CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 310, 29 July 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

The only business before the Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday consisted of a tolerably long drunkards list and a number of small debt cases of no particular public interest. At a meeting of the Church of England Committee on Monday evening a favorable report was received from the Sub-Committee appointed to make arrangements for a Gift Auction, and it was decided that Tuesday week, the 6th August, be the day for the auction to take place. Large promises of support have been given by most of the townspeople, and already the list of gifts is a very large one arid comprises a wonderful variety of articles ranging from a pig and pair of boots to a cask of beer and a crinoline. Almost every one has something by him which he does not actually want, and though perhaps of little value would be sure to realise money at the auction. In such a case every little helps, and we fully believe there will be no lack of material for the various auctioneers to try their skill on, and hammer out into hard cash. Indeed we fancy the difficulty will be to find a suitable room to hold all the articles, and the crowd which is sure to muster on the occasion, for the novelty of the thing will be a great attraction.

Our old friends Mr T. J. Peel and Mr D. Coghlen took a joint benefit at the Casino on Monday night, and had a good attendance. The performances consisted of songs, dances, and a dramatic piece played by members of the Histrionic Club. The novelties of the evening however, consisted of Professor Sampson, in a Chinese dance, unexpectedly disappearing through a trap which happened to be loose in the floor of the stage, and what is called the *' manax warder," a three legged monstrosity which goes through several absurd dances. This latter affair is managed by Messrs Peel and Coghlen, and the effect is ridiculous enough. We are glad to say Mr Milieu is so far recovered as to be released from confinement, and he is now at large. Though business people complain of the slackness of trade, and the population here is manifestly not so large as it was, the yield of gold has we believe . never been so great as within the last few weeks. The parcels that "came in from the big machines, were generally very large. Mace's engine on the Buller road has just finished crushing a quantity of boulder stones for a parcy on the township lead, the out-turn being over 600 ounces of amalgam, yielding about a third in gold, and showing a return of about two ounces to the load. The charge for crushing this stone was 15s. a load.