Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1095, 31 January 1872, Page 2

We leau that Shiel's Co., at I/iangahua, anticipate starting their crushing battery on the 19th February, when they intend to crush 600 tons before cleaning up, which •w'll certainly be a very fair test of the reef. The ruish to Teviot Gully, near Half-ounce, is progressing favorably. We are authoritatively informed that Mr Warden Whitefoord visited the place on Monday, and the prospect washed out in his presence yielded 13s,v to the bucket. The sinking is 16ft deep. Our mining reporter visited the rush on Monday, and interesting particulars will be to hand immediately. In addition to the returns of the Greymouth Savings Bank given yesterday, we may mention thau the principal remaining in deposit on the 31st December, 1871, was LlS,2fiS 3s Sri. The interest added to tho above on the 31st December was L 521 11s 2d, showing a total remaining to the credit of depositors of L 18.789 14s 10d, which is highly creditable to the residents in the district. A fatal accident occurred yesterday afternoon, about three o'clock, to a little child named Sophia RofF, ased two years, daughter of the late Stepheu Roff, the well-known inventor. The mother was washing and the little girl was playing near her. Not seeiug her for some few minutes, Mrs Roff went to lock for her and found her in a waterhole at the back of the house. Dr Smith was sent for and every means were used to restore animation, but unfortunately without effect. The children attending the Trinity Church Sunday School were entertained to a pic-nic in Tivoli Gardens yesterday. During the first part of the day the weather was fine, I aud the children enjoyei the sports provided I immensely. In the afternoon a large number of parents and friends of the children visited the grounds, and numbers of children belonging to other schools also arrived, until there were nearly 300 present. The games were strictly confined to children attending the school, and if any other child won a prize he or she was disqualified by the Superintendent, with the exception of a few races, which were open to the children of all schools. To put it mildly, this is not what it ought to bo at a children's pic-nic, and we have only to refer to the late pic-nic of St. Patrick School, at which the children of all denominations were placed upon an equal footing. In the afternoon rain fell, and the children inarched home rather earlier than under other circumstances. Messrs John Cross, William Gawue, aud Herman Meyer have been nominated for the vacant seat in the Borough Council of Holutika. j Mr Andrew Young, of Cobb and Co, has purchased the interest of the late Mr Shepherd in the coach line between Wanganui and Taranaki, and that a new direct line of uninterrupted communication is established between Wellington and New Plymouth. The boy Creed, <who received a. fracture of the leg at Reefton during the sports on Boxing Day, ha 3 had to undergo an operation under Dr Thorpe, at the Westport Hospital. Owing to maltreatment of the injured limb, it had to be broken anew and reset. The Committee of the Greymouth Literary Society received by the last Suez mail an invoice of the books ordered from Mudie's, London, in July last. The books were shipped by the Thermopylae to Melbourne, and as she sailed on the 13th November and is a famed fast sailer, it is expected that the consignment is now in Melbourne and will be over here in about a fortnight. From a look at the invoice we see that a good selection of books has lieen made, and they are all to be thoroughly bound for library purposes. It is expected that in two or three months another remittance will be sent home for new books and periodicals. It seems that at Ross the Court House and contiguous offices are now in a very dilapidated state from the decay of the woodwork; the verandah, floors, and posts are rotted away in places, and in others are so weakened as to be liable to give way at auy moment. . "iEgles " of the Australasian states that the authorship of that wonderful literary production "The Cruise of the Flying Squadron," need not be a secret any longer. The gallant British naval officer who so handsomely requited colonial hospitality was Lieuteuant Bruce, of H.M.S. Liverpool, aou of Sir fl. Hervey Bruce, Bart, M.P. Lieut. Bruco was not so proud of his work as to openly acknowledge it. He didn't care that the young ladies, out of whose flirtations he meanly made much literary capital, should be able to recognise him as a man to " kiss and tell." But his father's admiration of the lieutenant's literary talents has led lo a

disclosure. Sir Hervey has presented the | volume to the Coleraine Mechanics' Institute, and the gift was duly notified in the local journal. The editor, who says he has cursorily glanced at the contents, has made an extraordinary discovery. The book, he says, gives glj-npses of the "society to be met with by British officers among the people of the colonies and countries \v*th -which this country has had friendly or official intercourse, and that, too, in a frank sailorlike fashion, for 'which we like it' all" the bettor. " Ther&should be a little reciprocity in these things." A frank expression of opinion regarding some of the distinguished visitors we have had from the old country nvght not be altogether complimentary. Wo learn that the Excelsior Company's lease, Lyell, has been jumped by a party of miners, on the plea that tiie ground had become forfeited by reason of the rent not having been paid, and an insufficient number of men employed to hold the ground. One of leases held by Trenery, at the Inangahua, as also a lease on German Jack's ) ; ne of reef, are said to have been jumped. We commend for the imitation of the New Zealand Government the following extract from the New South Wales Government Gazette issued by the Colonial Secretary :— " Any employee of the Government ou any gold field who may ; *i future deal in mining shares, or hold miners' rights or claims to mines on such gold field, will be removed from the Public Service." We may tell the Goveiament that there is ample necessity for a siirilar regulation in this Colony. Officers of the gold fields 'service are in numerous instances interested in mur'-ig speculators. We regret to have to state that another fatal accident has occurred at Manawatu. A telegram was received recently that Mr S. E. Batt, of the cutter Dawn, was drowned whilst bathing in the Manawatu River. The deceased had jumped overboard to have a swim, and was seized with cramp, and sank before assistance could be given. The deceased was a widower, and leaves ten childrer, Napier is ; i a sad quandary about its little railway.. One of the local papers states that " neither the plans nor the surveys prepared as a basis for the estimation of the cost of the construction of the proposed railway are worth the paper on which they have been drawn up" and adds that "the surveys have been executed by young men who have never even seen a railway." Arawara, a native resident at Watkanae, has committed suicide by blowing out his brains. The suicide had been unwell for the past eighteen months, and becoming tired of a lingering existence with no prospect of, recovery, relieved his melancholy in the manner above stated. The Otago Dally Times of the 20th inst., says :— During the past week a fire has been raging in the Government bush, behind Fairfax, Tokomairiro. The extent burned is estimated at upwards of 100 acres, and the fire continues unabated. The timber in the bush is only lit for firewood ; but as this will very shortly be a scarce commodity in the district, the wholesale destruction at present going on is much to be regretted. At the opening of the first Maori school in Hawke's Bay, at Pakowhai, the Hon. Colonel Russell, the recently appointed Inspector of Native Schools, addressed the meeting thnragh an interpreter. Colonel Russell's ideas of his duties are very vague. "As Inspector," he says, "I shall not interfere with the management of the schools." What would the public think if the Provincial Government were to appoint as Inspector of Police a Chinese Inspector, ignorant of the English language, who should express his jitention not to interfere with criminals ? * Judging from the statements of the Auckland papers, there seemed to be a curious fatality m regard to the trial of cases in the Criminal Court in that cifcy lately. First, one of the jurors empaunelled in a wounding case met with a severe accident, and then the case had to be left in abeyance ; then it appeared that some of the counsel were too unwell to proceed on account of the prevailing epidemic ; then one of the persons accused was absent, because he had been led to believe that he would not be wanted, and for a similar reason a witness in another case had gone out of town. His Honor made some remarks on the inconvenience thus occasioned by one accident, and said in future he would have to insist on the continual attendance throughout the session of all parties concerned. As matters stood, there was no alternative but to lose half a day, and adjourn the Court. The New York correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald writes : — " The people of Chicago accept the situation with characteristic heroism. Oue ' true story ' about ths fire shows the temper with which they again begin the world. A friend of mine, a newspaper correspondent, was wandering among the smoking ruins, when he met an old merchant, whose hospitality he had frequently received. The old man— over sixty — had screwed up his hard-featured western face to an expression of philanthropic fortitude and was actively employed in squirting tobacco juice on the blackened bricks. " Here's where my store wag," said he. " Ah," said my friend, " when are you going to build it up again?" " Waal — viciously expectorating in a new place— that's what I'm waitiug here for now. Jest as soon as I can spit on a brick without hearing it hiss, I'm goan to work again." From the Boss Neius we learn that on the right-hand branch of Donolly's Creek the miners have been engaged in effecting repairs to their dams, which had been carried away by the flood. Gordon and party put the finishing touch to their crate-dam on Friday last, and on the following morning started to clean out and repair their tail-race. Maddock and party expect to finish their dam, weather permitting, in about ten days, when they will proceed, with the work of repairing their tail-race. Both of these parties, wita their neighbors, have been heavy- losers through the late floods, and it is to be hoped that a goodly return of the precious metal will be their reward for the spirit and perseverance they haye displayed in so manfully contending with the hardships they have lately suffered. The apology for a track to this place causes the miners located there great inconvenience, aud demands that 3ome little notice should be taken by the Road Board of the truly wretched condition. It is very possible that, " when) fuuds are available," a few pounds will be laid out on that part of this district. A correspondent, signing himself " AngloScotus," tells the Epfix) that at Inverary a few years ago, when a large party was assembled at the autumn holidays at the seat of the Dttke of Argyll, the service on Sunday morning was conducted by the late Dean Milman, and Dr Guthrie preached to the company in the after part of the day. Mr Gladstone, who was one of the guests, actqd as the Dean's curate in the morning, reading ; the prayers, and in the afternooii he assisted the Free Kirk Minister by officiating as the precentor— that is, he led the singing of the psalms, which were, as usual, selected from the Scotch metrical version. It seems to me that the incident, which has never before been printed, is worth putting on record in connection with what is nailed "The Glasgow Scandal." The Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Winchester have been simply following in the footsteps of that illustrious ornament to their Church, who is now the Prime Minister of England,, and by all, save bigots;, their conduct will bo heartily approved. • r ,