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Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1223, 27 October 1874, Page 2

The meeting called on Saturday evening last to consider arrangements for races and sports at Christmas-tide, lapsed for want of attendance. The general impression is, judging particularly from the experience of last yeiir, that horse racing at Christmas is a mistake, being out of place and interfering with other amusements more suited to tho' holiday season, If a day, or two day's, legitimate racing is needed it would be well to resuscitate the Westport Jockey Club and arrange for a meeting to come off about Easter time, at some convenient day cither immediately before or after the annual events at Greymouth and Hokitika. Then there would be some chance of seeing the events on tho card contested l>y good and properly trained horses, instead of the absurdity of matches for which only some half dozen butchers' piads are entered. There is ample time yet to arrange a good programme of athletic and regatta sports for the Christmas holidays, and for such purpiose subscriptions would bo readily given, but not for horso races under present conditions. Sections fronting Palmerston street are still rising in value. One next the Times Office, having 33 feet frontage, recently sold for £BS. To-day one belonging to Mr M'Farlane, with cottage thereon, sold for .4225. The purchasers in both instances were Charleston residents, and it is said both, sites are intended for hotels. The Little Wonder crushing lias yielded four and a half ounces per ton, smelted gold. A perambulating scissors grinder now plies his vocation in and around Nelson aud finds plenty of patrons. A ti'lejrraph station is now open at St. Bath.m's in the Province of Otago. Meat is now retailed at Charleston at one shilling per lb, and scarce at tho price,. In clear wo.ither the planet Venus should now bo visiblo in broad daylight about, noonday. A contributor of Astronomical Notc3 to tho Dunedin Evening i Star says : " lb is almost impossible to

give any very tangible directions for finding this planet in the daytime ; we may say, however, in a general way, that it should be looked for iu the middle of the day at a very considerable distance to the right of tho sun, and nearly level with it,«so to speak. Some steady staring in that direction will be sure to make it stand out distinctly as a beautiful white point on the background of the sky." The members of the Charleston Cricket Club'aro bestirring themselves to prepare for the contests of the season. The initiation of candidates and election of officers in tho Charleston Lodge of Good Templars will take place on Thursday evening next. Referring to the St Patrick's School Entertainment, tho Charleston Herald says it has lost none of its popularity, hy being postponed to the 29th inst. Owing to the favorable change in the weather, and the timely arrival of supplies, the caterers havo been able to bring their artistic skill into requisition. And the ladies too, taking advantage of the propitiousness of the weather, have been most zealous in the disposal of tickets, and have thus far met with alunst unprecedented success. An attractive Di'Ograinme is in progress, the Committee having succeeded in securing the best talent iu Charleston, including some of the fair sex, who have kindly consented to officiate, so that an enjoyable affair may be anticipated. It is reported that the plant of the late Nelson Examiner will be bought by the company just started in Wellington to establish a morning penny paper. Tho following appears in the Wanganui Herald in the shape of an advertisement: —" For sale, cheap.—The pewter drinking pot, given by the Wanganui Rifle Association, as a silver cup, at the last spring meeting. Price—Ai:y sum exceeding 5s The Pot was given as first prize, the second prize being JS2." The first new '' spuds" of the season were brought into town on Tuesday morning by Mr T. Jones, from the Mokihiuui, A very good sample. In aid of the Eeofton Hospital building fund a Grand Fete and Monster Picnic has been arranged to come off on December 28th and 2tfth, under the patronage of the OddFellows, Hibernian Society, and Fire Brigade. The affairs gives promise of success. The Church of England residents at Reefton have at length decided to erect a church building. The Alma has still the red tape and Customs seal affixed to her hatches at Q-rey-uiouth, and will not discharge until the general average agreement is signed by the consignees. Captain Waiters advertises in the Greymouth papers that consignees neglecting to sign and pay deposit will be charged with the cost of detention of the ship. ■ Captain Conway, of the Kennedy, also gives notice of claim for salvage in one half the value of the schooner, cargo, and freight, on behalf of himself aud the owners and crew of the steamer Kenned}', and requires the same to be paid, or a bond entered into for payment, before interference with the Alma or her cargo. We extract the following items from the Inangahua Herald of Thursday's date, for which we thank Mr W. Pitt: —Thirty-three tons of Wealth of Nation's stone has yielded lOSozs of amalgam, or a little more than loz per ton melted gold.—The Enterprise lease will be forfeited within 14 days if conditions are not complied with.— Me<srs O'Conor aud Rout will leave Kelson in the course of a day or two for the Coast by way of Lycll and Inangahua. Tenders for the various sections of road from the Grip to the Hope have been accepted, and the various appointments of overseers, &c, will be made by the Provincial Secretary, who will have an opportunity of visiting the ground. A tender has been accepted for maintenance of the Eeefton and Square Town road.— The suspension for three months of conditions attached to grant of Central Company's lease, Lyell, has been assented to by the Superintendent.—A Nelson telegram "per occasional correspondent," says: " Mr Greenfield and his friends are getting up an agitation to havo the Council called together to repeal the Executive Act. Others want a public meeting Tho Executive have given notice to Mr Hodgson, clerk. Some strange rumors are abroad, and the whole affair is looked upon as a ruse to prevent exposures. It is stated that tho Executive is firm and united." The news from tho Caledonian, Larry's, continues most encouraging. Stone is now being raised carrying gold moro plentifully than over, some of the specimens being quite nuggetty. We (Inangahua Herald) are not aware that any arrangement has been concluded with the the directors of No. 2 South to crush at their battery, but in the event of a parcel of stone being put through immediately after crushing for No. 2 is concluded it would result -in scrip attaining a high figure in the Caledonian, and beneficially affect other interests on the same line. Tha Wostlaud Register thus announces the arrival of two notorious jaol birds: — Among the distinguished arrivals yesterday from Greymouth were Mesdamcs Barbara VVeldon and Sarah Lynch, who reached town by tho coach, "and took up their residence with Mr Cleary, where they purpose staying for two months. They were escorted from the Teremakau by Inspector O'Donncll. The stool bell weighing half a ton rocentl v imported into Hokitikafrom Melbourne has had a trial. The result is thus reported : "The new fire bell was rung for tho first time at half-past five a few mornings ago, and the general verdict on tho stranger's performance is unfavorable. Numbers of persons living near tho fire tower appear not to have heard tho bell at all, and those who did hear it give very contradictory opinions about it, but all seem to agree as to its inferiority to the old bell. At the time the bell was rung, however, it is only fair to mention that there were squalls blowing, accompanied with heavy rain, which probably had the effect of deadening the sound. It is also found that to bring out its full tones, the boll will need susperTsion at an elevation above tho surrounding buildings, and tho present bell-tower is not strong enough to support it. The Greymouth Star of tho 21st inst. says .-—A private sale of scrip was made on the previous day at prices that irrefutably prove the good opinion entertained by the people of Greymouth of some of tho Reefton mines. 187 Energetics changed hands at 50s, the purchaser expressing himself thoroughly satisfied with having securjd an undoubted bargain. A day or two since, a fire occurred at Addison's Flat in a house occupied by a person named Mrs Mayo. It occurred early in the morning, but tho exact cause is not stated. Tho inside of tho house was considerably injured, but tho shell of tho building and also some portion of its contents were saved by the exertions of the inmates. Tho sale of stores on Friday av d Saturday iu tho bankrupt estato of Ueu'gc Fall i realised fair average prices.

Latest news from the JJruce Bay district gives the population there as 11 souls. At Martin's Bay there are but three, who would leave if they could. Jackson's Bay is considered tho best place for a special settlement, if families located there were each supplied with a few cows, feed being plentiful all the year round, and gold digging combined with agriculture affording a steady means of subsistence. Late reports from the Karamea show that the mining population there still continues steadily at work, and realise steadily profitable results. The bad weather so long prevailing has left its mark there as elsewhere. Tho crop of peaches, of which there was abundant promise, has been destroyed by the heavy storms, and sown crops generally are backward. A somewhat serious encroachment of the sea has been observable lately all along the Karamea bight, so much so that land hitherto considered available for agriculture has now lost its value for such purpose. At 8 p.m. to night the drawing takes place in tho Empire Sweepstake on the Melbourne Cup, and is likely to attract many who hold tickets. At the desire of several investors, the Calcutta sweep has been'changed to an ordinary sweep on the Cup; the ticket holders sharing pro rata, as already advertised.