THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1465, 15 April 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 1873.

At the request of the officers of the ;^ire Brigade, the ; Mayor has called a public' me eting,r tp.be.held.to-mprrpw evening, for the ptirpose of taking into consideration, "the "JDreaent financial ppaiupn of tne' Brigade." ' s in. the advertiaement . the meeting- there is no informaj.tioii- conveyed as to the peculiarities-- of : the Brigade's financial position, but the implication is .that it ib npt.a very satisfactory one, aha 1 the meetingis, no do^bt, called fpr.the; (purpose of.eUditing public interest, and of prganisuig measures for assisting 'thY Brigade in clearing off its liabilities. .It is aincerely: to be hoped thats both these objects Will be achieved. Sincfe itsimtifytioii the ßrigade^ as compared with similar bodies in other towns, 'has-been managed with eitraorctinary economy and efficiency, and" the exertions of its members have, on many occasions been inst^umen|P|i| in aavirig a large amount of properfyV sThere5 There can only be opinion as to the -value of these"rvfees > they have invariably rendered, ancl that' .opinfeai; is a ih'iply favorable ''one 1 . ■ < iFa%r.: able populMSjo^pipi^nghowqver, does not, grease the'wfieela'of the engine^ or mend! holes in 1 Ihe 1 '' and i^ is reguMttte^. if thelßrigad&is'itki be mSintaimtedinai'itfcate of efficiency, _s*'& : [ fefcere'.! should be ponie irfltj r , tan *^\ '■^j?^3sio^ *■'s% '* thatl'ppinioa in tne shape of, a cojiiribu^onptliie '.'.aii^iiw &.£&">-■<■& theintieiaxlei' meeting 'iijiere . W l *** '.Mwbti ,bp ,f ail^^explanationsT gi«ren J •3? I >°s#ie; ; .actual . i ■equirements of .-. : the " ongade-^ and it Is reasonable to.expect! that, w-hen.t^eaQ^planatipnsaTei given, ' mm CwiU.bejt^ken by the commuju^y to meet suoh- liabilities. ia s may, exist;, and enable;, the : members of the Brigad«i;to contmtie with some he art their voluntary »nd^*f ten laborioiisdt ttieSi ; v •

jacv«rarirK«: --r- — r — ' — -t-r-*- — -..-n:^^.-*--- j Wx b: aye alrea^BubliaJtie.d some statistics Pf ag riculture in Wes tland. In a late j rifiiiit'ief of 'ttie T Go^ern nienk dkuku the I statij ,tic 3 relating to t^.lSelapi}. portion of , the( 3[rey Valley, have b< jettprip-t^d.! > By the* c we leafl&jthat ;pn^.^ l^elson.side of the river there are -94 h oMers of land, rt- 0 PlW^dting.iansa^gregatel-l of "'27-3^- acres

unjder crop, including^own glasses. Of^ that area, durtnf ther p"aß|*«year ? : 948J acres were in oats for green food $r hay, -aM 281^ acres in pajOor grain^eldiiag *Jft4o buahels, a qumer of an in barley, yielding 10 bushels, 163 acrea in hay, yielding 203£ tona, and, including ficial grass. The area .^planted . with potatoes was 187^ acres, yielding 1522 tons, and in other crops 63 acres, besides which imtgrtraw-IG6|^^axa^s^qfialid^btSgßrupT but not under .orop^.* \\\ I — W-hile- quoting these figures, we may i quote also the : st|ESi|Sticsxpf population, as prepared b^t^l^i^mgfi^ of Police, and produced 4ri :^M^enOTßl report for the mpn th ending on the 31a fypf ■ jlVlarok. | According to his .estimate, T the total popula-. tion of the 7 Grey moutn district is 2921, thus located— Greymouth, 2400 ; Stony Lead, 190; Paroa,77 ; .R-utherglen, 121 ; Teremakaxi, 37 ; Omptumofcii, 75. In the Clifton district the total population ia 550, thus . distributed--Clif ton, 30 ; Maori Creek, 100 ; Hew, River, 140 ; Oockabulla, 100 ; Marsdenj' 130 ; Nemona, 50: And in the Maori Gully district the population, estimated at 700, is thus divided :— Maori Gully, 260; German Gully and Liverpool's, 200 ; Waimea and Still water c Creeks, 160 ; Italian, and Riley's Gullies, 60; Coalmines and Arnold road, 20. The number of persons who arrived in port is stated to have been 202 ; and the number that departed ]91.: Both sub districts are described as being very orderly, and of Greymouth it is said :— " During the past month nothing of importance has occurred. The town has been very quiet and orderly, although a large number of persona Were in tPwn during the races. Thirteen peraona were arrested during the month on the foUbwing charges : — 1 for indecent exposure, 2 tor obacene and indecent language, 1 for habitual drunkenness j 6 for 1 drunkenness and disorderly conduct ; 1 for deserting her shild was remanded to Hokitika, and 1 for embezzlement was discharged." Several other returns have recently been prepared by. lnspector iHickson for tranamission to the General Government. From these we learn that the number of miners employed in the sub-district pf Paroa is 228— 26 from the Teremakau 4 to the New River, 10 from the New River to Pfttoa, 11 at ; ParOa, ! 10l at Rutherglen, Welshman's, and Limestone, and 80 on the Stony Lead and. on the South Beach from Paroa to Greymouth. The machines employed in mining are stated to be— l ■team-engine, of six-horse power, 380 sluices, tdms, arid sluice-boxes ; 6 waterwheels, 36 hydraulic hose, and 2 pumps, of a total value of L 750. The rate of wages' is put down at £5 per week for milling managers, £4 to for blacksmiths, £4 16s for carpenters, £4= for ..miners, £3 to £3 10s for laborers, £1 to 'jfil'lOs, with board, for boys ; £3 for agricultural laborers, without board ; 25s to 30a J^r iemale domestic servants, with thefr keep. The price of gold, per ounce, is given at £3 17s— the; price paid since the reduction of the gold duty — and £6 is stated to be the price charged for water per sluice-head per week. The other return made by the Inspector represents the average prices of provisions ! and live aJ-nfilr rliirinrr thfi. VPiar nnsf. • Vint nn •Min^. well-informed.

East§r ; Monday ;. was,. only partially observed as a holiday in Greymouth, by the banks, the public offices, and some of the (principal stores; benig)closed. The imajprity of those who left town did so for the purpose of being present at the Hokitika races, ;and a minority indulged in the! pleasure: of picnics at one or other of the picturesque situations in the neighborhood which are accessible by road or river.. In the evening there' -was "a "tea-meeting ; iri*'the' Wesleyan ■ "Cfiaper, in aid of the funds of the Snnday School; >: • f ',> | Mention is made of Mr Seymour, th*e present Superintendent of the Province of Maryborough, as a ' probable 6andidate for election as Superintendent of Nelson. Mr Shephard, jthe; late Provincial Treasurer, is also spokigi of as Ukely to contest the election with' Mr Curtis. . ; Mr G.Donne, agent fpr,the, Curator, pi. Intestate Estates,' advertises' 'in 1 'another column the sale of a valuable mining interest j at theLyell, consisting of a share which was held in the : Alpine' claim , by Romerio |Zala, deceased. The share, if' will be seen, is to be purchased by tender, -to be sent in before' Saturday, the 2<fch instant. ' j Miss Clara Stephepon made her first appearance in Dunedin, on Monday, the 7th instant, in the character, of Peg Wofiington, ; iv the, play ;of. "Masks and, Faces." Her performance is very favorably'noticed by the local papers. . ' '•' By the last steamer from Melbourne, Mr Prince, of Greymouth, imported some more prize poultry — Brahmas and gold-spangled and silver- spangled PolaridV the l latter for Mr Sbeard, of Brunnerton. They are all beautiful birds,' and their progeny should prove attractions at the next show of the ;Ur,nitholpgical Society* : ; ' •r•; ■ j in;; .A (nan.namedColliss, in ;the employ o&he Timaru Landing Company, was hauling a boat up to the beach when j a wire; rope broke, causing a compound fracture pf his Auckland boasts of a vegetable marrow measuring sft Sin in height and 3ffc 7in in circumference. . ,' The cod tract for surveying and dividing the Rai Valley into sections has beeu taken by Mr Darby, of Nelson. = I | , An Uriwera native has brought in a -inch gold quartz specimens from Ruamahanga, in ■ the tlriwera country; ■ " c - ' ,; : : A man named.MUnerj has been committed Jor trial for specimen,; stealing; from, the Ca-i jl^fiPWi Wi ne « : ( .Hi»,r,compani9p, • who: was brought^up;fvr. : . ;the. same ;6ffencei /turned Queen'fljevidence. .-.Several ineu are now making good wages at the Waiho diggings, near Okarito, andthe prospects generally^ down > South bear a more cheerful aspect than they have done for some >: time'pasfi. : ' : '■• lil } '-. v l> '' '' ' | Hokitika possesses ! a novelty in the shape of a "Tender Committee." The Wellington tf?o«<s»ys A ''Those whd fi have ha^mdst 1 to do with^committees' ; have generally found them to be very tough affairs." -; ■'Dr' ! yifcyerman, 'whosfe s\iadeh ; d'eatfi was recently' 'reported, was, a medical man in good practice in 'Nelson^ 1 and was highly respected^ by all who knew him. At the inquest; the'only witness callerl was D'r' Scaly, ,who said : I was sent for this morning at a 'few minutes' before nine; to', ; see Dr Vic.kermari. r!i "I ' cam'e. ;tb" th^i hduse' at ipne'e,' and , .fpund him lying | the v bed quite dead. 'It' appeared as though. He had been sitbn| on the side of the bed putting .on his slrpfers and hiVi'fallen'bacE' ; That '''if id ike position in which he was found by 'Mrs Y' c kerman Who; H'e&WJ. canie: had ptit .a' little brandy hr hi# mtfutH-' and, applied ' aWmohia ' tb I 'hi 8 noatrila.,, Death ;;Wu^t ! /ha've !l! be^ain'Btan. (

taneous, and was. caused by apoplexy. A little after eight o'clock, his 'son Alfred, a lad of about eleven^years of age, went upstairs to tell him breakfast was ready, and came doYjrja , arid, said bis father was lying .#Sep ori^lVsideof the becfT Shortly afterwards a message came for him, and Mrs Vickerman then went up and found him as described. He must have been dead an. 'herar*whenrTr-nrst saw him." ""ST verdict was returned to the effect that deceased had died from natural c"aqses. . ! • The excursionists to the South by the^ H¥srpara arff'ssithby the' x Westland Register %o to have had a ano ? st K ,pteasant trip, and a splendid view 61 two magnificent glaciers. , About , a mile from, and on the westerly side of Lake Mahinapua, are three parties of miners, counting fourteen altogether, who have struck gold. The sinking, says the WesilaMpJßJgister, is from 10 to 81ft, with 4ft of waßh"dirt, which goes from one to ten grains to the 'dish. This is probably a continuation of the Aylmer lead at nearly three miles distant to the northward of it; The following hint is offered to all whom, lit may concern i: to wit, the proprietors and lessees of halls, and those having authority over our public buildings : — Echo has been prevented and good hearing .produced in the large halt of the Melbourne Athenaeum by stretohing wires across the room to break the waves of sound, ; The Postmaster-General has made arrangements with Mr Bishop, the .Wellington agent for Messrs M 'Meckan, Black wood, and Co.,i f on the carriage of an English mail by the Rangitoto. The Post understands that the Government contemplate making permanent arrangements with Messrs M 'Meckan and Co. for the carriage of the Suez Mail for the future. ..•■■-• Mr John Ballance, proprietor of the Wanganui Herald, has been served with a writ for LIOOO, for an alleged libel on Mr Watt, i Mayor of Wanganui. The cause of action is certain letters and paragraphs contained in 1 the Harold reflecting upon Mr Watt's private character. A fracas took place among some of the Chinamen working up Jones's Creek on; Thursday night. One of the party, says the Ross Guardian, was sent to sell the gold, and he got gambling, and lost the proceeds of the p*arcel. On his return home, he was insolent to his mates, and took up a stick to strike them, when one of . them took up a stone and inflicted a nasty wound on the aggressor's forehead. ; ...,,:•;- 'At Auckland; Peter Carroll, for rape, has' been sentenced to imprisonment fur life. He feigned insanity. '■■ Judge Johnston said that he would have ordered the prisoner t<s- be flogged, but the law, although allowim flogging for indecent assault, made no such provision for the higher offence of rape. The body of a man, named William Aberuethy, who was lately employed at the Pilot Station, Wanganui, was found floating in the river. He had been drinking heavily lately, and it is supposed that he fell asleep, and was drowned by the rising tide. At the recent orimiaal session of the Supreme Court in Christchurch, no less than eight of the cases on the calender were of forgery. . . . • „ . An Anatori correspondent of the Nelson Examiner writes : — " Mining affairs generally have a more hopeful appearance here. It isquite possible that an increase, of population wifl set in this way, as this is especially ja* winter's diggings. Now that the road is open to the head of the lake, and stores close to the present workings, part of the drawbacks to this place will be removed. A prospecting party has been out and returned for search, especially is it is in a different direction from the present workings, but at the, same time nothing to be very sanguide about." ■ i The following peculiar advertisement appears; in an. Auckland paper :— " To the single young men" I 'of Ngaruawahia. — A single young lady begs, respectfully to inform the single young men of Ngaruawahia that if any of those young men build her a neat little cottage, she will be most happyto set- up a washing establishment on the latest. and most improved" principles. Each must- bring 'anditake away'his own clothes, aadalso supply his own soap, andaodai" .-. i ■■■■■■, ;•> ;; s The Temple of Pomona Cafe arid the tw<o adjoining buildings in Bourke-street, Metboutne, were sola privately the other daty. for L 18.500. •. Some years ago the same premises, were offered for half that sum withoiit .finding a buyer., t, , ; : . :, r ;■ : , An action is pending against the Superm-. :fcendent of Wellington, brought by a Mr 1 ' John Morgan, who claims damages (LJ|O) fcjr injuries sustained by his horse when'crossing a bridge on the main line of road near Up Westmere, on the 2Sth of December, 1871, the bridge at the time being in a bad state of repair. The case came before ■ ithe Resident Magistrate at Wanganui, when ah order was granted to change the' venue tjo Wellington. v | , : iQne of; the leading journals of the north thus speaks of the Governor, expectant :-*- --"Sir James Fergussonis by birEh a patrician, , by education a scholar, by training a; statesman, by experience of office an ? administrator, and by every 'instinct which ! : has guided his public acts he has proved himself to b 3 a man ' of honor and unswerving principles, He is, as those who. know him. best, can. I b ( est tell, astute, far-seeing, and'close'ly observant, with a will and a ; thoroughness; of purpose not easily moved or turned from the direptiori of its bent." .[ i "; , '. ''■". ; During the month of March, 821 tons of quartz were crushed at; Coroinandel, which' yielded 19950« of gold. The Harbor View claim obtained the extraordinary , yield of 2430z 15dwt of, Jgold ; from- 4cwt, 56dwt. of stone On March 29, 30610#0f gold reached Auckland from that goldfield, „,;, ■ ; A large, extent of country is being takeiiup at Poverty Bay for grazing purposes. The Herald states that the number of sheep despatched thither from Hawke's Bay within the past few weeks, together with those, just about to be despatched; cannot fall far short of/200,000, if -indeed it does not exceed that ■ figure; :■,. .;',; ; •■ ■ ■;'.•, . - „,.;; .' ■■■■■■ A prospectus has been issued '■ of a new banking to be called ' the : Industrial' and ■ Metcantiie Bank 'of Australia (Limited). It is proposed to establish^ the' institution oh 'the principle of a' people's bant, embodying the ■maihrfea'tures-of the Scotch banking system. ■■'■> ■' '■■<■■ ■•' .' , A, curious circumstance; ,occurre,d during the passage of the s.s Albambra, fron^ Melbourne. On Wednesday evening, when the' steamer was about 120 miles from' 'the West Cape, considerable surprise was occasioned to the passengers on deck by a bird coming on board, almost 'at their .feet,- where it w4s ! secured. It proved to be a pukeko, or. swamp hen, and it seemed to be completely exhausted! : ;It was con jectUred that the bird had been ployn .to., sea from. New though that seemed hardly 1 possible,' when . its very limited "flying powers, and the distance of the steamer-from- land-wheirit'came on board,! are jconsidered. .... ■•; s 1 The doctrine that "the King can^dJ-n'o' wrong" appears ( to haver its, parallel amonja; the niqral; se.nti^ejh'ts pf ( Maoridpn^.y During the proceedings of; the Native Lands Purchase Inquiry now going on at Napier, a chidf ' named' Te v 'Hapuku was asked by"Judge Manning whether he -w,as aware of the oldMaofi, custom, fi that (/ wh ft u; / |» i , i n^e brought a • «

charge against another tnSV waiTfibt fflll founded, a yery|seriouSjpenalty w^s incujgrejd. ' He repliehj with pleading naivete} anVtyjwei have no. doubt, at^thgisame tin|||foith;ij&Or- . rectness -^','1 am avJ'af&m^that ;^Uty it jgd^relatta to slaves, not to. chiefs of my thxK.:i^jglo9eply f in whatever light it may b"e viewed, must convey this impression at Jeaatj^.that^Hapuk^^^ chiefs of his rank are placed far'above any such/ servile obligations as that of ref\isjSigs io bear' false witness against one's neighbor. ™«fe^«-Ghpißtchurch^Ma^"Btr#e*^oTfir^ar man named,; Cprry pbtjainedj adjudgment for L 20 t partly' damages against* Mr. 'Solomons, 1 .who by advertisement., described himself- as 'an oculist, and under whose treajjhierit Corry had been during a space of five days. : While some necessary' 1 Helay'"iri the official ceremony of turning 'the first sod' of the Poxhill railway has taken place, the question as to who should perform the actual work has been 'definitely settled' by Messrs Martin, Hirsacker, and party, sub-contractors under Messrs Scott and Robertson, who' drove; in ithe first spade on the property of Mr James Wallace at Upper Wakefield. The .only ceremony observed 1 by them was a very unceremonious rush to* decide to whom the honor should belong. This was decided in' favor ol Mr Joh'.nPrestidge.. Inthe evening, and in . commemoration of the occasion, : the men were 1 hospitably entertained, by Mr and Mrs Wallace, at Ellerslie Cottage, where a most pleasant evening was passed. The dingy of the yacht Coquette was found in Peraki, and taken in . tow, by one of the search boats to bring to Abaroa^btit ow,ing to the heavy sea .running' amT her'waterlogged condition she had to be cut adrift,' when outside of Pdraki, and ' left to the mercy of winds and waves. A fev^.days since the Maoris at Onuku Kaihga, Akaroa, saw a boat drifting about the harbor, and went out and picked it up ; this boat turned out to be the dingy above described. A day or two since a native boy was looking about the. boat when he found, somewhere between, the lining and skin, part of the late Captain Hawtreys gold, watch guard, with pencilcase and an old sixpence. attached, all of which were known as having been worn by the deceased. - • ; • .. The alleged gold , discovery in the Whangarei; district, which was spoken of in the. Southern Gross •, a lew days ago, iswreported , on good authority to be likely "to turnout well. It would be premature at present to say that aKpayable gold field 'has ibeeia^is--covered, but it is certainly quite on the cards, that, .'a. second" Thames <niay.b6 found in tHe long-depressed Noith, which has never yet been properly iprosp'ecfced. 1 i oThe finding Of payable gold within an easy distance of Whangarei harbor would indeed be a vaJ uablo addition to : the, , resources' of the Province- In a few days some further intelligence»tnay be expected from) the lojfeajity , and, if it be corroborative of that whichlhas preceded it, golden days are in store for WhangareL • Anything fike a in the absence of fuller information, is to be; deprecated. The latest contribution to Tichbornia is ( made by the Dumtan Thneß,,vrhic\L has been given tb'utiderstandtbat the lon'glbst Arthur Orton, whose name has figurediso'conspicuously in the celebrated Tichbourne case, .passed through Clyde within the pas% fortnight en route for England; This 4 w3r|hy, who has ; assumed the name of Thomas -Nippen, has for the, past few^years been living on Mr* Henry; . Campbell's . ; station, Lake Wanaka, as' butcher. ; N;ippen _or Orton is accompanied by t,wo welj-kno^rn residents of the. Upper Clutha. Nippon ha? been in ■communicatiorLwith_spmp people^ in England, death, and it is to claim this money he is .making .the .journey. "•,<",'" nV- : A correspondent at Yam Creek report Jthat all sinking at. the' Yam Oreek goldfield has been suspended on account of water. Rich specimens i haver been.obtainedOfrom Westjcott's western line. The reef is equally rich down to nine feet, and is increasing in thickness. The Kapunda Company have golden stoneat ,th?;bottoin/ of>a:for|ty,-twq feet shaft, »wjhich J .is_now.;f uU'/joCwater. _ JN.ew..Yeins. of auriferous surface stone are constantly being discovered ;pndi^>tEHscoTJa!Uhe. All tlite parties are short of provisions except Westicott's^ Several hayeleft ,th]B/Eap]anda clsimk for the Palmerston. The south-east mo^oii 'is;b^ying steadily, ; and the; qountry js frying fast. The projnect^obtauied at Hawley Rgef t was .gO6d; r Provision^ are ishqiTt, and some sickness prey alia, Elphic/'and'Crujk- ; Bhank^s Golden . Point dlaimx^'clown ; twelve feet in "a f o'ur'-f pot ' i eief 'of payible' golden stone. ThW;prdspects at Pine: Creek are second to none. ; : , '' ' ' ', ; ' Dr Bbight's .PHOSP;^qpYNBv--Multitude|B of people are hopelessly suffering . from Debility, Nervous and Liver Complaints, De, pressibn of Spirits, D.elusions, Unfitness ri fo;r' Business or Study,, Failure of Hearing' Sight ■ . and Memory, Lassitude, \ Want of . Power, &c, whose cases admit^of.a fierrn'anent cure ; by 'the liew remedy . Phoaphpdyrie' (Ozphic' Oxygen), jwliicii at, 1 once' alleys 'all 'irritation and excitement, imparts ,ne\v energy, and .life' to the enfeebled constitutibnV and rapidly curies stage of these' hitherto, incurable and distressing, maladies. " Sold by all' .Chemjsts, and Storekeepers thrQughput. theColonies, . from whom I ' : pamphlets containing" ; testimonials, may; ab,e obtain.cd Vr Caution—: B,e particular tp ask f or I>r Bright's Pho'sphodyne as itnitations , are[ abroad. Wholesale agents for Jtfewi Z'eajand. : -771 I£empthornei Prosser, and^OQ.rJDungdm.t^fADFft] . ' . ■•...:-l ((„ *■■'. „..;i f.,,.tr