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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1089, 24 January 1872, Page 2

We havebeen informed on reliable authority that a well-known resident of Greymouth, who lately started on a \lsit to the reefs, ha 3 bought a quarter-share, or l-32ud in SHeV prospecting claim for the sum of LBOO.

We notice tha l ; Mr Tucker has recommenced business as dentist and apothecary at the Ahaura. There being no other medical man in this extensive district, we have no doubt he -will succeed in filling the vacancy of the various other medicoes, who have departed for other fields.

The performances of Collins and Carrolls' Troupe last night were very successful, every song and dance being encored. Mr Culhmore presided at the piano, rendering the accompaniments with his usual ability. The troupe take their departure northwards to-day.

A prospecting party, consisting of Messrs Pearce, Gardiner, Frater, andGamior, left Brighton on Friday, the 12th instant, to thoroughly prospect the country at the back of the Bald Hills, near the head of the river. From indications previously met with tin* party are sanguine of a satisfactory result ensuing from their exploration.

The Customs revenue of Dunedin for 1871 amounted to L 194,529 13s lOd, against L 194,578 6s in 1870, being a decrease of 148 12s 2d.

At tho Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the following civil cases were dis< disposed of :— Thomas and M'Beath v. Miss Smith, claim for 17s 61 for goods supplied ; judgment confessed. Magoflin v. Algoa, an action for goods supplied ; judgment by default. Eissenhardt v. Thatcher; judgment was confessed for the amount claimed, L 3 19s 6d. Carlisle v. Smith, judgment summons for L 2 17s 6d ; payment ordered at LI per week, or in default one month's imprisonment. Magoffin v. Coburn, claim for L37s 6d for goods supplied ; judgment by default. Magoffin v. Evans, claim for L 5 12s 7d for goods supplied ; this was a disputed account, and judgment was given for L 3 3s 7d, and payment ordered at LI per week. Reid v. Hilton, a claim for L 2 16s, less LI ; judgment for LI 16s and costs. Hall v. Cochrane, claim for L 4 16s money advanced ; payment ordered at 5s per week.

A challenge from Christchurch for a match between fifteen volunteers of the Canterbury Province and a like number of Otago representatives has been accepted by Captain Macfarlane, on behalf of the latter, and the match will doubtless be fired at an early date. The conditions are to be five shots per man at 400, 500, and 600 yards, with regulation targets, and any position. Notwithstanding the prestige gained by Otago in rifle competitions, the Christchurch men have a good opinion of their chance of scoring a victory.

A rush has set in to the Blue Mountains, which was an old rush in Otago. A considerable number of miners, from Tuapeka Mouth and other places, have repaired to the place indicated, but what success has attended their offorts we have not heard. The ground rushed is on the east bank of the Pomahaka, and consists of terraces and the river banks.

On Saturday last, the Gre> Jiouth Rangers fired their final competition for selection of District Representative for the Colonial Prize Firing, which takes place at Christchurch in March next. It will be remembered that some time ago five men were chosen (by a preliminary competition) from this company to fire against men similarly picked from the Hokitika and Ross Companies. These twelve men fire off, and the two highest scorers become the District representatives for Westland, and receive a free passage to Christchurch, free entry to all matches, &c, at the Champion Rifle Meeting of the year. The Ross men were to fire yesterday, and the Hokitika men on Thursday, so we cannot give the final result, and Greymouth is pretty sure of getting one man in, if not two, as Col. -Sergeant Chamberlain (who was one of last year's reEresentatives) made a score which which is ardly likely to be beaten ; Vol. Sheppard also stands very well, they having 52 and 47 points respectively, to their credit, out of a possible 60. The firing (which was under the superintendence of Captain Bonar, the officer commanding the district, and Captain Hamilton) was in two stages, the first being merely a qualification, those men who did succeed in making* 30 points in ten shots at the short ranges not being allowed to fire in the second stage, as the scores made in which, the result depends. We append the detailed score ; the first stage being fired at 200 and 300 yards, third-class target j and the second at 400, 500, and 600 yards, second-class target : —

Ono of the closest and most exciting races that havo been run on the West Coast, or even in New Zealand, was the one ran yesterday between Vaughan and Pat Twobill, at the race-course, for LSO a-sido, for one mile. At the lnst Christmas Sports, it will be remembere'l, both Vaughan and Twohill ran together in the mile race, Vaughan beating Twohill by a few yards, having given him 35 yards. Pat Twohill, who is undoubtedly one of the best short-distance runners on the Coast, was not satisfied with his defeat, and' hence the challenge to Vaughan, who, hitherto, has been reckoned the best mile runner in this part of the globe. The match was made directly after after the last sports, Vaughan giving Twohill 50 yards start, Twohill being in charge of his old trainer, Buckley, . and Vaughan under me* experienced hands of the Ranger. Betting was slightly in f ayor of Twohill. The two men were in tinoeon-

dition, arid Twohill, having taken his station, Mr. J.. Macdonnell, the starter, fired the pistol, and both men got away at the same time, the ground being very hea\ fin consequence of the I wet weather. For the first three-quarters of a mile Twohill led, beiDg nearly 80 yards in front ; but from this time Vaughan began to overhaul his lengthy opponent, and about ( 50 yards from the winning post they were running neck and neck. The excitement here became intense, aud the ring that only a few seconds before were offering 20 to 1 on Twohill looked rather blue at the prospect. About 12 or 13 yards from the winning post, Vaughan's shoe gave way, and he struggled on leading to witlri a few feet of the winning post when he fell, and. Twohill, who had hist taken a step in advance, fell also — " exhausted nature could no farther go ;" and here, so far as running was concerned, was an end of the race. The running was all out of either of the competitors, and it is a matter of discussion which won the race ; but the umpire, Mr Walter Irving, handed in the following; decision, which virtually settled the matter: — "Greymouth, January 23rd, 1872. This is to certify that I give my decision in the mile race between Twohill and Vaughan, in favor of Twohill. Walter Irving." There is one thing certain, neither of the competitors "breasted the tape," although it is contended that Twohill fell under it, although he did not actually run the distance ; at all events his length covered it. There have been Borne quibbles about what constituted "a tape," but "a tape" is only a nomenclature. The latest decision on the matter is on a question referred to the sporting editors of the Australasian on a I similar race run in'the Western District of I Victoria, and answered in that paper of the 6th instant, and which runs as follows :— " Belfast — Whichever breasted the tape first is the winner, or if no tape was used, whichever body passed the post first;"

About 10 o'clock on the night 16th instant, loud screams were heard to emanate from a house occupied by a Mrs Barnard, in Taylor's lane, off Madras street north, Christchurch, and it was found that the wearing apparel of the unfortunate woman had caught fire. Before the flames could be extinguished very severe injuries were sustained by Mrs Barnard, and it is possible they will prove fatal. She was intoxicated when discovered, and when taken to the hospital by the police was quite insensible. Nothing is known as to now the occurrence originated.

Mr Haughton, Under-Secretary for the Gold Fields is at present making a tour of the Gold Fields of Otago, and he will also visit tho various Warden's Courts in connection with the special arrangements which are to bo made for water supply, the details of which have already appeared in our columns.

Referring to the coining election for the Wakatip, Otago district, the Mail says : — "Mr George Elliott Barton, of Dunedin, M..F.C., has signified his willingness to stand for the Wakatip district, rice Mr Haughton, resigned. He will not set tho Wakatip 'ablaze,' as he threatened to do the Provincial Council. His chances are remote. The only bona fide candidate, as yet, is Mr B. Hallenstein. A. dozen other names are, however, mentionec 1 It is probable that Mr G. B, Barton, late editor of the Dunedin Daily Times, will also contest the election."

A curious match at billiards came off lately in London between two men named Izar and Stammers. The latter, who is a professional, played with the cue, and the former with his lingers. The match was one of 250 cannons, Stammers receiving 50 points. The game, which caused a great deal of amusejicnt to the spectators, proved a very .close affair, Izar winning by s jx pojnts only. It is said that some of Ilia manipiilar tions were simply wonderful.

The people of the Tuapeka district, Otago, have worked themselves up into a state of quartz excitement. Nearly every individual carries a specimen in his pocket. Casing, dip, and dwts per ton, supplant the weather as standard topic of conversation; and an alarming amount of practical and scientific knowledge of quartz reefing has been developed by parties hitherto deemed densely ignorant on these points. The premonitory symptoms of quartz fever are appearing.

The Charleston Herald of Saturday says : — " A somewhat busy scene was witnessed on Monday last on the beach between Brighton and St. Kilda. A dray, drawn by three horses, was conveying a stamper-box to St, Kilda for Maloney and party, who are erecting a machine on the Belfast Terrace, for crushing cement ; but the sand being much looser than usual the horses had a hard time of it, and as the tide was at flood it was feared that a case of sticking-up might occur ; so, as is customary in that district (when assistance is required from them), some thirty or forty miners turned out, and, "putting their shoulders to the wheel," after some very bard pulling and hauling, succeeded in getting the dray up to the foot of the Welshman's Terrace track.

The West Coast Times of yesterday says :— The absence of Mr Hoos and Mr Robinson from the meeting of the Council was very freely commented upon by some of the members last evening. We certainly must admit that it is annoying to country members to be detained in town, and have their time frittered away as it has been lately. It would doubtless be inconvenient to discuss the Estimates in the absence of those two members, and more particularly in the absence of Mr Hoos, whose knowledge and experience of the matters to be dealt with cannot but be highly servicable. It is to be hoped, therefore, that he will find himself able to put aside any other matter he may have in hand when the Estimates comes on, even though the rumor that he has " received a call," and has taken to expounding the scriptures, be correct. It would be much to be deplored if Mr Hoos should become so strongly infected with the "revival" epidemic as to be rendered unfit for work in the Council. ' An" inquest was held at Pleasant Valley, Upper Shotover, Otago; qn the 29th ultimo, on the body of a man named Peter Taylor,, who died there on the previous day. Tho deceased, who was 66 years old, and a farmer by occupation, was seen to fall while passing between his dwelling-house and stable. Upon being helped by those near ho was found to be dead. From the medical evidence it appeared that deceased died from disease of the heart, and the jury returned a verdict to that effect. The Field records some very, ggod long range shooting with tho small bore. MrdC T. Kinnear, a member of tho Edinburgh Long Range Rifle Club, recently' scored 76 out of a possible 80, at I'lOO yaids, in a private match with other two' members of the Club. This splendid score included sixteon consecutive bull's-oycs, and was made with the Metford small-bore rifle. Writing to ike Field on the , subject' of MrKinnear's score, Mrßigby, the well-known gunmaker, considers that the shooting of Sergeant Ferguson, of Inverness, in 1868, was even superior. At the annual meeting of tho Highland Rifle Association, held at Inverness in that year, Sergeant Ferguson took part in four separate prize com- | petitions during two days at 1000 yards, firing in all 34 shots at thisrango, and scbred 22 bull's-eyes, 4 centres, and 1 outer, b'efruja total of 130 out of a possible 130. Mrßigby adds that taking iato account the additional, number of shots, and that they were fired in stiings of seven or ten, with interval^ between theirij this performance must beaconsidercd even more wonderful than Mr B.inn ear's. Sergeant Ferguson Bhot with a Rigby ri.%. ' ' "

cuvax oiiiuxi. 200 yds. 300 yds. irol,W. C.Shepherd 23333-14 41144-20 }01.-Srgt. Chamberlain ... 34233-15 48344-18 Pol. G. W. Moss 42443—17 43224—15 VoI.W.S. Smith 24303—12 32234—14 Tl. 34 33 32 2G SECOND STAGE. 400 500 600 301.-Srgt. Cham- : berlain ... 34844 34242 34444 Shepherd... 33434 24334 33224 701. Moss ... 3<ii24 23233 30333 Tl. 52 47 42