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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1336, 9 November 1872, Page 2

The indications of a holiday yesterday were like the intentions of many young menhonorable enough as far as they went, bub very indefinite ■as to their precise meaning. They were variegated, and were as much indicative of the absence of a holiday as of its presence. While the streets were comparatively deserted, the wharves were a scene of bustle and excitement. While the drapers' and grocers' depots were closed, dealers in hardware and "hard tack" kept their establishments'open. While hotels were gay with bunting and ferns; the shipping showed their colors half-mast high in sympathy with a resident in his domestic bereavement. While young men cheerily rowed to the rivermouth to catch cod for their own (the young men's) sport, older parties moodily fished from the wharf for whitebait, more as a source of livelihood than for any pleasure that was apparent to a superficial observer. In fact the day was decidedly mixed all round, even down to the particular of weather, and generally it may be said that, if it was a holiday, it was altogether an exceedingly well-disguised one. The holiday, and with it the disguise, arc to be perpetuated as an exercise of patience to the inhabitants during to-day and Monday. Happy inhabitants !

The gross amount received from the late tea meeting at the Volunteer Hall, on behalf of the Trinity Church Sunday School Library, was L 33 3s ; the expenditure, Lll 17s 6cl, leaving a balance in favor of the fund of L2l 5s 6d.

A miner named George Dwyer meb with an accident on Thursday morning, at the Greenstone, while engaged in removing some fluming for the Hohonu Company, on the Duke of Edinburgh Terrace. A bolt slipped out, bringing down upon the poor fellow the support of the fluming, and occasioned a fracture of the thigh-bone. He was rescued as soon as possible, and a party of miners, numbering close upon fifty, was speedily organised for the removal of the sufferer into Hokitika.

There seems to be elsewhere the same absence of unanimity as to the observance of tho Prince of Wales Birthday as there has been in G-reymoutb. [n Weatpoit and Charleston the Magistrate fixed to-day (Saturday), and in the former place the Banks did tho same ; but in Charleston, the Bank-agents agreed to differ. By the Superintendent of Nelson it is notified that, within his dominion, Monday, shall be the day observed as a holiday.

The production of tho. play of "Othello' and Mr Burford's benefit were the exciting causes of a good attendance at the theatre f last evening, although it was not so good as to make the benefit more satisfactory to tho player than the performance was to the audience. To judge, at least, from a few occasional glimpses of the play as produced, and from the opinion formed by those who saw it in its entirety, the principal characters were most satisfactorily sustained. An estimate may be formed of Miss Sfcophenson's Defldemona from the many displays she has

made of her capacity to sustain such a character, and Mr Buvford's pronounced tragic style and emphatic diction enabled him to undertake with success the part of Othello. Mr Fred. Waters divided the attention of the audience, and, as an amateur, more than divided^ fche applause by his liigo. He spoke th* part accurately, and " trippingly on the tongue" where the latter characteristic was appropriate, but he was particularly happy in the enunciation of his soliloquies or of the "set" speeches which occasionally occur in. the dialogue. He is not free from tlio little literal errors which, in the case of too many actors, disfigure otherwise excellent readings. Mr Thornton played Cassio with discretion ; and as to the others, it would bo unfair to express any opinion upon what was only incompletely seen. The performance was intended to conclude with a musical melange, and no doubt it did, though hot within " elders' hours."

A house robbery was committed at the Inangahua Junction on Friday last, and the thief is still at largo. He is a German, well known in the locality, and has contrived to get away with L 93 in bank notes, 3oz 16dwt of loose gold, and some articles of clothing. He was la^t seen at Carter's, eleven miles above the Lyell on Saturday morning, and is apparently heading off for Kelson or Blenheim.

A body identified l^ "that of James Edmondson, who was drowned about ten weeks ago, along with liomario Zala, near tho Lyeil junction, has been found on tho beach near Westport.

A man named Ireland Watts has been arrested in Charleston, for having obtained money under false and fraudulent pretences, the specific charge being that he first mortgaged an hotel at Reefton to one party for LGO, and then made an absolute sale of the same to another man for L2O. He will be sent up to the Reefton. Court.

An accident, the result of a fall of earth, occurred near Brighton on Friday last, to a miner named Stewart, by which he sustained severe injuries to the ribs, etc., aud had to seek admission into the district hospital. Tho Charleston Herald reports also that a very serious accident happened on Monday to a miner named Kenneth M'Olelland, working at the Back Lead, by which he sustained several severe injuries. It appears he was in the act of doing some necessary work to the truck, when the horse started, throwing him across the line, and the truck passed over him. Several bones w ere broken, and a deep wound in the groin and other serious flesh wounds were discovered, rendering the case a very serious one. He had only been discharged from the Hospital a few days previously, where he had been under treatment for a broken arm, caused in a similar mauner on the same line by a truck running over it.

Mr G. W. Homo, barrister, purposes removing from Reefton shortly, and returning to Charleston, where he hopes to gain perfect convalescence from the more bracing climate of the Coast. Mr Home's bodily health hns been much improved during his stay in Reefton.

An error in the plans furnished by the Langland's Foundry of the machinery supplied to the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith's, has resulted, says the Inangahua Herald, in much additional labor in erecting the machinery. A mistake in the dimensions of one of the wheels has necessitated the raising of the stamper-boxes about 5.^ inches. The manager anticipates that all will be prepared for crushing in three weeks. Excellent stone has been coming to grass during the past few weeks, and the prospects of the company are very encouraging.

A case of some importance to sharebrokers and shareholders in companies registered under the Mining Companies Acts was heard before the Resident Magistrate at Reefton on Monday last. It appeared beyond all doubt, says the Herald, that an original holder of scrip in the North Star Goldmining Company, Inangahua, had sold in July last four hundred paid-up scrip to Mr John Tait, of Hokitika. No transfer had, however, been effected in the books of the Company, the shares still standing in the name of Charles Forbes, to whom the scrip were originally issued. Forbes holds a number of contributing scrip upon which the calls bad not been paid, and judgment having been obtained by the Ooaipauy for the amount, and execution issued, the paidup scrip were seized to satisfy the judgment. An interpleader was issued resulting in the bailiff's possession being confirmed. The special circumstances in connection witb the case which also formed one of the contentions of the claimant's counsel was that the scrip were paid-up, and therefore not equitably liable for calls ; at any rate not so long as there remained contributing scrip to be levied upon; and it was this view probably that had led to Mr Tait's fatal procrastination in getting the scrip duly transferred. It should, however, indicate to purchasers of scrip the urgent necessity of having transfers promptly effected.

A short time since, the survey party, at Ross, "planted " their instruments a little this side of Price's section, and on Wednesday they discovered that some person had set fire to the bush around the articles. The case of the theodolite was burnt ; but, fortunately the instrument was uninjured.

Five dozen trout have been received by the Secretary of the Wanganui Acclimatisation Society from Auckland.

Auckland papers state that Mrs Colclough intends visiting the Southern Provinces on a lecturing tour during the Christmas vacation. Mrs Colclough is now in direct communication with some of the leaders of the '• women's movements" in England, and will probably therefore have something quite new for her hearers.

The New Zealand Herald mentions having seen a " splendid, sample of steel" frmn the iron mine lately opened near the Miranda Redoubt, in the Province of Auckland. The ore from the mine in question (which belongs to an Auckland firm) is said to contain 60 per cent, of iron and good coal is found close to it.

The specimens of stone brought down from the Alpine claim are described by the Westport Times as really wonderful in richness, and deserve a prominent place among rich and rare collections of mineral treasures* A piece of stone now in the possession of Mr J. Corr, is one .of tho richest quartz specimens, if not the very richest yet unearthed at the Lyell, and would, if shown in Victoria, cause an excitement in speculative circles sufficient to send shares up in the market with an uncontrollable buoyancy.

The followiug episode in the history of the Ainuri district is described in a dialogue published in the Nelson Cdonist, the speakers being of the names of Bill and Ben :— Bill: Can you tell me how it was, when this separation of Maryborough took place, the Amuri, which is the other side of Marlborough, was left to Nelson ? Ben : Yes. It was the wish of some land speculators that tho Amuri should be eventually united to ■. Canterbury (and had the geography of the country been understood when the boundaries of the Proviuces were fixed. I dare say it would haveibeen) ; but until the wool on the sheep's backs furnished the means of completing their lavA purchases, it was nearly their interest to belong to Nelson, as the land laws of Canterbury fixed the price at L 2 per acre ; while by the Nelson land laws it conld be purchased for from oneeighth of the amount, Now that most of

the land is in private hands, it will no doubt secede from Nelson ; and the cream of the joke is, that these very land-purchasers complain that they have been unfairly dealt with by the kelson Government, because all the money received for the land has not been spent in making roads for them. Bill : Did not the Government survey a township in the district for the benefit of intending settlers ? Ben : Yes ; and ib was all bought up by one or two of them, and the pegs pulled out. Bill : But cannot the public to this day demand to pass unmolested through the sbreebs laid off? Ben; Yes; 5? they could find them.

Lately, in Auckland, in the flying trapeze acts, M. Loyal received three falls, the last rather a serious one. The trapezes, from some cause or other, refused to swing parallel with each other, and hence the failures. Amid tremendous applause Mr Loyal refused to allow himself to be beaten until he succeeded in doing what he had announced he would accomplish. Mademoiselle Zuila, on tbo single trapeze, appeared to go through her part nervously and with hesitation, the falls received by M Loyal had evidently affected her. The company have since gone to Christchurch.

The Boss Neivs learns that the Aylmer Lead, north, is not likely to turn out as well as had been anticipated, owing to its patchy nature, and the great difficulty experienced in working it. Doyle's party ami M'lntosh's party are engaged in cutting timber for fluming, for the purpose of bringing in water from Chinaman's Creek. Gunn and party washed last week, and the result was satisfactory. Muir and party's claim is turning out well. The rest are busily engaged stripping and getting wash up. On Aylmer Lead, south, there are still six claims working, but the majority of them are nearly worked out. Donald Shaw's claim still maintains its reputation, and the party have yet a large area of ground to work.

A serious boat accident occurred on the Buller river on Sunday morning last. The cargo boat of George Perrotti, laden with goods for the Lyell, was capsized at Ohika, one of the horses drowned, and nearly the entire cargo is now lying at the bottom of the river. The crew struggled on to the bottom of the boat, and witb them a female passenger, Mrs Sullivan, whose dress had luckily caught in a rullock and kept her from sinking. The steersman, George Perrotti, was thrown some ten or twelve feet from the boat, bub kept himself afloat, and, by a providential dispensation, was thus enabled to rescue a little child named Carmini, about eighteen months old, accompanying Mrs Sullivan. Thus freighted the boat drifted nearly two miles down to the Ohika ferry, where a boat put off atfd resoued all hands from their perilous position. The cargo boat contained, in addition to a heavy freight of merchandise, a slate billiard table, sent up to the Lyeli by Mr John Campbell, and the slates remained suspended across the thwarts, and in some measure tended to keep the boat steady in her inverted position. On reaching more shallow water the mast, till then standing, struck forcibly on the bottom, and tore away the woodwork, and the table thus sank beyond all hopes of recovery, and with it also a large portion of the heavy cargo.

Eecently there arrived in Timaru the first lot of a consignment of what will probably swell up into a fairly profitable trade. Over 300 roughly cured pig skins came to hand from the Mount Four Peaks Station, and found a ready buyer. During the last few mouths upwards of 1000 wild pigs have been slaughtered upon the Four Peaks and adjoining runs, the killers getting so much per tail for their labor, and the 300 skins are from the choicest, and as to distance, most convenient of the animals killed.

A man named Amor— who for sorae time past has been keeping a small store, in Akaroa, and in conjunction with a partner hawking about the district— cut his throat on the Ist instant, on the road, a Bhort distance on the rise of the hill from Robinson's to Duvanchelle Bay. Amor had called at Mr Castle's in Robinson's Bay, and declined staying to dinner as he wished to push on towards the Head of the Bay. He was shortly afterwards seen by a man named Gregg coming down the road and bleeding profusely from the throat. Gregg raised an alarm, and others coming up found the unfortunate man almost poweriess, with an open knife tightly clenched in one of his hands. The knife was promptly wrenched from him, aud a messenger despatched to Akaroa for Dr Low, who found that the unfortunate man had nearly severed his windpipe, besides inflicting other seriou* injuries on himself. Amor is a married man, and has a wife and family in another part of the province of Canterbury.

By the schooner Mariner, which arrived at thfe Thames from the Bay of Islands on Tuesday week, Mr W H Oldrey received a parcel of quartz weighing 7cwt,, in order that its gold-bearing qualities may be accurately ascertained by crushing at one of the batteries on the field. The stone resembles auriferous quartz, aud is confidently expected to yield a fair payable return. The locality from whioh it was obtained is said to exhibit an abundance of stone of a similar description, and the result of the test is looked forward to with some interest.

A Dunedin contemporary says:— "lt is the intention of Sir George and Lady Bowen, we understand, to make Fern Hill their residence for a few weeks before the end of the year. On the occasion of the Governor's visit to Dunedin, His Excellency will be accompanied by the Hon. Mr Waterhouse, who is desirous of making himself personally acquainted with this part of the Colony. This will be the first visit paid by Lady Bowen to Dunedin."

On Saturday afternoon, 2nd instant, Mrs Emily Hodge, wife of Mr Joaiah Hodge, Horse-shoo Lake, Canterbury, was found dead in a ditch on the North Stanmore road; About half-past two o'clock a woman, named Mary Jane Nash, saw. the deceased walking towards Christchurch, and in a short lime afterwards a little girl informed her that a woman was lying in the ditch. The body, which was discovered to be that of Mrs Hodge, was pulled out of the ditch, and it was evident that' death had occurred but a few minutes before, as tho body was quite warm. Mrs Hodge was subject to fits, and the presumption is that she was seized with a fit, and, falling into the ditch, was suffocated by the water, which was only six inches deep. The following particulars regarding the death of Charles M'Taggart, baker, of Oaniaru, arc from the Waikouaitl Herald :— "It appears that the deceased arrived at Palmevston by the up coach on Monday, from Dunedin, and that while the coach was changing horses at the North-Western Hotel, he called to see a friend named Mayne, who was living in the township. On his returning, in company with Mayne, he found the coach had started for Oamoru, leaving him behind. This seemed to annoy him considerably, and Mayne took him back to his house ; but as deceased appeared restless, he eventually persuaded him to go to bed, and then left him with his wife. Shortly afterwards the deceased took a knife out of his pocket, and deliberately cut his throat. Mrs Mayne, who witnessed the act, at once ran to the schoolhouse for assistance, and Mr Watt, the teacher, promptly attended, and commenced to staunch the blood which was flowing from the wound which had been inflicted, but the deceased resisted, and remarked that it was useless, and in a few < momenta afterwards expired." ' '