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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1308, 8 October 1872, Page 2

In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Samuel Hill was fined 5s for allowing a horse to stray, and W. Sansbury was fined a similar amount' for assaulting a woman named Harriet Hill. On Saturday, when the defeat of the Stafford Ministry became known, the Mayor, with the consent of the majority of the Councillors, sent a congratulatory telegram to Messrs Yogel, Fox, and Reeves upon the event. Yesterday a reply was received from tho late Premier, asking the Mayor to convey \ his thanks to the Council and Burgesses of Greymouth for their congratulations. Miss Stephenson, Mr Burford, and the ether members of the dramatic company who have gratified Grey month play-goers for the past few months, re-appeared at the Volunteer Hall last evening, and performed satisfactorily the drama "Aurora Floyd" and the burlesque "Ixion." An immense deposit of brown hematite (iron ore), calculated to yield seventy five per cent pure iron, has been discovered within the Launceston (Tasmania) town boundary. A case between two Blue Spur companies, in which the damages are laid at LGOOO, will be heard in the Supreme Court, Lawrence, in December. On Friday week, in Canterbury, there was a violent snowstorm, which, followed as it was by intense frost, has done incalculable injury to fruit trees. In Timaru and in the immediate vicinity the snow did not lie, but on the Downs it lay thick right up to the foot of the ranges. Last week a tail-race robbery was committed at the Kawarau River. The depredators are supposed to have taken from four to five pounds weight of gold, and a reward of L2O is offered for the conviction of the criminal. From the Zetland Times of the Ist July, we learn that Mr Thomas Birch has been lecturing in the north of Scotland on " New Zealand as a field for emigration. " On the 16th June, Mr Birch lectured at Lerwick to a very large attendance, the hall being com"Pi^ f ?io*ssi I f^ Jintlwill^ a ' ;an dinc_the wetness of VUG WGauDCi* The Lyttelton Times says that quite 1000 trout have now been hatched out in tho boxes at the Christchnrch gardens, and a large number have also been hatched out in tha ponds. The old fish have again begun to show themselves, and eat greedily. "Snider," writing to a contemporary, sincerely hopes the practice crrried out in San Francisco among Volunteer corps of presentiug the lowest scorer with a leather medal will be adopted in the Colony. He thinks they would then qualify for the highest instead of the lowest prize. The manager of the Melbourne Argus has stated that the cost of receiviug 50 w.irds a day. by the Indo-European line of telegraph will amount to LIO, OOO a year. There is a curious circumstance in connection with Mr Trollope'B visit to the various Colonies worth noticing. His arrival in Queensland was followed by a Ministerial crisis in that Colony. When he arrived at Sydney the Martin Cabinet suffered a defeat, and was superseded by Mr Parkes' Government. On the same gentleman reaching Melbourne, a Ministerial crisis occurred there, Mr Duffy giving place to Mr Francis. At Hobart Town there was also another Ministerial crisis, which resulted in a dissolution ; and shortly after his arrival in this Colony, the Government of Mr Fox has had to give place to one formed by Mi Stafford. The Lyell Creek Quartz Mining Company have struck one of the Little Wonder leaders, and expect, in a few days, to strike the other two. This will be one of the best claims in the district. The, Bay of Plenty Times, which seems especially well named, siys on the 7th inst., that an almost "miraculous draught of fishes" was jr.»de lately by a party of four or five gedtlemen, who went outside the Mount in a fine whaleboat, and simply with ground lines made a haul of 211 large and small. A correspondent of the Lyttelton Times sends the following:— As Mr Lavery, farmer, Eyreton, was on Monday leaving Kaiapoi for home with a dray containing a ton of coal, the horses became unmanageable when crossing the Island, and finally bolted. Mr Lavery, who was at the leader's head, was thrown down, and the wheel went over one of his legs. Although very much shaken he was able to get home on a dray, and it was found that the bone was not broken, but very severe bruises sustained. The sufferer, although in great pain, is to-day (October 1) as well as could be expected from the nature of the accident. The only wonder is how the leg escaped being smashed, when it is considered that two tons weight went over it, The friends of the Rev. W. E. Paige, of Canterbury, will be sorry to learn that he has met with a serious accident. Whilst riding along the south road, in the direction of the meat-preserving factory, on Thursday last, his horse, without giving him any warning, commenced bucking, and threw the rev. gentleman, who fell upon his right arm, and fractured it. The horse was very soon stopped, and Mr Puigo was conveyed home to Prebbleton in a trap, where Dr Symes set the limb, which we are glad to hear is progressing very favorably. The Dunedin Star thus "slates" an amateur actor who recently appeared at the Princess Theatre in that city :—" After the comedy, the audience were favored with a Shakespearian selection in character, by an amateur, who some time since covered himself with confusion by the manner in which he played the principal character in a favorite Irish comedy. We thought that the obaervatjpni we were then called upon to make would have effectually cured him of all ambition to again tread the boards;

but we were mistaken. Having failed in comedy, he hoped to retrieve his laurels by a flight to the higher walks of the drama, and choße "Richard the Third" for his selection. To describe the impersonation iB impossible. Elocution there was none ; and the little that was heard was marked by a strong "brogue," which was as painful to listen to as it was novel. The effect on the audience was amusing in the extreme ; from first to last, there were peals of laughter* which increased in intensity as the speaker proceeded, until at last, when he struck an attitude decidedly original and came to a dead pause, it seemed that those who bad with difficulty prevented themselves from joining in the fun, gave full play to their risible faculties ; and almost inextinguishable laughter" resulted, during which the curtain felL We fervently trust we have seen the last of such amateur performances — exhibitions we call them." Money is becoming so plentiful in Victoria that remunerative investments are getting scarcer and scarcer, and distressed capitalists are metaphorically tearing their hair. A writer in a Melbourne paper remarks : — "One of these terrible fellows, whose head bristles with statistics, has been reckoning up the probable outcome of the wool clip, and its financial effect. He estimates the value of the wool of Victorian sheep owners at five millions sterling, and says that with the reduction in working expenses through fencing, and the previous paying off of previous advances, the squatting payments won't; exceed half that amount. In other words, he reckons -that the pastoral princes will have two millions and a half of money seeking investment. Into what is this money to go ! Investments are high-priced already. What will they be three months hence ? The anomaly of excessive accumulations of capital and deficient population will soon force itae'f upon public attention. Meantime, the prevalent complaint on Change is of excessive dulness in nearly every department of commerce." '. A correspondent of the Westport Times,. who haß visited Rainy Creek, «aya j— "A strauger would be puzzled which to admire most, the immense mass of coal of first-class quality or the immense mass of quartz exposed at the prospecting claim. The stone thus exposed must be nearly 40ft wide. The prospectors have put in a tunnel 70ft down, and here the reef, after being cut, proved 13ft thick, with gold all through. They are now driving- another tunnel 250 ft down, which is in 80ft ; they expect to have to go 150 ft further. Water-power is unavailable, but their coal deposit will enable them to work an engine very economically. The coal is situated just above the machine site,, and will only require lowering down to the furnaces." Me also writes :— "ln the North Star, and the Star of the West they have not yet struck the reef. The Keep it Dark is beginning to attract attention from its situation next to the Golden Ledge, which continues a prime favorite, in fact the stone is about the best I hare seen on the field. The Westland machine is crushing the United Band of Hope and the Inglewood lease." ' Speaking of the two Australian rushes, the Bendifjo Advertiser of the 19th September makes the following remarks, which are quite as much applicable to this district :• — The official returns of the yield of gold for the month of August, which we publish in another portion of our issue to-day, amounting to 26,5410z 6dwt 14gr, come extremely appropriate to .the present time. Looking at the somewhat large number of miners who have left this district during the same period for the Northern Territory, and at the large return of gold produced in the district they have left, we are unmistakably led to the conclusion that they are deserting the substance for the shadow. A monthly yield of nearly Z7ivuuuzuigum-t it «-iK»-fcii;4~. E ki o _ wireß from Port Darwin or Charters Towers were to flash the intelligence across the continent to Melbourne that " the escort for the month from the field was 27,0000z," there would immediately be an additional impetus given to the stampede, and for one' leaving now for the north there would at least be half-a-dozen. Opportunely also comes theintelligence from the Northern Gold Fields that the alluvial sources of gold there are extremely doubtful, and that the quartz reefs require machinery— and, as a matter of course, capital— to develop their auriferous wealth. The drawbacks existing in the shape of an unhealthy climate, the inconveniences and discomforts caused by the want of transport, of the means of shelter, and even the necessaries of life, we need scarcely aga ; n refer to. We merely, in pursuance of a duty, call attention to the reality that exists in this district, and express a well-grounded opinion of the slender prospects held out in the far north.