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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1063, 15 April 1873, Page 2

Dr Hector left Westport on Sunday evening last, per Kennedy, for Nelson. We have authority for stating that his hurried visit to the Ngakawhau district has fully convinced him of the immensity of the coal deposits there, which he estimates at the least at eighty millions of tons, irrespective altogether of the seams discovered nearer Westport. He also has formed a favorable opinion of the Waimangaroa seam, and has made a contract with Symes and party to put in a prospecting drive to explore the seam for one hundred feet, or until the coal seam is cut through, such work to commence at a point pointed out by Dr Hector. The following has been banded to us for publication, and may be of interest to some

of our readers:—" The lessees of the Ngakawhau coalmine have arranged with Mr A. Beetham, of Auckland, to form a company, with a capital of £30,000, in 6000 shares of £5 each. It is intended to call up about £2 per share during the ensuing six months for the purpose of purchasing a suitable steam-tug and lighters, mining plant, Sic. It is not expected any further calls will be required. It is intended to reserve about 1000 shares for disposal on the West Coast, the remainder will be taken wp in Wellington, Auckland, Nelson, and Christchurch. —I am,&c,R. C. Chambeus." The weather yesterday was all that could possibly be desired to enhance the enjoyment of the picnic for juveniles, held under the auspices of the Superintendent and teachers of St John's Sunday School. There was a numerous gathering of youngsters on the grounds, as well as many adults, and visitors thereto report that a very merry day was spent. The only regret expressed was that the picnic gathering should not have been open to the whole juvenile population of Westport without any distinction, either expressed or implied, as to creed or kindred. However, another treat for the youngsters is on the tapis, under the control of members of the Catholic and Free Methodist Churches, and any defects, either real or imaginary, in yesterday's programme will be easily remedied. In another column of this issue will be found, in extenso, the judgment given by Mr Lowther Broad, at Nelson, in the late Westport land case.

Further proof of the exceeding richness of the Mohikinui reefs has been obtained. In the Halcyon claim' a twenty-five feet blast was put in a few days since dislodging a large mass of stone and lying bare the reef to a width of five-feet. Specimens of stone taken from the solid fairly glitter with gold. The holders of the claim contemplate putting up son a three stampe battery and thus prove beyond all doubt the value of the reef.

The value of the alluvial workings on the Pahikis north of the Orawaiti has been nowwell proved. The ground will yield to men who are not afraid of work, and will patiently take the ground on a face as it comes, from £3 to £5 per week, and here and there double as much. An informant who is systematically working a claim there says the first men who came up contented themselves with bottoming a few shafts, and judging alone from the prospects thus obtained they went away disappointed. His system is to take out blocks of ground from fifteen to twenty feet, and put through the sluice box all the wash, good, bad, and indifferent. He is earning above the average stated, and says others are doing equally well. There is room for 200 men to set in, and by co-operation the ground might be easily drained to the advantage of all parties working.

The Suez mail was despatched from Wellington by the Eangitoto on Saturday last.

An interim dividend of ten per cent, baa been declared by the Grey Eiver Sleam Tug Company.

The Greymouth Horticultural Sooirty have decided on holding the next exhibition in November. The prize list is in the hands of the printer. Upwards of three hundred shares ia the Grey Coal Company have been signed for, and the honorary secretary has been instructed to register the Company at once. The Star says that at a recent meeting ©€ the Provisional Committee a letter was read from Dr. Hector, enclosing some plans, and advising the company to proceed to work, as he considered their prospects most encouraging, from the qunntity of coal he had ascertained as easily available. The nomination day for candidates anxious to fill the vacancy in the Provincial Council, caused by the resignation of Mr Kynnersley, is fixed for Thursday next, the 17th instant, and the Polling, if such is required, will be taken on the 22nd instant. The nomination will take place at Ahaura instead of Cobden as heretofore.

We notice by the Dunedin papers that Miss Clara Stephenson, described as the Celeste of the Colonies, was to appear at the Queen's Theatre on Monday last, in company with Mr Charles Burford.

A good hint for our market gardners:— As large quantities of onions become rotten and are lost to the farmer and gardener every year by storing them in the, ordinary way, the following plan for their preservation, which has been successfully adopted in America, may prove useful:— Dry the onions in the same way as apples are treated. The onions are passed through ovens, and having been dried, are packed in kegs and in this way can be kept for years or exported to other countries. An inquest was held on the 31st ultimo, at Hansen's Post Office Hotel, Hokitika, on the body of Reginald Sleeman, the infant son of William Henry Sleeman (better known as Harry Hilton) and Margaret Ann Sleeman. The evidence of Mr and Mrs Sleeman and of Dr Dermott was taken, and in accordance with the medical evidence, a verdict of death from inflammation of the lungs was recorded. In answer to a question by Constable O'Malley, Dr Dermott expressed his opinion that had medical assistance been earlier obtained, there would have been a chance of saving the child's life.

Mr Andrews, collector of her Majesty's Customs at the port of Greymouth, has been appointed to the Collectorship at the Thames, and he will be succeeded at Greymouth by Mr David Lundon, of Auckland.

Mr Aylmer has retired from his Wardenship of the Eoss District, and the people of Ross have decided upon presenting a testimonial to him in token of their high appreciation of the manner in which he has discharged his duties as Warden and Resident Magistrate. Mr FitzGerald held his first sitting of the Resident Magistrates Court at Eoss on Monday, when a criminal action for libel, entered by the late Warden Aylmer against Mr Cuming, of the Eoss News, was heard. According to the report in the Guardian, Mr Purkiss, who appeared for the plaintiff, stated that the defendant had written a full apology (which was read) had also paid all expenses, and had further undertaken to publish the apology in four different newspapers. His Worship allowed the case to be withdrawn.

There is little definite opinion yet formed ns to who is to be the successor to Mr Kynnersley in the Nelson Provincial Council. The Grey Weekly Press says:— " Rumor has it that Cobden is to have an especial aspirant of its own, and the same authority has pointed to 'a host' in Greymouth. The name of Mr Acton Adams, of Nelson, has also been mooted, since his speech in favor of the West Coast has been published in the Nelson papers, This gentleman is known to be largely interested in the reefing districts, and would, doubtless, prove to be a good selection in the event of no popular local man presenting himself. The seat, at present, does not seem likely to be contested by many candidates, there being few on the Coast who either aspire to the doubtful honors in connection with it, or who care to leave their

business for the term of the session, with the questionable expectation of being serviceable to the constituency.

The Westland police seem to be peculiarly and painfully hard up. The Register says that recently the Magistrate enquired why the constables employed in the collection of Agricultural Statistics had not sent in their vouchers for expenses incurred in the performance of this special duty. The Commisbioner replied that in consequence of the police not having received their salaries for the last two' months, they had been unable to liquidate the claims against them and therefore could not forward the receipted accounts, which do duty as vouchers. This revelation excited much surprise, and we are sorry to say merriment, seeing that a police force in so utterly an impecunious position is certainly a standing disgrace to the County, " •