Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1493, 17 May 1873, Page 2

It is necessary, to allow the Committee to make arrangements, that, applications for tickets to attend the Masonic Ball, on the 23rd inst., should be made without delay. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Paroa Road Board took place at Paroa on Thursday evening. The business before the meeting consisted of the consideration of tenders for the last remaining sectiou of the Grey mouth and Paroa road. The following tenders were opened, viz :— Hazle and Keown, L 396 10s Slater and Co., L 407 15s ; Mathieson, L 47 2; Barnhill and Co., L 535 10s ; Dunn rafd.Oo., L 550 ; Tindell and Co., L 693 15s. Slater's tender at L 407 15s was accepted, the lowest tenderer having put in a proviso that the bridge and culverts were to be constructed in red pine only. The appointment of assessors was also considered, the successful applicants being Messrs Hudson and Greville, at L4O. It was also resolved to form a bridal ttack from Rutherglen to Manuka Flat, the distance being about a mile, and the Secretary was instructed to forward a recommendation to that effect to the County Chairman. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Christian Anderson was charged with being drunk on the previous day. It being the tirst time defendant was brought before the Court he was discharged with a caution. Robert Crossland and Thomas Hopeland were fined 10s each or 24 hours' imprisonment for a similar offence. The only civil case was Holder v. Campbell, and the plaintiff obtained a verdict for L 4 5s 6d with costs. In Howie v. Nightingale the hearing was fixed foi\ 27th May. A narrow escape from drowning occurred in the river yesterday. A boy induced a child named Williams, between five and six years of age, to get into a canoe. When the little one got in, it toppled over the side, and disappeared in the river. Fortunately when the child rose to the surface, the boy was able to catch it by the hair, and drag it ashore. The child was at once conveyed to its home in Gresson street. The Directors of the Wealth of .Nations Quartz-Mining Company, Inangahua, at their meeting held on Saturday last, accepted a tender for the extension of tbeir waterrace to Deep Creek, a distance of 2 miles 10 chains ; there|being only some eight chains of it requiring Hunting, the rest good cutting, was taken by the contractors for the sum of 27s per chain for race cutting, and L 7 per chain for flumiug, in all a sum of L2S6. This necessary* work, when completed, willgivre a constant supply of water throughout the year, the want of which has been a serious drawback during the long continued drought. The time given for/the contractors to complete the work is 60 days. A meeting of the Westland Racing Club was held at Hokitika on Thursday evening, and canvassers were . appointed to collect subscriptions in aid of the funds for the race meeting, which will be held at Hokitika on the Queen's Birthday. It is to be hoped that the call for subscriptions will be liberally responded to, as we understand that the Club is indebt to the amount of L 250, although menibers have advanced a similar sum out of their own pockets. Wef Times) believe we are justified in saying the new race-course will, when completed, be second to none in the Colony, and as there positively is no other recreation ground in the district, it becomes all the more necessary for the citizens to join heartily in subscribing to the fund about to be raised. A sitting of the Waste Lands Board was held at Holsitika on Thursday, to consider what amendments are required in the WestlaDd Waste Lands Act. The Haioke's Bay Herald declares that the Maoris have " developed a propensity for lying, and an aptitude for doing it at once with impudence and ingenuity, which is fast becoming, in the eyes of their European neighbors, the most prominent feature in their characters." Our contemporary goes on to blame the lawyers for producing these results, charging them with " thoroughly poisoning in the germ the moral principles of the aborigines of New Zealand." The library of the Wellington Gaol now contains more than 400 volumes. The first of the series of entertainments which, we presume, will be given during the winter months, under the auspices of the Greymouth Literary Society, came off last evening at the Volunteer Hall. The audience was not as numerous : as could be wished, but those present 'evidently appreciated the efforts to please of the ladies and gentlemen _who took part in the entertainment. The performance opened with a selection of airs on the pianoforte by a young lady, whose efforts throughout the evening contributed largely to th« success of the entertainment. Her accompaniments on the pianoforte to the several singers we're rendered with I musical correctness, and a song which I she' sung was encored. The songs, glees, recitations and readings were well chosen to suit the capabilities of the performers, and generally they acquitted themselves creditably for amateurs. The recitation of the "Execution of Montrose" was especially well rendered, and the songs ' ' I arise from dreams of thee," "The Northern Star," "The Anchor's weighed," "I'll meet tbee in the lane," " Wrecked and Saved," and "Sweet Madeline." by gentlemen amateurs, ..were well sung, especially the latter song. Of the readings, a lecture by the immortal Mrs Caudle on the fearful consequences of indulging in the effeminate dissipations of the the billiard room, in preference to a " manly and athletic game of whist " at Mr Caudle's own cheerful fireside, was exceedingly well delivered, and caused up- ! roarious merrimept. The adventures of "Captain .Recce," and the manner of his disposal of his female lelatives was highly appreciated by the .feminine portion of the audience. The glees were given with spirit enough, but there were evidences of want of .practice and an absence of unison in some of the voices, 'which will, no doubt be remedied on .future; occasions. The performance concluded with a negro ex-

travaganza, "supported by all the available amateur talent iv Greymouth " This part of the entertainment seemed to be specially prepared for the youngsters, who expressed their delight mostdemonstratively. The conductor performed his part most efficiently, and came in for his share of the applause so -liberally bestowed all round. ' The hall has been tastefully re-decorated, and the stage is much improved by- the addition of a new proscenium. The Coal Company's operations at the Kanieri are being vigorously carried on, and the drive suggested by Dr Hector is progressing rapidly. The Hokioika Star says : —"The tunnel has been driven 20 feet, and the tip has been extended SO feet. Only a few hands can at present work, but all are put on that can be made avfti'able. The Shareholders are scill sanguine of success, and it is to be hoped that ths : r expectations will be fulfilled to tbe fullest extent. Large coal companies have beeu formed to work both the Brunner and the Ngakawhau mines, and we may yet see the day when the Kanieri mine may prove of equal value, to the d ! trict at least. Even if its measures are i so extensive, and only enough can be got -o supp'y Hokitika and its environs, it will be, a vast boon to the public and a sure fortune to its prospectors. The " Island of Saints " has heretofore received the credit of making a funeral or a wake the occasion for a festival, or for a "shindy," resulting in the production of another corpse, but the following from the Mosgiel correspDndent of the Bruce Herald shows what may happen in a similar way in some of the country districts,of Otago : — "A quarrel at a funeral is not an uncommon thing, but. what recently occurred not many miles from here is uncommon. It appears that several friends returning from a funeral had got excited with the good cheer they had imbibed j so much so, that they imagined a foul murder had been committed in their district. They at once procured- spades and commenced to dig, they having their suspicions where the murdered man was buried. After sinking the hole a couple of feet, the spade came in contact with some hard substance, which was pronounced to be the skeleton, but to their disgust turned out to be a root. The supposed murderer coming upon' the scene at this time was accused of the crime. He told them they were not deep enough by six feet ; these excitables redoubled their energy, and after sinking over six feet gave up, having struck the reef. I hear that it is likely to end in an action for defamation of character. The following curious letter, headed "Suppression of Swearing," appears in a late issue of the Neio Zealand Herald :— " Sir — Enclosed you will find the sum of LI ss, which you will oblige by handing over to the Treasurer of the Protestant Orphan Home, Auckland. This amount has been raised in a house in this city from a fine of sixpence being levied en each oath uttered by the boarders. This practical mode of stopping a most pernicious practice has had an excellent effect, oaths with us now being things of the past. Trusting that, where necessary, others may follow this example— l am, &c, One of the Reformed." The thunderstorm of Wednesday afternoon, although not of long duration, was, says the West Coast Times, the heaviest which has passed over this district for a considerable length of time. A singular occurrence happened during the storm. The pile-driving machine which stands on Gibson's Quay, near the saw-mills of Messrs Findlay and Haworth, was struck by the lightning, and splinters of the wood were scattered in all directions. It is worthy of remark that some of the ironwork of the machine is missing, haviug evidently been torn away by the electric fluid, and projected to some considerable distance from the wreck of the machine. "A remarkable statement," according to the Spectator, " was made recently in the House' of; Commons about coal. Mr Akroyd. asked the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether he was aware that the Chinese coal fields covered 400,000 square miles, while the English coal fields only tover 12,000... and that in Shansi in particular 30.000 square miles are known to exist in beds from 12ft to 40ft thick, Lord Enfield replied that he was well aware of the facts that the coal was equal to the best Cardiff, and that the price was from 31s to 49s Cd a ton. Englishmen want to work these fields but the Chinese hesitate. This is an endless supply, but we could not get it here under 87s a ton. Take the cost at 10s at the pit's mouth, and it will still cost 10s to carry to the sea, L 3 for freight home, and 7s between the Pool and the cellar. We want coal here, not there. " I A very peculiar case was heard at V-t Melbourne District Police Court the ot " .»;• day. Alfred Penrhyn, who was engaged as a walking gentleman at the Theatre Royal, under the name of Guyon, summoned Mr Harwood, manager of the theatre, for L 9, three weeks salary. Mr Fairclough, tragedian, had represented to the management that Peurhyn was the notorious Park, the woman-impersonator, and had declined to play with him, The management had, therefore, informed Penrhyn that, unless he refuted the accusation, he must consider his engagement broken. He now summoned them for wages under the engagement, and denied that he was Park. Mr Fairclough and a young man named Chubb swore positively that the plaintiff was Park. • The plaintiff himself, an actress named Louise Crawford, and a young man named Bateman both of whom had known Park well by sight, swore as positively that the plaintiff was not Park. Bateman said plaintiff was six inches taller than Park. Mr Wyatt, R.M., after hearing the evidence, gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with five guineas costs. It was stated that a writ of action for libel had been issued against Fairclough, and that he would be also summoned for perjury. A party of half a dozen practical miners, says the Southern Cross, of whom three have had a long experience at the Thames, and been amongst the: most lucky of any on the field, has been made up to proceed to Whangarei in order to test in a practical manner the value of the alleged recent gold discovery in that district. The party would have started two or three days ago, but in consequence of the boisterous state of the weather, the journey, which will be made by water to Whangarej, has been postponed. From the landing to the scene of the alleged discoveiy the distance is estipaated variously at from 12 to 17 miles, and is pearly ' midway between Whangarei and Russell, Bay of Islands, on land known as the Waiangatira Block. On the return of this party, some of them are quite prepared to incur considerable expense in the undertaking. As ] they have the means and also faith in the venture, the question will probably be defi-, nitely settled whether this new discovery is likely to prove payable or not. From the fact that experienced miners are willing to risk time and money on the undertaking, it is beyond a doubt that they at all f events believe they are "on for a good thing." At present the information to hand is not sufficiently definite for a positive opinion to be given of the payable capabilities of the new field, but the probabilities appear strongly in favor of a valuable discovery having been made.' Laud in the neighborhood indicated has been marked for some time as probably auriferous on Dr Hector's geological maps, and from time to time reports of indications of gold in the locality have reached Auckland. The > last reports, which have led to the starting of the party spoken of, would seem to be authentic. z