The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 96, 23 April 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1874.

Mr Mabin reports gales "of National Bank shares at 775. ; Standard Insurance, at 19s. Good Templabs. — A lodge meeting for the election of officers will be held at the Temperance Hall to-morrow evening, when a full attendance of memb.rs is required. Oddfellows' Hall. — Mr Chapman, assisted by Mies Ida Bonifon, will give one of his pleasing entertaniments at the Oddfellow's Hall tomorrow evening, when the pr- gramme will be altogether different from those of the previous evenings. An entertainment, consisting of readings and recitations, will be given by the boys of tbe Richmond School this evening. We have just received a small sample of coal which was discovered in making one of the railway cuttings on Jenkins' Hill. Pekskverance Company. — A meeting will beheld tc-nightfor tbe purpose of taking the votes of the shareholders on the question of winding up the Company. Gazette in Bankruptcy. — This morning's Gazette contains a notification that Frederick John HingetOD, storekeeper, has assigned bis estate to James Sclanders and Martin Lightband. Return of the Bishop of Nelson. — It had been decided to hold a meeting at the Provincial Hall tomorrow eveuing, for the purpose of presenting the Bishop of Nelson with an address of welcome on his return from England, but in consequence of the funeral of the late Mr Brunner being appointed to take place in the afiernoon, it bas been resolved to postpone the meeting until a later date, of which due notice will be given. Death of Mr Brunner. — Quite a gloom waa cast over the town when it became known that Mr Thomas Brunner had been attacked by a paralytic stroke iv the afternoon of yesterday, and died a few hours later. Mr Brunner occupied so prominent a position at various times in the colonisation of this province, that a short sketch of his life amongst us will possess a considerable amount of interest for many residents in Nelson, and tbis we hope to be able to give to-moirow. The funeral takes place at half-past two to-morrow, and will no doubt be largely attended, especially by the older settlers. Paba Para Iron. — Mr Tangye, of the Birmingham firm of Tangye Brothers, was recently on a visit to Nelson, and at tbe request of Mr Webster forwarded to him his opinion of tbe Para Para iron, which, as will be seen by the following letter, is exceedingly favorable. He says: •----■ Dear Sir — I bave this day inspected a sample of the Para Para bar iron at your place, which was subjected to a fair breaking test, namely, by being niched on one side only with a chisel and tben bent double, showiug a clean fibrous fracture. The firm of which I am a member are large consumers of iron, and from my experience I am able to form a correct opiuion as to the quality from such a test as I have witnessed, and I can safely say that I should have no hesitation in using^the i.on alongside, or in place ot the ordinary Staffordshire bars made by tbe best makers. I should recommend your keeping to pig iron making only at first, and in a small way, as there will be no difficulty in disposing of all you could possibly make, and it may be found that your profits will be larger by keeping entirely to pig making. However, in my opinion this should be first proved. If you only secure the services of a competent manager, I see no cause why you may not expect good dividends, and had I been a resident here, I should certainly like to become one amongst you in developing your magnificent property. Wishing you every possible success, I remain, yours &c , George Tanpey, of the firm of Tangey Brothers, Birmingham. Claus Rekel Concerts. — This Company again appeared at the Masonic Hall last evening, and, from a ohoice programme, performed in a manner worthy of tbe reputation they have ulready established. The violin fantasia from La Fig Ha del Regimento and iiom I Lombardi by Mdlle. Claus were executed, if poaeible, more skilfully than any of her preceding performance--. Mdlle. Reke-I sang, besides Una Voce from II Barbiere (which she gave with considerable finish), some well-selected English ballads, and we cannot bui speak in the highest commendation of this young lady's clear and correct enunciation, — an elementary not unfrequently wanting even among professional singers in their native tongue. M. Rekel's fantasia on Scotch Melodies was much admired both for arrangement aud its execution, and Signer Cecchi's cavafcina from the Somnambula and his Si aver deserve special notice. This evening, among other attractions, is promised a trio for violin, violincello, nnd pianoforte. We call cur rea-lers' attention to the reduction in tho prices of admission, also

that to-morrow evening's performance will be the last. The Greymouth Star says : — " It. is estimated by competent judges that to repair damages done to the Brunner Railway by the flood will necessitate the outlay of a sum equal to one third of the original cost of the line, viz, seven or eight thousand pounds. The statement made that at present there exists only one cranery in New Zealand, and tbat at Okarito is erroneous. At the Karnraea a number of cranes have long taken up their quarters in undisturbed possession, and the birds are so tame that they will come like domestic fowls round about ihe doors of huts there and feed. Paradise ducks, teal, and blue ducks are abundant there and almost equally tame. A miraculous escape from death occurred the other day at Ross. The Guardian, of Thursday, gives the following account: —"A lad named Rodert Hyndman, 13 years ot age, son of Mr James Hyndman, miner, of this place, was buried in an old shaft, near tbe turbine claim, yesterday forehoon. It seems he should have been at home about eleven o'clock, but did not make his appearance. Between one and two o'clock, "bis father become anxious, aud went to the turbine claim, and asked the men if they had seen him. The answer was in tbe affirmative, and the place pointed out where he bad been noticed. His father, accompanied by Mr Oamile Malfroy, went over to the shaft, and heard the little fellow moaning, who told them he was covered with slabs. A stage was immediately erected, and the work of clearing away the rubbish commenced, there being — as always happens in such instances — plenty of willing hands. Daylight disappeared, but the lamps were brought into requisition, and the work went on with all possible speed until 10 o'clock, when the little fellow was rescued from his perilous position, numbed with cold but, with the exception of a few bruises, not much the worse. His escape is truly miraculous, a slab which lay across his head having prevented the earth from coming in such close contact as to cause suffocation. Statistics. — The Government Gazette, of April 17, contained certain statistics which have been thus compiled by the Post .•— " A statement showing in detail tbe revenue of the colony, and the provinces in which it accrued, during the March quarter of the present year, is published in tbe Gazette. From it we find that the revenue during the three months ended 31st March amounted to £389,392, which was raised as follows : — General, £3,452; Auckland, £69,354; Taranaki, £3,130; Wellington, £50,894; Hawke's Bay, £12,404; Nelson, £28,442 ; Marlborugb, £3,515; Canterbury, £68,314; Westland, £19,742 ; Olago, £130,240. Of tbis general revenue, £313,583 has been derived under the head of Customs, Otago contributing £106,942; Canterbury, £53,402 ; Auckland, £57,939; Wellington, £40,776; Nelson, £23,859. In stamp duties, the total of which amounted to £25,371, Otago contributed £8578; Canterbury, £561.9; Wellington, £4484; Auckland, £3539; Nelson, £1159. Under the head of "Postal," Otago is credited with £5239; Canterbury, £3449; Auckland, £2891; Wellington, £1935; Nelson, £815; while the telegrrphic contributions are as follows . — Otago, £3544; Canterbury, £2233; Auckland, £1962; Wellington, £1920; Nelson, £1450. The Resident Magistrates' Courts give the following returns :- — Ota£o, as usual, heads the list with £1455; Auckland being next with £1092 ; Canterbury next with £1090; Nelson fourth with £661; Westland, £535; and Wellington sixth with £530. The other items of revenue are neither important nor interesting." News from thi Karamea is not of a very cheering character. Mr Castles, who came down yesterday, reports tbat the only work now doing there is on the beach, where some five or six parties are still making good wages and something more, in working the black sand. During the past summer some prospecting bas been carried on in many of the little gullies, and with satisfactory results so far as the discovery of traces of gold is concerned, but the utter lack of communication between the various creeks and gullies, except by dint of hard and laborious struggling, bas prevented any systematic search for gold leads. The Karamea is at present utterly cut off from the world, steamboats and sailing craft but Beldom call there, and fthe overland route by the Mokihiuui is well nigh impracticable. — fVestport Times, The Buller correspondent of the Westport Times wriiea : — Since my last letter the flood bas subsided so that anybody can see tbe amount of datcage done by the late burster. Several slips have taken place on the Buller Road, the largest of which is near Howke's Craig, v whole spur having fallen across the road, over which a temporary track has been cleared. Several slips have also taken place on Stitt's contract. On the new road several parties of sub-contractors are making good headway in forming and sidecuttings; [and contractors are offering 12s per day, which is not bad wages considering the moderate prices of provision?, and beef only 7d per pound, but men are scarce, aod the contractors have had great difficulties to contend against in the shape of slips and bad weather.

The other day, at Christchurch, a man in a drunken spree dashed his head through a plate-glass window, and in extracting it cut his throat so severely tbat his life was in danger. One shilling has been fixed by the Dunedin City Council as the rate for the ensuing year. The gross valuation of property is set down at £152,208 10a, as against £136,144 for 1873. The rate this year will pro luce a revenue of £9,528. At a meeting of the Otago Institute. Inst week, Captain Hutton exhibited tbe s.lmon trout caught at Deborah Bay. Ho stated that two or three days ago, another and a larger fish hai been caught at Otago Heads. There could be no doubt that both specimens were the real salmon trout. He believed ihey must have come from the Shag river. It is stated that Mr Olson, the manufacturer of the well-known Auckland tomato sauce, will turn out of his manufactory this season, from £8,000 to £10,000 worth of this well known sauce. He is importing £1,000 worth of bottles, and he anticipates that the three paddocks in which he has tomatoes -.rowing, will yield bim not less than 200 tons of fruit. The Ross Guardian of the 9th insf. has the following : — " Vi sterday afternoon tho township was enlivened by a pa*-sage>at-arms between one of our M.P.'s and a giogerbeer man. The battle did not continue lone;, as ' ginger' soon went to grass, and vented his spleen in a tirade of abuse that would have done credit to a Newhaven fish wife. Hostilities were resumed later in the day with a similar result." Really if the M.P.C.'s continue in this fashion, lively times may be looked for when the Council meets. There is one thing (writes a correspondent of the Auckland Herald) which the Order of Good Templars seem to have entirely overlooked, and now tbat they have at'ained to a great strength in this city it is almost a necessity, A large hoiel conducted on strictly temperance principles, and containing in itself the means of not only providing material for the replenishment of the inner man, but also accommodation in the shape of board and lodging for. those who hesitate to dwell within the walls of a liquor-dispensing house, would beyond all question be a success. A company should at once be formed amongßt the Templars, in shares of not too large an amount, and there is no doubt that they would be taken up with avidity. It is true there is more than one house in the towD professing to be a temperance establishment, but they are all of cramped dimensions and crude formation, and none of them are conducted in a style calculated to tempt any but those who cannot help themselves, to go thither rather than take shelter elsewhere. There are plenty ot eligible sites in the city which might be obtained for the purpose. This matter ought to be at once taken in hand, and made the subject of debates in the lodges, if they really wish to give additional impetus to their onward march. At present there is really no comfortable place to which tho G.T.s can retire during the day, either for refreshments, or to transact business. From the Port Gore Gold-mining Company, Queen Charlotte's Sound, good advices have been received, and. it is reported tbat in the claim is a body of stone from 18in to 2ft wide, showing gold all through it. The Picton Press says : — About 80 tons of stone are at grass, and a still further quantity will be ready for crushing before the Turner battery is disengaged, and it will be necessary to make a further call of Is per share to cover expenses of the mine till some stone can be crushed. In the Queen Charlotte Company driving is still going on, and the drive is in now 180 ft; a goodsized leader has been cut, and it is expected that the main reef will be struck in about 200 ft. No discouiaging accounts have been received frora any of the mines, and tho shareholders in each are sanguine that their enterprise will be rewarded ere long. The Good Templars of Wellington have allowed their zeal to outrun their discretion. The Licensing Act requires' specifically any memorial against an existing publichouse to bo lodged with the clerk to the Licensing Court seven days before the annual licensing meeting. No such memorial was lodged in the hands of the clerk on Monday evening, the 13th inst., and as the licensing meeting will take place on the 21st, it might have been supposed that the interesting documents, signatures to which were industriously canvassed for, were " lost, stolen, or strayed." On Tuesday morning a youth appeared in the Resident Magistrate's Court and presented some papers to Mr Baker, which he said were memorials against divers publichouses. Mr Bakar had, it appeared, intimated that he would receive these up to 11 o'clock a.m. on the day in question. This was objected to by Mr Buckley, solicitors to the Licensed Victuallers. It was then discovered that the memorials required the signatures of an attesting witness, and the youth in charge of them began to sign. Before he could complete his somewhat singular task, the clock showed ihat the time fixed by Mr Baker was past. That gentleman then refused to receive the memorials, and the Good Templar crusade thus came to an inglorious conclusion. — Independent. (For remainder of News see fourth page.)