THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1136, 19 March 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1872.

A grand ball and banquet were given last night in Gilmer's large room by the members of the Greymouth Branch of the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society, in honor of St Patrick's Day. The rooms were appropriately decorated, and were filled by a large : and fashionable assemblage. Wo intended to have given a full report of the proceedings, but as the company did not rise from the sapper table until three o'olock this morning, wo must of necessity withhold details until our next. Murray's Great World Circus was reopened last evening, in Mackay street. The large marquee was filled to overflowing, aid many had to go away without admission. The, various performances were much applauded, and the entertainment appeared to afford much satisfaction to all present. The company will again appear this evening, at eight o'clocV. The Panan ma and Diaromasof the American War were exhibits d at the Volunteer 801 l last evening. Long before eight o'clock the ball was crammed full, and hundreds had to be refused admission ; indeed, the pressure was so great at one time that Mr Rainer had to look the doors, in order to keep

the crowd out. It. was very annoying that during the exhibition the supply of gas was so deficient that the pictures could not be properly shown, and a complaint on. the subject was made by tbe lecturer to the audience. The Panaroma will be again exhibited this evening, when it is to be hoped the illuminating power will be up to the mark. Yesterday morning the members of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society, numbering about one hundred membefs, met at their rooms, and, in full regalia, headed by the Greymouth Brass Band, marched to St. Patrick's Church, where High Mass was celebrated by Father Belliard. The weather being fine yesterday, the town was completely emptied of its visitors and ordinary residents, and during the afternoon presented quite a deserted appearance. In the evening, however, the streets were inconveniently thronged, the Circuß anol Panorama were crowded, but we are happy to say that the utmost good order prevailed, and it is much to the credit of the enormous number of visitors who were here assembled in town that not the slightest disturbance of any description took place. The Bishop of Nelson will deliver a lecture in the Town Hall to children this evening, at 7 o'clock, on "The books ot the New Testament, and the manner in which they have been handed down to us." On Wednesday evening, he will deliver another lecture on the same subject to adults, at the same place, at eight o'clock. The Wellington Evening Post says :— " It is pretty generally known that Mr Yogel is endeavoring in Melbourne to make arrangements with regard to English telegrams, with a view before next session of reverting to the original plan of Press telegrams being supplied direct from the Government." Thomson's road engine, lately imported into the Province of Auckland, has been seized for debt, and taken to the Mount Eden stockade. Mr Frank Weston is "digging down" in Dttnedin, where his entertairments seem to be successful. ■ The Rev. Mr Booker, Congregationalist Minister at Auckland, has been killed by a tree falling onhim. The German Pastor Meyer, of- Nelson, has been preaching in St. George's Hall, Dunedin, lately. The Timaru Herald of the 13th instant, reports : — Yesterday morning early, some grain stacks belonging to Messrs Mair Brothers, at the back of Timaru, were discovered to be ou tire, and were utterly destroyed. They were still burning at nine o'clock last night. Their value, we hear, is estimated at L 350, whether insured or not we have not heard. The origin of the fire has not transpired. The Italian party at Blockade Gully, Ross, have sunk their shaft 209 ft, and, with the exception of a known layer at thirty feet, have not touched wash ; they have not yet cone through the terrace-bottom. We hope they will continue sinking, and not leave off when, perhaps, the gold is within a few feet of them, as was the case in Sailors' Gully, where deep shafts were abandoned, four years since, in ground that has since proved rich a few feet deeper. The Old Whim party, in Jones' Flat, struck splendid wash, ou Friday last, at a time when they were beginning to despond, having driven more than 100 ft and passed through an indifferent wash, which they feared, was an evidence that the good run they were seeking did not pass through their claim ; but, while some of the party were in the Excelsior claim, taking bearings, the good news was brought that the lead was struck and prospected 20 grains of gold to the dish— the same quality as is obtainable in tbe Cassius and Excelsior claims. A rather serious accident occurred on the 17fch inst, at the Flagstaff Flax Mills, near Dunedin, to a scutcher named Thomas King. It appears that King, while scutching, let his arm go into the scutch -the consequence being that he received frightful injuries. The flesh on his arm from the elbow downwards was literally pulled off, and the bone entirely smashed. The sufferer was convoyed to the Hospital by the engineer of the mill, and will be obliged to have the injured limb amputated. This affords another in-, stance of the effects of carelessness, and should be a lesson to others employed about machinery in any way. ,The non-appearance of the Superintendent of Nelson in Greymouth, during his late visit to the Coast, is much to be regretted, if only for one reason— one which materially affects, not only the residents in the Province of Nelson, but likewise we might say, . almost the whole population of the West Coast. We refer to the few miles of road from the Arnold River to the Ahaura township, only some nine and a-half miles. No doubt some of our readers may be inclined to think that even had his Honor put in an appearance, he would scarcely have troubled himself with anything laid before him by the good people of Greymouth ; but this we believe to be in some measure erroneous, for it must be in the recollection of all that Mr Curtis, self invited, some two years ago, called a meeting in Greymouth for the express purpose of ascertaining the views of the Greymouth folks. Although we must admit little, if any, benefit resulted from his visit at that time, still there is an idea abroad that had Mr Curtis visited us on this occasion, he could not, viewing the works now progressing, have failed to see the immense benefits accruing to his own Province by the completion of such works. Contracts have been invited for the construction of the road from Greymouth. to the Omotumotu Creek, udder the auspices of the General Government ; the road thence to the Arnold River, by the energy of the contractor, Mr. Garven, is fast advancing towards completion. This is a County work, and almost all that is required to complete a main trunk road from Greymouth to the reefing districts, is the fnw miles from the Arnold River to the Ahaura township. Contracts have been invited for a road from the reefs to MiaMia. Nature has formed a road from thence to Ahaura, and surely it would not be expecting too much, from a Government deriving the immense benefit it docs from Greymouth, to expend a few thousand pounds out of its revenue, for the construction of a work of so vast importance. We must' also remember the benefits other townships will receive by such an undertaking, and it will at once be seen that they weigh immensely to the advantage of the Province of Nelson. At present no township in Westland would materially benefit by the.undertaking further than in an indirect manner, but how different is it with the Province of Nelson. Once across the Arnold the new Twelve-Mile township would greatly benefit. Then comes No Town, and from what we have heard from the residents, such an undertaking would be a vast boon. After this, look to Camptown, Red Jack's, Nelson Creek, Old Ahaura, Moonlight, and New Ahaura, and the benefit to each would be equally as great. But we wish to point out, even throwing the commercial advantages altogether aside, so far as such a work being a losb to the Province of Nelson, it would be an immense gain. The tract of agricultural country it would throw open, land_ known to be prolific, is large, and if facilities were granted to agricultirists such as. would induce them either to purchase or rent the land, it would doubtless quickly bo populated, and bring in a large revenue. But without these facilities it might as well be a wilderness, and it does appear to U3

strange that the Government should shiit their eyes to this fact. An opportunity will, however, be afforded the Greymouth folks to meet Mr Greenfield, who is now on a tour to inspect that portion of the Nelson SouthWest Gold Fields which Mr Curtis was unable to visit, and we do trust good may result from it. The loss of valuable lives to a great extent has been due to the want of a proper. road,, and^niuch ofcthe late disasters by flood to the same' cause, entailing heavy losses on the residents in the Province of Nelson, which in all probability never would have been xhe case hod ordinary precautions been taken. It will be remembered that when Walker fired with Christie at the Forbury Park, Dunedin, the match nearly went off because the latter had to fire off the mounds. Walker, after the match was over, communicated with the Victorian Rifle Association, with a view to obtaining the opinion of that body as to whether his contention that it was ■ compulsory for competitors to fire off the mounds was correct or not. The reply of Mr Davis, the hon. secretary of tbe association, has been forwarded to us, and is follows: — "In reply to your question as to whether a competitor in a rifle match could fire otherwise than from the top of the firing mound, 1 beg to state that it has be jn invariably the rule in matches in, this Colony that competitors must fire from the top of tbe mounds. We disqualified a competitor at our last meeting for not doing so." The case of Fairbank v. Fairbank, and Behrens, which occupied the Supreme Court, Christchurch, in its Divorce and Matrimonial Cases Sittings, for two days last week, resulted in a verdict for the petitioner who is a chemist and druggist in that town. Tbe wife made no defence, but the co-respondent, besides alleging that Mrs Fairbank had been of loose character when Mr Fairbank married her, pleaded that the petitioner had connived at aud been accesssory to the adultery. The evidence, however, did not support the plea of though it fully proved that Mrs Fairbank was of the character alleged. At a meeting of the Hokitika Easter Sports Committee, held on Saturday last, a programme for two days' racing, such as it is, was adopted. The highest prize offerred is LSO, /and is dignified with the name of " The Westland Handicap. " We think the Handicap of Westland was run for at the Grey yesterday, the prize being 200 sovb. There are a number of other insignificant events announced, the prizes in which range from 5 soys. to 40 soys, but none beyond that amount, so that we fear the inducement will not be sufficient for the owners of any of the horses engaged at the Greymouth Race Meeting to keep them on the Coast until Easter.' Two fires have taken place amongst the stacks in the Ellcsmere district, Canterbury. The first was on Monday, the 4fch instant, at Blamore farm, on Knyveti's run, the residence of Mr Peter Campbell, junr. It appeals that a spark from the engine of the thresher caught the top of an entire stack adjacent ; the stacks of wheat were consumed, and of 700 bushels of threshed oats, only 45 sacks were saved. The wheat and oats, were of a superior sample, and had been sold at the top price. The loss is estimated at about L2OO. The machine belonged to Mr Rodgors, of Southbridge; the engine and combine were saved with much difficulty, but the elevator was lost. It is stated also that no spark-catcher was fixed to the top of the chimney, and to this the origin of the fire is attributed. — The other fire took place on the night of Thursday, the 7th instant, on Mr Gardner's farm, Irwell. Three square stacks were placed in the cantre of a large paddock away from fence, house, and every other means of communicating fire. At about 10 p.m. the whole was seen in a blaze ; the loss is estimated at about 1000 bushels. There appears little doubt that this fire was the work of an incendiary. It is to be regretted that in neither case was the property insured. The Caledonian Company (says a letter from Auckland) are reported to have in hand over twenty thousand pounds, the accumulations of the last three months added to their old balance when the yield began to fall off. Great surprise is expressed at their not declaring a dividend of at least L 5 or LC, which, it is thought, they could easily do. The general opinion is that the money is being retained with a view to amalgamation with; and actively working the ! A lbion Company. The Caledonian Company have a fine battery of their own, and the low price of the shares (Lls) is indicative of the reaction and want of confidence, resulting from the mania of IS7I-, and the rigging of the share market by which it was attended. Fromf another source, we hear that the expenses of the Company in working its low levels are very heavy, and that the balance in hand is much exaggerated. Possibly this may be the case, but it is odd the shareholders and the public should not be in possession of more accurate^information. Two men named Pearce and Lewis are in the hands of the Dunedin police for petty larceny. Lewis is an old hand, but this is his fi st appearance in Dunedin, he having come overland from Lytlelton, where he had just completed a two years' sentence. Pearce was had up the other day for keeping a disorderly house, but was let off because he promised to leave the town and betake himself to honest ways. The robbery for which they are now in custody appears to have been designed by, Lewis and carried out by him. Entering the Criterion Hotel early on Saturday morning with the utmost sang froid, he appears! to have found his way upstairs to the bedrooms in search of plunder. If, on opening a door, he found tbe occupant awake, he would' politely beg pardon for his intrusion, which he alleged was the result of a mistake ; if, on the contrary, he found no one in, or the occupant asleep, he se'aed any valuables he coiild come across, j In this way he managed to* obtain some jewellery from the persons of two well-known gentlemen. His expedition finished he went dow n stairs, and going! into the bar, coolly asked for a drink, tendering a stolen LI -note as payment. Thia|the barman was unable to cash, and during his absence to get change, Lewis took himself off. Of course the robbery was soon discovered, and that afternoon saw both nien in the lock-up.