CORRESPONDENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 364, 25 February 1876, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves in any way responsible for the opinions and sentiments expressed by correspondents. (To the Editor of the Motrin Ida Chbonicib.) St. Bathans. Sib, —It was fondly hoped that the rowdy element which once prevailed on the Goldfields had for ever departed, but on last Thursday night a stranger introduced into our usually quiet township would have witnessed scenes worthy of the Nevada depicted by Mark Twain in the ' Innocents at Home.' A sale had taken place during the day, and, perhaps owing to the profusion of cheap grog dispensed thereat, there was at night an unusual number of tipsy and half-tipsy men knocking about. One of them created quite a reign of terror for over an hour, going about through the streets, where were congregated others almost as noisy as himself, looking for several individuals against whom he appeared to have a grudge, yelling out at the top of his voice. After assaulting and injuring several persons in a shameful manner he recognised, through the glass door of a store, {he individual against whom his hostility appeared to be chiefly directed. Here he took up a position and commenced howling, and, in the most insulting language, calling upon the person to come out to him. No notice being taken he became more outrageous, and proceeded to force his way in. Some of his relations in the crowd, which had by this time congregated, then laid hold of him, and a scene of tumbling, kicking, and biting followed. He finally obtained possession of a billet of wood from a timber yard opposite, armed with which he for some time held possession pf the street. | Then—and not till sent fcr—the police appeared, although the cries had made people living at a much greater distance than the police camp think that murder was being perpetrated. But, strangest of all, the individual who had mainly caused the disturbance was not apprehended, his friends insulting the policeman, and defying him to take him; although, for that matter, no effort was made to do so. Next night there was another disturbance, and stones were thrown. From this it appears to me that unless stronger measures are taken there will be a recurrence of such scenes.—l am, &c, A Lovee of Obdeb.

(To the Editor of the Mshjtt Ida Chhokicl.) Sie, — In your issue of the 4th February an article appears headed "Main versus Price " in which it is asserted that "no more cattle trespass was winked at than it was considered politic to wink at," referring, I presume, to Mr. Main. As the writer of that article must, I feel assured, have been mis-informed, I should wish to lay before your readers a few facts bearing on the matter. Some years ago Mr. Main offered to allow each man on Hyde to run two milch cows and a horse, free of charge. This did not content the Hydeites, for they increased their stocks to some ten, some twenty, and some even thirty head, apiece. What runholder, I ask, would quietly submit to that? Mr. Main very justly charged fifteen shillings a head per annum for the number in escess, leaving it to each owner to send him a return annually of the number he was possessed of. For a short time some of the cattle owners paid the amount charged, but for the last three years, at any rate since poor Clarke was drowned, no one has paid or indeed been asked to pay a shilling; neither have they taken the trouble to send in their returns, thereby causing the manager no small amount of trouble. The residents of Hyde have at the present time at least two hundred head of cattle between them, exclusive of about sixty horses, yet not a single hoof belonging to any of them has ever yet been impounded from off Mr. Main's run. With the exception of one or two individuals the people of Hyde have but one opinion regarding Mr. Main- viz., that he has acted towards them as generously as any squatter in the country would have done, in his place. I therefore leave your readers to judge for themselves whether Hyde has not received as much " consideration in its decline" ? as Jfaseby district from " Hamiitons, Kyeburn, and Blackstone Hill." Apologising for the length of this letter, and trusting you will find room for it in your valuable paper.—l am, &c. f A Lotse of Jttsticb,.