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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1049, 6 December 1871, Page 2

I . . l#i _. . ; We hear that there is a probability of none j of the tenders for the main road from Mars- \ den to Greenstone being accepted, on the j ground that they are too high; The tenders . are nearly all over L2OOO a mile, one we ! believe to be LlB.OOO for the seven miles. J The work is certainly expected to be heavy, ; but the tenders appear to be very much so. The Star Minstrel and Polygraphic Qom- l pany, which performed during last week j with much success, have announced their < intention of -giving an entertainment on Friday evening at the Volunteer Hall, inj aid of the funds of the Grey River Hospital. - i We beg to draw attention to the remarks • delivered by the Chairman of the Licensing Bench yesterday relative to the personal attendance of applicants for publicans' licensßS. Without the applicants are present their applications will not be entertained. The total outlay in connection with ihe Charleston reservoir, the races conducting' water to it, and leading from the same to the auriferous workings which the water furnishes the means of working, amounts to very nearly L9OOQ. This sum includes the L7OO voted, by the Nelson Provincial Government. . Among the signatures to the application of Timothy Connelly, for a publicans' license yesterday, was a new professorship which we have endeavored in vain to fathom. It runs as follows :— James Johnston, P. of L.V.A.; .-. ;. :•..:■• At the Lyell, the Alpine Quartz Crushing Company are in full work day and night ; the stone and plates look very well The washing is not to take place till just before Christmas. ■ . A case of extraordinary smart travelling occurred last week, which is worth recording. On Thursday forenoon, Mr G. Sadler, one of the runners of the Weekly Augus, left Greymouth, and on Friday . morning at breakfast-time he was disposing of his papers in Reef ton. ; • A number of Reeftonites lately interviewed Mr Dobson with the object of obtaining an extension of the surveyed township. A public meeting "was afterwards held for the Same purpose, which is now of ten acres, would be reduced for the purpose of obtaining room for another street. Mr J. Edwards, of the Princes bridge boathouss, Melbourne, has just completed a fine four-Dared outrigger for the Wellington Rowing Club, for; use at the intercolonial race at Chriscchurch. The boat, which is built of cedar and fitted with blackwood and polished brass, is 44ft in length with a 20in beam. She is lighter than any imported four-oared outrigger, and is in every respect an excellent piece of workmanship. Such a boat, in fact, would do credit to any English builder. . A number of gentlemen in favor of the main road being Drought into town by the Omotumotu Creek met at Johnston's Hotel last eveniug, for the purpose of advancing arguments to Mr Harrison in support of that route, so that he might he prepared to give his opinion as to the pest line to the Minister of Public Works' on his arrival in Wellington. There was a large number of business men present. Mr Hamilton was called to the chair, A number, of arguments , were adduced in favor of the road via Omotumotu Creek, Showing that it /would open up a large tract of auiiferous ground, and that the best agricultural land between Greymouth and Marsden, which could easily be put into cultivation, would be made available Mr Hamilton, Mr G. S. Smith, Mr Nichol Mr Glenn, Mr W. S. Smith, Mr Uoates, M Wooloook, Mr Hogg, and others severally igokt in support of the Omotumotu Creek

road, .and brought forward many feasible ar^umenbs in its favcr, in addition to which the following reasons, embodied in a petition sent to the Government during last session, were unanimously confirmed by the mooting : — l. The road being constructed via the Omobumotu Creek route forms a very important part of a road leading directly inland to the Arnold aud up-country districts, viz., that portion of it leading through the Grey t Gorge as far as the Race-course. 2. Tliis" portion of the road is the most difficult, and will necessarily be the moat costly portion of the road leading to the upcountry districts, 'and if not constructed out, of the present funds available for this purpose, will have the' effect of postponing indefinitely this work, so long required by the district at large. 3. By constructing the road as recommended by Dr Knight, through the Omotumotu Valley, a greater extent of country is opened up than by the proposed deviation. The proposed deviation would cause the road to enter town on a line parallel at a very short distance from the beach and present tramway, and can only be recommended on the ground of very limited local interest,' and fulfils no other object save that interest in Greymouth benefited by the approach of a main road through a certain locality. A Committee was appointed to put in order the various reasons and arguments brought forward, in order to hand them to Mr Harrison previous to his going to Wellington. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the following cases were disposed of— Riley v. Hudson : Claim for L 6 12s, for rent of cottage ,• judgment by default. — Perrin v. Fullarton : An action to recover L 3, being I : one-thircl purchase-money of a bultrj the case , being fully proved, and defendant not being present, judgment went by default. — Middleton v. Maguire : Claim for Ll5 6s 6d, for board, money lent, &c. Defendant, admitted the debt, and confessed to judgment. — White v. Syraonds and Co : An action to . recover L 34 8s 4d, for goods supplied. LlO had been paid since the summons had been served ; judgment by default for L 24 8s 4d and costs. — Same v. Fraser and? party: Claim for L 6 3s 4d, for goods supplied ; judgment by default, with immediate execution. — Kittelty v. Vivian: Claim for LI ss, for boots supplied; judgment by default. — Wright v. LansTey : A fraud summons ; defendant not appearing, a warrant was directed to issue. -- Last week, three men (gum-diggers) left Mangawhare, Auckland, and proceeded down the river in a punt. When about midway between that place aud the Aratapu. sawmills, two of them got up to change places, or make some alteration in the trim of the punt, and in so doing capsized it. One of them struck out and reached the shore, another caught hold of the punt and clung^ to it, •whilst the third being unable to swim re-mained-struggling in the water, and would certainly have been drowned but for the timely aid of Mr Marmaduke Holdsworfch, who, seeing the accident from the river bank, put off in a boat and »-escued the drowning man from his perilous position. Upon regaining his faculty of speech, he rather astonished his deliverer by swearing at him for not recovering his hat which he had lost in the water. Information was received on Monday (says the West Coast Times) by the Hokitika Coal Prospecting Association that their men had discovered two seams of coal about a quarter of a mile distance from where coal had been found before. The seams are cropping out on the surface ; one being sft, the other 2ft 6in I'thick, and the coal is of a superior quality to the samples previously obtained. The Committee of- Management being now convinced that there is evidently a large coal field in the locality, they intend putting on more men to prosecute the work as fast as possible . : . ■ ■ Coroinandel is becoming a much livelier place than was the case with it of yore. A few nights ago a new hotel was opened with a house-warming, the landlord providing the edibles, and the visitors supplying their own liquors (of course from the landlord's bar). Before the night concluded, the host had taken nearly L2OO, one digger, heavy in funds, having "shouted" L4O in champagne. He had . struck a " patch," he said, and, knowing : where there was another like it, he intended fun. There was a very large company present, and all expressed their opinion that Coromandel would, in a very short time, become a running series of "jewelers' shops," the like of which would put the Caledonian shareholders, and the holders in all other claims at the Thames, to the blush. The improvement previously recorded as having taken place in the north beach at Westport still continues, and every tide, the strip of Hand . between the properties lately threatened by the sea and high water mark increases in area. At Mr Organ's skin yards, which recently were flooded at spring tides, this improvement is most marked, and now tnere is nearly a quarter of a mile of beach between them and the sea. Northwards similar thougii less extensive additions have been made to the beach by the deposit of sand, and we.fihink there 1 is every prooa- | bility of its shortly resuming its normal con- i dition. The directors of the Caledonian Goldmining Company, at the Thames, have determined for the future not to dispose of the tailings as heretofore by public auction, but have entered into an arrangement with Mr Severn to have the tailings treated on a new principle, on behalf of the company. The battery of Messrs Kaithby and Muir has been leased for this purpose for the next six months, until Mr Severn can have suitable appliances erected ; and it is calculated that about 200 tons per week can bo got through. About 3000 tons have accumulated. 1 Mr Severn has had upwards of fifteen years' experience on the gold fields of Australia, and is fully convinced that by his system of treatment a very large additional yield will be secured for the company than has hitherto been realised by auction sales. One. of the greatest. floods ever seen by Europeans in the Manawatu River, Wellington Province, has taken place. There was heavy rain in the eiid of iast week, but the rain alone would. hot account for the immense volume of water which has poured along the river, swelling far beyond its banks, and deluging a large quantity of land on either side of the liver. The consequences have been very disastrous. The Norwegian settlement has been all but broken up, and its inhabitants have been obliged to take shelter in Palmerston. The road from Palmerston to Foxton, formerly a canal of mud, has, for the time beinsr, become a river in itself. Settlers near the banks 6f the Manawatu have lost large numbers of cattle and sheep, the carcases of which are strewed along the sea beach. In some instances, we regret to say, even houses have been carried away, leaving their owners without shelter, and in one iustance, at least, compelling them to take to a canoe to save their lives These are . some of the dangers and difficulties that the pioneers in a new country have to encounter. Alto-, gether the damage done is very serious. During last session a Bill was passed, intituled * ' The SharebroM ; s ' Act/ 187'i', ' : making provisions for licensing sharebrokers. The preamble sets forth that it is expedient that provisions should be made for granting licenses to shareholders, and for the prevention of unlicensed persons acting in that capacity. The principal provisions of the Bill are* — that every sharebroker must take out, after the Ist o^ January, 1872, ,au annual ilicense, for which he must pay L 25 to the Colonial Treasurer, with whom the appoint-

merit rests, and such appointment must be notified in the New Zealand Gazette. Every tshnrebroker is required to enter into a bond : of L2OOO and two sureties of L2OO each, that he will not buy and sell shares on his own account. Sharebrokers are to give accounts to persons for whom they sell shares, and any client is entitled to inspect the booko, and in the event of refusal the broker is liable to a fine not exceeding LI.QQ, and to be disqualified from acting asa broker at aDy future time iv the Colony. The penalty^ for acting as a sharebroker without a license it a fine pi LlO, and lending a license to another Renders the holder liableto a penalty not exceeding L5O. Sharebrokers are not to recover fees, &c, unless.licensed ; and if convicted of felony or guilty of fiaud may be disqualified. From the Westport Times we learn that the number of quartz mining shares transferred at fteefton during the past month, has been 31, the prices varying from L5O to L3OO. Amongst the latest transactions we find that Mr Button, of Hokitika, has bought half a; share in the 5 and 6 north, Kelly's reef, for Ll5O ; Mr Kenrick, of Greyrnoutk, a quarter share in the same claim for L 7 2; Mr C. Mace, a quarter uhare in Shiel's prospectors claim for L2OO. Considerable excitement has been created by JNo. 9 north, Kelly's line, having struck the reef, the appearances being such as to warrant the assumption that this will rival the richest claim ou the Inangahua. One of our local solicitors is fortunate in being a shareholder. The ground has in consequence been pegged off a distance of a mile to the left-hand branch of the Inangahua. A. bush fire took place in the Katikafci district, near Tauranga, on Tuesday last, originating through the embers of a -fire which a native woman had thrown aside from a camp oven, after baking a loaf of bread. The poor woman afterwards lay down with her child, about three months old, and fell asleep, and did not waken until one of her feet was burnt, and the whole of her garments on fire. The child, which was near her side, was burnt to death before she woke ; and it was not until the woman was enveloped in flames that assistance arrived to relieve her sufferings. The unfortunate woman, who is only about 26 years old, is in a very precarious state— not expected to live. The whole bush was afterwards on fire, and at a distance of 20 miles from it was a grand bight to behold. Tons of kauri gum collected by the natives, with large supplies of food and stores, were all destroyed. In fact, one family or hapu (Te Ngare), whilst occupied j» digging for gum in the bush, unconscious of danger, returned only to find their encampment, with their clothes and their all— the fruit of six months' aard earnings— destroyed.