Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1886.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 283, 24 July 1886, Page 2

Lyell Times. SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1886.

Tho weekly return from the United Alpine yesterday was 804 ouncas of amalgam from 204 tons of stone treated. During the week's crashing the stone has been taken from all parts of the mine, as usual, and therefore the falling off in the weekly return of amalgam is unaccountable. The manager is still extending the crosscut to the east for north block, with same indications as last reporlod. The contractors for No. 7 level will probably finish all outside works in connexion with their contract, including bridge, this week. At the battery everything is working smoothly, and the contractors for head race are making good progress. We wish to acquaint a free—very free — subscriber in this town, who is in the habit of scraping, by means of a piece of wire, papers from underneath the doors of paying subscribers, that on application to the Times office their want will be supplied gratis. This amusing manner of becoming possessed of tho paper causes us annoyance by reason of complaints, to say nothing about tho endless trouble it gets our runner into. The amateurs taking part in the forthcoming concert are requested by the manager to meet for rehearsal during tho coming week. Mrs Mangos has kindly consented to accompany the vocalists, and also, if required, to give the use of her piano on the night of the entertainment, as well as her assistance as accompanist. This lady's services will be at the disposal of those taking part in the entertainment, in the private parlour of the Post Office Hotel, up to the 6th proximo. Mr James Inglis, violinist, will also render every assistance in order to ensure the musical portion of the performance being a success. Mails for tho United Kingdom, per direct mail service, close on Friday, the 23rd day of August, at 9 a.m. All correspondence to be specially addressed " per direct mail service," due at Plymouth about September 9th. English mails, per lonic, close on Friday, the 13th day of August. All correspondence must be marked " per lonic," duo at Plymouth about October 2nd. Mails for the Unite! K ngdom, Continent of Europe, and United States of America, via San Francisco, close on Thursday, tho 12th day of August at 1. 30 p. m. Money orders for San Francisco mail will be issued up to 4 p. m. on Tuesday, 10th August. On Tuesday last tho arrival ot Newman's Royal Mail Coach was delayed in reaching Lyell nearly two hours in consequence of the Westport coach having met with an accident by breaking an axle about nine miles from Westport, and the mails and passengers were convoyed on horsback to the usual meeting place with the down Reefton coach, a distance of nearly 20 miles. The equestrian experience of Inspector Emmerson, who was one of the passengers, came in useful on tho occasion, although he assured our reporter that at no time in his past experience as one of Her Majesty's troopers did he get so thorough a shaking up as that afforded him by one of Newman Brothers coach horses during that long journey. Inspector Emmerson arrived at Lyell on Tuesday last on his official inspection of the station, and took iiis departure in Wednesday's coach for Reefton. Mr Gorman, travelling agent for Nobel's dynamite, visited Lyell during the early part of the week, and during his stay conducted some highly successful operations at tho Alpine mine, with both gelatine explosive, and a recently introduced dynamite cap, now being plaoed on the market by his firm. The value of the advice and instructions given by this gentleman during his periodical visits cannot be too highly valued by those engaged in the use of these compounds. A poor old horse, whose liues had not fallen in pleasaut places during the latter portion of his equine career, and which extended over a period of about thirty years, succumbed to the biting frost and other causes last Tuesday night. He was deposited by his humane owner on the immediate confines of the town in Lyell Creek, and fortunately the event has not taken place during the summer months, or probably this notice would not be tlie last reminder we would have of his presence. It is to be hoped that a friendly flood will soon carry all painful recollec- ! tions into oblivion.

We desire to intimate to our up-country readers that the next sitting of the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts will be held at Murchison on Tuesday, 3rd August, at 11 o'clock a.m. Another first offender, for intemperance, was brought beforo H. G. Youngman, Esq., J.P., last Monday, and was ordered to increase the revenue to the extent of 101 and 7/ costs. lie increased it. The mining manager of the Manuka Flat Gold Mining Company, Mr John Bray, reports having driven 120 feet during the past three months. It will be remembered that our last report stated that the face of the tunnel had reached the Flat, and the manager is now of opinion that ho has fairly entered upon the solid Flat formation. It was also supposed that inconvenience would have been encountered by reason of bad air, but up to the present time the air is good, with the exception of occasions when shooting is resorted to, which occurs about three times during the shift. For the last 100 feet there has not been much change in the driving until going through the concluding 20 feet when it was found that the rock carried in the face was dipping at a greater angle than hitherto, and should it continue at this rate it will be lost in another 20 feet, leaving the face an entirely gravel wash. Should this occur, the men will, of course, be enabled to make greater progress in driving, and having all along carried a gravel roof the same amount and character of timber will be required as formerly. The manager now estimates that the point reached with the tunnel is perpendicularly 200 feet in depth from the top of the Flat. The different layers of gravel dipping with the rock are going in the same direction as the tunnel, consequently the driving as it is being carried on intercepts and passes through them; these formations although differing in every other respect are alike in containing a considerable amount of black sand, which is in itself a sure indication of the presence of alluvial gold. The gravel now being gone through is not favourable to the existence of gold in payable quantities, and is known among the minors as a hungry granite wash; however, any shift may reveal a different face, seeing that the layers are dipping and soon gone jthrough, and each time showing a different strata of gravel wash in the face. Mr C. C. Bowen, Christchurch, Chairman of the West Coast Guarantors, received a telegram on the IGtli instant giving definito information that the first contract for the Midland Railway had been let, the contractors being Messrs M'Keone and Robinson. The section taken up is most probably that from Reefton to Brunnerton. This is inferred from the previous communications received by Mr Bowen. The exact amottfit of the contract is not stated. It is stated that Messrs M'Keone and Robinson, the contractors mentioned above, are both practical engineers of good standing in their profession, and w«. 11 known iu engineering circles iu London. Their firm having .offices in Westminster chambers, London, is a well established and also a thoroughly reliable one, and has been engaged during the past ten or twelve years in the construction of railways in Ireland, Sweeden, Norway, and in various works on the English lines. A block occurred in the No. 2 sludgechannel, Kumara, on Tuesday afternoon. It is thought the roof has caved in for some distance. Mon are busily engaged in driving a hole through the block. We take the following from the Westport Evening Star of Tuesday last The news of Mr John Corr's death, on Monday afternoon, was received with unfeigned sorrow through the Buller district and further afield, for he was a man who was widely known and universally respected. The cause of death was inflammation of the lungs. The late Mr Corr was a native ot County Down, Ireland, and came out to Victoria, when a youth, at the early diggings timos. From Victoria he followed the rush to Otago, where ho was employed in mining, and from thence came to the West Coast. At Greymouth he was employed in mercantile pursuits, but very early in Westport's history he was one of the most energetic and prominent merchants here, as a partner in the firm of P. F. Smythe and Co. Subsequently ho became sole proprietor of the business, and carried it on up to the time of his death. Mr Corr shared with others of his townsmen the vicissitudes of the place, but in the face of all difficulties he was ever cheerful and hopeful. When our commercial horizon was the blackest, when flood, fire, and depression had devastated the place, Mr Corr's geniality and hopefulness were like a ray of light amongst the people. The deceased, during 20 years' residence in Westport, had filled many important | public positions. As a County and Borough Councillor, member of the Harbor Board, and local committeeman in multifarions degree he did a lot of useful work, and many of the institutions now flourishing owe much to his forethought and business sagacity. He displayed great enterprise and spent much time and money, in developing the mining resources of the district—in fact, there is no person in the place who has been more active in this respect. Mr Corr was a most liberal supporter of tho religious denomination to which he did belong, but, withal, was particularly liberal and tolerant to all creeds, and he was also a loyal, but unprejudiced, supporter of the cause of his country, occupying the position of President of the Westport Branch of the Irish National League. But it will be for his genuine good-heart-edness that the deceased will be longest remembered. His nature was generosity j itstli, and hundreds there are whom he ! has assisted. The doceisod leaves a wife

and young family to mourn his loss. We are pleased to hear that two policies of life assurance are in existence. The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon. We take the following from the Westport Evening Star of July 20th : —A miner and contractor well known in this district, and also at Reefton and Lyell, William Campbell by name, was install tanoously killed on the railway line in the centre of tho town, and the body mangled beyond recognition. Tho deceased was standing between two lines of rails, just where the incline commences to rise towards the staiths; ho was talking to the men on an engine attached to an empty train standing on tho line, and apparently did not observe a loaded train ascending the staiths. The first waggon struck him and threw him beneath the train, and eight or nine waggous passed over him, tho cow-catcher of the engine then forcing the body along for some '2O yards. The deceased was a man of 50 years of age. In order to do a cash trade, J. Brown, bootmaker, is now offering all his wellassorted stock of Factory and English Goods cheaper than ever. All goods booked will be charged tho usual price. None but best quality goods kept, and inspection invited.—Advt.