The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 439, 28 December 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1868.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday. John Williams, alias Jones, was brought up, charged with stealing property to the value of .£2OO, from George Waller, at Wauganui. Detective Lambert gave evidence the circumstances of his arrest, and • produced property to the value of £l5O, in- ■ eluding watches, chains, jewelry, and a gross of meerschaum pipes. He produced, also ■ some skeleton-keys and pick-locks which had • been found in the prisoner's possession. ' Upon the evidence given, the Magistrate remanded him to Wauganui, whither he is to be forwarded at the first • opportunity. Elizabeth Fry, and her daughter, Margaret Gardiner, were charged with stealing a meerschaum pipe from a sawyer named Charles Brown,! but the evidence of the prosecutor was not satisfactory, and they were discharged. ■ John Brown-was charged with having been drunk and incapable. Jn consideration of the circumstance of it being a holiday, the •Magistrate.imposed no fine, but dismissed the • man with B caution.

A bridge of some description is very much required over the Btreiira between Addison's Flat and the Shamrock Lead. When the cre'k is flooded, it is with very great difficulty that either horses or pedestrians are able to cross it. and the -wonder ia that some accidents have not already happened. It might be well if the residents at the Shamrock would bring the matter under the notice of the Government by memorial or otherwise.

The large nugget of nearly eight pounds' weight, wliich -was found by Scott and party up the Buller, and was purchaaed Mr Hughes of the Empire Hotel, was extensively exhibited at the Empire booth at the race-course on. Saturday. It is really a very fine lump of gold, with only very small pieces of quartz adhering to it, and it will be strange if such a discovery has not the effect of inducing many others to prospect the neighborhood, or to visit a part of the country of wliich such excellent specimens of auriferous richness have been received.

The • sweepstakes for one or two of the principal events on the course to-day were drawn for at Snjyrk's Tramway Hotel on Saturday evening. Each evening the drawing for the various events of the following day will take place. We must remind all those intending to enter for tilting that the sports com • menee this day at 10 o'clock, and entries must be made to the Seci etary at or before that hour. The first race, as is notified in another column, w 11 be run at one o'clock sharp.

Several horses have been brought overland to Westport from Cobden, Brighton, and Charleston, to be entered for the Westport races, and yesterday Mr Kingham" s house " Selim," from the Ahaura district, was brought up by the steamer Charles Edward, having been shipped at Groymouth. The Gourlay Family performed to a crowded house at the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening, and, if they receive the patronage they deserve, they will continue to do so during their stay in Westport. They repeat their entertainment, with alterations of programme, this evening. Cobb and Co. ran one of their coaches, four in hand, between the town and the racecourse during Saturday, and apparently many availed themselves of so easy a means of conveyance to the sports. Mr Jones, of the Orawaiti hotel, had also his coach on the road, and was equally well patronised. To-day, no doubt, a much greater number will visit the course, and the coaches will be still more largely employed. More than one accident has happened within the past few days by horsemen attempting feats in steeple-chasing with animals of very donbtful mettle or merits for that form of equestrian exercise. One respected citizen had a very ugly " spill" at the race-course on Saturday, and yesterday there was another and similar accident, but fortunately the riders received no worse injuries than a severe shaking, with a lesson to do then- spiriting more gently at another time.

We observe that Mr J. P. Klein ) of Hokitika, has advertised for sale the plant and good-will of the West Coast Times and the Weekly Observer, as well as all his other properly in and around Hokitika. Mr KWn intimates that he will finally quit New Zealand in a few weeks, as he is about to open a branch wholesale firm in Melbourne, " in connection with a first-class manufacturing firm in Germany." Nearly all the hotels in town have been more or less tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens for the Christmas holidays, and several of the storekeepers have imitated the example on a less magnificent scale. The only two vessels in port are the brigantine Mary and the steamer Waipara, but, thoxigh few in number, they have made the most of their bunting, and the Mary was, on Christmas eve, a prominent object by exhibiting lights on her mast-head, yard-arms, and rigging, with branches of trees fixed in the orthodox nautical style. In addition to the amusements for the day in tlie way of Sports and Races, Mr Trimble and Sir Sheahan announce for the evening's entertainment, the Eace Ball and ;the Misletoe Ball, both said to be extraordinary attractions, uud likely to surpass any former gatherings of the kind.