LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 134, 1 September 1870, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A heavy fall of snow commenced here last evening about 9 o'clock. "Pi'.o Grfge's" letter, fiom Tapanui, received too late fox 1 insertion in this week's issue. The " Daily Times " learns by a private telegram that the General Assembly was to be dissolved yesterday. The Duned'n and Port Chalmers Eailway was commenced on Monday by the sub-contrac-tor, Mr. Packham. Twenty-five men were employed. The " Illustrated New Zealand Herald " for this mouth is very good. In addition to a wooa engvavir.g of the Dunedin Athenaeum, there is a beautiful view of the Manipori Lake, besides several Australian views. On Frilay evening next week the Waitahuna Christy Minstrels will give an entertainment in Coghill's Assembly Room, at the Bridge, for the benefit of the Tuapeka Hospital. The programme is a most excellent one, and we would imagine, from the caste of characters, will be successfully carried out. On Monday evening next the fifth anniversary of the Loyal Tuaptska Pioneer Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., will be Qslebrated by a soiree, concert, and ball in the Athenaeum Hall, Lawlenfie; and, fudging from the programme, we confidently anticipate a really pleasant evening's entertainment. The Wetherstones' Glee Club have kindly consjnted to enliven the proceedings, as also several ladies and gentlemen. A larqk culvert, between the Robert Burns and the Spy law Hotels on the Teviot road, j was washed away by the heavy rain of Thurs- | day last. There is now a chasm twenty feet across the road by about fifteen deep, and traffic is entirely suspended. "When the iniel-. licence was sent down country, we are informed that one man w.is dispatched to put the culveit in repair, so we may expect to hear of the road beirg passable in about a month hence. Fkoji a Wellington telegram we learn that the Galatea, with H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh on board, has arrived at Wellingtor. The " Daily Times ;> comments on the circuitstaiues as folows :- '• AYe are as yet uuaware as to what the movements of the Galatea will be— whethei she will remain for any time in New Zealand, and if so, at what place she wiJl be stationed— but we presume that the public will not long be left in ignorance on this point. In any case, whether his stay be a long or a short one, the Duke will be received simply as capt lin of the Galatea, and not as a Piince of of the Koyal Family." On Friday night last Mr. Alex. Fraser, late of the Inverness Hotel, Havelock, met witli a severe accident within a short distance of his house, by which his shoulder was dislocated. Every time the Waitahuna river is flooded the approach to the bridge is washed away. It cannot be otherwise, seeing the approach to the bridge is composed of gravel, and when washed away, as happened last Thursday, a dangerous gap is left, which remains a trap for all kinds of mishaps. Mr. Fraser met his accident from this cause, and the Government are morally responsible for it. "We trust the petition sent to the Government by the "SVaitahuna residents, to compensate Mr. Fraser for the loss sustained by him from the accident, will be generously responded to. From a Greymouth telegram, of the 25th inst., we learn that on the previous day the ketch Constant, from Charleston, Paacoe, master, attempted, to sail in over the bar at dead low water ; a roller struck her broadside while tacking, and she capsized in a moment, and rolled over in the surf. A bpat belonging to the pilot service, and manned by a volunteer crew, at once put off. and after a severe struggle, and at the imminent risk of their lives, succeeded in reaching the wreck within twenty minutes of the accident. A line thrown by Harbour Master AUardyce was caught by Ctptain Pascoe, who. was holding on to a bobstay, and he was saved ; but the crew, consisting of two men, named Peter Shields, and, James Carr, both of Charleston, were drowned." The bodies have not yet been recovered. On Friday evening last, understanding there were to be matters of some importance brought forward, our reporter spent fully half an hour waiting for a quorum of the School Committee, but no quorum came, though we intimated the meeting in our last issue. We object to our loss of time, and we object to gentlemen undertaking certain duties and not attending to them. It is disheartening to those who take an interest in the school to be kept hanging about the precincts of an empty schoolhouse on a dark and cheerless night hoping against hope that the required number will be forthcoming to form the quorum. "We last year had occasion to animadvert on the want of interest manifested by the Athenaeum Committee in their work by the repeated failures to obto in a quorum— we are happy to observe that our remarks have been beneficial. We trust tLat if\ will not be necessary for us to put the School Committee through the same course of discipline.

The Athenaeum Readings take place this evening. A good programme has been got up. ! A man named Rae had a vory narrow escape , of a serious accident the other day. He was , passing on horseback over a very precipitous rock, some 15 feet overhanging the side of the ' Tuapeka Creek, when the horse missed his | footing and fell over into the creek carrying his rider with him. ; The Wellington correspondent of the " Oamaru Times " writes on the 14th ult. :— A school master at Wai-nui-o-mata (about twenty miles from here) named Clarke, who had been , missing for two days, was found dead in the bush on Saturday. He had started out to look for some cattle, and it is supposed that he lost his way. , In common with some of our correspondents I we regret that the Governmeut have combined the contract of the two hills on the Teviot road, The fact of the Molyneux dividing the two hills is a very strong reason why separate : tenders should have been called for. Perhaps ! it is not too late for the Government to remedy ' this matter. . The road between Lawrence and the Teviot has been often represented in its true colours, as '' a sea of mud, that we can do no more than ', reiterate the commonplace. We heard the other day that one of a mob of cattle belonging to Mr. Menlove was completely smothered in the mud coming towards Lawrence. Severaj others of the mob, it was feared, would succumb to the fatigue of a journey on such a disgiaceful : highway. We are informed that about 180 men have been engaged by the Government to proceed with the formation of the road between Manuka Creek and Waitahuna Bridge. These men have been employed in response to the ' joffer made by the Government to provide work there for any number of men at 5s a-day. The prompt steps taken by the Provincial Govern- j ment to relieve the temporary glut in the j labour market is deserving of the highest j praise. Wp have received a letter signed " Oddfellow '• reflecting in auything but complimentary language upon the teacher of the Blue Spur School, as well as ou the committee of the said school, also finding fuult with other bodies whom he terms fanactics having the use , of Hjxe schoolroom free, and advocating that the Oddfellows, who pay the sum of £10 a year for ' the use of th,e building, should also have their ; rent remitted. We cannot insert " Oddfellow's" . letter, as the allegations it contains are of too serious a character. . In connection with the great gold robbery discovery, much has been said of the extreme < vigilance of Constables Smith and Hunt, but if , all we have heaid is correct, Sub-Inspector \ Percy, who had the directing of these constables, and the general supervision of the ] whole plan which was adopted for the dis- J covery, is deserving of as much credit as any of j them. In addition to travelling from Tuapeka , to the Dunstan by a most circuitous loute in the dead of night, and in a very ghort space of time, he gets the credit from "his subordinate } officers of being unremitting in the execution J of his duty. "" £ Ok the 24th ult. in the Warden's Court a party f of Chinamen made application to be allowed 1 to prospect for gold on a portion cf Mr. ] Downie's farm (agricultuial lease.) Mr. M'Coy appeared for Mr. JDownie, and objected on thf i ground of certain infoi walities in the method of application ; and further, that *he regula- J turns had not been complied with by applicants. Mr. Campbell, who had written the application f for the Chinese, stated that he v/as not aware a exactly what ground they sought to occupy. ± His Worship sustained Mr. M'Coy's objections, and adjourned the matter till two p.m. in order c to allow of the regulations being complied with. At that hour Mr. Copland appeared for i applicants. The precise ground wanted could 1 not be defined, and Mr. M'Coy was heard rela- j tive to the many innovations made by the Chinese upon Downie's ground. Ultimately s His Worship ordered a deposit of £10 to be made by the Chinese, who were to be allowed to i sink six holes in a spot to te fixed by His Wor- ( ship— the deposit to be devoted to the reiin- } bursement of Downie for any loss he might sustain. Costs to be allowed to Downie. A MEETING was held at Mr. Ayling's Coal Creek Hotel, Teviot, on Thursday last, for the ■purpose of taking steps to form a Jockey Club ' in the Mount Benger district. Mr. M'Pherson : occupied the chair. There was a large attend- j ance. Mr. Ayling addressed the meeting, show- ] ing the great want of a Jockey Club in the , district. He produced a list of names of fifteen ' gentlemen who were willing to become members ( of such a club as had been proposed. Several i other gentlemen addiessedthe meeting, when it transpired that a meeting had been convened s to take place at Mr. M'Carthy's Dumbarton * Bock Hotel on Saturday evening for a similar J purpose, and as the distiict was not capable of supporting two clubs, it was resolved by a * majority of the meeting to send a deputation < to Mr. M'Carthy's to make arrangements for the formation of a Jockey Club to suit the 1 whole district. The following gentlemen were ■ appointed as the deputation : — Messrs. R. Ayling, James Tamblyn, A. M'Pheraon, and ■Thos. Higgs. It was then proposed by Mr. J. Kyan, and seconded by Mr. Thos. Andrews, " That a public meeting be held at Mr. Higgs' , Roxburgh Ferry Hotel on Thursday evening, ' Ist September, at 8 o'clock." A vote of thanks ■ jfco the chairman brought the meeting to a close. '