A TELEGRAPHIC BLUNDER.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1013, 15 October 1872, Page 2

A TELEGRAPHIC BLUNDER.

The result of the recent crushing of stone from the Little Wonder Claim, Lyell, was, as a subject of more than usual interest, telegraphed to all parts of the colony. But it happenß just now that the colony is blessed, or rather bothered, with two rival telegraph agencies—the old accredited G-reville 's Company, and a newly flodged New Zealand Press Association —and the various items of news " wired " by either agency are at times most amusingly contradictory, evidencing, especially on political topics, the peculiar bias of individual opinion or desires, rather than recording plain unvarnished facts. Iu politics, as at present prevailing, this matters little, but it becomes of more serious moment when important mining news, affecting the interest of an entire district, becomes the subject of telegraphic vagaries. The following telegram was despatched from Westport to Wellington, and thence transmitted through Greville's ofUce to all journals served by that firm : '' Westpobt, Oct. 3. " Little Wonder, Lyell, crushed 85 tons 16cwt, which yielded lOozs 9dwt per ton, retorted and loose gold. A cake is now on view at the Bank of New Zealand. " The United Band of Hope got 2ozs to the ton." But another telegram, to the following effect, v'as sent from Beei'ton to Wellington and thence transmitted to the papers supplied with telegraphic news by the New Zealaud Press Associa. tion:— " Reeftox, Wednesday. "A crushing of So' tons from the Little M r onder claim at the Lyell has yielded S5 ounces of melted gold: " The trial crushing at the Inglewood claim, Inangahua, has yielded 53 ounces out of 27 tons."

This Reefton telegram has appeared in the 'Wellington ' Independent,' the Auckland ' Southern Cross' and ' Herald,' one or more of the Thames papers, the Christchurch 'Times,'the ' Otago Daily Times,' and other journals of lesser note, and hence requires prompt f.nd unequivocal contradiction.

The blame lies between the iieefton correspondent, the lieefton telegraphist, and the Wellington agent. It may be that the omission of a single cipher, making but Ssozs of 850ozs, was purely unintentional, but it might have been avoided, and the owners of the Little Wonder claim, Messrs Carroll and Cairns, and in fact every one else directly or indirectly interested in the Lvell district, are justified in expecting that the erroneous statement will be instantly rectified. The Ljell reef's need no adventitious pulling up or sensational telegrama to bring them in repute, but neither is there any need of their being " damned with too faint praise."