Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 341, 25 March 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

We are informed that payable gold has been struck on the railway works in. the vicinity of darks Flat. Owing to some oversight, the subscription of Messrs. White and Co., Blue Spur, to the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital, amounting to £6, has .been omitted in the catalogue. The greater portion of the grain crop on the Tokomairiro and Taiori plain has been gathered in. Threshing on many of the farms has already commenced. Mb. R. M. Smith is the successful tenderer for the telegraph and post-office at Roxburgh. The Licensing Commission for the town of Lawrence and the Lawrence district have been gazetted. The following are their names : — Messrs. A. Stewart, W. E. Fairer, and M. Fraer. E. H. Carew. Esq., is chairman. A PARTY of miners at Post-office Creek, Waipoii, intend piospecting the second bottom in their claim for gold. They have hitherto been working with payable results. On going deeper, another layer of payable wash has been discovered, and the men intend to bring up a deep tailrace to work the gtound. Great dissatisfaction exists in the province regarding the immigrants who have arrived in Port Chalmers these last two months. Though some are suitable to the requirements of the country, the majority appear to be of a class most undesirable. Eight passengers from one vessel alone appeared before Mr. Bathgate one morning last week, to answer to the charge of drunkenness and using obsene language in the public thoroughfares of Dunedin. We have already of this class quite sufficient amongst us. It is sbronge that our emigration staff in the old country are not more wide awake to the wants of their colony. Besides the objection to this class of immigrants, we have .to add that some vessels recently ai rived having contagious diseases onb oard has deterred employers from engaging their immigrants. • Mr. W. Hayes reports having sole by private contract a 75 acre freehold on Slaughteryard Hill, late the property of Messrs, Maitland,.for the sum .of £410. Mr. Tuckey was the pnrchaser. The Bub-contractor for the Waipori sludge channel took the work some £1500 less than the original contractors. A SAD accident occurred at Roxburgh on Saturday evening. % A boy, son of Dr. Miller, was bathing in the Molyneux near the punt with some other children, when he suddenly got out of his depth and sank. There was not help at hand, and the children did not give an immediate alarm. The body was rescued from the water after it; had been in about an hour by a party of men, but all efforts to restore animation proved abortive. THE potatoe crop in the district this year is very inferiorin quantity and quality. No doubt the continued drought hns had n great deal to do with this failure. From all appearances, it is expected that a scarcity will be the result. Thr letter signed "A Constant Reader" is not inserted, because the writer has not furnished us with his name. John Cowan was brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court ye-sterday to answer an information laid against him by Martin Rayan for unlawfully and maliciously shooting a cow. the property of the latter. The examination disclosed a prima, facie cass, and the accused was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Snpri'me Court at Lawrence. Bail was allowed — £100 and two securities of £30 each. Mr. M'Coy appeared for the informant ; Mr. Copland for the defendant. The rest of the cases were adjourned. An accident of a rather serious nature occurred to a lad nsuned John Johnson, at Waipoii, on Saturday last. It appeals that he was engaged by Mr. Cox, of that place, to p:ick some poods to miners who me. woiking on the Drainage 01.-x.m-.01. He had +ho I" 1 " 1 thrown ovjr tho saddle, and was rHin^ leisurely on the top of it. The animal, which was a young one, appeared to be remarkably quiet. Johnson had not proceeded far on his journey before the saddle and pack accidentally slipped round, and he was unable to free himself from the stirrup leather. The hors", naturally timid, became suddenly frantic, and commenced kicking furiously. The unfortunate young fellow w.»s dragged along the ground a considerable distance, which resulted in his receiving a kick which broke his leg a little above the ankle. Assistance being close at hand, he was conveyed to the Tuapeka Hospital by his father, where he is now progressing as favorably as can be expected. — Another accident which happened the same day, although not serious, should net as n warning to the careless. As two equestrians were turning the corner of the culvert, opposite the Hospital, at a very rapid rate, they overtook Mr. Pressly's trap going in the same direction, and one of them ivnsnnabletopull his horse upin time to prevent n collision. This led to his coining in contact with the off-hind wheel of the vehicle, which resulted in an awkward fall roboth horse and rider. There being nothing beyond a severe shaking and a few bruises, the lider was able to pursue his journey shortly afterwards, no doubt a sadder but wiser man. At the Woolshed, adjoining Mr. Murray's property, on the main road from Lawrence to Tokomairiro, there has been a slight deviation on account of a crossing for the railway at this point. To this no objection could be made provided the new piece of road was as good as the original ; but such, however, it is not. The track has been made up with clay with a slight dressing of stone on the top, just sufficient to cover the soft ground. We observed last week a waggon with eight horses fast in this very place, and it was with the greatest difficulty that it was extr'cited. We would direct the attention of the inspector of roads to this place, that it may be repaired before winter sets in. Monday last, being the anniversary of the province, was observed as a close holiday by the banks and principal business places in Lawrence. Mr. Lyon's four-horse coach left the Victoria Hotel at 4 o'clock in the morning, with the last consignment of people going to Dunedin — on business of course, yet naturally enough intending to see the run for the Cup. It was no part of their business to town to see the races; fchey should meiely pass their, afternoons on the Forbury, us the business places would be closed just then. Our readers will admit this to be a "racy excuse." Those holiday makers who could not or did not go to the empire city, passed the day in excursions to the Beaumont and other places of resort. ■ Bishop Neville preached at Roxburgh tost Wednesday to a very fair congregation- In presenting the Rev. J. Dewe to them once he reminded them (hat it wpa their duty, after having erected a house to worship in. to use every exertion ir their power to support a minister to preach the Word of God to them Re Knew the difficulties felt by small com muniMes at the outset in forming- a congregation; lint r> minde 1 hi-* hearers of the ex-imple set them by the primitive Christians in making all things common ; although, in stating th.vt that was not needful now, he remarked that the communistic philosophers in Europe were men who, having little, rather tried to bring others to their own level than tried by their own exertions to raise themselves to a higher. After the service was over a congregational meeting was held, when the questions of stipend, erecting a residence for the minister, and. others matters were discussed.

Mb. Williams, of the Victoria Hotel, is idding extensively to his stabling. This adJifcion bus been required in consequence of Mr. Williams having become agent for Cobb & Co. Mr.,T, Anderson is contractor for the work, which is rapidly approaching completion. A gbeat deal of excitement prevailed amongst the would-be horsey men of Lawrence on Monday evening last. The result of the Dunedin Cup was a surprise to many of those who had a small sum at stake— either in bets or "big" sweeps. The unfortunate speculators were loud and prolonged in their waitings, anathematising, to the fullest extent, horseracing, bookmakers, sweeps, &c. The coaches on their way to Dunedin on Saturday were really worth seeing. The passengers hung round them like swarms of bees, avoiding, however, a perch on the wheels, lest it hhould bring them to too familiar contact with mother earth. From four o'clock p.m. arrivals took place in quick succession, each knight of the riVbands having first deposited supernumeries outside the town in salutary dread of his Worship the B.M. On applying to the various hotels and lodging houses, the jaded travellers were consoled by the information that they had beon full for a week. One wag in a party disposed to be jolly over their disappointments, suggested the Ocean Beach as a roomy anc well-ventilated dormitory, with all the advantages of the purest air from the ocean. The suggestion, however, did not take. The Mount Ida Pastoral Company have purchased Mr, Maitland's Eweburn and Eden Creek stations, with improvements, and over 21,000 sheep, for the sum of £21,000. A Miss Taylob. of the Variety Troupe, which left Lawrence on Friday morning, was left at! the Commercial Hotel in a bad state of health. She was removed to the local Hospital on Monday morning. Holidays are about the finest things going (says the writer of "Passing Notes" in the " Otago Witness ") No matter when or how they come, they are never unwelcome. Therefore, I have nothing to say against the Venerable St. Patrick, Let him, in common with St. George, and St. Andrew, and St. David, have ndiesnon set apart in his honor. E.ich particular hair on each particular Welshman's head will stand on end, if there is any shirking about St. David. Isn't it all a mistake, and wouldn't most people much prefer having a fortnight or three weeks' idleness to a multitude of single days: If any one had the curiosity to fiud out the number of people whose knowledge of Otago did not reach beyond the Port or Blaeskin on the one side, and the Taieri Plain upon the other, the statistics would be at leust as interesting as the name of great year aunt's dentist, or the number of pigs your last farrowing sow presented to the world, or any of that sort of question that they ask in a census paper and remember it ia no slight evil to have si lot oi people growing up who know nothing of the lane of their adoption. The way to cure the evil anc secure a pleasant; fellow feeliug throughout th< Province would be to knock on the head th< senseless Saiut's days, and holidays, and givi

at least an opportunity to everyone of going upcountry for a fprtnight. Amongst other business, the following was transacted at the meeting of the Education Board held on Friday last : — An application was received from Lawreuce asking; that a drawiugmasfcer should be appointed for the school there The application whs favorably received, and the following minute was recorded — "'Kesolved — That the teaching of drawing should be encouraged in every schoo', and th.it the Government be recommended to make adequate provision accoi(Ung!y." A letter was received respecting the establishment of a school at Waitahuna. It was resolved that the main school should be at Havelock.— A.n application from the Tap.inui Committee for two-thirds of the expense for erecting school buildings was granted. — It was agreed to sanction the establishment of a new school at the Bald Hill Flat urwlpr chump. D. A MELTING of the Lawrence Town Council was held on Monday evening to receive and accept tenders. Piesent : The Mayor and Crs. Hayes, Armstrong. "Walker, and Arthur. A letter was received from T. Buckley, asking permission to put another man in his place as surfaceman. The Public Works Committee were empowered to hire another man m his place when he is absent. There were six tenders for gravelling 26 chainß of the Beaumont road. Messrs. M 'Alpine and Louden were the success* ful tenderers at £1 10s. lid. per chain. Har-vington-Btreet — £2 Is. 3d. pei chain ; M'Alpine and Louden. ' 'W-lritehaven -street — £2 12s. per chain , M*Alj>ine ttml Louden. Contract for lubble in Stranraer-strnet— R. Nichols, at 2s. 6d. per yard. Gravelling footpath in Colonsaystreet — tf. Millar, 11s. per chain. Gravelling Penrith-strtet— J. Dowuie. £1 15s. per chain. Gravelling Sandy-street- R. Nichols, 16s\ per chain. The meeting then closed. The following books have been added to the library of the Tuapeka AthentEum : — "Life and Labors of S. Brassey ; " " Life of Sir T. F. Buxton ; " " Memoirs of Chambers ; " "Life of L^rd Clivc ; " " Twenty-five Years of My Life ; " " Life of Leo Tenth ; " " Evelyn's Diary ; " " Life of Professor J. D. Forbes ; " " Her Majesty's Tower," Dixon ; " Fate of Sir. J. Franklin," M'Clintock ; " Russia and the Russians," Dixon ; " Zanzibar City," Burton ; " Albert Nyanza," Baker ; " Our Work in Palestine ; " " South Sea Bubbles;" " The Mormons and the Silver Mines," Borwick ; " Nooks and Corners of Old England j " Brassey on " Work and Wages ; " " Physical Geography ; " " Sketches Light and Descriptive ; " "A Book about Doctors ; " " The Queen's English ;" " Consolation in Travel ; " " Garith and Lynetta," Tennyson ; Kingsley's Poems ; " Songs of the Sirreas ; " Poems, &c, of Robert Burns ; Hogg's "Queen's Wake;" "Poems of Natural History ; " " Birds and Flowers," Howitt ; Spanish Ballads ; Bishop Heber's Poems ; " Mistress and Maid ; " " Woman's Kingdom ; " " Diary of a late Physician," ; " Cruise of the Midge."