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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1126, 7 March 1872, Page 2

The monthly meeting of the Grey Eiver Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel last evening. Present— Messrs R6yell (chair), King, Nancarrow, Reid, Kenrick, Gilmer, Newton, and Arnotfc. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, letters were read — From the Dramatic Club, announcing their intention of giving an entertainment in aid of the funds of the Hospital ; offer accepted with thauks. From the County Chairman, enclosing copies of resolutions passed by County Council — veceived, and consideration deferred. From the secretary sub-committee No Town, enclosing £52 10s j from No Town Friendly Society, enclosiug, £7 10s ; from Red Jack's Friendly Society, enclosing £6 9s ; from Secretary Paroa sub-committee, enclosing £60 14s ; also from secretaiy Callaghan's Creek sub-committee, and secretary Hokitika Hospital Committee. The visiting committee reported that there were thirty-one patients in the Hospital at present, and that the state of the institution was satisfactory. They laid on the table the accounts for the month, amounting to L 239 19s 4d, which were passed for payment. The Treasurer reported having received, in addition to the above sums, as follows :— Payments by patients, LlO 7a ; Murphy, Maori Gully Sub-Committee, L 142 14s; Hon. E. B. Fox, L 2 10s; Nelson subsidy, L 65 18s 9d; Nelson Creek SubCommittee, L' 23 4s 6d ; sale of vegetables, Lll 10s. It was resolved that the Secretary should apply to the respective Governments of Nelson and Westland for the subsidy necessary to build a female ward ; and. that tenders should be received for the lease of the Hospital garden. The Visiting Committee for the month are Messrs Maclean, Amott, and Kenrick. A letter was received yesterday from Auckland by the Secretary of the Jockey Club stating that the horse Black Eagle had accepted for the Greymouth Handicap. This makes six acceptances, so that a fine race may be expected. A miner named M'Connel received serious injuries by falling over a precipice at Maori Gully, No 1, at No Town, on Tuesday. He was about sinking a prospectiug shaft, and in trying to remove some branches he overbalanced himself and fell over the cliff into the creek below— a distance of about thirty feet. He is badly injured about the head. The sufferer was conveyed to Molloy?s store, at No Town, on Tuesday: evening, and Mr Hudson was promptly in attendance, and did what he could for him. A Roman Catholic chapel is about to bo erected at Hyde, Otago. - - The miners on the banks of the Upper Taieri river, Otago, are reported to be doing well. The drainage of Jones' Flat is now effected by the [drainage engine now going seven strokes a minute, and if the fine weather continue, that speed can be still further reduced. The consumption of wood last week was seventy-four cords, but a good deal was white pine, at a lower price than ordinary fire-wood. Smith, a carter on the Christcluirch road, took down on Tuesday, to the LainpJongh, from the Adventure Company, Taipo reefs, a ton of quartz to be crushed. The manager of the company went down with the quartz, to see. the result of the crushing. In the course of a series of sketches of the early days of Otago in the Daily Times, the writer, while referring to the Itev. Dr Burns, says :— The pulpit ministrations of the reverend gentleman were chaste aud finished compositions. It is to be presumed that he availed himself of the advantage, highly valued by clergymen, in obtaining a change of sphere, namely, that of reproducing the fruits of their former labors, the accumulated stock of sermon-lore which they have come to possess. And there was current a story of his gathered didatic wisdom, of this kind, which I repeat, not because 1 believe it or would see anything wrong in it if I did, but as a characteristic illustration of the importance which the Scotch attach to the freshness and originality of the divinity which is doled out to them

from week to week. It was current that a certain barrel, very heavy, very compact, and on which great care was bestowed, was, under the strictest surveillance, rolled along the beach ; that said barrel was closely packed with "old sermons" -the contemptuous phrase commonly applied to MSS. of used-up pulpit lucubrations; that said barrel was placed carefully in o corner of " the study," to furnish forth its hidden treasures from Sunday to Sunday, till the bottom should be reached. '■ • A sad accident occurred in the river Selwyn on Sunday last. A young man named Charfes Cochrane, in the employ of Messrs Bruce and Coe, went with a friend to bathe in the river, but after diving in was not seen to rise to the surface, and on the river being dragged his body was found close to where he entered the water. An inquest was held on Tuesday, at the Bridge Hotel, Arahura, before Dr Garland, coroner, on the body of Mary Robinson, who died suddenly on the previous evening. From the evidence given it appeared that deceased was standing eating some bread and cheese, when she suddenly feU down. She breathed heavily for about half an hour, and then died quietly. Dr Detmott was sent for, but when he arrived the woman was dead. ,He subsequently made a post mortem examination of the body, and found fatty degeneration in the heart, and an abnormal quantity of fluid in the pericardium. The cause of death was disease of the heart. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. A correspondent to the Westporl IHmes advocates the removal of the township to a site opposite the Christy's gardens, about a mile up tho river. The recent action of the surf has been .most aisa'strcpi&'td property at tlio foot of Gladstone street. The garden attached to the Empire Hotel has partly disappeared, and the building itself is in iin.minenfc danger. Along Wharf -street, the damage has also been considerable, and the thoroughfare opposite to "Powell and Co.'s store has entirely disappeared. According to the latest accounts the Banks of New Zealand and New South Wales contemplate moving their premises to more secure sites. With respect to tho visit of the Hon. Mr Fox to the southern portion of the County, the Ross Neios of Tuesday says :— " The Premier and the District Surveyor arrived here, yesterday, on their way to Okarito and Mount Cook, whither they started this morning. On their return early next week, Mr Fox hopes to stay a few days here, and make himself well acquainted with the district. We hope the weather may continue fine, and help to remove the unfavorable impression which the very stormy reception given him. by the elements soon after his arrival on the Coast must have created. One of the men working in the (Jassius claim at Ross, on Monday, received a heavy blow on the head, from a stono which fell from the roof of the drive. Although he has sustained a bad scalp wound, no serious result, we are glad to learn, is likely to happen. According to the Wanganui Herald, Mr Fox is " virtually defunct." A steam sawmill has been erected at Eeefton by Messrs Graham and Malfroy, who will shortly be able to supply timber at twenty shillings per 100 ft, the present price being thirty-five shillings. The drive in Tookey's claim at the Thames has broken through into the Caledonian claim. It is iound to have been made along a second reef, 22ft from the original Caledonian reef. The discovery is causing some excitement in the share market. The Queensland Times says, in its last summary for Europe, that "the reports from the principal Queensland gold mines are still of a very favorable and encouraging nature. On the older fields results have been obtained which* tend, to increase the confidence of the miners, while., on the new fields the richness of the deposits and magnitude of the workings are becoming more apparent every day. The Efcheridge promises to be the most important gold-mining district in the Colony, and it has the advantage of being healthily situated on dry land." A correspondent of the Waikouaiti paper, wilting from Naseby, Otago, says: — "For several weeks past kite-flying, in the absence of better amusement, has been all the rage. Our Chinese friends first set the example by the flying of a musical kite, which was a great novelty to most people here. Europeans soon followed suit; with kites both large and small ; but latterly, the amusemfint has been taken up by the juveniles, who are now masters of the art." A curious scene was witnessed at the departure from Melbourne of the steamer Dandenong for Sydney lately. Alexander M'Crea, the Sydney storekeeper whose wife eloped with a squatter named Cass, proceeded down to the vessel at the wharf, and went on board with his luggage, being accompanied by his wife, who, he believed, intended to return with him, but who it appears had taken her boxes, containing dunimy luggage, to the wharf, leaving her real property behind, as she purposed to leave the vessel at the last moment, and remain in Melbourne. She accordingly induced her husband to go below to look after his berth just as the vessel was about to haul off; but apparently her intention suddenly flashed across the husband's mind, as he anxiously called her to come below for a minute to look at his bunk. Unsuspectingly she went below, to the' amusement of a number of spectators who knew the relations between the two and saw both sides of the game j but when she attempted to come up again her husband prevented her, and a considerable commotion was heard. At last she broke loose, rushed upon deck and to the side of the vessel ; but here she was foiled, for there was a large gap of water between the steamer and the wharf. Seeing a lighter moored near she was about jumping upon it, but hesitated, and. in a moment . ifc,.was too late. Finding ;ahe could not get ashore, sho turned herp attention- to her husband, who was the least amused of,,aiiy of the passengers,"while the vessel went down the river, as the woman had to revenge nor, only her disappointment, but the loss of her bona fide luggage, which remained stowed away in Melbourne.