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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3876, 1 June 1881, Page 2

A SIABT has been made at asphalting that portion of the Pollen street footpath in front of tho Prpebjterian Church. Mb McMabtkes, one of the pioneer* of the Thames Goldfield, died at the Hospital, today, after a long illness. Wi have been requested to contradict the . statement contained in this morning's paper in reference to the children of Mr George Smith, of Pollen street. As Mr Smith says, bffliction enough has visited his household in the death of his child, without it being said that two of bis children were deadOne child, aged one year and eight month-,, died yesterday and was buried, but the other child suffering from the disease U progressing^ favourably towards recovery. " Our Puris Letter" will be found on the fourth page. • r Pbivatk advices front Waihi stafc* that the Martha shareholders hare been taking out picked-store during the paefc day or B<v As much as 2dwts of gold was vathed from one dish of dirt. . : ■ ■ Yesterday Messrs Oonjer, Stodart and other*, pegged out a claim of 50 men's ground on the flat near the Southern Cross Company's ground, which, we understand, they intend working without much delay. Our friend Mr Burra, we are sorry to learn, has been a sufferer by the fire at Tnuranga last night. Mr Carter, his representative there, succeeded in saving a little of the stock, but the insurance will- not nearly compensate for the lots .sustained.-...

Sib Julius Vogel has not forgotten the Thames, and hse in a very handsome manner responded to the request sent him by the Free Library Committee for a donation of books by sending by a late vessel from England a large collection. The following are amongst the books received :—rWavertey Novels, complete ; Murryat.'s Novels, complete, 17 vole.; Dickens Works, complete, 14 vols.: Thack evay's Works, complete, 12 vole. ; History of the United States, 7 vols.; the poetical works of Sh kespeare, Moore, Tennyson, Sir W. Soolt, and Bood; Gril Bias, Don Quixote, Lomburd Street (by Walter Bageshot); The ArgOßy (Mrs Henry Wood); Bdgravia, 3 vols.; Temple Bar, 5 vols.; a large number of Patent Office reports, and other books useful for referenc3. The patent reports are of great value, and will be appreciated by persons engaged in mechanical works. The books arrived free of all charges to the Thames. We hope the Committee will at least pass a vote of thanks to Sir Julius Vogel. The Exhibitions of dissolving views, &c, at the Hauraki Hall are being well patronised. The views are instructive, and some are very comic and cause great laughter. Mr Gillies sang a song and got well encored. The enterprising proprietor gives aw»y about forty good presents including clocks, v:ises,jewellry, glass ware, etc., etc. The exhibition is a good one, and every one has a chance of getting a present. /I meeting of the Committee of the Thames Liberal Association was held last evening. 1 he principal business transacted consisted in filling up, vacancies caused through nonattendance and non-payment of subscriptions, and in arranging a list of subjects of general and local importance to be dealt with in view of the forthcoming session of Parliament, ihe following motion was also unanimously adopted :—" That at a late public meeting the rights of the people were grossly violated in the person of Mr Hurley and other orderloving citizens being forcibly prevented from ascending the platform, »nd this Committee pledges itself, should a similar outrage occur, in future, to aid in prosecuting the parpetratora." - There was no business at the R.M. Court tUit morning. Mb McLiveb has received a detailed account of the drawing of Stapleton's Sweep, which may be seen by those interested. The Juvenile Pinafore Troupe, consisting, of 36 members, has arrived in Auckland. The company will be augmented by the addition of a chorus of sixty Auckland boys •nd girls, who bare been undergoing a course of training in the Temperance Hall Arrangements have been made for the use of tbe Theatre .Royal, and the combination will commence the season in Auckland nexfc Monday evening. Mb Wiiltam Erbingtox, C.E., wrote to tbe Auckland Harbour Board forwarding illustrated pamphlets and plan of improved iron floating graving docks. The writer state.i that tbe pitentees had constructed several for the Russian Government, and had in a recent instance extended the power of one dock from 4430 tons to 6000 tons. He proceeded: "Messrs Clark and Statifield will now offer to construct a dock for this port and complete it in 18 months, with a lifting power of t:250 tons, and capable of docking at any time of the tide and lifting in from two to three hours 11.M.5. Inconstant or Bacchante. Mail steamers 500 feet long and 50 feet beam (muoh larger than the Pacific Mail Company's steamers) could be also docktd with equal rapidity and ease."

In a letter to the New Zealand Times, Archdeacon Stock says :—" The head of the comet is very bright, and of a while colour. Rate would be, if a star, of the fifth magnitude. Definition was very bad, but T had a suspicion that the head was not circular. Tbehaad is evenly surrounded with faint light. Tin tail is not co bright as this head-light. Just where, the tail started. I. could see a star within the head-light quite distinctly. I thought that the tail was alig itly curved; it is about as long as twice the moon's diameter. I saw the comet on Monday evening, but only with the naked eye, and was not sure that it was a comet. The comet is a very pretty object in ordinary binocular. The comet rises in the morning about half-past four. A comet was seen by Mr Meek and Mr Travers about tßn days ago, in the north-east;, which seems to have escaped notice. .

A £Clx. choir service was to be held in St. Peter's Chu eh, Hamilton, yestet'day, on the occasion of the marriage of Mr J. B, Smith, of Waitoa, to the second daughter of Mr S. T. Seddon, of Kinghton, near Hamilton. Late telegrams from Coromandel say :— Blackmore's got about 401bs of rich specimens »nd a quantity of loose gold, from the large resf. Monday the show was magnificent—The Home Rule are getting first-class specimens I from the upper level. The reef in low level I w laaPtonag rerj mucln A little gold is showing.r^The manager of the Success reports that he got about two ounces of gold on Saturday; and about one pound weight today. The reef .enlarging and becoming softer.