Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1075, 8 January 1872, Page 2

There was no news of the San Francisco mail up to ten o'clock last night. She is three days overdue at Auckland. A match for LSO .vside has been entered into between Vaugban, the winner of the i mile race at the Christmas sports, and Fat | Twohill, who then came ia second, the latter receiving 50 j*ards start. The race is to come oft on the Camp Reserve on Tuesday, 23rd instant. Ten pounds a-side has been deposited. The Star Minstrels and Polygraphic Company give a grand Christy's Minstrels entertainment this evening, when they will be iiftcisted by several gentlemen amateurs. _ The programme is n good one, and the selection is entirely new, including a stump speech by

Bent, violin solos by La Fcuilladc, character songs by Bromley, and dauces by Buckley, while our old acquaintance, Sam Poole, w?JI contribute his quota to the evening's amusement. It v "11 'jo seen by reference tb our advertising columns that Mr B. Short will lecture on Wednesday, at the Volunteer Hall, on Mutual Life Assurance. Edmund Wickes, ' Esq., Mayor of Greymouth, was on Saturday re-gazetted a Justice of the Peace. A number of persons crossed the river on Saturday, en route tor the Inangahua reefs. Among them were several Hokitika speculators, who expressed their intention of not returning till the first crushing had taken place, the machinery being already in working order, and ready to commence operations. The annual pic-nic to the children attending school, in connection with St Patrick's Church, will take place this day, weather permitting. The children will muster on the Chapel grounds, and thence proceed to Tivoli Garden. The annual meeting of the Greymouth Fire Brigade for the election of officers and reception of reports will be held this evening at the Brigade Hall. The cost of conveying a man of unsound mind the other day from Reefton to Westport was L2O 4s. Dr Gilee, the Westport Warden, after holding a Court at Inangahua Junction and Reefton, will proceed to Ahauta and Greymouth, returning to Westport about the 20th instant. Mr Broad will hold sittings of the Warden's Court in Westport during his absence. The first sitting will take place on Wednesday, 10th inst. On Saturday the Greymouth Rangers fired the sixth competition for a medium rifle, given by the company. The match is a handicap, and the winner is again a man receiving no points — Col. -Sergt. Chamberlain (who has won one before) having made the excellent score of 6S points, at ranges of 200, 400, 500, and 600 yards ; Wimbledon targets throughout, and Hytho position at 200 ami 400 yards. Ws give the winning scores, the others being hardly up to the mark, possibly owing in some measure to the late holidays : — 200 yds. 400 yds. 500 yds. 600 yds. 23434—16 43334—17 44433-18 24344-17 Total, 68 points. An Auckland restaurateur advertises a dinner of four courses for 6d. To Kooti's "force" is stated by the Maketu correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, to consist of his two wives, a boy, nud a dog. The Orepuki miners are reported to have been nearly starved of late, owing to a continuance of bad weather, rendering it impossible to convey provisions to the diggings. Things in Tasmania are in such a depressed state that the very thieves are reported to be leaving the Colony. During the present year 241,5280zs of New Zealand gold were exported from Melbourne to England. A correspondent of the Marlborough Express states that a horse-race came off at Big Bush, Marlborough, on a recent Sunday. The race was run just as the children were coming out of Sunday School, and the riders nearly succeeded in breaking bones as well as the Sabbath. On the 27th December, Robert Blaymire, an old settler in Marlborough, was drowned off Cullen's Point, about nine miles from Havelock, whilst pushing his boat cflf some rocks where she had grounded. He was seen by two men who were goinu to Havelock, to get out and walk alongside of her. pushing her into the water, when he suddenly sank, the tide at the Lime running very strong. The men pulled to the spot as quickly as possible, but lie did not arise again until he was about three chains distant, and then sunk immediately. His body has not yet been discovered. ' Dr Hector left Nelson on the 2nd instant, accompanied by Mr T. Mackey, to pay a visit to the Mount Rochfort Coal Field, for the purpose of determining at which part it could be best worked, with a view to connecting it with Westport by a railway. Dr Hector proceeded overland, and will make a cursory examination of the country as he proceeds. Unfortuuately, the numerous urgent demands on Dr Hector's lime will nor allow him opportunity to thoroughly examine the country. To do justice to the Buller Valley and its tributaries would alone occupy Eeveral weeks, and it is a great pity this attention cannot be bestowed on so promising , a country. Ihe Olago Daily Times reports that about seven o'clock on the morning of December 26th, Mr George Dryden, of the Peninsula, found a man hanging in au outhouse on his .homestead. He was quite dead when dis? covered. He was v man of about 80 years of age, sft sin in height, had a long beard and moustaches, and was dressed in a Crimean shirt, moleskin trousers, and watertight boots. His name is not known. He was seen at about seven o'clock on Christmas evening, coining from the direction of Dunedin towards t»ie place where he was fouud hanging. We have been informed that the seeds of Californian trees recently received by the Canterbury Provincial Government from the General Government, aud which were planted in the Government Domain, by Mr Armstrong, the Government gardener, have come up in great profusion, but they are threatened by a more destructive enemy, namely, the chaffinches and sparrows imported by the Acclimatisation Society. The seeds of tho trees have come on the top of the plant, and the birds in order to get at the seeds are pulling up the plants by hundreds ; as they are protected by law there is no remedy, Ou the 26th ultimo, a serious accident occurred to Constable Smith, stationed at the Ashburton, which it is feared will result fatally. It appears that Constable Smith, in company with Sergt. Barlow, of Leeston, was riding from the Selwyn to Captain Westenra's station, to attend an inquest on the body of a man killed there on Christmas Day, and when near the Hawkins they came to a low vire fenoe across the track near Messrs Wilson and Macalphine's run, which being nearly hidden by grass, was not observed by them. Both horses fell, Smith's horse rolling over on to him and breaking its neck, at the same time severely injuring him. He was taken up in an insensible state, and removed to Lawrence's Selwyn Hotel. : The Lyttelton Times condemns the New Poisons Act very strongly. It say :— " It is tho general framework of the Act, and tho absurdity of its chief provisions, or rather, the absurdities to which they will inevitably give rise, that we take exception to. It is right and proper that rules should be made, and strictly enforced, to prevent the indiscriminate sale of deadly poisons ; but that is a different matter altogether from making a law to comply with which will in many cases bo utterly impossible, aud, in a large majority of .cages, simply ludicrous. Wo venture to pay that this unfortunate law, for which, so far as we are aware, there was; no necessity whatever, will be broken twenty! times every day by every druggist in the: colony— in some cases wittingly and uik avoidably, and in others unwittingly, or, ati best, with a half-consciousness of trangres-! sion. [t will impede the transaction of ordi- 1

navy business to n very great extent, will harass and perplex men who conscientiously wish to do their duty by those whom they serve, while it will not prevent the unprincipled from doing things they ought not to do, and will both terrify and disgust the public to an extent they have yet no idea of. It it decidedly the most ill-judged piece of legislation we remember to- have met with. The intentions of the framera wore doubtless good, but the Act -is a' serious blunder." *yr «■ The Nelson Examiner of the 3rd says : — The steamer Rangitoto, which arrived from Melbourne on Monday, had a number of gentlemen on board, excursionists from Victoria. The Rangitoto first called at Milford Sound, and the grandeur of its scenery was considered a recompense for the whole cost of the passage . The view obtained of Mount Cook was not very favorable, but the party landed at both Hokitika and Greymouth, and were greatly impressed with the resources of the latter district. The. steamer left for Wellington last evening, ,and favorable weather and the unvarying courtesy of Captain Mackie, rendered t & trip so far a constant source of enjoyment. The pleasant feelings these gentlemen will carry back to Victoiia is likely to bear fruit, and send increased numbers on the same route. A writer in the Lyltelton Times says : — Talking of immigrants, I see Colonel Fielding is on a mission to the Colonies in connection with the Society for the Promotion of Emigration from England, under the patronage of the Duke of Manchester. He wants to buj land, I understand. How favored some people are. Fancy emigrating under the patronage of a Duke, and having land purchased for you. 1 wish some "Dook" would buy land for some of -us' poor unemployed people here ; but charitable aid nearly always goes to the wrong people. Charity fles opehhanded to supply missionaries and pocket haudkerchiefs to the Zooloos, in preference to supplying bread and cheese to its next door neighbor. Charity prefers going to Jerico with its two-pence-half-penny to giving it to the man by the roadside. If any " Book" wants to help the Colonies 1 can put him in the. way to do it. The Mount Ida Chronicle has the following hope-in3piring remarks :— " Two specimens have, within the last week, been submitted to us for inspection. One we understand to have been taken from the Eweburn, the other from the Burster. The former (weighing about 2oz) crmposed, as we believe, of dark-colored conglomerate quartz, contained many undeniable specks of gold, sufficient to make a speculation as to crushing a successful one. On the other hand that from firuster discloses a fact somewhat astonishing. Its weight is nearly 3oz, two-thirds of which have been proved W be absolute gold. To one view the specimen to' which we allude would rather indicate a retention of gold by quartz than quartz by gold. In other words, we might say that the specimen exhibits a considerable amount of quartz joined together by a still more considerable amount of gold — in fact, that gold is the predominating element. This specimen was found by Mr Latham, on the claim of Latham aud Guffie, Clarks. Opinions differ as to its being waterworn or otherwise. We express no opinion, but invite inspection of the specimen, which may be seen in the Bank of New South Wales." The following, which we take from the Southern Cross, is of general interest : — "The practice of making use of the signature to a cheque for the purpose of cancelling the stamp is open to the very grave objection that the stamp is liable to fall off at some future time, and thus leave the cheque without signature, or with only a very imperfect one. The Commissioner of Stamps has decided that 'As to stamps on cheques and drafts, the additional stamp of one penny, when adhesive, must be (cancelled in the manner provided by section o of the Act of 1870 ;' and the opinion of Mr Whitaker, as to the mode of cancellation, is as follows : — ' After careful consideration I come to the conclusion that the effect of the Act of 1871 is simply to alter the stamp duty payable on cheques from on penny to two-pence, and to leave the mode of cancellation as it stood prior to the passing of that Act.' In accordance with this ruling the banks have agreed to accept cheques bearing, on the corner next the block, stamps cancelled by the initials of the drawers and the date of usin<*, the signature to the cheque to occupy its usual place without reference to the position of the stamp." The effects of the late gale in Otago are thus described by a Tokomairiro .paper :— The roofs of niany of ihe houses, especially the higher buildings, such as hotels, stores, ; &c, were more or less injured by the stripping of the ridges, slates, or sheets of iron, and some narrow escapes occurred from the falling of these and their swirling along the streets, but no accident is reported. Many of the older and more exposed fences succumbed to the force of the gale, and were blown in all directions. To repair the demage will afford a fey days' work to local carpenters, many of whom have net enjoyed such a good prospect for some time past. Gardens have suffered very severely, many of the fruit trees mi bushes being completely stripped, and their leaves blackened and scorched as if they had passed, through a fire. Crops generally • have sustained more or less injury ; potat6;'crops are blackened as if by frost; grass is scorched, and has assumed a yellow and withered appearance, while oats and wheat have been severely scutched and loosened at the roots. Several waggons and coaches were overturned on the roads, but no one seriously injured. Much sympathy is felt for "Margri and party, at Manuka Creek, who had about four chains of fluming blown down, and who will thereby be occasioned serious .delay and pecuniary loss. This is the heaviest damage as yet reported from the district. A late Victorian paper gives an account of a man named Ryan, who was fishing for some weeks on the squth-west coast, about the middle of October last, Whilst engaged in this occupation, a large roller came in aud washed him from his standing.place, and carried him out to sea : a succeeding roller threw him amongst the rocks and broke his leg. One roller larger than the rest carried him right inshore, and lodged him on a ledge in the cliff. He managed to drag himself from his perilous position and reach his hut; on the top of the cliff. Once there ho went to work tp set hie leg, and bandage it up the best way he could, The leg was badly broken— the bone protruding-r^and a considerable loss of blood. ensued. For thirtytwo longdays Ryan lay in his hut with his broken limb, crawling out to the garden occasionally to procure a few turnips and potatoes with which to satisfy the cravings of hunger. At last he determined to endeavour So reach some of the neighbors and obtain assistance. On the first day ho dragged himself on his side about six miles, and lay out all that night; the next day, which was Wednesday, November 22— the day of the fearful thundei"»torm— he got about two miles further, and managed to reach the track along the cliffs. Fortunately for the poor fellow he had not been long on the track when he was overtakeu by two travellers from the Capo Otway station, proceeding to Warrnambp.ol! Ryan is, now in a fair way of recovery, and .he himself seoms : perfectly satisfied^ wit}i his own treatment. He ' has been instrumental in saving somo half dozen persons from drowning, and had it not been for the fracture of his leg, his adventure in the sea \yould have caused him uo thought. ". ;'•..:'■..