo with Mr Weston; he sing 3 a good song, is about the best banjo player we ever heard, and has a fund of anecdote at his command; but the commencement is "ile," the centre is "ile," and the end is "ile," and there is no doubt but there is something in it, and it is to be hoped will accomplish all that Mr Weston desires. The entertainment is to be repeated this evening.

In the examination of a bankrupt publican in the Supreme Court at Wellington the other day, the bankrupt stated as a reason for not keeping books, that they were worthless, as no money could be recovered for grog. The Post adds— "His Honor questioned bankrupt further on his knowledge of the law in this respect, and said he wished it was written up in large letters on every public house in the colony that payment for drink supplied in less quantity than LI at a sitting could not be enforced by law, owing to the operation of the Tippling Act. If landlords were only aware of this fact, they would act differently, and thero would be less drunkenness in the colony." The woi'k of making the part of the road, Sections 4 and 5, from the Arahura to Stafford Town, has been stopped for the present, through miuers having tunnel claims at Queen's Terrace objecting, on the ground that if the road be made as surveyed, they could not continue their workings. Mr Picuant, the Clerk of the Ross Drainage Board, kas received a month's notice of removal. Several miners working in Bracken's Gully, Wakatipu district, Otago, have had narrow escapes from being killed by stones dislodged by sheep from the overhanging heights. The gold field at Adam's Flat, Otago, has had its population considerably increased by the arnval there of, about eighty Chinese, part of a recent importation to the Colony, and who seem favorably impressed with their prospects in the field; they have selected. In a recent debase in the House of Kepregentatives, Mr Swanson said that he was once on a jury where the man next him set himself to go asleep', saying, "When you come to my way of thinking, wake me." A Chinaman attempted to commit suicide at Tuapeka, Otago, the other day. He told those who were working with him that he had seen the ghosts of two of his acquaintances, who had died recently, and that they informed him he was wanted in the Flowery Land immediately, He enquired of them the best road thither, and was advised to jump down a bole. This advice he followed by throwing himself into a hole about 40 feet deep. He wa3 rescue J, however, and conveyed to the Hospital, and thus his attempted journey is interrupted in the meantime. The Ross News has good authority for stating that, in constructing the new chamber in the Qassjus claim, 40oz of gold were taken from the wash procured from six sets of timber. We have to record the death of an octogenarian, Arch. M'lntyre, one of the oldest residents of the Switzer's district, Otago, after a chequered career of 82 years. He was one of the early Bendigo (Victoria) men, where he made his "pile," went to Scotland, and then came out here to end his days. A correspondent at Switzer's, Otago, writes :— "Last week we had winter in all its ruggedness ; this week we have spring in all her glory, the temperature ranging from 40deg to 108deg. Truly a variable climate. During Captain Mair's recent expedition in pursuit of Te Kooti his force were obliged for fifteen days to march through snow knee deep, and on one occasion they were without food for three days. Notwithstanding these hardships, the health of the men is reported to have been excellent. With regard to mining matters in the Wakatip district, Otago, the Mail says :— "We understand the quartz-crushing machines at Skippers and the Upper Shotover are now at full work. Miners throughout the district also are endeavoring to make up for lost time during the previous inclement season. — The large number of Chinamen who have reached Queeastown during the past month are so thoroughly dispersed among the various creeks and gullies throughout the district that their presence' is almost imperceptible. Several have gone the Kingston way, while some, we are informed, are prospecting the Te Anau country. " From the Otago Daily Times of the 27th ult. we learn that the quiet district of West Taieri was thrown into a painful excitement on Monday by the report that Miss Currie, the teacher, was missing, From what we have learned, it seems that Miss Currie was to have spent Sunday night at thehouse of Mr William Snow, Outrain. A bed was made up for her in the sitting room, and Mr Snow locked the front door before going to bed. Miss Currie took off her bonnet, jacket, &c, in Mrs Snow's room, and about eleven o'clock Mr and Mrs Snow bade her good night. She then seemed well and in good spirits. On rising the following (Monday) mo nin<j, they found that Miss Currie was missing, and that her bed had not been occupied. She bad evidently gone out by the front door, which was found unlocked, though Mr Snow's bi jther, who had sat up writing till a late hoi •, had not heard her go out. Foot-prints were traced to a deep part of the river, and we c afterwards found to correspond exrctly with a boot belonging to her. Miss Currie has relatives in Dunedin, one of whom, a brother, has been in very feeble health lately, and she .was very anxious ; about him, having been several times heard to say that she had a presentiment that he was dying, and that Bhe had a good mind to start off for town on foot to see him. The* river was carefully and unremittingly dragged throughout Monday and yesterday, '

but no trace of the body could be found. A party of somo twenty of the settlers also searched the ranges, in consequence of a report said to have been brought by some school children to the effect that they had seen a female, partially dressed, wandering about there. No trace of her, however, could be found; and from the fact of her foot-prints being clearly traced to the river bank, and not going away from it again, it is generally believed that it is in that direction that the solution of her disappearance must be sought.

A Portland paper (the Western Times) has a serious grievance against the inhabitants of the town. Instead of buying their clothing f^oin Portland tradesmen, they send to-Mel-bourne, where they can get it better and cheaper. "For a long time," says the Western Times, "we have been afraid to trust ourselves to use our pen in reproof, lest we should express ourselves too strongly — we were going to say too savagely ; but we can no longer resist the conviction of duty to the town we live in — the community to which we belong." Having got over the preliminary difficulty, the journal discharges its duties to the town in the following style : — "To call it folly, ungenerous, and unjust, are weak terms ; it is suicide, simply nothing else but suicide, and the want of generosity, and injustice involved in self -slaughter are wrapped up in it ; we will not say concealed, for they are too plainly discernible and distinguishable. There was a ball last night at Mac's Hotel — a Volunteer ball— and most sincerely do we trust that it was a success. But what about the drapery, bought in Melbourne, paraded on the occasion to the admiring view of our local drapers, who, of course, were present, in accordance with expectation, and in virtue of tbe droppings, the crumbs of business they get from the purchasers of their drapery." There, is even something darker behind. "Why, the very tickets and programmes were done in Melbourne, although there are two printing offices in the town, either of which, we doubt not, could have done them — yes, and well enough, and gladly enough.', On this the Argv/S remarks : — " This is yery melancholy or very absurd, according to the point from which it is viewed, but at the same tima it is clearly a consistent following out of protection principles. There is no reason why town Bbould not be 'protected' against town, as well as nation against nation."