Local Intelligence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 355, 13 May 1874, Page 2

Local Intelligence.

Owing to a pressure upon our space, we are obliged to hold over a large quantity of correspondence and other matter, Several notices of application for agricultural leases have also been held over till our Saturday's issue.

"WE received the following telegram from a Switzers correspondent on Monday evening : — "Switzers, May 11th, 4.15 p.m. Telegraphic communication with Switzers is complete. The office has been opened on the old township, Carnie Hill. The Government Township t Waikaia Flat, is not distinguishable by the aid of the most powerful glass."

A correspondent writing to us about the meeting held at Wetherstones to protest against dummy applications for land, expresses amusement at seeing the name of a dummy applicant on the Committed appoiuted at said meeting.

Many of our up-country readers will be glad to learn that Mr. Hugh Oniig has resumed his position as driver of Cobb anil Co.'s coach between Lawience and Clyde. : Mr. G. F. C. Browne, M.P.C. for Waitahuna, was received into the local Hospital on Satur. day evening. We regret to state that Mr, Browne has been suffering from a very painful disease for some time past, and will not likely be able to attend to his duties in the Council daring its present sittings. An article appears in the last issue of the " Dunstan Times ' v severely censuring the Municipal authoi ities of Clyde for allowing the roads within the town boundary of Clyde to remain in such a dangerous state, and instancing as a result of the same the coach acoident of last week which w:is happily unattended with serious consequences, owing entirely to the coach being driven at a slow pace. We quito coincide with the remarks oi our contemporary, that it is high time the Corporation bestirred themselves and removed these dangerous obstructions to life and limb. Dr. Ooughtrey, who was despatched by the Provincial Government to report upon thecauses of the epidemic fever prevailing at Ciomwell, has forwarded the following telegram to the Government :—" I have the honour to report Cromwell to be in a most deplorable sanitary state. I go to Uannockburn and' Gorge to day." A bdblio meeting according to intimation in our last was held in the Schoolhouse, Clark's ■ Flat, on Monday evening. There was a good ! attendance. Mr. Thomas Grundy was called to the chair, and stated that the object of the meeting was to ask a sum of money to make two roads in the Clark's Flat district to the Tuapeka Mouth ; one through Clark's Flat, and the ether' through Fraser's Gully. It was the general opinion of the meeting that one road— that through Clark's Flat was the most advisable, whereupon the following resolution was moved ;— ** That the Government be , requested to set apart a sum of money towards the formation of a road through Clark's Flat to Tuapeka Mouth. 1 ' An amendment was moved and seconded. ' ' That two roads be made, one ry Clark's Flat, and one by Fraser's Gully. On being put to the vote the amendment was lost, the numbers being 4 for and 7 against. The resolution was then declared carriel. The following committee was then elected to communicate with the Government and endeavour to get the work carried out with the least possible • delay .■ viz: Messrs. Colin M'Rae, Draper, Walker, Brydie, (Chairman) and D. M'Rae Secretary. ON Friday last, a miner named M'lntyre, while at work at his claim ou the Tuapeka River^ met with an accident from a fall of earth. The ground of the drive in which he i was. working is very treacherous, and before he could clear himself of the fall one of hia ankles got badly crushed. Dr. Hal ley bandaged the wounded limb, and we are glad to learn the patient is progressing favorably. The "Daily Times" of yesterday says :— lt is understood that an Opposition to the Provincial Executivß has already been formed, ami that an effort will be mads to unseat them on the question of Improvement of Dunedin Harbor. Mr. listings and Mi. Fish are said to lie members of the Opposition, which ia suppose I to include most of the goldHelda members. Mb. James Jlim.i K. who was badly disfijjured about the fnce by an accident which occurred some months ago near Dunedin to one of the Tokomairiro conches he was driving, went to Melbourne for medical advice. We learn from a letter received by Mr. Lyons, coach proprietor of this place, that Miller has undergone an operation performed by Dr. Fitzgerald, which it is to be hoped will considerably improve the poor felWs appearance. The letter speaks of him as being In very good spirits.

.On Monday afternoon a large volume of smoke was observed from Lawrence to be rising from the neighborhood of Happy Valley Farm, Wetheratones. On visiting the scene of the fire we were informed that a stack of oats belonging to Mr. M'Cluskey, owner of the farm referred to, had caught fire about half-past 4 o'clock. Mrs. M'Cluskey was amongst the first who noticed smoke issuing from the stack, bat she was bo paralysed with fright that she was unable to do anything. There was no assistance whatever at hand, and the flames rapidly spread. The Wetherstones miners to a man turned out immediately after the news reached them, and eagerly endeavored tos save as much as possible. Their efforts, however, were only partly followed with success. Mr. M'Cluskey estimates there were about 20 tons in the stack. Some 4or 5 tons were saved, although considerably damaged. The loss, we are informed, . was covered by insurance in the Standard office. We cannot account for the numerous stack-fires that have occurred throughout the province during the past month or two. Several have happened in the vicinity of the Wakatip, Mount Ida, and Waikouaiti districts. At an inquiry held recently at Queenstown relative to the destruction of a valuable stack by this element, a very sensible rider was attached to the verdict, and which, we are glad to observe, was considered worthy of attention by "the powers that be." The Commissioner of Police has issued a proclamation offering £200 and a free pardon to an accomplice— not being the actual perpetrator of the crime— for the conviction of the incendiary or incendiaries guilty of the recent and numerous stick fires that have taken place in that district.