THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1183, 14 May 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1872.

An accident occurred yesterday to a coal* barge belonging to Messrs Nancarrow and Henderson, by which the cargo was lost, and the three men on board had a narrow escape. It seems that on rounding the point opposite Coal Creek the force of the current slewed the boat, which at the same time struck on a rock and would have sank, but being broadside on to tho stream capsized and emptied her twenty tons of coal into the river. Two of the men clung to the wreck, and tho third swam ashore. Those on the boat were quickly rescued by the watermen ; and the prompt manner in which the latter lent assistance was most creditable to them. The barge was soon secured and righted, after having in such a summary manner discharged her cargo, and can easily be repaired. Owing to the abominable weather of last evening the intended benefit to Mr Burford at the Volunteer Hall, did not come off, and the performance was postponed till to-night, when we had no doubt there will be a f ill house. Mr Burford is an experienced and talented actor who has for many years " fretted his hour " on the colonial stage, and who during his stay in Greymouth has afforded the public great satisfaction and amusement, so we hope to see his exertions suitably rewarded by a bumper house. The piece selected for the occasion, " The Ticket-nf-Le^ve Man," is one of the most popular dramas of the day, and will, we feel convinced, afford the greatest pleasure to those who attend, as it has been got up with unusual care. The Masonic Ball Committee meet this afternoon, before which time applications for tickets should be sent in as they will then be considered. By being early in coming forward the committee will have their operations greatly facilitated, as they will know with tolerable accuracy what preparations for the festival will be needed. There is more labor in connection with entertainments than is generally supposed, and as the Masons are coming out liberally on the occasion, they are fairly entitled to as much consideration as possible at the hands of those who wish to attend. A little boy whose name we do not know had a narrow escape from drowning yesterday afternoon. It seems that he was fishing from an old canoe moored in the Tidal Creek, near Tainui street, when he over- I balanced and fell into the water. A lad named Angus Mackenzie very fortunately ! saw the accident, and in the most plucky manner rendered assistance in time, thereby saving the life of the little one. But for his timely interference we should have another fatal accident to chronicle. The carelessness of Barents in allowing their children to be about the banks of streams and rivers is something astonishing, and it is marvellous that more disasters do not occurT The first public lamp was lighted in Greymouth on Saturday night last in Tainuistreet, and was immediately appreciated. It lights the Tainui-bridge, Hospital street, and the tramway, and is a real blessing to belated travellers who have occasion to pass that way after nightfall. It is to be hoped that the Corporation will not hold their hands in the good work, but will have many more lamps placed in some of Ike dark places of the town, and they would be thoroughly appreciated by all inhabitants. The following ia an extract from Mr Warden Giles' report on his district : — At Charleston it is true there may be matters which I have not yet had time or opportunity to observe. One of the principal peculiarities of that district appears to me to be the extreme complexity of the rights held by the miners to water and other privileges, owing to the crowding of the claims in and about the numerous creeks and watercourses. Another difficulty is the mode of discharging tailings, which, owing to the extensive nature of the ground-sluicing operations caiTied on, are of very great quantity, and which have already silted up the harbor to a great extent, and in another place have covered the main road and threaten still further injury. lam not prepared at present, however, to make any suggestions for the removal of these difficulties. The road known as the "loop-line road." is now nearly completed, and will probably be open for traffic within a week or ten days. Although it hos been supposed by some that the above road was to a certain extent necessary, still there is no doubt but that its construction will prove of considerable benefit to the residents in the Waimea district, and also to many others. It is probably known to most of our readers, that it connects the Christchurch road with the Greenstone road, leaving the former at the seventeen mile-post, and joining the latter between three and four miles above the township of Goldsborough. The new road is between three and four miles in length, and in addition to the dray traffic which will be diverted from the Christchurch road, a large quantity of • Canterbury stock, for the supply of the northern portion of the County, will be driven along it, We may mention that a toll-gate is being erected at the junction of the ' ' loopline" with the Christchurch road. From the Westport Times we learn that the traffic upon the Buller is still increasing. Persons desirous of forwarding effects with despatch can only obtain that result by offering a higher freight than what is generally current. As much as L2O per ton has been paid for freight to the Landing, and from LI 2 to LIS is the current price from the Landing to Beef ton. And although both boats at one end, and drays and waggons at the other are increasing in number almost daily, the traffic is still impeded, and fast accumulating freight daily awaits transit. The demand for goods is far in excess of the supply, and stocks are very low both at Beef ton and the Landing. Our local merchants have orders for goods which it will take two months to supply, with the mean 3 of conveyance at present at their disposal. A small locomotive of ten-horse power is now being made by Messrs K. S. Sparrow and Co, of Dnnedia, for Messrs Crawshaw, Sraff and Co, Palmerston, Wellington. The latter firm has, we understand, contracted for the laying down of about twenty-two ,

miles of tramway in that Province. The locomotive will be used in the first instance in making the tramway, which is a wooden one ; but the Government have a%read. that on the completion of that work, they will take the locomotive over at a valuation, as it is intended to use it for drawing trucks along that tramway. It is calculated to tun about ten miles an hour. This, it may be safely said, is the first steam locomotive engine whose manufacture has been undertaken in New Zealand. We may mention that we are informed that the same firm could turn out ordinary railway locomotivee at ten per cent above the home prices. A vehicle can now be driven from Ross to South Spit, along the beach, without crossing water, as both mouths of the Totara are completely closed. A singular memorial to his Excellency the Governor is in course of signature in Auckland. It is in favor of the sureties of H. G. Collett, charged with falsifying the books, of the Flagship Golden Anchor Gold Mining Company, praying for mitigation of the penalties attached to them as Oollett's bondsmen. The reason given is unique, and ia, 11 that the sureties had full faith in Collett's honesty, and that they did not receive any fee or reward for becoming his sureties." If bondsmen are to be released every time their faith iD the honesty of men is proved unfounded, the farce of obtaining sureties may as well be at once discontinued. The infant child of Mr James Stove, of Auckland, has been scalded to death by pulling a coffee pot over on itself. : The King's Executive is divided in regard to opening up an alluvial geld field, the base of which would be the Tuhua mountain. Rewi is said to be in favor of it. A grand meeting is to be held in the Waikato on the Governor's arrival there, and the whole subject, of the Waikato confiscation will then be discussed. Three Maoii mummies were exported to Timaru from Dunedin by the steamer Maori on her last trip. Mr Gisborne has written to Dr Featherston, requesting him to arrange for the shipment of a quantity of salmon ova, if possible, to the Bluff, from the Clyde. The ova cannot be obtained until the end of the year, at which time they will be procured and packed— probably under the supervision of Mr Frank Buckland. A case of shooting occurred at Waimatuku Bush, Southland, on Monday week. Robert Hitchcock, a settler, -fired at a neighbor of his named Benjamin Wymack, and the result was that Wymack had 38 grains of shot lodged in his legs, arms, and back, but wap not dangerously wounded. Jealousy is the cause assigned for the act. Hitchcock, we learn from a telegram, was arrested on a charge of wounding with intent to kill. A new way to settle a grog score, although not calculated to assist the publican in discharging his liability to the brewer, was brought under the notice of the Thames Advertiser lately. A Mr Peter Guilfoyle paid to the local ho3pital the sum of 11s 6d, because the landlord of the Golden Fleece Hotel had stuck upon his bar on a black board— under the heading "grog score" — "Guilfoyle, 11s Cd." Thehotelkeeperafterwards wrote to the paper :— " I shall only be too glad if the others on the board would follow his benevolent example, as 1 never expect to receive the amounts opposite their names, and the amounts would .benefit the funds. I have erased Mr Peter Guilfoyle's name from the board, and shall feel very great pleasure in doing the same by the others for the same charitable purpose, when the amounts are paid in." An extraordinary outrage was perpetrated on the 7th inst. , between the hours of 12 and 1 o'clock p.m., at a house situated at the coraor of Salisbury street west, Christchurch, the property of Mr Hawdon. It appears that an individual named Townsend, a farmer residing at Lincoln, forced his way into the house in question, through one of the windows, and in a great state of excitement commenced to overturn and smash the furniture, kicking a hole in the pianoforte, to the consternation of the inmates. An alarm being given, the intruder was forcibly ejected, carrying with him an embroidered cushion as a trophy, and which he obstinately refused to part with. Messrs Barker and Barry, with the assistance of others, conveyed the man to the police depot, and on Dr Coward being sent for, that gentleman pronounced him to be insane, and gave an order for his incarceration in the Lunatic Asylum, whither he was conveyed pending the Magisterial examination into the case. The following is from the latest Oamaru Times to hand:— "We have heard a great deal for years past of the fame of Adelaide flour, but judging from the evidence, actual and ocular, of the Grain, Flour, and Seeds Show on Thursday last, the Oamaru brands bid fair to become successful rivals to those of our Australian friends. Not a sample shown (of nine) but was excellent ; that of Messrs J. and T. Meek being highly commended, and that which took the first prize, exhibited by Messrs Spence and Grave, Phoenix Mills, being pronounced by compepetent judges to be fully equal to the best Adelaide, and, indeed, superior to many parcels bearing Adelaide brands. We congratulate Messrs Spence and Grave on their success, and still more, the district upon the complete demonstration of its capabilities as a flour-producing district— its soil, climate, and available machinery being all that is requisite to the production of a first-class article. We anticipate, as a result of the exhibition, a large demand for Oamaru flour ; and those who have won honors in such good company will certainly not have cause to regret having sent samples for exhibition. It has been sometimes thought expedient that the Wardons of gold fields should, ia their yearly reports, notice the Gold Fields Licensing Act, and make suggestions for its improvement. This may be useful where the suggestions relate to details in the working of the Act. In his annual report to the Nelson Provincial Council, Mr Warden Giles remarks :— " I have, however, none to make, not because I believe the Act to be perfect, for I agree with the common opinion which regards it as very inefficient, but because I do not believe that it will ever be made efficient by alterations'^ detail. Suggestions in plenty are constantly being made from different quarters, which the legislature can of course consider, but there are few of these in which I can join, because they mostly involve a view of the subject in which I by no means acquiesce. But the great objection which appears to me to lie against the Licensing Act is that whilst it fails to suppress drinking and immorality, it produces a directly demoralising effect by containing enactments and prohibitions which constitute new offences, and which are not enforced once for a hundred times that they are notoriously violated. And thus the uneducated masses come to think that all laws may be treated with contempt provided detection and punishment do not follow, As a Magistrate, 1 am bound to say that the Licensing Act is simply a means of revenue, obtained for the most part at the cost of impairing in the public mind the sense of respect for law."