THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1316, 17 October 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1872.

The continuous rains of the last two days have had the effect of greatly increasing the volume of the Grey River, and putting . a stop to up-country traffic. In consequence of this, our usual correspondents' letters from No Town, Ahaura, and Reef ton have not come to hand. A telegram was received last night that the Little Grey was so high it could not possibly be crossed, but as the weather moderated laßt night we may expect the Reefton mail to arrive to-day. The fifth anniversary of the Loyal Greymouth Lodge M.U.1.0.0.F. is to be celebrated by a ball and supper at Gilmer's Hotel, to-night. Tickets can be had from the advertised members of the Committee. The production of the " Marble Heart," of which we gave a preliminary notice yesterday, brought together a very payable house at the Volunteer Hall last evening. The acting and scenery was very goad indeed, especially the group of statues in the first scene, but owing to a pressure of matter we must withhold a lengthened notice until the play is repeated. la the Resident Magistrates's Court, yesday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., the adjourned charge against Augustus Hildebrand, of a breach of the Canterbury Police Ordinance, by hanging meat over the footpath, was resumed, ana the defendant fined 10s and costs. Martin Kennedy, on the adjourned charge of displacing soil in Tuaramia street without authority, was fined 5s and costs. The adjourned case, John Allen, storekeeper, Okarito, v. Louis Mario, a claim of L 56195, was proceeded with? and judgment given for the plaintiff, with costs. The defendant had L4l in gold in his pocket when arrested, and this was recovered by the plaintiff. In Adelaide, the other day, a libel case was heard, .in which a member of Parliament sought damages for an inuendo conveyed in the words that he had been " got at." Experts—men "of sporting experience"— were summoned as witnesses to explain this mystic term, but ultimately the judge directed a nonsuit. Mr| G. Bromley announces that he will commence his farewell series of entertainmentsin Greymouth on Saturday evening, at the Volunteer Hall. He will then give his " Olio of Oddities," and his great Parliamentary Stump Speech, vhich is said to have " created a great sensation throughout the Colony." As this clever artist is well knows, no doubt his entertainments will be well patronised. "_2gles," of Melbourne, writes:— How a fashionably-dressed woman could conscientiously join in last Sunday morning's service, and thank the Almighty for having "fashioned" her "before and behind," as in the Psalms of the day, I can't understand. For from the depth of her internal consciousness it musk have been evolved how much more she was indebted to har milliner than her Maker for her outward and visible form. The following incident (says the Wa'ikalo Times) is said to have taken place in one of the most fashionable squares in London. Wo premise that a lucky Thames digger met an " old chum" in the streets of London. The following conversation took place : — " I say, 'old horse, 1 come and dine with me at halfpast siren." "All right 'old man ;' let's liquor." Liquored accordingly, and then parted. The invitee appeared at the appointed hour. Cabman knocked at door, which was opened by a " John Thomas " in ' gorgeous array. " Old horse" enters ; is handed from one flunkey to another, till he arrived in the august presence of Mr and Mrs "Old Man." "Old horse" said, ''This is too many for me— l'm off "—and qfled accordingly. Writing of the prospects of the race for the Melbourne Cup, the sporting correspondent of the Australasian says: — ?' Leaving Dagworth out of the question, I believe there are at least half a score of horses that would have a show for eight Cups out of ten, and they are Hamlet, King Fisher, The Ace, The Quack, Emblem, Boatman, Panmure, Contessa, Early Morn, King of the Ring, and perhaps Dolphin ; and of this lot there's nothing I fancy more than Mr Filgate's black mare Contessa and Early Morn. The latest novelty is the opal mine in Queensland. Few are very learned about opals, but those who profess to know declare the specimens brought down to be equal to anything produced from the Hungarian mines. The proprietors, however, are so modest, that they have put the capital of the company at only _150,000, out of which L 30.000 is to be taken in cash, and the rest in shares, LIO.OOO to be placed to the credit of the company. On these terms the prospectus has fallen rather flat. "A Miner" states the following facts, and propounds the following question to the Australasian:— Having been lost on several occasions in the bush, I was always much struck with the phenomenon that my wanderings from my legitimate path were occasioned invariably by a swerviug towards the right, and thus I described a circle or nearly so on each separate occasion. Several bushmen whom I have consulted on the matter aver that this rule holds good when applied to travellers in general in a similar predicament, for as soon as lost they gradually ebb into the gyrations of this bush whirl- < pooL Would you or any of your readers J inform me what is the cause of this inclination to the right ? An old bushman offers the theory, that inasmuch as the right foot is the more vigorous and active, hence the deviation ; but I c&n never satisfy myself in regard to the apparent mystery. A correspondent at the Blue Spur sends to the West Coast Times the following account of an amusing instance of the indomitable persoverance of the fair sex when making charitable collections :— " Two ladies from the Hau-hau were a few days since canvassing a neighboring township for donations for the approaching concert and ball in aid of tbe district contribution to the Hokitika Hospital. Taking the business places seriatim, they arrived at the shop of a worthy knight of the anvil. One of the ladies entered, and

having made her application in the blandest of tones, and with a smile which she doubtless thought the blacksmith could not resist, was informed that all he could give was a wheelbarrow of unusually large size which he had just made. The lady expressed her thanks, and said she would get some one to fetch it away. This, however, the blacksmith would not consent to ; he had made the offer in jest thinking himself safe in making it, so he insisted that the lady should trundle it away herself, or she should not hare it at all ; he would not even permit the I assistance of the lady's companion. The lady, doubtless "piqued by the ungallanfc conduct of the blacksmith, was determined that he should be punished by the loss of his wheelbarrow, so she complied with, the condition and wheeled it about two miles, over a rough road and up a heavy incline, to the Hau-hau, where it will be sold in a few days, with a collection of other articles for the benefit of the hospital" A Victorian, lately from Queensland, tells "J-Cgles" that the growth of Stanthorpe, the capital of Tinland, is something marvellous. Six months ago, he saw a single tent ; now there are three theatres and a newspaper. Things are still a little primitive. It is a cold country there, and the especial privilege of reserved seats in the theatre is the right to place your feet on the nail-cans of hot charcoal which warm the building. It cost the proprietor LSO to build this theatre, and he has had an audience in it worth LBO cash. On the opening night the footlights were represented by four candles, and the scenery consisted chiefly of sheets of corrugated iron of the Gospel Oak brand. Being a modest people, they essayed the. opera of " L'Africaine," as a simple thing not requiring any extraordinary effort on the part of the performers. A contractor, who had just completed the erection of a place of worship, said appealingly, "Well, sir, I have just finished the church, put a lock on the door, and handed the key to the parson ; total cost, Ll7. I don't think, sir, that it was dear for a church, but I can't get the money." The architecture of these diggings is not of a florid character, and bark is much more popular than granite.