CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 270, 12 June 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

Another attempt is to be made to extinguish the fire which has been burning more t'lau a twelve month past, in a block of ground to the rear of the Camp Reserve, the fumes from which, at times, are very disagreable to the inhabitants of the town. The fire originated no doubt from a diggers camp fire reaching a thick seam of coal which hereabouts underlies the surface of the ground at no great depth. The Commissioner has called for tenders to put it out on condition that no payment is to be made until the fire is extinguished, or in other words; no cure, no pay. Wejobserve the sum of £BO has been placed on the estimates as a recompense to the members of the late Mining Conference. As there were eight members this will amount to £lO each, a sum barely sufficient we should think to cover their expences. However it was with no idea of receiving remuneration that these gentlemen came forward and undertook the labors which they so well carried through, and in further proof of this we hear some of them intend handing over the honorarium to the Brighton Hospital. Though not by any means the most agreable of our institutions, bellringing seems to be a necessary adjunct to a goldfield town life; and however much we may occasionally grumble at the row, we cannot but be sorry to have to report an accident which has befallen one of its professors. It appears the individual in question, one A. M'Kay, was on his way home on Tuesday evening in company with a man, with whom he had been playing ' Yankee grab,' when a quarrel arose and the ' friend ' kicked M'Kay over the steep bank which on one side borders .the Buller road. The bellman was precipitated a depth of 31 feet into a water-race, and on being subsequently attended by Dr. Dakers and removed to the hospital two ribs were found to be fractured besides other injuries. The man who committed the assault is now in custody.

The cutter Elizabeth was beating about off the port with double-reefs in her mainsail on Wednesday, but both wind and sea were unfavorable for her eutering, and the Harbor-master signalling to that effect, her master stood out to sea again. The late repeated adjournments of the District Court sittings at Westport entailed, as may be supposed, considerable expense and loss of time to the inhabitants of this district, and points in a very marked degree to the advisability of a Court being held in Charleston as being the most central spot in North Westland for such a purpose. The bulk of the cases emanate from here, and such is likely to be the case for some time to come, and, therefore, it would be better economy to bring thr Judge to where the work is, rather than carry the work to the Judge. If going to Westport is inconvenient and expensive to our townspeople, it is of course infinitely more so to litigants from the Brighton district.