ST. BATHANS.-August 29.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 31, 3 September 1869, Page 3

ST. BATHANS.-August 29.

(From our own Correspondent.) The boy, when proceeding with a message, was rated for not going quicker, and was asked if. he had no other pace than that, he replied, leisurely—"That he had, but that it was slower ;" I quote this anecdote to illustrate life in St. Bathans. It,- too, has only two degrees of comparison, and the second now predominates. Temperance innovations, have conduced to this result. The* traditional {Saturday night's spree is a thing of the past • none of the feverish and fictitious excitement produced by imbibation of alcohol, no rows, no fights, in fact the usual concomitants of a bibulous community- have vanished since the digger has taken it into his head to consider himself and not the publican. Of course landlords look glum and barmaids sour; but, as a setoff against, these inflictions, we see the well-fed jolly , miner purchasing his week's tucker, going home, sitting down, and eagerly considering how to invest capital saved from the terrible maw of John Barleycorn. JSTow that he has taken it into his head to become rational, I trust the fund of intellectual recreation which, I am sure, exists somewhere in our midst, will be largely drawn upon, and well kept up, to prevent the possibility of a secession from the ranks of temperance, which, after all, may prove but a fragment of the higher and greater work called education.

Our amateur "Ethiopians" gavetheir concert on Friday night in aid, of the school funds; and the call, made by them on the generosity of the public was, as is always the case here, well responded to. The house was filled, and the audience appeared highly delighted with the entertainment throughout. Comparisons with the last set of professionals (?) who appeared here were freely instituted, and certainly not to their advantage. The comic local song by our poet-laureate, Mr. Grierson, elicited great applause, which should stimulate th at gentleman to fresh exertions in the realms of poesy. A few dances concluded a most enjoyable evening, the commencement, =1 hope, of a series. The thanks of the community are due to the gentlemen composing the troupe for their unwearied exertions to amuse.

The various water races have been well supplied during the week, consequently the fortunate recipients of the aqua pier a have been doing their best to render it the reverse; but, however great the supply, the demand always keeps ahead, although in some instances the water is used twice, and even thrice. It is gradually dawning upon the sluicing mind that the greater the quantity used the greater the returns. I hope this will prove a sufficient incentive to speculators to augment our supply ere long ; in fact the idea is gradually taking root of a second race from the Manuherikia. I should like to be a shareholder is my best comment. I hope the accounts received of Mr. Tweedie's new gold saving process'may prove quite correct, as I happen to know several localities in this Province which would exactly suit his machines where prospects are good, but the extreme fineness of the gold precludes the, possibility of saving more than onethird by'any method' at present used. Yerily, we are but at the beginning of the true system of gold production. We have had splendid weather lately. Under the influence of old Sol-the snow is rapidly disappearing, and, were it not probable, in the ordinary course of nature, to expect rain at no. distant date, we might plead guilty to a little anxiety on the score of our sluicing element.

Resident Magistbate's Court.—Aug. 31. (Before H. W. Robinson, Esq., R.M.) Police v. Pearce and. "Washer.—Por slaughtering a cow, without giving notice as required under sec. 24 ; of Cattle Ordinance, 1864.. The offence was admitted. This being the first', complaint of the kind, 4;he Court im-

posed the mitigated penalty of 20s. and costs. Same v. John Murphy.—Neglecting to' register a dog. Eined 40s. and costs. Keenan and Morgan v. Jas. Scott.— Debt, £35 10s. No appearance of defendant. Adjourned to September 14, by request of plaintiffs. Jas. Towers v. Patrick Murphy.— £45 10s. 7d. Judgment for amount claimed and costs. Warden's Court.—August 31. (Before H. W. Robinson, Esq., Warden.) Enterprise Water Bace Company (Registered) v. Tyndall and Hanrahan. —Claim for £127 9s. 4d., for rent of water and channel rates. The manager of the -Company said he had to give credit for £1 received from Tyndall. Mr. Hanrahan, one of the defendants, appeared, and said that Tyndall had absconded. He himself knew nothing about the liability of the partnership. His arrangement with Tyndall was that Tyndall should work the claim, and that any profits after paying wages and water money should be divided. Judgment for plaintiff for £126 9s. 4d. and costs, lis.

J. Halley and Co. v. J. Ewing and Co. —Claim for £3 damages for defendants' tailings choking plaintiffs' race. This case was heard before assessors who visited the ground. It appeared that the plaintiffs had a race along the side of a gully, into which the defendants were discharging tailings, and that the tailings had risen so far as to choke the race. Defendants, while admitting the damage, held that they were not liable, as their tail race was granted in 1864, whereas the plaintiffs' right to tne head race only dated from 1865. Verdict for £3 damages, costs to be divided.

Same v. H. Tierney and Co.—This was a precisely similar case to the above, and was decided in the same way.

Thos. Turner and J. Ewing were severally fined 10s. and 55., in lieu of forfeiture of water race licenses that they had neglected to renew in proper time.