The Westport Times. TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 680, 5 July 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1870.

Some exceedingly rich specimens of quartz were brought to town last week from the old Waimangaroa reef, now being worked by the Enterprise Quartz Mining Company, Limited. The working shareholders have gone to work with a will, and are in great hopes of having a crushing within three or four months. We hope to be able to record by that time the uninterrupted continuance of crushing operations. The shareholders in this company are so confident of success that there is not a share purchasable at anything like par, at which price one of the shareholders has offered to purchase the lot. It is often the case that, after the expenditure of several thousand pounds in quartz mining by the original prospectors or workers of the ground, some party with a small capital reaps the benefit of the early labor and outlay. For the new company's sake, it is hoped such will be their good fortune. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, Westport, yesterday, two informations, in which a charge of assault had been laid, were disposed of, also an information laid ■under the English statute, in which a servant was charged with illegally leaving his employ. In the first case, John Harris v. Jesse Frik, complainant's evidence went to show that defendant had been repeatedly in his employ, and on the last occasion went to the house as cook, but never fulfilled the duties. He came, after an absence of three da> s, to the house for his clothes, and, without a shadow of provocation, pulled off his coat and challenged complainant to single combat in front of the house in Gladstone street. Complainant declined the challenge, objecting to make a fool of himself, whereupon defendant indulged in insulting and obscene language. Under cross-examination Harris admitted that he had on one occasion blackened the defendant's eyes in consequence of his offensive behavior, but positively denied, he had ever described the defendant, as the most quiet and inoffensive individual he had ever met. The defendant's statement was that he had not entered Mr Harris's employ—he knew him too well. He went to the house and left his clothes there, and a few days after Harris called him in and told him to take his swag away. Harris threatened to smash his face in, and he suggested the desirability of settling their differences outside the house. The informa tion was dismissed. The charge, Harris v. Erik, for absenting from his employ as a hired servant, was also dismissed. Charles Brun v. Joseph Baughty, in which the defendant wa3 charged with violent and threatening language, resulted in the defendant being bound over to keep the peace for three months, in his own recognizance of £25 and one surety £ls. Intelligence has reached us of the discovery of a new reef, situate between Christmas terrace and the Waimangaroa. Specimens have been lodged at one of the banks in town.

We are informed that Mr Kynnersley M.H.E. has tendered hia resignation as Warden at Wangapeka. The s.s. Kennedy, after a protracted stay in Greymouth consequent upon the tempestuous weather, left the latter place yesterday at 1 p.m. and arrived off Westport yesterday at S p.m.. She is announced to leave for Nelson at 1 p.m. to-day. The Treasurer of the Hospital acknowledges receipt of £1 Is from the Eev. MiLewis, and £1 from Mr J. Harris, National Hotel. Other subscriptions, received through the collectors during the month, will be acknowledged in the usual way when the lists are completed. The Masonic brethren in Westport are having a neat head-stone erected, and a fence placed round the grave of the late W. H. Eatcliffe.

The monthly meeting of the District Hospital Committee takes place this evening, at 8 o'clock, at tho Court House. A testimonial is being got up in town by some friends of EeubenWaite.the well-known pioneer of the Nelson Goldfields, the narrative of which is well related in a pamphlet recently published, entitled " A Narrative of the Discovery of the West Coast Goldfields," and which contains a record of many interesting incidents of early life on these goldfields. Many thousands of ounces of gold have been taken out of tho ground since " Old Eeuben " first planted his foot on this Coast, but little of the precious metal seems to have stuck to him. Some friends mean to present Mr Waite, on an early date, with a mark of recognition of his early perseverance and hardships encountered.

The average number of scholars on the roll, at the Westport School, during the quarter ended Ist inst., was 98—boys 57 and girls 41. The average daily attendance, during the same period, was 58 scholars.

Telegraph communication has bean suspended with the various stations throughout the Colony excepting Charleston, Brighton, Greymouth, and Hokitika, the line having sustainedhrjuries, on Sunday night, betwec n the latter station and Christehurcn.

Owing to the continued wet weather, many of the roads and tracks in the district are in a shocking state. Between Westport and Charleston, there are many ruts and holes in the road, and the Caledonian track also stands in need of some few repairs. In another column is published the prospectus of the Excelsior Quartz Mining Company, the terms of which are such as should recommend it to the attention of the public. To all who have any " speculation in their eyes," in place of lending their spare cash to the Government or to any corporation at a nominal interest, for them to iavest at a higher interest elsewhere, we would strongly advise to turn their attention to the undoubtedly rich mines within their own district, before the plums are picked up by foreign capitalists. We learn that

there is every probability of the shares in this company being taken up within the current month. Wo observe a meeting, of those interested in the opening of the Lyell reefs, is announced to take place this evening at 7 o'clock, when Messrs M'Laren and Munro will submit the prospectus of the projected company and furnish full information with respect to the reefs in that neighbourhood. The petitions to his Excellency the Governor and to the House of Representatives, framed by the Miners' League, and now signed by several hundred miners in each of the districts on the Nelson Goldflelds, is intended to be forwarded to the General Assembly, through Mr Kynnersley, now our representative, who has kindly conseated to take charge of them. The petition to the Assembly prays for increased representation for the Nelson South-west Goldfiolda. The prayer of the petition to his Excellency is, that the delegated powers be withdrawn from the Superintendent of Nelson, and that effect will be given to clause 56, part 9 of the Goldfields Act 1860, which provides that " Upon a petition of not less than 500 persons holding miner's rights under the Act in any province, and having held such rights for not less than three calendar months, it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, if he should see tit, by proclamation, to declare such province, or any part of such province, containing not less than 500 persons holding miner's rights, to be a district for the purpose of forming a Mining Board," &c. Messrs Jackson and Kelly, who, in a previous issue, we stated as having left town for the Murray reefs, Inangahua, returned to Westport yesterday, having been unable to proceed on their journey in consequence of the flooded state of the rivers. They reached French's accommodation house, and there learned that the Ohikinui had twelve feet of water running down, and the Ohiki twenty-five feet. A party, located between the two streams, had been stuck up by the rivers, and one of the party had made his way to French's, on horseback, narrowly escaping drowning, for the purpose of procuring provisions. He declined, however, to emperil his life a second time in order to succour the party, who, by this time must be entirely destitute of provisions. Mr Jackson purposes leaving for Eochford Terrace, Brighton, and Mr Kelly will proceed to the reefs as soon as the weather shows signs of abating.