WANGAPEKA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 53, 3 March 1871, Page 2

WANGAPEKA.

[from a correspondent.] Wednesday was quite a field day in the Court here, there being a lon£ list of cases for trial, in some of which one of your well-known Nolsou lawyers, Mr. Acton Adams, was specially retained. John Hayden, alias " Dubliu Jack," appeared to answer two charges of assault. It appeared that the parties were attending the funeral of the late Paul Doran, and the defendant Hayden being very noisy aud abusive, one Lynch ventured to suggest he should keep quiet, and choose some other day for making a disturbance, whereupon "Jack " hit him a violent blow in the eye. His Worship gave "Jack" a sharp Jecture, aud ordered him to find sureties- to keep the peace for six months. "Jack" was further charged with assaulting John Caldwel!, by attempting to strike him with a kuife. The complainant said that hearing the noise going on between Hayden and Lynch, he went out of the house just as defendant struck Lynch, and he told Jack that if he did not keep himself quiet and behave with decency on such an occasion, the diggers would have to rope him down. Defendant used horrible language, and snatched something from the dining-room table, and made a blow at him, but District-constable Flowers just caught his arm. The constable deposed to seeing il Jack" seize the knife and aim a blow at Caldwell, he was not near enough to reach him, but if he had thrown tho knife it might have struck Caldwell. His worship said that Hayden appeared to bo a mau of ungovernable temper, aud it was only owing apparently to the promptitude with which Flowers had stepped between him aud Caldwell that the latter was saved from serious injuries. Quite sufficient had been proved to constitue an assault, and he should fine defendant £5 aud costs, or in default, a month's imprisonment with hard labor. There were three cases between Busch, the well-known carrier and oae Jarrett, Mr. Acton Adams appearing for Busch. The first case was an information by Jarrett against Busch for using threatening language; the second, a civil summons for breach of contract; the third a similar summons against Jarrett at Busch' 8 suit. After hearing all the evidence, his Worship dismissed the first case, and in the two latter gave five shillings damages in each case, the parties to pay their own costs. There were several other cases, the only one of importance being an action for £40 wages, brought by one Neilson against Peter Gowlancl, of Wakefield. Mr. Acton Adams was retained for Neilson ; and his Worship, after a long and patient hearing, said the evidence was exceedingly conflicting and contradictory, but the plaintiff appeared to have all the equities of the matter on hi 3 side, and to be entitled, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, to the wages he claimed. The Culliford Company's tramway is finished, and is a most creditable piece of work; the machinery is ready to start at once, and the race is completed; nothing remains to be done now but the dam, and

that should be finished in about a week. The first truckful of quartz has already been deposited behind the stamper-box, and the local anxiety as to the result of the first crushing is very great as the time approaches for making a commencement. The good stone rumored to have been found in thi3 claim is from the overlie of the top level. The Waimea Company are getting the timber ready for their battery, and the branch tramway to junction with that of the Culliford Compauy is nearly finished. Burke ami party (No. 1 North) are not working at present, but they have a flue paddock of quartz at the mouth of the drive, which, from its appearance and the lie of the roef, is no doubt from the same lode as that of Culliford. Doran's No. 1, is waiting the erectiou of the machinery, and people here are very confident that it will be the best reef yet opened ; that is a matter of opinion, but i L is to be regretted that such a promising reef as Doran's No, 2 is not systematically opened up^dtad tested, for from the surface indications' 1 , and the appearance of the stove in the lower level, this lode may prove of as great value as any in the district. The road is in very fair order, and it is understood that the Resident Magistrate has made an arrangement with some of the Innkeepers on the track to keep a certain number of miles of road in repair^ during the winter months, receiving as an equivalent a considerable reduction in the fee for their licenses. One or two of the bridges between Crewdson's and Gillow's are in a bad state of repair, but as this part of the road is now under the charge of the Upper Motueka Road Board, and as they will be receiving shortly a big lump of £3000, it is fondly hoped they will expend a fair share of it on the Wangapeka roads.