Coolgardie.

Manawatu Herald, 22 January 1895, Page 2

Coolgardie.

I • News from this Australian Goldfield informs us that a large meeting was held to prevent the encroachment of Afghans, Coolies and other Asiatics upon the field. A man named Kuowles has lately got. into trouble over an interesting question, and has now to stand his trial. It appears he was going to a tank for drinking water, when he found two Afghans washing their feet in it. He took a waddy to beat them off, when other Afghans rushed up and a tussle ensued, in which, so it, io si.iir.rd, Knowles' revolver went off wounding two of the Atghans, who subst-qiu j ntly died. There was another white man there, and the Afylmus tin! him up to a tree and nearly flaid him to death. Af^uuus, according to the speakers at the meeting, appreciated watei, but observed not the purposes for which it was preserved. Ie was stated at Siberia they bad polluted the water by washing themselves and their camels in it. Some diggers tried to remedy this by hanging a bit of pork on a stick over the hole, to worts upon the superstitions of the Afghans, but the latter, who were in a majority, threatened to tie up and rihooD the diggers if it was repealed. It was also mentioned, as showing the disregard paid by these Afghans to the rights of the people, that between Geraklton and Mullewa there was a long dry stage. There was a tank excavated in a thicket which had been of great service to travellers until the advent of the Afghans, who polluted th^ water by washing the sore backs of their eainrls in it, and the stench had become so greafi that passengers now made a detour of miles to evade its influence. The League was duly formed and a defeuoe fund started for the benefit of Knowles. The present state of the Coolgui Jie hospital is as follows : 86 patients, 22 suffering from fever, 2 from accidents, 1 from scurvy and II from various causes. It is proposed to start a hospital at White Feather, which has since been officially named "Kanowna." Christmas Day in Coolgardie web only celebrated by a oricket match between the staffs of the local news* papers. The Miner says "on Christmas Day the great precept '♦ Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men " was followed by an indulgence on the part of a portion of the populace in about eighty or ninety fights, or thereabouts. At one auctioneer's yards there are about a dozen 'horsepens, and at one time each of these was the scene of a fight to itself, so that there was a choice to the spectator of a dozen rings, in each of which " scrapping " was proceeding {simultaneously. Christmas Eve was enlivened by the efforts of sundry " waits " whose performances doubtless arose from the very best intentions, although, in some instances, the execution was damnable. There was also the usual proportion of drunkenness ; some idiots played the fool cheerfully with bugles and kerosene tins ; others administered correction to the nervous by rubbing sticks up and down our corrugated iiun structures ; while the Salvation Army kept up an unceasing bray and ihump, from the going down of the sun to the rising up thereof. Boxing night was ushered in by a thunderstorm quite in harmony with the terrestial merriment.