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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1154, 10 April 1872, Page 2

The Greymouth Garrick Club announce that the performance which they have arranged to give in aid of the funds of the Fire Brigade, will take place on Friday evening. . The entertainment is to consist of the serio-comic drama, " The Cricket on the Hearth," and the comedietta, "The Loan of a Lover." The representation of these two pieces requires a numerous company, and, judging from the past, the parts appear to be very well cast. Particulars will be found in the programme. Tenders, to be sent in before the 20th of April, are required for felling timber and clearing a horse-track. from the Arnold to the Ahaura. - The tenders- are called for by the Telegraph Department, in anticipation of the construction of a line of telegraph from Greymouth to Reef ton. The County Chairman returned to Hokitika.yesterday, after a stay of several days in Greymouth and its district. The County Engineer, Mr Frew, has also been on a visit to the district, in connection with the road worko now in progress. •The funeral of the late Edward Mulvena, who was drowned in the Grey River, took place' yesterday. The respect in' which the deceased was held was shown by about two hundred persons joining the funeral procession. The Star Comique Troupe, who have been giving very attractive entertainments in Dunedin and Cbristchurch, have arrived in Hokitika overland, and have arranged to make their first appearance in Greymouth on Saturday evening. The company includes Messrs Barry O'.N eil, Harry Kelly, B. Clark, O'Brien, and Professor Saunders, the harpist. Their entertainments have been highly spoken of throughout the Colonies. The Rev Mr Backhouse, Australasian agent for the British and Foreign Bible Society, again addressed an assemblage in Greymouth last evening— the fifth address he has delivered in the space of three days. The meeting which he addressed was held at the Volunteer Hall. Mr Masters occupied the chair, and there was a numerous and attentive audience. They were first addressed by the Rev. Mr M'lntosh and by the Rev Mr Watkins, and subsequently Mr Backhouse gave a very interesting account of the operations of the Society in all parts of the world. At the close of his descriptive lecture resolutions as to the establishment of a Branch Bible Society in Greymouth were proposed and carried, and there was thus added to our local institutions an association which, however humble may :be its proportions, is as important, as interesting, and as deserving of support as any that exists. Mr Percy Wakefield has been appointed Receiver of Gold Revenue at Reef ton. A notice appeared in the Otago Daily Tiiiies, signed Henry Fairbank, informing the public that he (Fairbank) would not be responsible for any debts contracted by his wife Maria. Maria retaliated by inserting an advertisement in the same journal, on the following day, announcing that she (Maria) would not be responsible for her husband's debts. The employees on the Christchurch and Lyttelton 'Railway have struck work in consequence of an attempt to reduce their pay from 7s to 6s per day for constant hands, aud : from Is to lOd per day for hour-hands. The result is a total suspension of the goods traffic. .• . • . . : : .A settler at Te Wete, Wellington Province, whilst threshing, in order to dispose of ; the straw, set it on fire, the wind being then favorable ; but the wind changed, and the whole crop, about 200 bushels of wheat, was destroyed. It was with great difficulty he succeeded in saving his machine. The driver of Rae's coach has presented the youth, James Sharkey, with a watch,, as a token of respect, for his brave conduct in rendering assistance at the late coach accident in the Totara. A serious accident occurred in Christchurch during a performance of Murray's Circus • One of the performers, named Eugene Beda, whilst going through an equestrian act, lost his balance and fell on the wooden ring that runs round the circus, causing a compound fracture of the left leg close to the ankle. Dr Patrick was at once sent for, and, having set the limb, by his directions the unfortunate roan was conveyed in an express to the Hospital. Referring to the visit of the Rev Mr Backhouse to Auckland, the Otago Times says: — "Archdeacon Maunsell having invited him to use St Mary's Church, at Parnell, Mr Backhouse accepted the invitation, and addressed a crowded audience from the pulpit, it will scarcely be credited that the Archdeacon has been severely blamed for thus opening his church and allowing its pulpit to be occupied by a 'dissenting preacher." . It is a pity the enlightened people who make such objections had not lived a century or two ago. They might then have added to their other pleasures, that of. burning a witch or two when the humor seized them." The funeral of the late Reverend, Stephen Smith, formerly minister of the Congregational Church, Port Chalmers, took place on 30th March .The remains were followed to their last resting place in the Port Chalmers Cemetery by a large concourse of people of all denominations, a number being from Dunedin. For some years previous to coming to Port Chalmers Mr Smith was the Chaplain of the Gaol in Dunedin. His wife died only a short time ago. Our translation of a telegram which we recently received with reference to the Brogden contracts seems to have been correct. The telegram was based upon the following paragraph in the Wellington Independent: — "It is somewhat unfortunate that just on the eve of Mr Brogden being placed in possession of the full data for various lines of railway, a dispute should have arisen as to the terms for ' general conditions' to be incorporated with • the contracts. Of course the Government is bound in the in*

terests of the public to protect itself with respect to such contingencies as frequently arise in the carrying out of contracts, and more particularly with regard to settlement oi any disputes which may occur relating to the works constructed ; and it is not unnatural that Mr Brogden, as a contractor, should endeavor to secure what he thinks a | fair method of deciding questions of this kind. The .Government, whilst no doubt admitting that Mr Brogden is no ordinary contractor, and being desirous to treat him -with- the^greatest consideration "compatible* with the security of the r public interests, may have proposed conditions unpalatable to the contractor, and which possibly need not; be insisted upon. We understand that the points in dispute are in a fair way of settlement by mutual concessions." ; , Those who remember , : Mr Joseph. iExa'i when in. Hokitika will be gratified to learW that, acting, as W.P. (whatever that maY mean), he has had the honor to initiate the • Premier into a society entitled the " Sons: of Temperance." The following account of thje affair appears in the Lyttdton Times ."r-The ' members of the Perseverance Division of -tlije Sons of Temperance met last evening in thje Oddfellows' Hall, Montreal street north, when the Hou. W. Fox was initiated ah honorary member. Five other candidates were also initiated. The initiation ceremony was choral with harmonium accompaniment. The officers for the ensuing quarter were then installed by the W.P., Mr Exall, under authority delegated to him by the D.M.W.P. for New Zeuland, the Key Thomas Roseby, M.A. The Hon. W. Fox having addressed the Division,, the proceedings were closed with the customary ceremonies. The agricultural statistics of the Province of Otago have been published. The extent of land broken up, but not in crop, is 34,366 acres. Acres sown in. wheat, 33,660£, estimated to produce 884,225 bushels ; acres in oats for green food, 9369J ; for grain, 71,3394, yie1ding 2,097,929 bushels; acres in barley, 2323, estimated to produce 89,103 bushels j acres in hay, 8329|, estimated to produce 6922 tons ; acres in permanent artificial grass,. 146, 629| ; acres in potatoes, 3630£, producing 13, 497 f tons ; acres in other crops, 6565 J; total number of acres under crop, 274,517|. As would be seen by our telegrams, through telegraphic communication with Auckland is now a matter of a few days. Daily communication has already been established—a messenger leaving each end of the line at eleven and covering the gap, which is over very rough country, before three o'clock. This new line will be '7o miles in length. Besides this, since last session, a second wire has been stretched along the 200 miles between Napier arid Tauranga ; the line to Waiau in' Nelson (from Leithfield) about 43 miles, to Motueka about 30 miles, to Coromahdel about 60 miles, and from New Plymouth, south of Stoney Jttiver, .about 224 miles, have been commenced and nearly completed. The New Plymouth line is finished as far as the opposition by the natives will allow it to be run, Regarding the horses which ran at the late race meeting at Forbury the Daily', Times says :— " Our sporting readers will, we are sure, be glad to learn that the excellent hurdle raae mare Medora remains in the province— she having been purchased by Mr E. Pritchard. Kildare has fallen to the lot of Mr J. Smith ; and Mr Keem was success- ■ ful in obtaining possession of the venerable Pilgrim. Minx now calls Mr W. H. Taggart, master ; while Mr E. Devine shows his appreciation of the genuine article by the purchase of the shapely Burgundy. Master Morris has fallen from his high estate to the position of a gentleman's hack in the stables of Mr Scott, and Jennie haa been obtained by Mr J. Hastie for his private use. An English contemporary says : — "The Becord is much exercised by a refraotory curate, who complains that he has been 14 years in the church, and yet has no chance of preferment. 'Come what will (exclaims the curate), disestablishment, or disendowment, if necessary— away with a state of things injurious to religion and antagonistic to justice.' Other curates, the writer says, are of his opinion, believing that if the church were disestablished brains would have a chance against family connections, influence, or purchase. The Record is horrified at these sentiments. They • savour more of the Communism of Paris, or the International Union, than of Evangelical Christianity.' It is interesting to note— as perhaps explaining why curates are allowed to languish without preferment—that the Becord contains an advertisement of an 'advowson' for sale worth L3OO a year, with 40 acres of glebe, ' comfortable rectory situate in its own grounds, ■with convenient offices,' and— most suggestive intimation.— ';the .present incumbent is believed to be in his 79th year.'- This,. we presume, is '• Evangelical Christianity .' !" ' What ought to prove of immense' advantage to firemen— the invention of a new re- . spirator—is thus described by a contemporary :— " The i beneficial effects of using cotton wool as a respirator have led Dr Tyndall to make experiments on the best form of respirator for firemen, . who, in the discharge of their duty, have often to work amid deDse smoke. In some kinds of smoke, cotton wool placed over the mouth is a sufficient protection ; but it is ineffectual against the pungent fumes of resin, unless moistened with glycerine. Dr Tyndall therefore contrived a respirator which may be described as a cage of metal. and wire-gauze of proper shape, in which, opposite the mouth and nostrils are placed, first a layer of dry wool, a layer of small pieces of charcoal, another layer of dry wool, and last, a layer of small pieces of caustic lime. With a respirator of this kind over their mouths, and their eyes protected by proper glasses, Dr Tyndall and his assistants have stayed for an hour in a stone room, where, from fires of pine wood, the smoke was so dense and pungent that a single inhalation without the respirator would have been unendurable ; and they might have prolonged their stay for hours. This was so satisfactory that Dr Tyndall invited Captain Shaw, of the London Fire' Brigade, with some of his men, to. witness and test the experiment; The result was equally successful ; and since then the respirator has been perfected, and suitable hoodsto which they, are fitted have been constructed, so that henceforth the firemen of London will be able to pass, unharmed through the most stifling smoke."