The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 27, 31 January 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1872.

To-morrow being the anniversary of the province, and a public holiday, the Evening Mail will be published at noon. Advertisements are requested to be sent in not later than 11 o'clock a.m.

Mining Shares. — Mr. H. J.L. Augarde quotes Perseverance Shares, £2 10s. paid, at ss. Business done this day.

Waimea South Steeplechase. — The following entries have been made for the Great Waimea South Handicap, to come off on the 21st February. The weights were declared this morning: — Mr. Thomas' Rustic, aged, 12st 71bs ; Mr. M'Kee's Sailor, 6 yrs., list 71bs; Mr. M'Glashan's Ronald, aged, list ; Mr. Richardson's Equity, 6 yrs., lOst lOIbs ; and Mr. Sellon's Quicksilver, aged, 9st 7lbs.

Anniversary of the Phovincb. — The Oddfellows and Foresters are sparing no pains to make their annual fete day

pass off successfully. A capital programme of sports has been provided, aud in the evening there is to be a display of fireworks, which will no doubt attract a large crowd. We would venture to suggesi lhat a little extra caution should be used iv this latter part oi the day's amusement, as a spark dropped on the hill behind the Botanical Gardens in its present dry slate might be productive of a considerable amount of duraage. It would he safer, perhaps, were the fireworks let off in the middle of the field.

The Late Accidental Death at Motueka. — The following is the verdict arrived at by the jury in the inquest od the body of ihe late Mr. Stafford, of Motueka: — "The jury are of opinion, and give it as our verdict, that the said Charles Theomartyr Stafford, on tho 22nd day of January, in the year aforesaid, came by his death at Motueka, in consequence of accidentally drinking spirits of hartshorn in lieu of a composing draught, placed by his bedside (the phial being in every way similar to the one used) by mistake."

The Fires in Marlborough. — Ail the iv formation we can gather from the local papers with reference to the grass fis es in the Awaterc is contained in the following paragraph from the Express of Saturday last : — We understand that the few remarks in our Saturday's issue, relative to the fire begun in the Awaterp, fail to afford the slightest indication of the dreadful realiij'. Progressing behind Richmond Brook and Mr. Stafford's run, it has propressed far westward. Other fires are burning up the Wairau Valley, and at the back of Beuopai, but no details have reached us respecting them.

Farmers' Clubs in Canterbury appear to be of some practical us-.\ The Courteuay and Ellesmere Clubs in one year, according to the J^yttelton Times, on a rough calculation increased the price of grain in Christchurch upwards of 6J. per bushel.