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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1850, 22 July 1874, Page 2

An old and much-respected resident of Nelson Creek, named Weston, was hronglib to the Grey Kiver Hospital on Monday, suffering from paralysis. Weston was at work in his claim wben he was seized with his dangerous illness, which it is feared was brought on through the unwonted excitement for a man of his usually quiei; habits, induced by attending the ball and other festivities recently given at Hatter's Terrace for the benefit of the funds of the hospital, in the welfare of which institution he has always taken an active practical interest. It is said by a correspondent," observed the Bmce Herald, that our partridges will not have the same flavor as the Scotch bird, on account of the absence of heather. From the same cause our mutton suffers. This, however, will not be the case always, owing to the patriotism of a well-known Miltonian, who is sending the purple heather far and near," A five-stalled stable, the property of Mr A- Wilson, slaughterman, was burned down at Maori Hill, Otago, on the morning of Thursday week, it is supposed, through one of the workmen carelessly throwing a lighted match amongst the straw. The loss is estimated at L2O, which is not covered by insurance. With regard to. the recent case of drowning in the lagoon, and the non-recovery of the body, a correspondent sends us the following : — "ln the evening's paper ifc is stated • that loaves of bread have been thrown upon the lagoon for the purpose of discovering if any dead body lies underneath,' without giving any reason except that in. many instances it has proved successful. While read- : ing it I felt that the dark ages were again coming over us, but after a moment's consideration I thought the bread test is a good one. after the body has been in the water ] sufficient time to allow the fishes to congregate around their prey. If we throw a handful of grain among a lot of fowls, the strongest get the bulk, the outsiders what they can ;so with fishes. I have no doubt if the bread test were tried again and agiin, it would prove successful for the following reason : — The outsiders (fish) not being able to. feed with the stronger would, on the bread coming near ifc, impede its progress by commencing to feed on it, and thus show where the fish had accumulated. Of course it would be no use trying the experimenc while the tide was running in strong, or until the body had been in sufficient time to attract the fish." We notice with pleasure that the article : which we recently published descriptive of the present workings, of theGreymonth Coal : Company, aud explaining, as fully as it was , possible to do, its future prospects, has been copied at length into the Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago papers, aud the information spread by this means will no doubt have its effect throughout the Colony in assisting in opening up and thoroughly developing the - Greymouth Mine, It may interest sporting men to know that Captain Aiachell, whose horse Eeugney won the last Liverpool Grand National with a gentleman rider on his back, is a brother of : Captain Machell, aide-de-camp to Sir George Bowen. Captain Machell won the National i last year, and is described as "a man, who, making racing a business, has honorably made a fortune by it." We, yesterday, referred to the fact of Mr Scott's house, in Hokitika, having been struck by lightning during the thunderstorm ;of Sunday. Since then we have heard a few additional items, which may be of interest. ■ Mr Scott, it seems, was lying down, when he heard a fearful clap of thunder, and directly 'after. that' saw an unusual bright light in one , corner of the room, Foil wing almost immediately .on this luminous appearance, flame burst out ' of the part where the light 1 had appeared, the paper and scrim of the | room in that part being afire. Mr Scott at ionce jumped up and threw a basin or two of ; water on the blaze before it had obtained 'any great hold, and extinguished it without much trouble. s Had he been absentj however, if only for a few minutes, the house • would have been reduced to ashes. On of the outside of the building | he found some of the boards displaced, the nails .haviug apparently been melted, the j corner or post was split through, and the lining was burnt. Beyond this, however, no harm was done, though a much more narrow escape has seldom been recorded. We may add that the house was that of Mr James Scott, master of the Hokitika Academy, aad not that of Mr A. Scott, of Gibson's Quay. ; Considerable interest has been excited in scientific circles in Auckland by the discovery, during the, excavation of the Barrack Hill, of the stump of a Ti tree, evidently many hundrel years under ground, from the strata under which it was buried, The' interest lies in the evidence of the tree been cut by some instrument, proved by the surface and by a spike of wood left standing in the centre where the trunk had broken as it fell. The stump was upright when found, and has been the subject of a paper and discussion in the Auckland Institute, when the balance of opinion was in favor cf its having been cut down, and consequently of its throwing some little light on the existence of the race of people .in the North Island, whom the Maoris by tradi'ion say Were found when their ancestors first came from Hawaiwi to New Zealand. The New Zealand Land Improvement Company, which was announced in London with a, flourish of trumpets some months back, seems to have come to complete grief. It was to have a capital of L 500,000, in 25,000 share 3, but only half this was to be raised at the outset. The prospectus promised that, no shares shall be allotted unless a' ''sufficient capital" was obtained, and this' was to be two-thirds of the 12,500 shares. AMr Elder, relying on this prospectus, applied for 200 shares, which, in due time,- were allotted, It appeared, however, that only 900 shares altogether had been allotted, and that some of these belonged to • Directors who had paid nothing for. them, and were indemnified against calls. The scheme was changed, and the Directors intimated that they intended to take up the lands on deferred payments, for which they would only, require, L 3900. Under these circumstances, Mr Elder instituted a suit to restrain, the Directors from commencing business , with his money. : The Vice-chan-cellor, Malms, decided that the Directors were wrong in attempting this. ; The decision ! gave a happy termination to a visionary: scheme. Perhaps, Mr Elder will in future, if he ; wants tpigo in for New Zealand land, buyjFqrhimself, without the intervention of London pn >j ectora, directors, - . and speculators. The Telegraph Amendment Bill introduced into the Assembly, provides that no officer, clerk, operator, or other person employed in, about, or working on aDy such line of telegraph, shall, on .] trial issue, whether civil" or., criminal, or any matter or question, or oh any inquiry in any Court of Justice, or before

any person having by law or consent the parties' authority to hear receive, or give evidence of the contents of any message, despatch, or communication transmitted or conveyed, or presented to be transmitted or conveyed by any suck line, nor produce under any writ cf subpoena, summons, or order the original of any such message, despatch, or communication, signed by, or on behalf of, the sender. The exceptions to this provision are in respect of any telegram produced which is authorised or requested by the sender or receiver, or permission for production of which is given by the General Manager. It does not apply to any investigation in cases of perjury or treason and felony. No officer is responsible for transmitting libels. There are ten other provisions, respecting accidental injuries to telegraph hnes, &c." A waterman named Alfred Haven has been drowned in Auckland Harbor, while in charge" of a cutter. " An eccentric incumbent of the Episcopal Church in Broughty Ferry— the Rev. Geo. Mackness, D.D., has," according to a Glasgow paper, " started a new theory in regard to Sunday occupation. Impressed with the idea that in our horror of Sunday desecration we are wholly given over to Sunday desolation, the rev. gentleman asks' -why should not the women of a household employ their fingers as well as their eyes and their tongues on a Sunday ? He distinctly advises a lady correspondent to seek for deliverance from Sunday ennui by employing her fingers in making garments for the poor, or on other charitable work, as he cannot conceive anyone can have the courage to denounce the 'clothing of the naked ' as a desecration of Sunday. Certainly the idea is a novel one, aud had it come from any but a minister of die gospel would, in all probabdity have been scouted as profane ; but there it stands in print, and comment is apparently invited. Without pronouncing an opinion on a subject so abstruce, one cannot help being struck with the vast amount of work which might accrue to charitable institutions from fingers now kept idle by conscientious considerations. Dr Mackness's suggestions will, no doubt, raise a st'irm of controversy throughout the country ; aud we shall be curious to notice not less its reception by the mass of our Presbyterian fellow-countrymen in general than by his worthy and pious but large-minded and worthy diocesan, th<s Right Rev. Dr Forbes, Bishop of Brechin." Afire was discovered at the Ofcago Steam, Saw, and Planing Mills, of Messrs Findlay and Co , Dunedin, on the night of the 10th inst., at about a quarter-past eleven- There was a mass of shavings, at least 20ft square and several feet deep, extending around the planing mills, and as far as the furnace. The shavings that had been lying against the hot brickwork of the furnace, perhaps for days, had apparently smouldered for a while, and then ignited. The shavings were found on fire, blazing. Water was brought by the neighbors in buckets, and the fire was kept down till the arrival of the Brigade, which soon extinguished it. This is the third fire that has occurred at this establishment during the past twelve months. The following Parliamentary items are from the Wellington correspondent of the Otago Daily Times:—" As there aro no new members in the Council this session, the task of moving the address in reply has been undertaken by Mr Campbell. The Council roll this year has five names on it less than last year. The ex-Speaker, Mrßartley, and Mr Domett, have ceased to hold their seats owing to non-attendance, and Messrs Pillans, Sewell, andDr Buchanan have resigned. It is rather singular that there has not been a single new appointment during the recess. The Lords are already setting their backs up against the proposal to introduce a measure to guard against continued differences of opinion with the other House. The Government Bill will probably be introduced in the Council ; and if so, it will certainly never reach the other Chamber. The honorables say it is ah entirely unnecessary measure, as no continued difference of opinion at all apDroaohing a deadlock ever has occurred, and that so little has such a state of affairs been even approached that no Government has found it necessary or desirable to take the opinion of the country on anj question as between the two Houses. The Lower House will care very little if the proposed measure comes to an untimely end. The general feeling in the Lower House is that if any change, is made, it should be one altogether altering the constitution of the Council, but there is really, very little stray feeling of any sort on the subject. Some surprise is felt at the proposal being mooted in what is to be a short session, but the explanation generally accepted is that Mr Yogel has some grand scheme of his own which he is anxious to place in comparison with the Norwegian method of attaining the same end which Mr Francis is now urging on the acceptance of the Victorian Parliament. It is thought that it is more with a view of instituting a comparison of this kind, than with any serious expectation of carrying the measure, or any conviction of the necessity for it, that the proposal has found a place in the Government programme." The tender of Mr J. Thompson, for the repairs of the Arahura bridge, recently purchased from him by the Government, was on Monday accepted, the sum being L 1650. The contract (says the Times) could not have fallen into better hands, for Mr Thompson cut timber a year ago for such a purpose, and it has been seasoning since that ti-ue. It was then octagoned, whereby the whole of the sap-wood was cut oft, and with such material a splendidly substantial job may be made. In the construction of tho bridge originally, every care was taken to secure its permanancy. Under every washer was another soaked in . tar to prevent the wet getting into the bolts. In all joints, where two met together, a thickness of felt, to fill up any possible interstice, and prevent wet getting in, was inserted. In the repairs.still further precautions are to be taken, and the bridge will be better than ever it was , when it is completed, and will be a credit to Westland or any other part of the Colony. There is a stipulation ia the contract that traffic shall not be interrupted for more than four months, but we understand that it will not be interfered with for more than three-quarters of that time. Besides this, we are told that horses will not be debarred from crossing for much more than one week out of three of that time, and though the temporary inconvenience will no doubt be felt, the permanent advantage on the completion of the work will more than compensate for it. In the hands of the present contractor it is certain that the bridge will be repaired substantially, and that the " scamping" work top often put in by contractors in New Zealand and elsewhere need not be feared. ; • : : Holloway's Ointment and Pills.— For the cure of burns, scalds, wounds, and ulcers, this justly celebrated Ointment stands unrivalled. Its balmsamic virtues immediately on application lull the pain and smarting, : protect the exposed nerves from the air, and. give to the vessels the vigor necessary to heal the sore, and confer on the blood a purity which 'permits it only to lay down Wealthy flesh in the place of that destroyod. Holloway's Pills, simultaneously taken, much assist the Ointment's purifying and soothing power Together these medicaments act like a charm. Travellers embarking for unwholesome climates, where pestilential airs are- constantly prodncing fever, 'should provide themselves with these remedies, which will ; assuredly saye 1 them nights of watching and days of pain. :: • i! - ■'■'■ ■ ; t