THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1370, 19 December 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1872.

On several occasions lately we have been disappointed in the prompt receipt of telegrams which have been forwarded by our agent in Wellington, and which have duly appeared in contemporaries connected with the same agency. This happened again yesterday, when telegrams which we publish to-day appeared in the West Coast Times. Though apparently dispatched from Wellington at 7.55 p.m. on Tuesday, they were not received by us till yesterday forenoon. To prevent the recurrence of such omission, We telegraphed to the agent of the Press Association, and he ascertained that, on this occasion, the mistake was due to carelessness on the part of the Telegraph Department at Wellington, by which we were not the only snfferers. Of course mistakes will occur in the best regulated department, but and all that can be expected is that they will occur as seldom as possible in future. At the same time it must be said that the general style of telegraphing Press messages is exceedingly defective, and imposes upon the printer a large amount of labor, besides its considerable coat.

In the description given of the recent fatal mining accident at Half Ounce there occurred some typographical omissions or substitutions which, though not essentially affecting the narrative, may disturb the equanimity of sensitive correspondents, or slightly confuse the reader. The accident occurred, as stated in the original telegram, 1800 it from the mouth of the tunnel, not 18ft. One of the deceased was from Scute, not Scute, in France. As a general principle, when inaccuracies of this description appear in the printed version. of. our Grey Valley correspondent's reports, our readers in that district may take it for granted that they do not arise with him. He is not pachydermatous, and suffers too keenly when they do appear. They Bimply arise in some of the mechanical processes by which news is produced.

We have received a report of Mr Cooper's meeting at the Greenstone from a correspondent, but must withhold it as the other, taken from a contemporary was in type, and it appears to correspond with the report fur* pished. Another of thoe>6 pleasant and popular entertainments initiated in aid of the Greymouth Literary Society, at which amateurs wishing weJI to the institution give gratuitous assistance in various musical ana other amusements, came off last evening. It was most successful, and in spite of the wet and threatening weather, was very well altanded. The first part consisted of an opening pianoforte duet by Mrs Reid and Miss Situs, which was excellently rendered. Several songs, readings, and recitations followed, in all of Which those taking part received wellmerited applause. The third scene of 'the Ist act of the "Merchant of Venice" was tke concluding portion of the first part and was very well given. The second lft-t consisted of an opening dance by Mr

Liddy which was quite up to the usual light and fantastic feats of professionals ; songs and selections from "Breitmann's Ballads," the latter were vociferously applauded, and Mr Brunn, the reader, would, not be let off without at least re-appearing on the stags and bowing his thanks. The conclusion was, as in the first part, an extract from the 4th act of the Merchant of Venice, the chief attraction of which was the appearance of Miss Burchell who, after her late success, was emboldened to play the somewhat difficult part of Portia in the trial scene. We are glad to say that the result was most satisfactory, and the excellent manner in which she acquitted herself was really surprising in. one so young and inexperienced in stage experience. She was excellently supported by Mr Elmer 03 Shylock, as also by the other gentlemen on the stage. It would be unfair to close without a reference to Miss Hiadmarsh's Nerissa, which was a very good debut indeed. As usual, Mr Revell occupied the chair, and gave the utmost satisfaction. Yesterday Mr Todd was unanimously reelected Mayor of Hokitika.. We are glad to hear that Mr Green has placed another bridge over the New River at the junction of the Cockabulla Creek. The former one being washed away by the last flood. On the 12th instant, when the Eangitoto sailed from Melbourne, the overland telegraph to Port Darwin had again been interrupted, and no cable telegrams later than the 9th had been, received. Mr Warden Broad, accompanied by Messrs Pitt, Woolley, and the Officers of the Court, proceeded to the Lyell, to hold the usual sitting' of the Resident Magistrate and Warden's Courts oh the 18th and 19th. ihsts. The Burford-Stephenson Dramatic Company will perform once more at Reefton on their return journey from the Lyell, where they are reported to have done remarkably well. 'J hey will appear in Greymouth on the 23rd iust, An entertainment, under the auspices of the Reefton Church of England Committee, and presided over by Charles Broad, Esq., was held in the Oddfellows' Hall, on Monday evening last, and was in every way a decided success. ' At the Court held at Reefton on Monday, 16th imtant, judgment; was given by the Resident Magistrate, C. Broad, Esq., in the case of Pollock, Curator of Intestate Estates (by his agent George Donne) v. Henderson. In this case the curator sued for the recovery of a one-third portion of a quarter-share in a claim on Shiel'B line of reef, as belonging to the estate of G. H. Warr, deceased. As evidence he put in a document purporting to be an agreement between John Henderson, Timothy M'Loughlin, and G. H. Warr, by which they severally bound themselves not to part with any portion of the share without the full consent of the others. He also proved that the share was sold by Henderson subsequently to Warr's death, and that the consent of the curator had not been obtained. For the defenoe it was urged that the defendant had only signed the agreement in. question on the understanding that he was to receive a half-share on Adam Smith's line as consideration ; and that the deceased had promised to transfer the half -share to ths defendant in the presence of a witness, but that he had never done 30, and . that since his death the half -share had been taken possession of and sold by the agent. He had purchased Timothy j&'-jiaughlin's interest, and when he found he was to receive no consideration, as prorrised to hiih by Warr, he considered that he had a perfect right to sell the share, which he did for JC425. The expenses up to day of sale amounted to Ll3O. His Worship decided that ho could not admit oral evidence as valid against the document that had been lllbfu<luco<l« — If Uiour kod boon any oonal deration, as urged by the defendant, it certainly ought "to have appeared on the face of the document. Whatever claims the defendant might have against the deceased must be rendered to the Curator, and the defendant must rank precisely as the other creditors. He would allow for one- third share of the expenses that had been incurred prior to the sale, and give a verdict for the plaintiff for LlO3 3s, and L 8 Is costs. '. Residents of Canterbury who have hitherto been prevented on account of the expense from enjoying the splendid scenery pn the West Coast road, will be glad to learn that during the coming holidays they will have an opportunity of travelling to Hokitika at a greatly reduced rate, as the proprietors pf Cobb and Co.'s coaches have determined to issue return tickets at single fares during the Christmas holidays. We have not yet seen it intimated that the same facilities are afforded to visitois from the West Coast to Canterbury. Two bolts of canvas made from New Zealand phormium by Arbroath manufacturers have been received by the Canterbury Flax Association. Last Saturday a sample of ore from Donnelly's Creek was said to have been tested at the Bank of New Zealand, Hokitika, giving a result of 70 per cent, of lead and 74 per cent, of silver. The Times has. since learn that the actual result was 40.555 of lead, and that the proportion of silver was unascertainable as the sample tested was very small. A much larger piece of the ore will shortly be tested, and will afterwards be shown at the Hokitika Exhibition. It appears, says the Soutland News, that a considerable number of Mr Brogden's "navvieß" are not entitled to the designation, inasmuch as they are profoundly ignorant of the art of filling and wheeling barrows, and that in consequence several have been released from their engagement to Bervo the firm until they had worked out their passage money. Steps are being takon to destroy the wild dogs that infest a part of the Wairarapa. The Whareamacorrespondent of the Standard says:—" The Hon. Mr Water-house has, I believe, offered a reward of L 3 for every wild dog killed on the Tiraumea Station. Messrs Leach, of that locality, succeeded in destroying two recently. Sir James Fergusson (says an exchange) is a member of the Established Church of Scotland, and one of the most influential laymen in it." He had been a frequent attendant at the General Assembly, and has freely given his services to its business committees, and was, till shortly before he left England, chairman of a national committee for raising the stipends of the parish ministers. The family, for many years, have been staunch Presbyterians. At the telegraph demonstration at Ade laide, Mr Todd, in acknowledging the toast of his health, said it was only by riding over the line that anyone was able to realise the magnitude of the undertaking. Within five years, besides explorations from sea to sea, they had cut, prepared, and carted 36,000 telegraph poles, weighing 5000 tons, conveying them an average distance of 10 miles. A large number of iron poles from England ware carted an average distance of 400 miles] Besides this, they had to transport 2000 tons of other materials to the interiors and drive several thousand sheep and cattle a distance of 1300 miles north of Port Augusta ; also to cut and clear tracks of 50ft wide through 500 mites of forest and scrub $ to build a stone station of 22 rooms at Port Darwin, and eight other stations. All this and more, including the navigation of the Roper River for 90 miles, had formed a work unparalleled in Australasia