THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1998, 2 January 1875, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SA TURD AY, JANUARY 2, 1874.

The steamer Alhambra is expected to leave the Bluff at 8 p.m to-day. Telegrams for the Australian Colonies or Europe, via Java cable, will be received at the Greymouth office for transmission to Bluff up till 5 o'clok this afternoon. .The bazaar in aid of the Catholic School was continued until 11 o'clock on Thursday night. So far as the proceedings have gone, .the takings amount to about LSOO, and the art union and auction sale, with the addition of a number of small raffles, whrch are to come off in the Transit Shed to-night, will add considerably to the grand total.: The miners and business people of Blackball, Nelson Creek, arid Ahaura, have subscribed the sum of L 37, and handed it over to Charled Clark (who has been in bad health for pome time), to enabln him to proceed to Melbourne for medical Mr Clark desires us to tender his sincere thanks to the subscribers for their kindness. V The drawing for prizes in the Art-Union for the Greymouth Literay Society took place last evening at the Melbourne Hotel. The winning numbers will be found in our advertising columns. The usual New Year's day dinner of the patients of the Grey River Hospital took place yesterday at the Hospital The chair was filled by -Mr J. Greenwood, supported by Mr G. King and the superintendent, Vfr Ruffg, while the vice-chair was occupied by M r FTar ry Kenrick. Th anks were aocnrd ed to the dotors of the various good things provided for the enj -yrpent of the patients, as also to Messrs Moutray and Williams for placing their ovens at the disposal of the Hospital. The following donations were received ,:— 1 live sheep, Mrs Sheedy and Mr ;Seaton ; 1 dozen stout. 1 dozen ale, G <|lenn ; 2 bottles port wine, 2 do sherry, 2 do colonial wine, half-dozen ale, 2 dozen lemonnde, 3 do ginger wine, Mrs Whitmore ; 8 gallons ale, Strike and Blackmore ; 2 bottles jelly, a Friend; 2 pecks peas, 4lb fresh butter, A Irving ; 3 parcels pastry, H Williams. The annual picnic of children belonging to the Greymouth Sunday Schools took place yesterday, in Mr W. Woolfe's paddock, which had been kindly granted for the occasion. The children, numbering about 560, 25 of which came from Marsden, and 40 from Cobden, clustered about 10 a.tn, and headed by the lowd Band, marched to the paddock, but unfortunately showers began to fall and thoroughly drench the children. In spite of this' the sports were maintained the whole day* arid the Revs G-. T. N. Watkins and J. M'lntoßh, with the Mayor, and a number of the leading citizens rendered great assistance. On the ground there was a merry-go-round, BwiDg-boat, and plenty other amusements,

with abundance of ref resliments provided for all. After a good day's enjoym-nt, the youngsters separated, wishing the teachers a happy meeting next year. We are requested to thank Messrs Faiihall, Stewart and Evans, and Hill and H -impton, for liberal supplies of milk ; and Mrs Irving for a large quantity of strawberries and gooseberries. The games went on very merry till the rain in the evening compelled the children to disperse; _ Smith's English and Continental Combination Troupe commenced their performances last night _at the Voluntear Hall, to a house crowded in every part. This company has performed in London and in all the principal colonial towns, and has everywhere been most successful. The psrformance ia certainly a ''combination," As it includes singing, music, and some of the smartest trapeze business we havß ever witnessed. The company pe»form again this evening. ■"' The funeral of the lad David JMackey, who was drowned at Ahaura on Tuesday last, took place at Ahaura on Wednesday evening. Shortly after the inquest, the body was taken to St. Mary's Church, where the first portion of the burial service, according to the ritual of the Catholic Church was performed by the Rev. Father Rolland. The ceremonies at the church being finished, the procession again formed, and headed by the clergyman, passed through the town to the cemetery, when the concluding pait of the burial service was gone through. Father Rolland delivered short addresses to those assembled ia the church and ac the grave The funeral cortege was a very large "ne, for besides containing nearly every resident of the town and vicinity, the large number of visitors in town for the sports (which were interrupted by the boy's death), joined in it. Mackey was a well-conducted lad and a general favorite, and was one of those who received the sacrement of confirmation at the hands of the Rev. Dr. Morau during his visit to Ahaura last year. The Wellington "Evening Post" says:— "As we suppose it is quite hope.ess to expect any direct information from the Government or its organs as to the terms on which the L3OO 000 worth of debentures was recently disposed of in Sydney, we have to avail ourselves of other sources of information. From one of these we lpam that Mr Yogel did not succeed in personally negotiating these debentures, that he tried to do so and failed, but that after his departure they were floated by a broker in whose hands they were left. The price we have not heard, but it must have been a low one, if, as is stated, they were taken up chiefly for the purpose of remittances to Europe. Mr Yogel will consequently find these bonds staring him in the face when he arrives in London, and the objection entertained by the Stock Exchange to the disposal of any loan, except in open market, is well known " By the arrival of a mail from the Cane of Qood. Hope information has been received in England of the landing of a number of Australians at Delagoa Bay from the Beethoven, and their departure for the gold-fields. The scene ou board is described as very exciting. The diggers were told that the extent of payable ground was very limited, and not enough to maintain a large population, and that their only chance was to open up new country. A Mr <ope— a name of good omen— who is a large landed proprietor, told them he had both seen and handled nuggets varying in weight from 2lb to 81b each. Ths& miners told him that th»y would give the fields a fair trial, that thousands in Australia were waiting their report^ and, if it was favorable, would flock to 'the Cape. Just about the time of their arrival there had been rumors of a Kaffir chief being likely to throw obstacles;!- in the way, but an arrangement was come to. The "Charleston. Herald" of Saturday last says: — "Mr Grewar showed us on Thursday evening some pieces of quartz which were obtained from the face of th& claim at Argyle Terrace, owned by Grewar and party. The quartz is highly impregnated with gold, and if obtainable in quantity would make a pile to the proprietors of the claim. Mr Grewar is of opinion that the quartz has come from no great distance, as it bears no evidence of being water worn, and as the locality in which the specimen was found is about in a line with the reef running through Whisky Terrace, and on to the Four-mile and thence to the Six. mile, a strong probability exists that the quartz specimen is a " blow" from the same reef. Mr Samual Wilson, onevof the wealthiest squatters in Victoria, has placed the handsome sum of L 30.000 at the disposal of the authorities of the Melbourne University, for the erection of a hall which shall be in keeping with the present buildings, and shall constitute one of the architectural ornaments of the city. The letter in which he announces his intention to Sir Eedmond Barry, while it evinces the donor's anxiety to make bis gift auxiliary in the greatest degree to the welfare of the colony, explains likewise the grounds upon which, after much careful deliberation and reflection, he arrived at the determinatiop to devote his bounty to the particular object specified. He observesfllhat "as the true greatness of every country consists chiefly in the right use of the cultivated intellects of its most gifted sons, it is to the highest seat of learning that we must look for: the great men of our future history." Animated by this conviction, Mr Wilson has wisely resolved upon dedicating a portion of the weulth which he has acquired in Victoria to the supply of a great want in connexion with its " highest seat of learning." The London correspondent of the Melbourne " Argus, "-writing upon the subject of Colonial credit, says :-^'' Whether the discomfiture of the agents employed to place the Victorian loaa is in any degree due to the hostile letters of Mr Charles Fellows on the public debt of New Zealand, published in the " Pall Mall Gazette," of September 23 and 29, it is difficult to determine. Tnose letters attracted a good deal of attention, and, although prompted in all probability by personal, pique, some of the representations were of so serious a character as regards th« reckless commitments and public jobbery of the colony that they damaged the market value of the Government debentures, and rendered the large unplaced balance of the last loan quite unsaleable. Some surprise has been expressed tha* the Agent-general of the c-lony has not published an answpr to the unfriendly attack of Mr Fellows. Some of his allegations certainly admit of easy refutation, while it may not be impossible to pla^e the alarming growth of colonial indebtedness in a more cheerful liojht. It is startling to -the English public to be told that, considered in relation to population, the debt of New Zealand is greater than that of any other country in the world ; and uneasiness regarding her financial stability is not likely to be diminished by her ambitious desire to annex Fiji to her present under veloped territories." The following telegram appears in the "Rockhampton Bulletin": — "Cooktown, via Card well, Friday, November 27. — The steamers Florence Irving and Victoria leave here to-day. There is not much gold news from the Palmer. The new rush is y,ood, but there is no water available for washing. The dirt is consequently being stacked, awaiting the rains. The news from the Palmer is good, several new rushes having occurred, and men still flocking there. The weather here (Cooktown) is very oppressive, the thermometer ranging at from 90deg to 90deg in the shade. The telegraph construction party have commenced work, and the route has been cleared for five miles from

town. The posts are being erected. Busi ness i.s quiet, and the markets are well stocked for present requirements. There are plenty of sheep hern now to last three months. A^.Melboarne firm has undertaken to pub up three crushing machines on the P.tlmer, and all the arrangements are already niade. The Cooktown papers point with justifiable pride to the customs returns of their Dort, which show that during the nine months ending on 30fch September, over 78,0000z gold were exported from Cooktown, the declared total value being L 314,000. The wharfage charges, by instructions from the Government, have been so far modified that 2* per ton is now the total charge made for goods landed at the port." Although. by the result of competition the conveyance of the mails between Greymouth and Reefton has changed hands, it is only fair that we should place upon record the manner in which Messrs Gilmer Bros, intended, and have carried out, the first coach service between Greymouth and Reefton. They had great difficulties to contend against ; the roads were l>ad, and they had alter to provide the means of transit, which ouc;ht to have been supplied by the Government, but they "went in." They kept the contract time for postal purposes, except under very extraordinary circumstances. They deserve the expression of the public opinion that they carried out the mail service to the best of their ability and entirely to the satisfaction of the public. It may be incideutally suggested that is it rather unfair that the firm which had carried on this "service under the most difficult circumstances should have lost the contract. But the contract has changed hands ; and whilst hoping that the successful contractor will perform his duty, it is only right that we should say that but for the spirited action of the firm of Gilmer Bros, regular communication between Greymouth and Reefton would have been impossible. 'I hey took up the service under most difficult circumstances, and although it was patent that they were losing money every day they did not in the slightest degree reduce the efficiency of their coaches.