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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1091, 26 January 1872, Page 2

Tenders are invited by the County Government for the construction of four sections of the Kanicri and Kokotahi road. This evening Iba Greymoutli Literary Association will give another of their entertainments at the Volunteer Hall. The first part will consist of songs, readings, recite tions, &c, but the principal attraction will be the second part, when the burlesque tragic opera of "Borabastes Furioso" will be produced. The burlesque is one of the best that has ever been produced, and some of the greatest actors of the day have played the part of the General, Bonibastes. It abounds with fun and serio-comic situations, and there is no doubt but that the cast will do it the justice it deserves. In our telegraphic intelligence will bo found a notice of the arrival of the barque Gloncoo from Hobart Town at Port Chalmers, bringing news of the arrival of the Suez mail at Melbourne. It is stated that the Glencoo left on the 13th, but as the Alhambra did not leave Melbourne till the ICtb, three days after the Gleucoe loft Hobart Town, and the Suez mail had not then arrived, the news is rather doubtful, especially as it is of a similar nature to that received via San Francisco. An accident which nearly terminated fatally occurred a few days ago in the

Rakaia, Two men were crossing the river on horseback, and missing the ford, were carried some distance down the stream.- One of the men was washed off his horse, and floated on to a spit, but was so exhausted that he was unable to stand up, and was being washed off into deep water again, when Mr Chalmers Reid, in the employ of Mr Middleton, at great personal danger, succeeded in making his way to where the man was, and caught hold of him only just in time to save his life, for had he been a minute later the man must have been swept into a dangerous eddy and drowned. A meeting of the shareholders of the Energetic Company, Adam Smith's Reef, Murray Creek, was held last evening, when it was resolved to make arrangements to have the trial crushing proceeded with, and that No. 1 South be formed into a joint stock company, and that powerful machinery be at once procured. Mr G. W. Moss was appointed legal manager. The Treasurer, Grey River Hospital, acknowledges the receipt from Mr M'Kechnie, Hon. Secretary Clifton Sub-Committee, of a further sum of L50 14s 6d, making a total of LI 50 14s 6d, contributions received from that district. Captain Holmes, of the steamer Charles Edward, was fined L 5 and costs at Hokitika on Wednesday, for landing one head of cattle without a certificate from the Inspector of Cattle. We have on several occasions called attention to the gross neglect with which the public cemeteries on the Nelson South West Gold Fields have been treated by the Nelson authorities. The cemetery at the TwelveMile Landing was in such a disgraceful state that a private individual, Mr G. Curtis, for the sake of common decency, had it fenced in at his own expense. The burial places at Napoleon Hill and at Nelson Creek and No Town are similarly circumstanced, and they are likely to remain so unless other private persons follow the example of Mr Curtis. We have been led to make these remarks in consequence of witnessing the scandalous condition of the cemetery on the "Nelson side of the Grey River, near the signal station on the North Beach. Considerable portions of the fence which at the time surrounded it are thrown down, allowing free ingress and egress to litters of pigs, flocks of goats, and droves of cattle, all of which animals avail themselves to the utmost of the opportunities given them of roaming at their own sweet will through the burial ground. Whatever excuse there may be for the neglect of the country cemeteries by the Nelson officials, there can be none for the gross indifference they display with regard to the one which may be considered as belonging to Cobden, their head-quarters in thig district. We understand that the damage done to the fence of the North Spit cemetery was caused by the depredations of a vagrant bull, who rambles at pleasure throughout the neighborhood, breaking down every barrier likely to oppose his entrance into enclosuresof any kind. This animal is a pest, and as he belongs to a join stock proprietary, there does not appear to be any one individual responsible for the destruction ho causes. It is to be hoped some steps may soon be taken by the authorities at Cobden to prevent any further desecration of this last resting place of the dead. The Church of England members in Fiji are bestirring themselves in having a Bishop consecrated over that new kingdom. By the Lretitia, lately arrived at Auckland, a memorial came from the Church Conmittee in Fiji, signed by several members of the Government, by the different Press proprietors, by the Consuls, and by Mr Warden Brougham, praying the Primate and Bishops rfuyti vMadp o^ifljrf~Tn'eVi > (Sle%¥anYe" ment has been committed to the care and management of Dr Macartney, late AttorneyGeneral to the Fijian Government, in order that he may treat with the proper authorities on the subject. We have no doubt that this very praiseworthy desire of the people of Fiji will soon have effect given to it by the Bishops of New Zealand, and the memorial could not have been placed in better hands to ensure success. We are further advised that the people in Fiji suffer considerable inconvenience in consequence of the absence of an authorised person to take affidavits for New Zealand. His Honor. the Chief Justice of Victoria has already appointed Mr Warden Brougham— nephew of Lord Brougham — as a Commissioner of Affidavits for that Colony ; aud we are informed that Dr Macartney is instructed to apply for Mr Brougham to be appointed in a similar capacity for fchp Colony of New Zealand. This, too, is a step in the direction of advancement. Samuel Solomon, ironmonger, was com" mitted for trial at the Hokitika Police Court on Wednesday, for having in his possession more than 101 bof gunpowder, not being duly licensed to sell that article, the offence being a breach of the Arms Act. The penalty is something tremendous for a breach of this Act. The punishment on conviction of a misdemeanor under the Act is imprisonment with or without hard labor for a term not exceeding three years, with a fine not exceeding LSOO, at thf> discretion of the judge ; and for a felony — that is, selling gunpowder, arms, &c— penal servitude for a term, not exceeding six years, aud not less than three years. The phristchurch Press understands that a memorial, signed by the members of the police force, was presented to the Government through the ordinary channels on Satnrday last, praying that the proposed reduction of the salaries might not be carried into effect. To this an answer was returned to the effect that the estimates had passed without discussion, and that the item was included therein at the reduced rate. The inhabitants of Chris tchurch were somewhat alarmed on Wednesday, the 17th inst., by seeing the reflection of a large fire. As the direction was Lyttelton, it was feared that another fire had broken out in the town. Fortunately this was not the case. The reflection was caused by a tremendous grass fire, on the hills opposite the town". As far as could be learnt, the fire commenced near Little Port Cooper, and extended along the range of hills up to Rhodes Bay. At midnight the scene was very grand, the fire running along the ground at terrific speed. It continued its ravages all night, and on Thursday morning the hills were enveloped in thick smoke. It had reached Rhodes' Bay by noon, and had destroyed the gorse fences round Mr Rhodes' paddock. Fortunately Mr Rhodes was on the spot, and under his direction the fire was beaten out, and pi evented extending to Purau and Mrs Dean's beach orchard, put he was unable to prevent it from obtaining a hold of the bush. The Southern Cross says ;— lt is our melan r choly duty to have to record one of the most distressing accidents that has ever occurred at Maungakaramea. The household of Mr Jame3 Miller had been engaged preparing for the Sunday and Christmas, and had retired to rest about half-past 11 o'clock on Saturday, the 23rd December, The following morning Mrs Miller awoke about 3 o'clock and found the house in flames. She immediately ran to two of the children, who slept by the side of the chimney, and pushed them out. She then took the child that slept with herself, and told her husband to take David, a little boy who sl«pt in an adjoining room. Mr Miller, who is advanced i» y/sars, .and afflicted with deafness, appears to have bepn bewildered by the calamity, and went without th,e boy. On finding out the omission, he called, "Where are you, David?" "I am here,

dada," a voice replied. Mr Miller then went in to the boy's bed, put the clothes together, and, thinking the boy was in the middle of them, carried them but. But the boy was not in them, and the house was then enveloped in flatneß, so that no further effort could be made. From tbe position of the charred remains, it would appear that David, instead of going out when called,_ had turned into an adjoining room, where it was supposed he had been suffocated. One of his little hands was held up in an attitude of defence, as if fighting off the flames. Information was received by the General Government by last mail, to the effect that shipments of rails for the Glutha Eailway had been arranged for. The Jessie Readman, from London, brings 250 tons; the Margaret Galbraith, from Glasgow, 150 tons ; and the Euterpe, from London, 300 tons. These vessels were to leave in November and December. The Germans of Canterbury have subscribed L3OO towards the erection of a Lutheran Church in Canterbury. The arbitration case between the Otago Provincial Government and the contractors for the construction of the Oreti .Railway was completed some time ago, but it is only within the last few days that the award has been taken up. The amount awarded to the contractors, together with a sum which has already been paid by the Government to account, is upwards of L 27.000. The total amount claimed by . the contractors was about L 36.000. The Government will have to pay all the legal costs connected with the arbitration, which aresaid to be very heavy. Each side, however, will have to contribute an equal amount towards the arbitrators' fees. Each side, also,, will have to pay the expenses of its own witnesses. It was recently stated that Dr Feathers ton, the Home Agent, had made arrangements to send out emigrants from the north of Europe. How easily these may be obtained, and what class of emigrants they may be expected to prove may be gathered from the following, which we take from the SanFranciso Bulletin: — "A correspondent of the Bulletin, Frans Peterson, writing from Goteburg, Sweden, states that there are thousands of men and women in that country who would gladly emigrate to California if assisted by parties who want their labor, whom they would serve faithfully so long as they agreed to. We have turned his letter over to. the Immgrant Union, but some faotß are Btated to which we will refer in this place. The wages of a Swedish servant, particularly of a female, are barely sufficient to provide her with clothing. They are about 12dol per annum, gold ; in exceptional cases only, say for first-class cooks in the houses of the rich, rising as high as 25dolaycar. Men servants are usually paid 25d0l a year and found. Farm laborers are, in some places, paid as low as one-third of a rix-dollar per day — hardly more than a bit (Gd) of our money. In many places a man is paid half a rix-dollar for felling a tree, cutting and splitting the logs, and piling up the wood into a cord. This is a hard day's labor for a man living like the Swedish laborer, on a little thin oatmeal gruel, a few potatoes, and now and then a salt heiring." Carbolic acid is the sovereign remedy for all troubles from flies and mosquitoes. A few drops evaporated in a room, or poured upon the clothes, will keep the winged pests at a safe distance; and if the pure crystalised acid is used no great annoyance will result to human beings. Restaurant-keepers ought to know this, and keep the swarms of flies away from their windows, where they settle and buzz to the torment of passerg. The musty taote of the Croton water, complained of by those who make its acquaintance newly every summer, maybe corrected by throwiag a few cSolef. "fl^l^re^uiSf:yiSrwfrolS-faecVm-posing, and keeps it pure and sweet. It will even preserve the water from growing unwholesome and offensive on long sea voyages. People are constantly rushing about in the hot sun complaining of headaches and giddiness, when all they need for safety and comfort is a wet handkerchief in the crown of the hat. A strange case of elopment came before the Majonca Police Court the other day, in the shape of a charge of larceny preferred by Alexander Rogers against James Taylor. ¥he prosecutor's evidence, as repotted in the Maryborough Advertiser, was that his wife became acquainted with the prisoner some months ago, haviug met him at church. Some time afterwards witness suspected him of being too intimate with Mrs Rogers, and at times complained of his coming so often to borrow a "maul and wedges," but there Were some suspicious circumstances connected withtfhe vjejjj. Sjajd witness— "On one occasion, on a very dark night, he (Taylor) took me up a dark lane where there was a' slaughterhouse; He asked if I was not afraid. I said, •••No, Taylor, the day has not come when I shall be afraid of you.' He said, 'If you say a word about the "maul and wedges" I will cut you up in inches, and sand you home in such a way that your wife will not be $bl6 to. identify you." Ultimately Mrs Taylor left home, taking some articles with her which were subsequently found in a house occupied by her and the prisoner at Maryborough. The wife, who was called for the defence, stated that her husband had at times cruelly illused her. A day or two before she left home she sent her children out of the way, and then asked her huabaud to come and speak with her quietly for a minute. She then said (in her own words), " Aleck, 1 intend to put an end to this misery in a day or two at most." He said, "Very well." I asked him if he was agreeable that I should take three of the children with me, naming those that I was going to take -Margaret, John, and Elizabeth, lie said he was quite agreeable that I should take the four. I said I could not take the four just now, but I would send for the other afterwards. I said ' Are you agreeable that I should take the things belonging to me in the house.' He said, • Quite agreeable ; name what belongs to you.' I mentioned all the things that belonged to me that my sister's money bought, and he was quite agreeable that I should take them. 1 said to my husband • This is the last time we shall ever meet, ' He said, "All right ; as long as you are well I shall never Rouble you.' I left the house at 11 o'clock, and about three hours after my boxes went away by the carman. " At the end of a long hearing the Bench considered that a case for a higher Court hal been made out, and sent the prisoner for trial, taking bail for his appearance.