Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1886.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 258, 30 January 1886, Page 2

Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1886.

We understand that the monthly cleaning-up of the United Alpine battery trill not take place until Wednesday the 3rd proximo. The Buller County Council invite tenders for alterations to levels in Cliff Street, and footpath, Lyell; and for concreting, &c., of reservoir, Lyell. Plans and specifications for the various works can be seen at Mr. J. Fennell's, Lyell; and the County Chambers, Westport. Tenders close at Westport, at noon, on Wednesday, 10th February. The usual monthly meeting of the directors in the Tyr Conn ell Company takes place on Monday evening, next.

The directors in the United Alpine and Cm?sus Companies hold their usual monthly meetings on Tuesday next 2nd proximo.

We beg to remind parents of clause VI m the Amended' Education Act, which reads: " Every child required by the said Act to attend a public school shall attend such school during at least thirty daysin each quarterly school term.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from the Government Printer ot a copy of the " Land Act of 1885," published by the authority of the Hon. John Ballance. This Land Act consolidates twenty-six Acts and ordinances relating to Crown law's, and brings all that was deemed essential in them within its compass. The total area of New Zealand is upwards of sixiy-six million acres. Of this .eighteen .million have been sold or disposed of in Education and other public reserves. Fourteen millions-belong to the aboriginees or to the Europeans who have purchased from them, and thirty-four million acres of Crown lands still remain for disposal. Of the latter, fifteen million ;ire open grass or fern country, ten million fjrest, and nine million of barren mountain top;:, lake*, and worthies* country.

The United Italy directors hold their usual monthly meeting on Tuesday next. The manager of the Try Conn ell informs tts that he has successfully holed through from No. 4 level to the top storie, and air communication is now complete. All the hands in the mine are now busily engaged stoping and bring ng stone to grass. The stone is of a rich quality.

The operations in the Alpine for past week, outside of the usual stoping, were driving No. 6 level ahead to intercept the north block. The character of country now being gone through is the ordinary slate rock, and can be classed as medium driving ground. This work is being carried on with three shifts of two men each. The contractors for race deviation, although in very ha;d country, are making good progress. The agent for the Bank of New South Wales will b* in Lyell on tfhtirsday ;• and National Bank representative on Saturday next.

Mr Martinson, photographic artist, has succeeded in taking a large number of pictures during the week, which have given every satisfaction.

We have received advice from Messrs Kirkpatricfe and Co., of Nelson, that their new season jams are now ready to place in the market.

The entertainment held in the schoolroom on Thursday last in aid of the funds for the establishment of a local Hospital, was in every respect a most unqualified success, the nett proceeds of the Concert will add £ld lis 6d, to the funds already in hand. As we intend giving a detailed report of the performance, and as our time has been rather limited to produce the same, we have resolved to hold it over for our next issue.

The Croesus battery started at midday on Wednesday to crush a parcel of stone from the Maruia claim ; the amount to be put through is about 60 tons, and will be completed next Wednesday. The crushing is under the direction of Mr Robert Hopkins.

The Lyell is at last in possession of a library, Mr F. G. Rotton, having during his recent stay in Nelson picked out over 200 volumns, which he has now received and is prepared either to let out or sell same.

It will be seen by advertisement in another column that the Inangahua County Rate Collector, Mr J. G. Heslop, will be at Hampden on the Ist and Bth proximo. He also notifies that all outstanding rates will be sued for after that date.

The sum of £SOO has been allocated by the Colonial Government to the Reefton Hospital Committee for the adding to the preeeut money is now be paid over so soonaj wb local hospital has been duly a seperate institution. _ : JBi nave received several complaints fflftm our subscribers in Murchison referring to the manner in which the Inangahua County Council treat them in the matter of public notifications affecting their riding: and taking into considera° tion the revenue derived from that part of the county and its daily increasing importance, we are of opinion that their complaints are not without grounds. We are informed by Mr Owen Lynch, member for that riding, that the only intimation received there of the approaching election under the Licensing Aet, was contained in a private telegram received by him. Surely the Council are not in such straitened circumstances as to preclude the expenditure of a tew shillings in announcing the date of nomination and election of five persons to constitute a Licensing Committee for twelve months.

If* rt. Grant Lloyd, Member of the Otago Art Society, is new in Lyeli on a professional tour, and while here has succeeded in taking several sketches of ihe magnificent surrounding scenery; two in particular, the locality of Larsen's Punt, and a view of Lyell from die road across Lyell Creek. Mr Lloyd has executed several excellent views on his journey from Westport, and intends sketching all the principal places of interest between here and Nelson, and his journey being a pedestrian one, will afford him an ample opportunity for filling his portfolio, In looking through our Otago files we notice the following paragraph in a recent issue of the Dusedm Evening Herald J-Mr Grand Ziioyd, who is one of our most enthusiastic artists, intends to make his mark at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. Mr Lloyd has just completed four large watercolour drawings, which he intends to send Home in time to get a place in Kensington. The pictures are : A Moonlight View of Port Chalmers, Milford Soitnd, Otira Gorge, and a West Coast scene, with Mount Cook in the distance. The works are certainly the best that have been turned out by Mr Lloyd. Port Chalmers by Moonlight is especially good." The flood in the Buller river last Wednesday caused a serious loss to Hutton and party. The river rose suddenly and unexpected, rain not falling locally; therefore they felt no apprehension for the safety of their dredge, ani moored it in the ordinary manner. The river rose five feet during the night and carried everything away. This party have been engaged for many years past working the auriferous bars ol the Buller river with varying success, and during that period have experienced the misfortune of losin" two other dredges. They are now following the river down from Lyell with the view of recovering their property. The scene of their recent operations was near White's Point, about 12 wiles above Lyell.

Mr John Ritchie is now engaged taking out a trial crushing from the Bon Accord mine, Eight-mile hill. This claim is situated south-west and peg and peg with the Maruia. It is intended to get out 10 or 15 tons before going to the mill. The samples ot stone now to grass indicate a good return.

We learn from -Mr Adam Mahr, who has recently returned from the Owen river, that the reels in that district are looking remarkably well, more particularly the Wakatu claim, owned chiefly by Mr M. Byrne. The reef in this claim is about 7 feet thick, and good prospects have been obtained from pieces in which the smallest colour could not be discerned prior to crushing Practice reefers estimate it at 2 to 3 ounce stone. The great drawback to the immediate advancement of the district is the wanto a road, and if the Government who process such a desire to develop the mineral resources of the colony, would only have the money spent which was voted last session for that purpose, no doubt the mine owners would soon reap a rich harvest in the shape of dividends, aad the colony, when she "files her shovel," would be able to show an additional valuable asset in the shape of a large ami prosperous minnig population and a rich mineral district.

The long drought was broken on Monday evening last by a slight dowfall of rain and during the night some heavy showers tell which caused the Buller river to rise twelve inches, making, however veiy little difference in the volume of water in Lyell Creek. On Wednesday, the Buller rose live feet, which was caused through warm rains at the head of the Matakitaki melting the snow on the ranges. The downfall up to the present is far from satisfactory for local requirements, merely damping the ground and making the atmosphere more pleasant.

The contract for the construction of the Maruia Amuri horse track was signed on Saturday last, and the successful tenderers —Messrs Connington and Searight purposed leaving Reefton with a staff of workmen about Wednesday last. They advertised in the Inangahiia Times for twenty-five pick and shovel men and six axe men.

The Land Board, Nelson, has authorrised works in the Buller County to the amount of £27 5s 4d.

Among the roads to be undertaken in Nelson district is that from Collingwood to Karamea, the survey of which is to be commenced at once by Mr Saxon.

The borough of Napier (says the 4 Telegraph ') has a funded debt of ~ a bank overdraft of not quits £§QOO, and' a revenue of between £16,000 and £17,000 The_ to half-a-crown in the pound. Recently a Mr Blair, a cordial maker, was collecting lemonade bottles from the booths on the Bllerslie (Auckland) racecourse, and while in a passage leading to the ladies' room, he was astounded to see a carpet snake 3 feet long scuttling along the concrete. It is probable that the stranger arrived in the colony in a case of Australian wine. A large number of cases of that beyerage were opened on the grand-stand during the recent meeting. The snake has been captured and handed over to Professor Thames, who chloroformed it. It will be preserved as a specimen in the museum, Auckland University.

Mr Revell, R.M., holds that if cattle are illegally impounded, the owner cannot recover the fees paid for releasing thein or damages for illegal impounding, unless he gives written notice to the poundkeeper before removing the cattle from the pound, of his intention to take proceedings.

A gentleman who recently made the overland trip from Nelson to Westport, writes to a Mend in Nelson:—" I never travelled on a road where the people were so universally attentive. My wife, who is easily knocked up by coaching, did not feel the journey from Foxhill to Lyell, which says a good deal for the state of the road. As to the drive as a whole I was charmed with it. Ido not think comparisons between it and the Chnstchurch-Hokitika road can be drawn. The Buller Valley is as unique as the Otira Gorge ; and one great thing to the advantage of the Nelson-Westport road is the absence of the disgusting river beds there are m Canterbury,"

Mr Stout, when speaking at Dunedin, said, in answer to a question with respect to borrowing, " that he would not pledge himself to borrow ten millions. The matter had to be considered by the Government, and he would not favor any wild scheme of borrowing. Money borrowed should be employed on reproductive works that would pay some interest. He at the same time contended that Major Atkinson had no right to criticise a supposed scheme put forth as emanating from the Ministry when the Government had not come to any conclusion on the subject."

We (Nelson Evening Mail) regret very much to leara that Mrs St. Clair Tisdall, the wife of the late Incumbent of St.' John's Church, Wakefield, recently died at Lahore. Especially will she be mourned a-t Wakefield where she resided 6ome years, and by her charitable disposition and true womanly sympathy with all who were in trouble endeared herself not only to her husband's parishioners, but to all the residents in the neighborhood. Mrs Tisdall was a 6ister of the Rev. T. B. Maclean, the present Incumbent of Grey mouth.

We extract the following from the Golden Bay Argus of 22nd instant:—The mining industry in the Collingwood dis-

tact 13 again taking a favorable Linn. Ihe good patch- of stone recently discovered in Johnston's United is bein* driven on aud now presents a face abou°t tour feet in width showing good gold, so that there is still hope of this mine figuring amongst the dividend paving claims. The shareholders certainly deserve a «lice of luck for the persevering manner in which they have prospected their lease, and we hope that the present good indications will prove permanent.— Another olil abandoned lease, the Richinond Hill Silver mine, is a<;ain about to be worked. The trial which this ground had was always considered, from the splendid assays of the ore, to be insufficient. Want of capital alone prevented the mme from being properly prospected. \\ e understand, however, that the Promoters Company, who have purchased the lease, are now in a position to do this. For this purpose the services of Mr •T. Lawn have been engaged, aud as soou is the track leading to the mine has been thoroughly repaired, the work of bailing out the old shaft and following the lode already found, will be proceeded with. It is spoken of as a rather remarkable circumstance that, though Parliament has been prorogued since September 22, over tour months, there has not occurred a single vacancy. The House is evidently composed of " sound " men, and with the prospect of two sessions this year—a dissolution and a re-assemUing of a new Parliament, it would not pay a member to either resign or to die.

A case of interest to publicans was heard before Mr Robinson, of Oamaru, recently. The licensee of the Clyde Hotel at Hampden had agreed to accommodate one half of Sharman and Stoodley's Circus company, but on their arrival refused to receive them. Mr Sharman, in the course of his evidence, stated that he had offered to pay the bill in advance, but was told that the hotel-keeper did not want to be bothered with them, though he was also informed by the landlord's wife that the house was full. The defendant swore that there was only one unoccupied room m the house at the time. He would have made no objection to supply meals. His Worship said that, inasmuch as there was one unoccupied room in the house, the defendant should have offered accommodation to that extent. He would therefore hold that the charge was admitted, but he would impose a nominal penalty of 10s, with costs and witnesses' expenses. He hoped the case would prove a warning to hotelkeepers not to refuse to give accommodation to travellers without havin* reasonable grounds for doing so. A at Wellington says :- The revenue returns for the nine months include the following chief items:—Customs, £1,044,794; railways, £723,980; Stamps, £426,474. Comparing these with last year and with the Treasurer's Estimates it will be seen that the Customs show a considerable deficit, that Stamps have done well, and that the railways have done even worse than might have been expected. Their receipts for the quarter being £113,000 less than threefourths of estimate for the year, in spite of a considerable increase in the mileage and in the actual traffic carried.

The following story is at present going the round of the papers: The dead body of an English or American lion tamer named Steward was, it is said, lately found in the room of a house at Roraainville, outside Paris. By the side of the remains was the corpse of an old lion. Stewart had fallen on evil days and went to Romainville with his lion. It is supposed that he succumbed to an apoplectic stroke, and the lion lay calmly down and died of grief and hunger by the side of his master.