The Lyell Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1885.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume V, Issue 215, 28 March 1885, Page 2

The Lyell Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1885.

The Rev. Father. Holland, will conduct Mass and Vespers here at St, Joseph's, to-morrow at the usual hours. The Half-yearly meetings of shareholders in the United Alpine and Tyr Connell Companies will be held on the 30 th prox. It is announced that Bishop Buter will hold services at St. Matthew's, on Thursday evenißtf, and Friday foreuoeu next. It is elsewhere uotineJ, that tenders, closing at Westport on the 4th prox., are called for the improvement of some of the bridges on the Buller Road. If ever ther* was a really urgent iiece*sity for work of this description, it is to b« found in some of the structures on this road at the present time ; and we hope to see the contract pushed ahead with, when it is let, so that all risk of accid«ats or trouble to those trafficking over it, may be avoided. A dose heliday will be oWved at the local Post Office on Good F-iday, the 3rd prox. On Easter Monday, the 6th, the office will enly be open from 9 until 10 in ike forenoon, and from 7 tillß at night. The County Council, a<vcrtises tor tenders closing on the Bth omext month, for the maintenance of the .racks about the place. Doubtless the iteration intended in the old system of leeping these tracks open, is with the objet of saving money; it can be for no other; and whilst all that is very laudale, wo very I much question if the new arrangement: will secure the same high site of repair, and generally suit requirerants of those using them, in the same mnner as what the day-labor system did. Tenders closed at the Concil Chambers ;at W<estportyesterday, ft the construction of the track lately lai-orT by Massrs ! Young Bros., between Ble Creek and the Victor Emanuel mine. The work consists of fonr section* mail, —comprising' •about two miles and a-Mf. The road is' to be gravelled five feewide, and cleared ttwenty feet om tbe upp' side, and ten on ithe lower. Glancing cursorily at tbe specification of the whe work, we should; aay everything is weldetailed, a.rad that ♦carrying th* requiremtts out accordingly, ;a very serviceable ai certainly ■seinl' _piec« of work will s added to those already made, and ostructed, like this •one, chiefly with jview to practical mtiJity,. and of a kuuteadkg to promote settlement, and e mining interact generally. Given, le necessary means mt its' disposal in reasonable sort of way, we think theraoed be little fear of ithc Council negleng tkis place.

A mm named Thomas Granfield, was arrested here last night on a charge of lunacy. The unfortunate fellow was in similar trouble about 12 months ago. The latest telegrams from London, in reference to the dispute between England and Russia regarding the Afghan frontier question, and which would appear to be taking a more tangible sort of shape, do not indicate that the trouble is any nearer settlement, than it was some time ago; in fact, affairs look as tkough it was likely to end in a set-to in earnest, between the I old belligerents of '54. The matter bears , a most serious aspect, when one recals what a war of such a magnitude and pro- | portions would mean to the eatire nation, | its' colonies and dependencies, and last, : but not least, the mercantile and com- ! mercial marine of so many countries. '1 he J Soudan difficulty, too, would appear to be : in no way lessened, and it will require great determination, plenty of men, and I careful generalship to cripple El Mahdi ;and the apparently numberless rebel ! hordes of fanatics who crowd around him. That this piece of business on hand will prore a rather awkward feature in j the difficult task betore England, in J having to watch so many places at once, it is not hard to foresee. Another thing, whilst matters between England and Russia remain in such a state of ferment, the Colonies are shut out from rendering that assistance to the mother conntry which only prudently awaits a safe opportunity. They must not weaken themselves too much, lest in case of this threatening cloud breaking, they may want all the defence material available, at their own doors. Mr O'Conor, M.H.R. has just returned from Wellington, where he has been interviewing the Government and representing the different public, and County works most requiring prosecution. We are glad to learn that there is all probability of ,a continuation of the Eight Mile road hmm ! irude Ai-aii A*xly <lat<v. 4***«»«« jf ; the proposed new work is not yet , mentioned, but it will hardly be anything less than a mile, which length once con- ■ strncted, considering the highly auriferous nature of the locality where the present road terminates, would do a lot towards prospecting, and facilitating the- workm* of new ground, besides placing other leases, already working, in a position to get their quartz crushed. Extending the track in this direction, apart from the ultimate benefits to be gained at both | ends by eonneeting with the Mokihinui district, will assuredly result in the work soon becoming reproductive. Lyell has always been too much wrapped-up and confined in itself; what is required, is easy communication with the country Ijing round-about; and in that way, the place would better escape the burdensome depression to which all quartz-mining districts are periodically liable. A telegram was received in town yesterday morning, stating that Mr Emmersou's mare, Mane Stuart, broke her leg that morning while taking a gallop, and had to be shot. The friends of Mr Emmerson will be sorry to learn of his loss. She was as game a mare as ever ran on a racecourse.—G. R. Argus, March <2i. A former resident of Reefton, now in Westport, writes to a local paper to discourage men from proceeding there. Hej says the town is full of men seeking employment, and that the work to be done ! will not engage half the men now daily flocking in, in anticipation of the harbor' works oxpendituro thero.—Exchange.