The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 40, 16 February 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1874.

— Caledonian Society. — The tva nu al meeting of the member*, ot this Society will be held at the Trafalgar Hotel thia evening. We understand that Mr Charles Elliott has been appointed Immigration Officer for the Port of Nelson. The Late Dr. Turnill.—- News was brought into town to-day, that Dr. TurneH's body was found on Saturday, at the mouth of the Takaka river, Waimea South Steeplechase.— We understand that all the horses entered for the Waimea South Handicap have accepted. Intending visitors to this meeting are reminded that Holder's coach will leave town on Thueday next at a quarter to ten, and that seats in the same are being rapidly bespoken. The gates., &c, were sold by auction by Meesrs Stavert and Co on Saturday, when the Grand Stand realised £15; tho gates, £26; saddlingyard, £2 12s 6dj aud booths, £11. By our telegrams to-day we find that Mr Weld, the Governor of Western Australia, is at Invercargill. He must have come to New Zealand by the Otago on. Saturday, although no mention was made of his arrival. Tea Meeting.— A tea meeting in connection with the Stoke Wesleyan Sabbath School is to be held in the Stoke school to-morrow. At the public meeting to be held after the tea, the children will recite pieces, and addresses will be delivered by several ministers and friends. Campion Relief Fund. — The ; Artizans' Association have generously declared their intention of giving an entertainment to-morrow evening in aid of tbis fund. The programme is well chosen, ahd, taken in connection with the charitable object in view, should, and no doubt will, secure a good house. In addition to the other attractions it is stated that the Artillery Band will be in attendance. Cricket Match — A match will be played on Thursday next, between an eleven of the Artillery Company and an eleven from the City Rifles. Wickets to be pitched: at the Botanical Gardens, at 11 a.m. As there is a good deal of friendly rivalry between these two companies," there is every prospect of an exciting game. . Tho 'South Canterbury Times' of Monday last is responsible for the following :— lt is stated that several Dunedin merchants have come to satisfactory terms for the purchase of the five steamers Claud Hamilton, Albion, Alhatribra, Tararua, : and Otago, and are about to form a limited company for tbe purpose of purchasing and working them. " " The ' Marlborough News ' of Saturday says : — Just as we were going to press a fire broke out in the Royal Hotel stables, which extended to the Assembly Room aiid cottage adjoining before the fire-engine arrived. On its . arrival, attention was first paid to the hotel, and by playing upon it frequently, there being no wind at the time, the main building was saved. The stables, Assembly Room, and cottage were burnt to the ground, but we believe that most of the furniture, and sotne : goods belonging to a commercial traveller were saved. Nelson City Cadets. — This Company was inspected by Major Gordon on Tuesday evening last, when they went through a variety of manceuvres in a most creditable style. The Inspecting Oilicer expressed his satisfaction at the manner . in. which the lads performed their work, and regretted that there were not three times the number, as any boy might consider it an honor to belong to a Company that could go through its drill in so efficient a manner. He intended to recommend that the Company be armed with proper carbines, and that thoße they now had, which were utterly useless, should be returned to store. With reference to the oil springs at Povertyßay, the 'Herald' says: — Six loads of the timber had gone up to the oil springs on Friday last. The whole amount. will no doubt be on the ground by the time. A hole, a few feet deep, we hear, has been dug nearest tbe highest spring, and 6il,it may be said, has been tapped. There is enough of it, at any rate, to be taken up in pannikinsful. A number of gentlemen who feel strongly on, the subject pf Sullivan being sent to Americ.. by the Government have subscribed and sent a telegram by the Gothenburg, for San Francisco, apprising the Government of that place of the fact. It is generally thought that Sullivan will not be allowed to land after the I receipt of the telegram, and it is hoped that the Government will not now allow him to proceed.

The Invercargill people are said to be quite disappointed at the manner in which the Governor left that town. It appears no one knew he was going on board his yacht; he hade no adieus; his hotel-keeper was not made aware till the last moment that be was going, and he was sailing away almost before he was missed. The ' Grey River Argus ' of Wednesday, last says: — Our telegrams conveyed the information a few days ogo that the Provincial Council of Nelson had not only agreed to the proposal to borrow a quarter of a million, but that authority had been given to the Provincial Government to accept an over draught of £60,000 from the Bank of New Zealand. In authorising the loan, and in approving of the temporary I advance from the Bank in anticipation J of the loan, tbe Provincial Council of I Neleon evidently followed in the footsteps of the Provincial Government of Wellington. It was admitted by the Provincial Treasurer in moving tbe Loan Bill, that one reason for proposing the measure in the form in which it was presented was, that the Provincial Government of Wellington bad adopted a similar course, with a very fair prospect of success. We have no doubt that Nelson has a fair claim to borrow the sum considered to be necessary for the opening up of the waste lands of the Province, but we are inclined to think that the action taken with regard to the advance of £60,000 is likely to damage tbe position of the Province in the General Assembly; not that the money will not be well and profitably •expended, but because the overdraft or advance — whatever it may be called— is directly opposed to the spirit, if not to the absolute text of the law. An extraordinary yield of oats is reported by the 'Lyttelton Times ' to have been obtained by a farmer at Woodend, Canterbury, 36 acres of first-class oats when threshed out yielded a total of 3216 bushels, or rather over an average of 89 bushels per acre. Individuals of sporting tendencies, and especially those addicted to that interesting game termed " Yankee grab," had better be on the alert just now, as there are several professional sharpers honoring Wellington with a visit. These professionals are well up to the work of skinning a lamb, and have, we believe, already found several innocents on whom to practise. As illustrating one of the dodges practised, we have been shown a die used by them iu Yankee grab, in which the edges of the six side are so ingeniously rounded cff as render it quite impossible that the ace could ever come up in throwing. By cleverly substituting this prepared die for ono of the legitimate dice, a most apparent advantage would be gained. The die in question was forcibly taken possession of by a gentleman whom they attempted to fieeco, but who proved too wide awake for them.—' Post.' There has been some bad weather at Charleston lately. The 'Herald' says:— During tbe past few days a very heavy sea has been rolling, dashing, and foaming in mad fury along our immediate coast line; to many it bas occasioned considerable injury and annoyance, to others it will be beneficial, particularly so to the comber b, for it has been the means of thoroughly cleaning down the grey sand, and leaving a deposit of " auriferous black/' in some instances, we are informed, of a very superior description. The damage oh the Nile beach has been a loss of some 18 flume-boxes, which were unshipped and carried out to sea This property belonged to Jones and .party. Parson's hotel also suffered from the fury of the waves, which at times half submerged the house and garden. On the Ninemile beach a dreadful havoc has been made of the claims on the back lead. The damage done by the washing up of the tail-races and filling in the claims, choking the pumps, &c, will be a serious loss to this portion of the beachworkers.