Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2390, 13 November 1880, Page 4

An enterprising gentleman of the name of Smith has proposed to the Auckland corporation to run a tramway at threepence per mile in exchange for a twenty-one years lease of the streets. Very little has been heard of the Mapou. rika diggings, which were to cause a big rush to the Okarito district,but which as yet has not eventuated. The “ Grey River Argus ” of the 27th ult, publishes a letter from a correspondent which gives some reliable particulars of the workings there. The attempt by Mr Antonio Zala, the original prospector, to float a company at Hokitika to bring a water race in upon the Mapourika diggings was not successful, but he has since sold out his share in the claim he was in for something over £2OO. About ten parties are at work tunneling or sinking a shaft. The diggings are progressing very slowly, and the diggers themselves are not <iuite so elated as they were; yet in the face of many drawbacks they are fossicking and trying to develop the resources of the held. The “ Oainaru Mail,” like tire rest of the evening papers, bitterly complains about the inconvenience sustained through the way in which the holidays arc observed by the telegraph department. Our contemporary says :—Yesterday we cherished a hope that at all events, the inconvenience would not be of more than a day’s duration. To-day, 1 however, the dose is repeated. On endeavoring to communicate with Christchurch this morning we were supplied with the information that the operators of the Christchurch Telegraph Oflice were absent from their post again to-day. This is too much. Such child’s play is unpardonable. We are not of course, aware who is responsible for this extraordinary liberality at the public expense, but the circumstance calls for a searching investigation. The telegraph wires should be available to the public—or, at least, the Press—on all occasions except on say, Christmas Day and Good Friday, and perhaps New Year’s Day. A curious discovery was made some time ago in going over the effects of the late Sir Robert Burdett, brother of the Bareness Burdett-Coutts. In various parts of the house was found over £270,000 worth of bank notes. Most of the “ flimsies ” were found pinned between the leaves of books and slipped in among bundles of old papers. None of the deceased gentleman’s relatives had the slighest previous knowledge of this novel “ stocking.”