The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 300, 17 July 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1868.

Our usual leader, Charleston police coust report, lacal matter and latters, are neeessirily held over, to give insertion to the English News.

It will be seen in our advertising columns that Mr A. J. Brown intends to give a ball on Monday next, as it is stated, in coinmevation of opening up the Grey gold-fields. There is not much in a ball it may be said, but it is a matter of interest ta know that the above day is the anniversary' of the day when the Nelson, after leaving Westport with a number of white men Maories. and canoes, entered the Grey, and in fact started that township. The Nelson was then the first boat that ever crossed the bar, and six months after that, then being under the command of Captain Leech, our present harbor-master, entered the Hokitika river. Mr Brown was in her as providore till her wreck, and six years ago came to Wcsfcport in the iSturt in the same capacity. In order to keep the memory of these facts green, he gives his ball imd we have no doubt it will he largely attended. The telegraph office will be completed we understand, to-day or tomorrow, and it is to be hoped that the wire will soon be extended, to "Westport. No doubt bad weather has materially retarded the contractor in his operations, and it is only reasonable that some time should be allowed. It is probable that the line will be in working order within fourteen days. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Margaret Ashton, a wellknown character, and James "Wright, another in whom the police take a deep interest, were fined ten shillings each for drunkenness. There were no other cases on the sheet. By the John Penn we have later news from the Thames and the other Auckland goldfields. A large number of persons have come back in her, preferring the certainty of the West Coast of this island to the rich but rare prizes of that part of the Colony. The news varies in no respect from that of some time ago. Many are doing exceedingly well, in fact making fortunes, but for every lucky man of that kind there arc at least twenty that are doing literally nothing. The goldfield is limited, prospecting excepting at the risk of life, cannot be carried on to any distance, and though provisions are plentiful and reasonable in price, credit is unknown, and if the amount necessary for the support of life cannot be paid, those lacking it must starve. The wages of laborers are three shillings per day, but no large amount of work even at that price is to be had. We have not the smallest lesire to cry down these goldfields, for their value is immense, but the fact ">f the returning tide having already set in so soon, should be a warning to :hose who think of recklessly setting nit. There are many in town who can ;ive advice and information on the uibjecr, and before starting it would it least be ordinarily prudent to consult them. It is said that the woirk on the Calelonian track has by no means given mbounded satisfaction, and there are hose who say that in a month a large lortion of it will be sunk in the swamp .gain. Be this how it may, we are old there are already several inches of aud on it at the upper end although t, as yet, has not been opened. We snderstand that the overseer of works i by no means satisfied with several ortions, and it is to be hoped that the loney expended may not prove to be wasted after a few weeks traffic. The üblic have a right to expect the contact to be fulfilled to the letter, and if ; is not and harm arises, those who ermit any violation are clearly reponsible for the consequences. In the telegram quoted from the felson papers our readers will have ' a opportunity of judgiug the value ad the intelligence of Government ] degraph clerks, as compilers of sumlaries of news. Anything much more 1 Ud and wholly unintelligible, could j )t well be conceived than the tele- i

gram in question, and if our readers had been dependent on the capacity of the clerk in question, whoever he may be, they would have ;i very vague idea indeed of the new? brought by the mail. Fortunately, however, a summary of news compiled for the Melbourne Art/us fell into the hands of some one who possessed greater sense than that genius, and we are, thanks to that fact, enabled to extract a well got up epitome. As yet we can only borrow from our contemporaries, there being no telegraphic extension here, but soon we shall have telegrams direct, and we certainly, on our readers' account, as well as our own, object strongly to having to pay for what such blockheads, as the unknown individual above referred to, may choose to send. It may not be generally known that the Government in their wisdom refuse to allow the representatives of the press to compile telegrams for transmission, unless they are paid for at the ordinary scale. They therefore take the compilation into their own hands, and a pretty sample is now offered. We shall have more to say on the subject another time, but we would in the meantime ask our readers to contrast the production of the Government workman as extracted from the Colonist, with that of the professional hand as furnished in Victoria to the Argus ; bearing in mind that the material both had to work with, was identical in every respect.

Another narrow escape from a disastrous fire occurred on Wednesdaynight or rather yesteday morning - The night watchman, Mr Fagg, and Constable Neville were, it appears, walking up Gladstone street in the direction of the Camp, when their attention was attracted by a strange light in the house of Mr Tyler, the well-known soliciLor. They at once proceeded to the spot, andfound flames already creeping out at the eaves, and interior of the drawing-room all ablaze. At this time the inmates of the house were alarmed, and Mr Tyler busily occupied in endeavouring to preserve his property, whilst the servant girl was calling out fire to the utmost extent of her lungs in the hack yard. On gaining admission they found the front room all on fire, and the flame was by this time extending outside the house, where the chimney stood. The constable and the watchman first removed some articles that were in the room, and then proceeded to extinguish the fire, Captain Leech and others having by this time arrived. Fortunately a good supply of water from tanks in the back yard was available, and by a plentiful, application of this, and tearing down the burning lining the fire was fortunately extinguished without doing further injury. The water however, seriously damaged the furniture, amongst other things, a handsome and valuable piano, and the loss to Mr Tyler will be a serious one. It is well it was no worse however, for if the fire had not been discovered when it was, nothing could have saved that and the adjoining houses. It originated in the fireplace, though the fire was raked up and every precaution taken that would appear to have been necessary or possible. Great credit is due to Messrs Fagg and Neville, and through their watchfulness, without doubt, a serious calamity has been averted. Apropos of this, it is clear that the police are far more on the alert than is generally supposed, and when it is borne in mind that there are really only four constables to do duty in "Westport, one of whom is occupied almost wholly in clerical duty, the public have every reason to be abundantly satisfied with their activity.