Untitled

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1087, 8 July 1873, Page 2

By advertisement appearing in this issue it is notified that the annual parish meeting at St. Johns Church will be held on Wednesday evening next, and the attendance of all parishoners interested in church welfare is requested. The routine business of the meeting will be the receiving of churchwardens reports, the election of churchwardens, synodsman, and vestry, and thereafter business of special importance will be brought forward for discussion, having reference, as we understand, to the all imt portant question of ensuring a continuance of church services with the regularity and efficiency hitherto characterizing public worship at St. Johns. House moving is still the order of the day in Westport. Quite a number of small buildings have been taken to pieces and removed for re-erection ou the new township and just now the largest building yet moved entire is progressing up Palmerston street. Messrs Bull and Bond have taken a contract from Messrs Tonks and Hughes to remove the Masonic Hall from Lyttelton street to Eintoul street, a distance of at least one mile, and so far they have succeeded well. The Hall has been shifted bodily from its former site near the river bank, and moved foot by foot along Lyttelton street, and round the somewhat sharp turn into Palmerston street, and is now proceeding on its slow but steady journey, not a single timber of the building having been removed from its proper position, or even the stage fittings or furniture within displaced. In fact on Thursday evening last the Odd Fellows Society held their usual meeting there. The first instance on record perhaps of lodge business being transacted in a perambulating lodge room! Following in the wake of the Masonic Hall may bo seen the Wharf Hotel, another heavy and cumbrous buildiug to b.3 mounted on rollers.

Commercially speaking the local matrimonial market is showing signs of increased activity. Recent transactions at current rates give promise of proving remunerative and safe investments, and should induce cautious operators, especially in Addisons' shares, to bid freely. The fourth of July passed off at "VVestport without any exuberant manifestations of attachment to American institutions. There might huvo been a slight oscoss of

whiskeying up among tho few who affect Yankee customs, and the Stars and Stripes waved somewhat ingloriously from the shattered remains of Cobden s'treet wharf, but beyond this the 97th anniversary of American independence passed unnoticed.

Mr J. K. Grant, late of the Star Hotel, Kennedy Street, now hails from the Mariners' Hotel, comer of King Street and Flinders Lane, Melbourne. The Just in Time claim at Boatmans is still yielding good stone from the low level. Callsof sixpence and two pence per share respectively, have been made in the donian and Just in Time Companies. An order has been made by Judge Harvey for the winding up of the Band of Hope Company upon the petition of Messrs Forsyth and Masters of Greymouth.

At Blacks Point a settler named Ronald McDonald broke his leg last week by an accidental fall—A blacksmith named John Smith, in the employ of the Anderson's Company, also broke his collar bone by a fall down an excavation near the machine site.

A call of sixpence per share has been made in the North British Company. The drive in the claim is to be carried westward for 50 feet additional, and at that distance it is confidently expected the reef will be struck.

The Melbourne Hotel, Greymouth, is advertised for sale by auction, "in the assigned estate of James Johnston."

The "Westland Register says: Our columns are positively getting unctuous witli prime fat meats. Another Hokitika butcher this week enters the lists and challenges his rivals on the score of cheapness, combined with quality.

In the Christchurch market both beef and mutton are falling in prices, beef selling at 17s 6d per lOOlbs, and mutton at 2£d to 2£d, Several mobs of cattle have been sent to the preserving establishment in preference to risking the West Coast markets.

An effort is being made in Christchurch to float a small company for the purpose of publishing a Bradshaw's guide for the Colony. The intention is to have about four hundred pages , one hundred of which would be devoted to postal, railway, shipping, and telegraphic information for the various Provinces, illustrated by maps.

A correspondent of the Nelson Colonist states that there is a seam of silver ore at the Nine-mile, north of Cobden. Dr Hector has ordered some of the large boulders to be broken up, and sent to him at Wellington. It is supposed to be worth £4O per tonf

The Directors of the Kanieri Lake Waterrace are using every exertion to dispose of the number of shares necessary, in order to obtain the Government loan ; the manager is indefatigable in his efforts to dispose of the scrip, and his exertions are meeting with a considerable amount of success, more especially amongst the miners. The official mining report published in Victoria says that gold can be separated from pyrites, quartz tailings, &c, by a very cheap and simple process, If such materials were stacked with a proper admixture of small coal, gum leaves, &c, decomposition would follow, the gold would be set free, and it and other products of commercial value could be easily collected. That method, it is said is slow, but it is certain, and it would be a gain to the colonies if some of the mine-owners would give a failtrial to the plan, which has been proved successful in America.

Though the advocates of a Permissive Bill are hardly likely to succeed in any legislation to that effect that they may attempt, they are likely to effect nearly the same end by other means. It is said that an effort will be made at the approaching meeting of Parliament to introduce a, measure for the regulation of the sale of spirituous and intoxicating liquors, to be applicable to the whole Colony. The basis of the proposed Act will be a heavy license fee of £lO or £75 per annum, which will in effect be prohibitive if carried.

The most singular and providential escape from a fatal accident we have heard of for some time, was reported in Eoss a few days since. Eobert Kiddie, a miner, had been working as a " hatter " in the loft-hand branch of the Totara, about two miles above the Forks, and while at work on Saturday week last, a land-slip came down and buried him up to the neck. Fortunately there was a heavy flood running down the creek, which gradually washed away the large body of earth around the poor fellow, and, after being kept prisoner for fully four hours, he was enabled to release himself, and crawl on his hands and knees to his hut, between 200 and 300 yards from his claim. No assistance was at hand, and towards evening, finding that he had lost the use of one leg, he again crawled on his hands and knees down a steep spur, to another digger's habitation. A difficulty was experienced for two days in getting anything suitable to apply to the injured limb, buteventually some " farmer's friend" was procured, and applied. The most extraordinary thing in connection with this escape was that, although the earth struck the poor fellow on his head in its fall, he was only stunned for a time, and was enabled to release himself after the water had done its good work." The following notice lately appeared in the 'Wellington Post, signed bv Mr Blundell, the proprietor of that journal:—" Owing to the serious advance in the price of paper, the free list is unavoidably suspended from Monday next. The publisher has received orders to issue no more papers wthout payment." To those people who regularly pay for their papers the above notification will require Bome explanation. Iu Wellington, as in other places, there are certain persons who think that their position entitles them to the right of a free paper. The cost of paper has now become so serious an item that Mr Blundell has cut off all the " deadheads " at one blow, and his example will of necessity be soon followed by other newspaper proprietors to whom the cost of paper is a heavy weekly item, and the advantages gained from dead head circulation more than doubtful. The business of the Bank of Otago has become merged in the new National Bank of New Zealand. The services of the Dunedin manager and the up-country agents having been retained for the new establishment. Christchurch citizens have been excited of late by the circumstances attendant the death of a man named Sydney Burrowes Stiffb, the evidence given at the inquest on his remains having been deemed sufficient by the jury to warrant a verdict of manslaughter against some local celebrities. Mrs Elliott, better known as Miss Herberte, an actress of some repute on the provincial boards, a Mr and Mrs Hill, and a Dr Parker were charged with accelerating the death of deceased, but the Crown Prosecutor has since declined to indict them, whereupon what promised to be a local cause celebre has died away. The short facts of the case seem to have been that the deceased, Stiffe, lived in the same house and was on intimate terms with Mrs Elliott, that Stiffe was much given to drink, that he suffered from

delirum tremens; and was violent, that Elliott and the Hills V3re compelled to bind him with ropes, that imhestruggleStiffefell, striking his head aiu receiving bruises elsewhere, and that the mci-eased excitement caused increased effusion of serum to the brain, and so the poordrunkard was hurried into eternity. The weights for tie Melbourne Cup are published in the Mellourne Argus and Age of the 20th instaut, and the four New Zealand horses nominated have to carry the following imposts:—-Tambourini, sys, 7st lOlbs j Lurline, 4yrs; 7st 71bs; Calumny, 4ys, 7st 31bs ; and Castaway, 3yrs, 6st. The top weights in the Haidicap are, The Ace, 9st 71bs, and Hamlet and Dagworth 9st 41bs each. The Wanganui Maois call Miss Lottie, the performer celebr&ed for her trapeze feats, the woman devil—Wahine Taipo. The Wanganui Chrraicle describes Nelson as another provnce that is being strangled by Provincitiism. Somespurious coins Ksembling sovereigns but bearing the impriit " Ricketty Dick," instead of the designaton of her Majesty, are in circulation in Wanganui. One of these counterfeits wai recently put in the bag at the collecticn of the evening offertory at one of the Wanganui places of worship. In telling tie cash the giver was no doubt blessed by both minister and churchwardens, until i; was discovered that the coin was worthless