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Southland Times, Issue 1195, 14 January 1870, Page 2

Runaway horses, with or without traps, have i become remarkably common in Invercargill of late. An accident of that kind, however, which occurred on the forenoon of Wednesday last, from the extraordinary incidents attending it, should operate as an uncommonly serious warnings j to persons in charge of horses, as how it escaped j being accompanied by results more serious than j the smashing up of a slight buggy, must appear almost miraculous when we have told the circumstances. It seem 3 that the horse and machine in question, belonging to Messrs j Cochran and Blackwood, were being got ready for a drive into the country. Mr Cochran himself, and Mr David Thomson, were both close to the horse when he started. Thoy had just drawn him alongside the kerb, heading towards the entry, to their own yard, and were standing one on each side of him, Mr Cochran being in the act of making some slight alteration in the arrangement of the se-it cushion, when he bolted like a shot. He took up tho right-of-way, wheeled round when he got to the top, down the yard again, across tho street, as if going into Colyer's Hotel, then turned quickly to the right, and ran along Deo-stroet at a furious pace, keeping the gratings all the way. His own velocity sent him off the pavement at Eose's j corner, and he took up Tay-street in the middle of the roadway. Opposite tho Presbyterian Church somo one tried to stop him, but the attempt only served to change his course, as he then instantly swerved to the left, and made along Jed-street without slackening his pace. Keeping free of the immense ditches recently cut in that locality, ho soon cleared the town, and gained the open ground fronting Galastreet. .Evidently bent on making the circuit of the town, he was coming rattling down the belt, towards the North Eoad again, when he was pulled up by a stump at the rear of Mr Tanner's residence. Singular to say, the brute himself came off scot free, although the machine was broken to pieces, and what is more astonishing still is, that although he must have . traversed over a mile, the greater part of the way through the very heart of the town, nobody was hurt. How the people in Dee-street escaped is indeed marvellous. Occurring in the middle of a fine forenoon, there were a good'many persons about the streets, including numbers of children, several of whom were, of course, on the side the beast chose for its mad gallop, and who, in many instances, escaped serious, if not fatal, collision, by a very close shave. The marks of the wheels were plainly visible over the battens, the near wheel having run a bee line, at about 18 inches from the wall, from Colyer's to Ekensteen and Hall's. Crossing Esk-street, a slight swerve had been made, which brought the wheel in contact with the corner post of the vacant lot, after which the course wa3 again straight until the run off into Tay-street. We have heard gof several very narrow escapes ; one was that of two or three children turning the corner of Tay street into Dee-street just as the horse came along, and who had barely gained the shelter of Mr Eose's door when ho dashed past ; another instance was that of a little boy at Ekensteen and Hall's corner, whom the trap almost brushed in passing ; and at the chapel in Dee-street, a gentleman saved himself by squeezing fiat to the wall, the wheel just clearing him. Tho owners of the animal are extremely glad that the los 3 occasioned by the I accident has been confined to a'pecuniary one to j themselves, although even had anything more serious taken place, it •is said no implication of negligence could have been brought against those iv charge. They. were both within reach of the reins at 'the moment, wluch they attempted to grasp, but the spring wa3 too quick for -them. As Thomson Baid afterwards, " he never saw a more sudden jump off even for the Derby," ond although Thomson was Buffering some pain from tho wheel having crossed his foot, both did what they could to stop the horse on his coming down the lane towards the street. By that time, how ever, the animal was so furious that' they might as well have tried to arrest a locomotive, und had to stand clear to save their own lives. The regulations which have hitherto been observed by the Southland Police Force with regard to hirsute appearance have been suspended by Inspector Chapman. The 22nd of the present month will be tlie 30fch anniversary of tho Colony. It will he celebrated. in Wellington by sports. &o. The total Chinese population iv Otago is " estimated at 26-iO.

_Tr Commissioner Weldon, of Otago, arrived in Invercargill on Wednesday last, on Ms way to the Pvirzers diggings. The members of the Forco here took advantage of his passing visit to present their late chief with au address expressive of their respect and esteem, accompanied by a small memento in the shape of a gold pencil-case, subscribed for by tho sergeants. The Lakes correspondent of th.c Dunstan Times Writes as follows : — The weathoris excessively hot Sud dry. Such a season of drought has net been expe-'ienccd for years past. The crops will, consequently, be very light, aud I question if the total yield will be more than half of what it was last. High prices are, therefore, inevitable. During the quarter ending on the 313t Decomher last, 770 persons, of whom 529 were males, and 241 females, landed at tho port of Dunediu. Of these 365 came from tho United Kingdom, 402 from the Australian colonies, and 2 from the Fijis. The number of persons who left the port during j the satno period was 284, of whom 215 were j males, 69 females. Of these 27S left for the I Australian colonies, and the remaining 6 for i the Fijis. Tlie excess of immigrants over emigrants was thus 456, or at a rate of 171.12 per cent. Harvest in Otago will commence in the Oamaru district very shortly. The acreage under crop in Ota-jo, 186S-69, as per Government return, was 152,563 acres. The acreage for 1869-70 will be greater. The official return, however, will not be made until February. Ample employment will thus be afforded to hundreds of hands for the next two or three months. Crop 1368-69 (exclusive of crop of tho

Total Acres ... 152,568 687,015 The enquiry into the cause of the accident in Timaru roadstead, whereby Mr Balfour, Marino Engineer, lost his life, has resulted in the following verdict : — "That the unfortunate occurrence was purely accidental, and caused by a sea striking the boat and capsizing it ; that no fault was to be attached to any one ; and that they considered that every available assistance was rendered by those on board tho c Maori.' " We have to acknowledge the receipt of the first number of the Otago and Southland Mining Journal and Farmers' Advocate. It contains, besides interesting facts for tho two classes included in its title, other readable matter which will, no doubt, commend it to public support. The Colonial Inspector of stores, Lieut. -Col. Gorton, advertises in the Neio Zealand Gazette for tenders for supplying 10,000 yards blue serge, 2,000 do white flannel for shirts, and 2,000 blankets ; " twenty -five per centage of the quantity ordered to be delivered to the Colonial Storekeeper at Wellington, within eighteen months from the date of the tender being accepted : the remainder to be delivered at the same place and in similar quantities every sis months until the contract is completed." Among other curiosities (says the Otago Times) brought by the cutter Lapwing from the Fijis, is a yam of about 5 feet 6 inches in length, with a corresponding thickness. When taken on board it weighed 136 pounds. Another yam was promised, 7 feet in length, and of much heavier weight, but it had not arrived alongside when the vessel left Levuka. Such growth speaks for itself as to the fertility of tho Islands. Two natives accompany the cutter, one acting as cook the other as steward. They are said to be very obedient and careful. The Speaker of the Otago Provincial Council has received the following letter from the widow of the late Mr Balfour, CE. :—" Wellington, Jan. 3rd, 1870. My dear Sir — Will you convey to the Provincial Council of Otago my warmest thanks for the sympathy expressed by them through you, and which I shall always remember with deep gratitude when I am far away from New Zealand. — Believe me to be, very sincerely yours, C. Balfour. The Speaker of the Provincial Council, Otago." Mr Blair, who assisted the lato Mr Paterson, C.E., in professional matters, has obtained a contract from tha Provincial Government of Canterbury, for the construction of the bridge over the Eangitata, designs for which were completed by Mr Paterson. The bridge is estimated to cost about £20,000. It will be a quarter of a mile in length, and will be the largest work of the kind in the colony. The body of the late Mr A. B. Smallwood, who was drowned by the upsetting of a boat at Timaru on the the 21st ult., was discovered on Saturday morning last, about eight miles north of Timaru, near the mouth of the Opihi. The remains were indentified by the clothing on them. A purse containing £8 in notes, and a memorandum, were found in the pocket of the trousers. The remains of the late Mr Balfour have not been discovered, but human bones have been found on the beach. A sale of tho accumulated funds of the Southland Building, Land, and Investment Society took place? on the 'evening- of Wednesday last. The sum disposed of was £530, which passed into the hands of six shareholders at an average premium of £5 10s. His Honor Mr Justice Ward arrived by the s.s. Gothenburg from Dunedin on Wednesday last, and sat iv Banco at the Council Hall yesterday forenoon, and in Chambers afterwards. At the former sitting an appeal was received from one Mortimer to have judgment for £50 against him entered up without payment of the money, causo being shown. A similar application re Bas?,, tian was also presented, and both were postponed^ An appeal from the Warden's Court at Orepuki, in which M'lntosh Brothers wore appellants, and Palmer respondent, was ordered for re-hearing, without costs. Mr Eussell applied for tho discharge of Jeremiah Lambert, a bankrupt. The insolvent underwent his final examination, and there being no .opposition, obtained his certificate. The jury sittings take place this day, court to open at 10 o'clock. There aro, wo believe, only two cases to come on, M'lntosh v. Francis, broach of contract, and Smith v. Eoxall. An impostor named Emelius Louis Morod, well known in Dunedin and other places, where he assumed tho title of reverend, tho better to carry on Ma trade of swindling, has been convicted a {; Auckland of uttering a forged cheque. An extraordinary scene occurred in tho Court during his trial, the prisoner attempting to excite sympathy by an • apparant paroxysm of grief, but the Chief. Justice exposed his hypocrisy and ra....u..;..1 :■■■:■--:•;■ of his past career. ,

Mr Warden Pyke in his last report says : — " In all Bendigo there are now fifty-two claims at work under miaer's rights, and owned by 294 shareholders. There are also four leases (two granted and Wo under application), which, when all in full work, will employ fifty-six hands. The ground held and occupied by these fifty- six companies (including the leases) amounts to 12,800 yards lineal measurement, equal to seven and a quarter miles. The total amount of gold frorr. tho Duns fan District for eleven months iv 1569 was 33,863 ozs 15 dwts." The Lyttelton Times, in an article on the prospect of the next harvest, says: — "In forecasting the price of grain for the ensuing season, it should not be forgotten that the Australian colonies will commence the year with unusually short stock. It is, we think, almost a certainty that oats will be high priced, and that barley will also maintain its value. The price of wheat will depend, to a considerable extent, on tha ultimate yield of South Australia. There is not, ao far as we are in a position to judge, any substantial reason for thinking that it will fall very low." The Mount Ida Chronicle of the 7th inst. speaking of the recent flood say 3 : — " Considering that this flood is the heaviest with which this district has hitherto been visited, we have reason to fear that when reports reach us from the lowlying country in Shag Valley, and other places, much damage to the crops will be reported. In addition to other losses sustained, wo may mention that the sheep washing apparatus of Messrs Sanders, of the Eyeburn Station, with the exception of the iron boilers, has been completely washed away, and that many sheep h-ive been lost by drowning."

aboriginal natives; Otaso. New Zealand. Wheat 20,142 64,517 Barley and Oafcs .„ 43,425 100.483 Potatoes 3,033 11,557 Sown Grasses ... 83,733 " 501,530 Other Crops 2,186 8,873