The Westport Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 461, 4 February 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1869.

Host people on the West Coast must have heard how some gold was lost about two years ago by the accidental cutting of a saddle-bag in which it was being brought on horseback to Hokitika, how a rush was caused, in consequence, in the streets of the town, where most of the gold had dropped, and how many were deluded into the belief that a new lead had I been discovered. An accident very similar, but not so serious to the losers, happened this week between Brighton and Charleston. The Banks of New Zealand and New South Wales have lately closed their agencies in Brighton, and the agents were bringing to Charleston, on pack-horses, the books and papers of the two offices, their gold and cash. After their arrival in Charleston it became known that between that place and Brighton some travellers , had been picking up bran new sovereigns or half sovereigns in situations where current 1 coin of the realm is not usually to be found. It is nothing unusual in that particular district to find gold among shingle and sand, but ■ it was a phenomenon even to old diggers to find it bearing her Majesty's image and the mark of the mint. Suspicions wore excited, and the bank-agents wisely counted their cash. The Bank of New Zealand agent found ' his to be correct. The agent of the Bank of . New South Wales did not, and it is said that a deficiency of about .£l5O was discovered, . and it was further discovered that what had happened at Hokitika had happened here. A nail in the pack-saddle had penetrated one of the saddle-bags containing gold coin, and, by the jolting of the horse, the money had been shaken out along the road by which the party had come. An immediate and diligent search was made, of course, on behalf of the Bank, but we behove it resulted in the recovery of only some £3 10s. The officials and the police had been anticipated by some persons who had got upon the trail some time sooner, and it is probable that some of the money remains yet to be found, concealed as it has probably been by traffic along the sands. Future travellers by the beach road may yet benefit themselves, or, if they are honest, the Bank, by making it a part of the object of their journey to search for some of the undiscovered coin. It is not recorded that, as yet, anyone has discovered more than af ew half-sovereigns, or has thought of delivering the sime to the Bank. It is insinuated, however, that there was for one night a considerable amount of spare cash among some people at Charleston, and that there was more liberality in the. niatterof " shouting" than i 3 usual at. tba present dry season and dull times. Some are said to have recognised the occurrence, as a " speeiil providence," happening as it has done when money j s rather scarce, and when, lor want of water, the metal in its pure state is no fc procurable. Mr Wahnsley is said to have been the agent in whose charge the money nominally was at the time of its loss, and, if that is the ease, Mr Wahnsley has certainly very badluck, foritisnotthefirstor theseoond occasion on which he has been associate,! with similarly purely accidental but unfortunate circumstances. The entertainment, to be given by the Nathan Troupe this evening should be well attended for several reasons. First, it is announced as their last entertainment in Westport. Second, it is the occasion of a complimentary benefit to Little Marion, and the only benefit night that there has been during the series. Third, the programme presents exceptional elements of excellence and variety. Fourth, every occupant of a front seat will, from that fact, become the happy possessor of a carte de visite of Little Marion. Fifth, everyone who has not seen Marion should now endeavour to see her, and, if he can afford it, should take a front seat.

A small local improvement is being effected. Prisoners are forming a small piece of road connecting Bright street and Molesworth street. It was previously a " slough of despond," and there are records, in the shape of suddenly superannuated pants, of respectable citizens having found its mud and its mire of rather inconvenient depth When wending their way home under the serious convict ion—after midnight, of course —that it was the shortest or only available road. The improvement has only the one merit of being better late than never. We are not in a position to state whether the work is undertaken by the direct authority of the Government, else the Government should be thanked for their attention. It probably lias not been considered a work of such magnificence as the const retion of a box-drain, which, according to the statement, of Mr Alcorn at the last nv-eting of the Progress Committee, has first to receive the direct assent of the paternal or petty Nelson Government. If report be true, our local Member of the Provincial Council earned his honors at the recent election cheaply compared with his southern colleague. While the successful candidate here is said to have achieved the honor of adding "M.P.C." to his name at little more cost than one pound sterling per letter, it is reported that the successful and uusuccessfal Charleston candidates could each read him a lesson in arithmetic, having multiplied three by thirty in obtaining and trying to obtain the same quotient. Our P.D., who is also a man of letters, says they were disposed of too cheaply in Westport, and the members of the eampanological profession are said to concur in this opinion. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, a number of civil cases were called, but in several the parties did not appear. Judgment for the plaintiff's were given in the following cases:—Bailie and Humphrey v. G. Carruthers, £27 Ms 6d ; J. Sheldon v. Mary Pollock, £2 19s; Hugh Neill v. C. Williams, £1 17s 6dj same v. E. Ilankins, £■l 10s 9d; same v. D. Young, £1 12s 3d ; White and Pirio v. W. Miller, £2 15s. The fortnightly escort arrived from Charleston yesterday. It brought considerably less than the average quantity of gold, the present dry weather having greatly interfered with work in the Charleston district.

Messrs Greening and Keiley, tlie new proprietors of Cobb and Co's line of coaches between Westport and Charleston, have the credit of considerably improving the management of the line, and of effecting a saving iu the time occupied by the journey. Yesterday, the coach accompanied by the escort mado the journey in hall'-an-hour less than the usual time. The beach is at present in bad order for travelling, but, with a practised " whip," and a fresh team of horses, the journey was thus speedily accomplished. Telegraphic communication beyond Greymouth has been interrupted since one o'clock

on Tuesday. Dr Giles, R.M., proceeds to Charleston today, immediately after the inquest to be held at the Occidental Hotel. Mr Broad, H.M., is at present in Nelson. Mr Kynnersley has written, from Melbourne, a letter thanking the gentlemen in thf Grey district who presented him with an address. The following expressions occur in Mr Kynnersley's letter: —" I may take this opportunity of stating that it was always a matter of regret to me that while my official position gave me peculiar facilities for forming an opinion on the subject, it at the same time precluded me from expressing the strong opinion which I always held, that it would be most beneficial to the district to readjust the boundaries of the Province and County, in order to unite the whole of the Grey Valley under one Government. I am sorry that the unsatisfactory state of my health has rendered it necessary for me to terminate my official connection with the Grey district, in which I have always taken the greatest interest, but I hope that I shall so far succeed in recovering as to enable me at some future time to return to New Zealand." Last Sunday the Rev. Mr Harvey rode on horseback from Westport to Charleston, delivered forenoon and evening services, and returned the same evening to Westport, not a small mental and physical undertaking for one day. A meet ing of the local Hospital Committee was held at the Court House on Tuesday evening. Mr Smyth was in the chair. The Treasurer, Mr Harris, being at Nelson, it was necessary to appoint some member of the Committee to act during his temporary absence. Mr Reid was appointed for that purpose. Mr Powell and Mr Field were appointed auditors to inspect the accounts for the past month, and a sub-committee was also appo'nted for the purpose of negotiating with the Nathan Troupe, who had kindly tendered their services to give a performance on an early night for the benefit of the institution. If the Nathan Troupe remain in town until Saturday or Monday night, it is not improbable that a charitable performance in aid of the funds of the Hospital will be announced. At present, however, this is announced as their last night. It is the intent ion of Coats worth and party, during the next few weeks, to prospect the Bald Terrace, south of the Caledonian Terrace, and this week an application was made by them to the Warden for a prospecting area equal to twelve men's ground, in the event of their labors meeting with success. The party at present numbers six, but they can, by the Mining Ru!e3, make application in this way for twelve men's ground. We are given to understand that they intend to form a party of twelve, half the number to be sleeping partners, who would in the 'meantime eontribute theic proportionate allowance to the working partners until some success should be met with, after which time, and upon the ground being taken up, all would share alike. The extent of ground they would thus be entitled to would be 600 feet frontage. The six are all experienced miners, and it is sincerely to be hoped that their time and labor will hare some good reward.

Mr Hennelly has been elected M.P.O. for ] the Grey district by a majority of 52 'votes. The result of the poll was officiary declared \ to 19. SeCtionsof " The Vaccination Act" are -pub- i lished in the Provincial 'Gazette for general ] information. By these we notice that it is 1 compulsory to have children vaccinated J within six months of birth ; that the success ] or failure of the vaccination must be asccr- ) tained on the eighth day by the child being J brought to a medical practitioner; and that ' the fine for neglecting these clauses is forty ! shillings. < A letter has 'b3en received by the Charles- ! ton Prospecting Association, from Harris and parly, in which they state that they had proceeded to some terraces at the foot of the main range. These they found very rock bound and having no wash on them. They retraced their steps to a creek in which they had found \ a little gold on a previous occasion. They | prospected the terraces in the neighborhood | and found a little gold and black saud. , It is stated by the Charleston Herald that ' the Nile Company brought in their amalgam on Saturday last, which, when melted, gave . upwards of 2430z of gold. A share in this valuable claim has been lecently purchased i for £250. A share in Steel's claim has also changed hands during the week, having been purchased by Mr Pell for £ ISO. There was another sold in the same claim for a like figure. The Governor has granted letters patent to Mr Alfred Stacy Wilson, of Auckland, for an invention of a new machine for separating gold from quartz, and for its amalgamation and mercuralization. The youngest daughter of Colonel Gore Brown, ex-Governor of New Zealand, died at Melbourne ou Bth January. A child of Mr Gunther's, Waimea road, Nelson, has been poisoned by sucking the heads of wax vestas. A large hotel and its valuable contents have been totally destroyed by fire at Waipawa, Hawke's Bay. Captain Spiller, late of Nelson, has been sent to take the command of the Wairoa district, Hawke's Bay. Among the items of personal gossip in the Hokitika Daily News we notice that Mr George Millar Rose, manager of the Hau Hau tramway, had met wth an accident by which he broke his leg ; that Mr Royse had returned to Hokitika ; and that Mr John White, late agent of the Panama Steamer Company, after a visit to Wellington in connection with the business of the company, purposes to settle in Hokitika. As an instance of the number of unemployed about Hokitika, " we may mention," says the livening Star, " that our overseer advertised ■ early in the week for a laborer to : turn a wheel at 45s per week wages. There were folly forty applications." Mr G. W. Binney, Hokitika, last week [ disposed by auction of 250 eggs for the gross , sum of 4s. The Evening Star wonders whether this information will tend to lower . the price of eggs, or for a while p]ace a restraint i on egg-devouring appetites, t In the Resident Magistrate's Court, Hokir tika, last week, there was a case of Calleray » v. Carr, for wrongful extraction of a tooth—s we know not whether it was an incisor or a ; molar—and for damage sustained thereby. . The judgment was for the defendant. Tne following statement shews the whole - of the revenues received by the County of 3 Westland for the six months ending 30th ) December last :—Hokitika and Okarita (half : customs), .£19,290 14s ; Grey mouth (quarter j customs), £5,695 19s lid ; Besident Magis- : trate's Court (half fees), £932 Gs 7d ; Postal • Revenue and Duty Stamps (half fees), £1,655 I 9s 7d j Telegraph fees £7lO 10s Id. Gold 1 export duty—Hokitika, £9515 12s 8d ; Greyi mouth, £2307 15s 6d ; Okarita, £3lO I7s9d. , Miners' rights, licenses, &c, £5085 5s 8d ; . spirit licenses, £5350 ; incidental receipts i pilotage, dog fees, auctioneers' licenses, minin" surveys, boatmen's licenses, £ISBO 12s 6d ; sale of lands, town, suburban, and rural, and . lease of pasturage runs, reserves, &c, £15,04G . 6s lOd. Total, £67,434 0s Id.