THIS Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1347, 22 November 1872, Page 2

THIS Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, 1872.

There are now five candidates in the field for the two Greymouth seats in the County Council— Messrs Labman, Smith, Fox, Cooper, and Kennedy having consented to stand. The requisition to the last-named gentleman was only signed yesterday. Judging from recent circumstances, and the important public questions which the next Council will have to decide, the election will be one of the hottesl that has yet taken place in Greymouth. Mr Cooper, who is the first to address tho electors, does so this evening at Gilmer's Hall.

A meeting of the Paroa Sub-Committee to the Grey River Hospital was held on Wednesday evening, the 20th instant, at Paroa. It was resolved that a public meeting be called for the night of the 27th instant, for the purpose of electing a fresh committee for the current year. It is anticipated there will be a large attendance, as the miners of the district seem to be alive to the necessity of supporting the institution.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, the following small debt cases were disposed of : — R. Murphy v. John Smith ; judgment confessed for Li 9 9* 4d and costs. — Hamilton and Co. v. James Fraser ; adjourned until Tuesday next — Mrs Trehey v. A. Williams ; judgment for L 5 and costs. — A. Williams v. Mrs Trehey. —Claim of L 5 ; case dismissed.

An adjourned meeting of the Sports Committee was held last evening, to receive the additional reports of the canvassers. On the lists being added up, it was at once seen that a drawback of not less than 40 per cent, from last year's accounts must be anticipated, and under these circumstances the committee thought it would only be children's play to attempt to offer a programme from such funds. It was therefore moved and carried, " That this Committee, owing to the small amount of money subscribed, decline to draw up a programme of sports for the Christmas holidays." A second resolution to the following effect was also carried, " That a public meeting of those interested in having public sports in town at Christmas be called for to-morrow night [this evening] in order to devise means for raising sufficient funds to form a good programme ; otherwise to receive the resignation of the Committee." It is therefore to be hoped that every person who is at all interested in this matter will be present at 8 o'clock, at the Albion Hotel, and either strengthen the hands of the Committee, or gracefully receive their resignations.

Patrick Reardon, who lately committed suicide at Kaipara, Auckland, while under the influence of drink, did so most deliberately. The man was missed on the 28th, and three days afterwards was discovered drowned in the stream. On removing him from the water, Reardon, it was found, had fastened one end of a boat's painter round his neck, and the other to a heavy piece of pig iron. Dragging himself to the edge of the bank of the stream, he must have precipitated himself in, and, his head retained by the weight of iron below water, he must have died immediately.

There is now in Sydney a treat which, to those who are able to appreciate it, is capable of affording an infinite delight. It is an exhibition of water-color paintings of New Zealend scenery, by Mr Raworth. The pictures are about 112 in number, and represent, for the most part, the mountain and lake scenery of the little-known parts of the South Island, the result of several years' travel amidst some of the wildest and grandest scenes that New Zealand has to present— glacier, torrent, extended plains, quiet lakes, and steep mountain sides.

Two well-known members of the Tuapeka bar, on Thursday last, undertook to settle some differences of opinion by arguments from the shoulder. A slight clue to the affair, which is to come under the notice of Mr Pyke, R.M., is afforded by the following report of a colloquy between Mr Copland, a local barrister, and the Bench at Tuapeka during the investigation of a criminal charge a day or two before. Mr Copland, at the opening of the Court said that while leaving the Court the previous evening he had been attacked. He would not be intimidated, and he gave warning that for his personal protection he would carry firearms. The Bench said Mr Copland need be under no apprehension. The Bench would protect him. Inspector Thompson said if Mr Copland wished it, he would give him protection as far as the law allowed.

. Mr Shephard, of Nelson, contradicts a telegram by Greville stating that he expressed dissatisfaction with the present Ministry. He says quite the contrary is the faot,

Murdoch M'Lean, for eight years a shepherd on the Snowdon station, Canterbury, niysteriously disappeared on Thursday evening, with considerable money on him. It is supposed there has beon foul play. Tho police are searching for a clue to his disappearauco.

A young man named Wheeler, whoso parents reside at Rangiora, has been killed by being thrown from a horse on Mooralu Downs.

Mr A. St G. White, an actor well known in Christchurch. uud, elsewhere, has died nt Napier, leaving a widow and several children totally unprovided for.

New Zealand messages for England will now be received at any telegraph station in the Colony, and bo forwarded to Melbourne. The following are the charges for transmission : — For 20 w6rds or less via Melbourne, L 9 Ss Cd ; for 20 words or less via Sydney, L 9 Us Gd (exclusive of Now Zealand rates.) Half of above rates for every 10, or fraction of 10 words above 20.

With regard to the Omotumotu road, a telegram was received yesterday from the Under-Secretary of Public Works, ordering that the construction of the road should bo proceeded with at once, the obstructions removed, and the road finished as soon as possible.

From the Wealth of Nations claim, Inangahua, we learn that the self-acting trucks, recently invented by one of the shareholders, are acting splendidly. The Company expect to start crushing about the 25th insc.

Mr D. G. Macdonnell, of the Thames, bas obtained a sample of coal of a quality apparently equal, if not superior, to the Bay of Islands product. The locality where this coal was found is at present a secret, but it is assumed that the scam lies on the Miranda Redoubt side of the Firth oi Thames,

A Sydney telegram, dated 30bh October, and published in the Melbourne papers, says;— " The Bauk of New South Wales dividend i 3 12J per cent., besides increasing the reserve fuud to one-third of the capital."

Amongst the spectators of the Canterbury races there was a large number of sailors and marines from the Dido, who distinguished themselves not a little in equestrianism. Not content with riding singly, they more than once double-banked their horses, a proceeding so much to the dislike of one animal that he unseated his riders almost as fast as they could get up, to the infinite amusement of the general public. In the latter part cf the afternoon two races on horseback were got up for their especial benefit, and this was productive of more fun, making an amusing wind-up to the day's proceedings.

Within the pasb week a series of accidents are reported to the Canterbury papers from the Amuri. On the 6th insfc., a man who was engaged mustering on Mr Shrinipton's run fell over a steep bank, a distance of some 15 feet, and broke his leg. He was carried on a stretcher three miles to the nearest point from where medical assistance could be obtained. On Tuesday last Mr Henderson, of the Hurunui, while sitting in the back of the dray, got his leg eutangled between the spokes of the wheel ; fortunately the dray was stopped immediately, and before any more serious result than the leg being very severely sprained and cut. On the following day at the Huiunui P. M'Grath received a kick on the chest from a horsu that ho was grooming. Another case of broken leg occurred to a man at Hawkswood, whom Dr Wilkin is attending ; and on Thursday a son of Mr R. H. Rhodes was thrown from his pony at St. Leonard's Station, and broke his arm in two places.

A sad accident of a serious nature has already been reported as having happened to Mr and Mrs Black of the Criterion Drapery Stores, Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Black were on their way from Akaroa to Christchurch in a four-wheeled buggy, Mr Black driving, and when going down hill from German to Robinson Bay the horse suddenly commenced kicking, and then bolted, taking the trap and its occupants over a precipitous bank into the Horseshoe Gully belo.v, both being thrown out, and Mrs Black being more especially injured, Mr Black's injuries being but slight. Fortunately a party of men were working on the road iv Robinson Bay close afc hand, and with their assistance the unfortunate sufferer was removed to Akaroa iv an insensible condition. She never recovered consciousuess, and died from concussion of the brain on Saturday evening.

Captain John George Freer, of whose death and funeral at Auckland some prominent notice has already been taken, is thus referred to by the Southern Cross: — Captain Freer has been many years a settler in this Province. He was born in the year 1825, in the county of Gloucester, England. He joined the 14fch Light Dragoons in the beginning of 1840, and was subsequently transferred into the 30fch Infantry Regiment. Wheu the augmentation of the army took placo in 1542, he joined the 91st Argyleahire Highlanders, in which regiment he served in 1843, '44, '45, and 46. He also took a part in the subversion of the Dutch Republic in 1852 and 1853, and served on the frontier. On arrival in Aucklaud, in 1862, from the Cape, he served as an ensign in the Auckland Militia, and subsequently obtained a captain's commission in the 2nd Waikato Regiment, in whioh he served until their term of enlistment expired. Since the termination of the Waikato war he has frequently taken part in the different questions agitating the public mind. For several years pasb he has held a seat in the Provincial Council, haying been returned as one of the representatives for the Pensioner Settlements Electoral District. A short time ago he became the proprietor of the Army and Navy Hotel, an establishment of which he was the proprietor iv former years. He leaves a widow and family to mourn his loss.

The Ross Guardian is in a position to contradict a statement that has been circulated to tho effect that Mr George Hay ton, late of Ross, had been struck dead by lightning at Sydney. A letter has been received by Mrs Young, who resides in Moorhouse street, Ross, from Mr Hayton. Ha is located at Newcastle, and is doing well.

Mr John Ah Tong, of Wellington, Mr Brogdcn's agent, arrived in Tuapeka 'last week. His mission is lo procure Chinese labor for the construction of the Clutha Railway. He offers 5s 6d per day for Chinese laborers, and 8s per day for skilled workmen. He has up to the present time been pretty successful, having obtained about 200 Celestials. The number required by Mr Brogden is about 500.

A shocking and determined case of suicide was discovered at Templston, Canterbury. A man named Joseph Charlesworth had been for some time past living alone in a house on his farm. A lad named Hendersnn, noticing that the windows had been blinded for a day or so, called some of the neighhors around, and the door was broken open, when $he unfortunate man was found suspended from the rafters by a rope. From the lower r.iom of the house a sort of ladder staircase, almost perpendicular, communicates with a sort of loft overhead, and he had apparently gone up this ladder, fastened the rope on to one of the beams of the roof, taken off his vest and boots, and having tied the other end of the rope round Ins neck, jumped straight down. The fall being very great, death must have been instantaneous. A document was found in his waistcoat pocket stating the reason for his committing the tosh act, and also containing bis will.

A meeting of tlio shivroboldora of tho Masonic Hall Company was held at Anchor'fl Hotol last evening, Mr W. S. Smith in the chair. Tho question of incroaßing tho capital of tho company for tho purpose of erecting a kvgo lmll or.thoatvo in connection with tho building was discussed. It was ultimately resolved that tho directors should erect a'building suitable for Masonic and other purposes, buttoconlino themselves within the capital of tho present company.

Whilo alluding to tho scratching of Peeress for tho Canterbury Cup, tho Otayo Daily Times says :— " In tho now rules of the Victorian Bacing Club, wo notice that the committee can call upon tho person entering a horso to declare tho ' hona Jkle owner or name of any person having any interest in the horse. Wo commend tho rule to tlie Dunedin Jockey Club, with tho addition " that any change of ownership after nomition (before tho race entered for is run), should be officially notified to the secretary."

For an entertainment of such excellence and eccentricity as that which is given by the Japanese troupe the attendance at the Volunteer Hall has not beea maintained as might have been expected. As their stay is drawing to a closd, there will, no doubt, for the next night or two, bo a greater number of spectators than there was last night, and if there is space in the hall for all the young persons who should be permitted by their parents to be present on Saturday afternoon, it will be a wonder. Those who encourage humility on the part of young people would do well to let them see those superior beings, Signor Ferrari's monkeys, and, with due care taken as to the subsequent use of clothes ropes, washing tubs, and kitchen utensils, young Greymouth should especially be allowed to see young Japan in tho performance of acrobatic feats. Those of their elders who have not yet seen the entertainments should also do so, and this night an exceptional opportunity is afforded, it being the night of the benefit of that Japanese cherub "All Right," on which occasion Mr Joe Small is to appear.