Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 351, 29 April 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

A PUBLIC MEETING to consider the Blue Spur tailings question is called for Monday next, fco be held in the Commercial Assembly Room, Lawrence. We hope to see the claimowners of the Blue Spur well represented on the occasion. If anything is to be done at the next session of Parliament, not a day should be lost by those interested in maturing the most practicable scheme that may be decided upon by the meeting.

THE usual monthly meeting of the Committee of the Tuapeka Hospital was held in the Commercial Hotel last evening. There was a good attendance. The Committee considered the application of the Resident Surgeon for an increase of salary, and decided upon giving him £100 additional which makes his salary £250. We shall publish a full report of the meeting in our next issue.

Thr «ul« nf Mr. J r. Gascoigne's property takes plane on Friday, Ist May. This will be the largest sale which ha 3 taken jjlace in the district for some years. We have no doubt there will be keen competition for the stock, which is of a superior description ; and the land ought to realise a first-class price, being well situated and mostly hid down in English grasses. Full particulars of the sale haye appeared in our columns for some weeks pastWE are now in a position to give the exact; amount realised by the Church of England bazaar, wkaflTwas closed on Saturday night. The receipts, as noted to us the Treasurer, were as follow*:— Tuesday, £70 15s. 31. ; Wednesday, £83 165. sd. ; Thursday, £79 Bs. ; Friday, £57 75. ; and Saturday, £40 14s. od., making a total of £330 19s. Id., which leaves a net balance after paying all expenses of £319 Os. Id. We understand thai a ball will be held in Lawrence on the 24bh May, the anniversary of the Queen's birthday. From the success whioh attended a similar affair held in the Athenjeum two years ago, we have no doubt the promoters this time will meet with every encouragement from the public. ' We notice that our Dunedin morning contemporaries have fallen into an error in reporting the yield of Wo ounces to the ton as from the Waipori Quartz Mining Company's mine. The stone as wo reported in our last issue was from the same line of reef, but not within the boundaries i of the O.P.Q. company's claim. '' It is generally understobd Ju welMnforraed circles in Dunedin that the weekly paper known - as the,". Southern Mercury," and whioh has hitherto been printed at the office of the Dunedin " Evening Star," of which paper it has largely been a lepririt. has lately' changed its proprietory, it having 'been pui chased by the "Guardian" Newspaper Co. (Limited.) The company intend that the paper shall occupy the same position to the "Guardian"' that the " Witness " does to the " Otago Daily Times," viz., a reprint of the daily ' ' Guardian." It will be an interesting study to watch the future of the paper, and its rapid transition from a liberal goldfiekls platform to the principles advocated by tht> sqaatting-cum-speculating banking party, of which the Dunedin papers one and all have always been the obsequious servants and diligent advocates,. The Platypus was sold in Dunedin "on Saturday for the sum of £400. Mr. C. S. Beeves was the purchaser. We observe Mr. Reeves calls for tenders in the ' ' Guardian " for the carriage of the boat to Cromwell. It is calculated that £400 is slightly more than one-fifth of the amount called up on shares in the company. The exterior of the Lawrence Court-house is badly ia need of repair. The plaster has fallen off in many places, exposing the bricks to the Action of the weather. Unless the Government keep the building in good repair, by the time the new Court-house is completed the present building will'Tequire a large expenditure to fit it for the purpose for which it is intended. Messrs. Hay ahd Son have commenced the erection of the new Presbyterian Church, Havelock. They have almost completed Mr, Higgins' commodious establishment at the same place. The case of Kegina v. Long, for wilful murder of Nicholas M/Donald at Green Island, was commenced before Mr. Justice Chapman and special jury on Monday. It i 3 expected the case will occupy the Court all this week. TftE Asia, a magnificent ship of 1445 tons registered, arrived at Port Chalmers on Monday morning. She accomplished the voyage in 78 days, and brings 467 passengers. The Press Amateur Dramatic Club of Dunedin have determined to give their services in a few weeks time for the benefit of Mr. Henry Eastwood, who ia still a patient in our local Hospital.

Ploughing operations have been commenced on several farms throughout the district. Farmers are evidently novr beginning to perceive the many advantages that result from early sowing. We believe all crops— wheat especially— yield larger returns when sown at the fall. We inadvertently omitted to mention in our previous issue the amount realised by the Rev. Mr. Backhouse's lecture on Wednesday evening last, in the Presbyterian Church. The collection amounted to £4 11s. | During the past week, the Mongolian population of this district has been augmented by an influx of " ne>v chums." They appear generally to be a strong and healthy class of men. Mr. Humphrey is making good progress with the extension of Messrs. Bastings and Kofoed's brewery, 'Wetherstones. The building has been partially delayed in construction, owing to the scarcity of masons. We are informed that the supervision of the building is under the charge Mr. W. H. Smith, who is also engaged in superintending the Town Hall, Court-house, and Ross Place embankment. On Sunday evening, a waggon heavily laden with a consignment of goods en route for Cromwell got stuck in a quagmire to the depth of 2^ feet opposite Mr. Williams' store, Beaumont Road. A culvert is being constructed over the creek, and teamsters are compelled to turn off the road a little above the culvert in order to get acrooa iha creek. On doing so in the case refened to. the waggoner kept too higli up^ and thus got into difficulty. With the as&istance of Combined horse power, the waggon was eventually extricated from its awkward position. Beyond the inconvenience and delay, no serious damage was done. The yield of gold in the high-lying ranges between Switzers and the Teviot is far less this season than last, owing in a great measure to theinclement weather experienced, accompanied with severe floods. Mr. James Y. Henry writes as follows to the " Dunstan Times "of the 24th inst :— Sir : — With reference to that appeared in the '" Wakatip Mail " aud " Tuapeka Times," contradicting that I had purchased Eichardt's coaches. I beg to state that if Mr. Eichardt's writing and telegrams mean anything, I did purchase Ms Stock, but as he denies it, I will give him an opportunity of doing so thoroughly by suim; him for non-completion of sale in a Court of Law. Parliament will assemble on the 3rd July. THE IToYincifvl Council -k-111 be opened by His Honour the Superintendent to-day at noon. The Prospectus of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand has been issued, capital two million. 200,000 shares are to be called up as follows 5s on application ; 10a on allotment ; 5a in four months after allotment and 5s in six months. This will give a paid up capital of £300,000 at the end of six months. No further calls will then be made for twelve months pfter the bank is first opened in Dunedin. The following is an extract from the prospectus : — "As a first step it is purposed to offer to the people of this Colony one half of the nominal capital, or 200,000 shares, in fair proportions to each of the Provinces throughout Ne/r Zealand, on the basis of the respective populations of each Province,»reseiving the other half to be disposed of hereafter, as thß rapid progress of the Colony may demand and shareholders may decide ; but in no instance will any of the remaining shares be offered for sale out of the colony without having bean first offered to the Colonial holders, nor will any but a New Zealand Registei be kept, ' To the mining interest special attention will be given, with a desire to acquire for the miners the Mint value of their gold, whether in large or small quantities, and until such value can be ascertained 'a liberal advance will be made upon any gold deposited for the purpose of coinage. It is not intended by the promoters that this bank shall purchase gold but merely be prepared to make advances upon it until realised, in the same manner that it will be ready to do upon wool, grain, or other produce. An Auckland correspondent of a contemporary says :—": — " Business has much improved here lately, partly owing to the demand for timber, and the nuns, which have sent down hundreds of logs to the Mills , but chiefly to the revival of confidence in the goldfields, which is most marked. There have been a succession af good paying finds in all the old well worked mines, and new confidence caused by the&uccessof those who have long peisevered against dull times. The Whau has just paid £9000 among its five shareholders as a month's dividend, and promises the same next month. This mine, after being worked for some years, was sold for veiy little a few months ago, and re-opened by the present owners. Other mines are in the same position." The ship Warwick took her departure for London on Sunday f oi enoon, and the wind, S.W, being with her, she cleared the Port under canvas. The Warwick has left a deep ship, the bulk of her cargo being wheat. In fact, we question whether any ship (showing so little side about water has left the Port this season. Her cargo comprises 11,129 bags of wheat, 414 bales of flax, and 16 bales of sheepskins. She has 28140z5. 16dwts. sgrs. of gold, shipped by the National Bank of New Zealand. Sixteen saloon and sixteen second class passengers left with her. We wish her a safe aud rapid passage home. — " Daily Times." A Waipoiii correspondent informs us that the number of hands employed on the Drainage Channel at Waipori is now 110. During the past week, 40 'Celestials'— new arrivals — were engaged. The work is progressing very steadily. ■ We have been obliged to hold over, till next issue, a letter from "Practical Farmer." The Wellington papers record a successful opera! ion for double cataract, performed by Di\ Diver, of tbat city — the first time, they believe, such an operation has been performed in the Colony. •' Tho operation was a very delicate and difficult one, peculiarly bo from the weak constitution of the patient. It has been very successful, as she is now fa3t recovering, and has regained the use of sight to a very considerable extent ; there is the prospect of its improving so that she may be able even to read." At Messrs Kincaid and M'Queen's foundry, on Saturday afternoon, a successful trial was made of a locomotive engine, the first they have turned out. It is made to the order of Messrs. E. and T. Haworth, for the use of their sawmill business at the West Ceast, where it will be employed in the carriage of timber. The locomotive is of nine horsepower, double cylendered, these having a diameter of s|inches. The boiler is 6f fc high, and 3ft 10in. in diameter, and on the Field principle. The length of stroke ia lOin, and the engine is made to run on a 3ft fan guage". It will be forwarded , to its destination by sailing vessel at the beginning of next week. Holloway's PiLiiS — In the complaints peculiar to females these Pills are unrivalled. Their use by the fair Bex haa become so universal for the removal of their ailments that few toilets are withoul. them. Amongst all classes, from the domestic servant to the peeress, distinguisheJ favour is accorded to these renovating Pills ; their invigorating and purifying properties render them safe and invaluable in all cases ; they may be taken by females of all ages for any disorganisation or irregularity of the system, speedily removing tho cause, and restoring the sufferer to robust health. Aa a family medicine they are invaluable for subduing the maladies of young and old*