Work on t.ie railway line has been commenced. Mr Evans. Resident Engineer, has, we hear, decided to bring the lino outside the town boundary and down Addevley street, and men are already clearing the bush. If the requisite labor is available the first section of the line, extending to the Eairdown quarries, will be complete and open within ten months. The Charleston Herald of the 28th ult. says : —The heavy sea rolling in during yesterday from the south-west has, wo are informed, sent up a good deposit of black sand on the beaches to the delight of tlio3e who are working beach claims. Dame Nature, through the medium of the surf, cast up during the afternoon a very acceptable present in the shape of a very large ling—a fish no ways plentiful in these waters—and the prize was secured by an individual known as " Old Mack," who quickly exchanged it for the coin of the realm.
The business of the local banks in Westport has beeen transferred from the temporary offices in Bright street and Kennedy street to the offices in Wakefield street, where the Bank of New South Wales has taken re-possession of the premises shifted up from Molesworth street, and the Bank of New Zealand has entered newly built premises. The latter being well planned and well built. The outside elevation forming a prominent and pleasing feature in street buildings, and the interior presenting all the conveniences, combined with stability and ornamental structure, characteristic of well ordered banking establishments.
A Lyell correspondent says that a day or two since 561bs weight of amalgam was taken from the ripple boxes after 51 tons of Break 'o Day stone had been sent through the battery. Charleston neighbors intend a3 usual enjoying St. Patrick's Day in recreation, and a committee has been already formed to collect subscriptions and arrange preliminaries for outdoor sports, of which cricket will be the leading feature. A mining lease has been applied for on ground adjacent to the track from Christy's to the Lyell, about two miles from the latter place. It is said the stone is much the same as that found on the New Creek rush, and with fine floury gold perceptible to the naked eye. The officials of the Supreme Court office at Nelson have been on leave for some little time past, and business connected with the Court has been temporarily suspended. The Inansahua Herald makes complaint that the closing of the Supreme Court for ten days or a fortnight is of serious consequence to that district, entailing considerable and vexatious delay in the registration of mining companies, and says, that if all portions of the South-West Goldfields have been inconvenienced in a similar degree to the Inaugahua, the loss to the Province must have been considerable.
A dividend of fivepence per share lias been declared on Monte Christo Scrip. The dividend might have been eightpenee but the directors decided to create a reserve fund to obviate the necessity for making a call for some time to come. The "-old realised £\ 34o lls6d. Messrs Charles Mace and Owen Lyncb have been elected directors in addition to Messrs Mabile, Garde, and Jecklin.
Messrs Eochefort and Hall, the gentlemen who have charge of the survey of the main trunk line of railway between Nelson and Canterbury, arrived at Lyell on Tuesday last. The survey has been finished as far as the Owen, and Mr Eochefort has proceeded to Christy's from which place he will personally superintend the survey towards Eeefton, Mr Hall taking charge of the line between the Owen and Christy's The Inangahua Herald states that the lino will be brought down the southern bank of the Buller, and the station will probably be placed on the piece of ground at present reserved for the use of the proprietor of the punt. Mr Eochefort is favourably impressed with the appearance of the country which does not present any exceptional difficulties in the way of railway construction In fact there are only about ten miles of bad country between Lyell and Nelson. A great deal of judgement has been shown by the engineers in their selection of the route, and a great saving will result from its adoption.
A harvest thanksgiving service was held at Christchureh, Nelson, on Tuesday evening last, the Revs. Johnstone, Thorpe, I'oole, and Eutherford officiating! The chancel of lie church was decorated with fruits, flowers, and corn.
A clerk named Edward Henry liielly, until lately omployecl i 1 the Nelson Post office, has been committed for trial for stealing a letter containing five £j notes'. From the evidence of the Chief Postmaster it would appear that the letter was a trap letter specially placed in one o; tho letterbags. On tho letter being missed, about half an hour after it had been placed in the bag, the prisoner's coat pookets were searched and the envelope found crumpled up, and he then handed the notes from his trowser's pocket. The prisoner's salary was only £9O perannum., The Nelson Evening Mail of tho 25th instant says:—A rumor has been afloat all day that, after many years' absence, tho scoundrel Sullivan arrived in Nelson by tho Wellington this morning. Wo have been
unablo to gather any precise information on tho subject, but it is said that he was recognised on tho wharf. If so, bo probably was only passing tbrougb en route for Dunedin, in tho gaol of which province alono is he likely to tiud that rest for which ho must have craved since tho Government despatched him thence with tho amiable intention of foisting him on tho Americans. Mr Bathgate has taken his seat as KM. in tho Dunedin Court, and has vacated his seat in tho House of Repre.3gntat.ivos. The West Coast Times complains that after keeping its columns open until an early hour in tho morning to recoivo particulars of the banquet given to the Hon. Julius Vogel at Grahamstown, the telegram that came to hand bore evidences of having been composed by some person who had dined at that banquet. It gives the following as a verbatim copy of the first slip : —" Hon. Julius Vogel rising applause thanks for kind manner receiving toa3t great pleasure in meeting since meeting in Assembly first meeting with Honor Supt each had been about respective business met here on happy occasion hardly expected would be worthy demonstration after plain respective business had met here on happy occasion hardly expected would be considered worthy demonstration after plain manner." The high rate of wage 3 ruling has induced the line men and others employed in bush clearing on the Westport and Ngakawhau railway survey to strike for higher wages. They have been hitherto paid ten shillings per day. They now ask twelve shillings, and in the present scarcity of hands are likely to obtain it.
Some mineral specimens, apparently copper ore, have been brought down from the Mokihinui, and the discoverer says there are thousands upon thousands of tons to be found without difficulty. The specimens should be sent to Dr Hector, the Government geologist, who would obtain a correct analysis, and in due course inform the sender as to the correct mercantile value of theproduct. Tho forthcoming Greymouth races promise to be a great success. The racing steeds Yatterina, Kakapo, Malice, Lacenfeed, and others fleet of foot, local steeds and foreign to the soil, aro expacted to put in an appearance.
The Inangahua Local Revenues District has been subdivided into two districts, the Inangahua and the Lyell; the latter commencing at the summit of the Brunner range, and running in a straight line to the junction of the rivers Brunner and Inangahua; thence down the Bailer Elver to the eastern, boundary of the Buller district.
The Grey Argus of the 27th ultimo says:—The name of Mr G. M'Beath, of No Town, has been added to the list of probable candidates for the expected vacancy in the representation of the Grey Valley District in the Nelson Provincial Council. A requisition, signed by over 300 electors, was presented to Mr M'Beath last Tuesday evening.
The alleged Chinese murderer lately captured at Ross is likely to be discharged from custody, as the Tasmanian legal authorities do not consider the evidence sufficiently conclusive to justify the expense of his voyage back to their island. The Grey Star says :—Perhaps they consider, as he is domiciled in New Zealand, it is as well that we should have the benefit of his society for a time. ~
Sickness is provulunt in Groymouth, especially among children, low fever and dysentery prevailing to an extent requiring med'cal ski I ', and vigilance to prevent its assuming dangerous and alarming symptoms.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WEST18740303.2.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1155, 3 March 1874, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,447Untitled Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1155, 3 March 1874, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.