WEST COAST LETTER.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7142, 1 September 1888, Page 3

WEST COAST LETTER.

[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT. GREYMOUTH August 23. I alluded in my last letter to the alleged rough play indulged in by the Brunnertion football team on the occasion of tho match against the Greymouth team a fortnight ago. A long letter has since appeared in the evening paper from the Brunnertdn Club denying the allegations and throwing the blame upon our men. The dispute and ill-feeling in regard to this match is much to be regretted, and I hope, unless . a better understanding is arrived at, the two teams in question will refrain from again trying conclusions, with each other. A sacred concert, consisting ot selections from Mendelssohn s oratorio. " St. Paul," was given in Holy Trinity Church on Friday evening, 17th Instant, by tho united choirs, and considering it was the first time the work had been performed in Greymouth it was a pronounced success. As an excellent account of the concert appeared in the Evening Star, I may be permitted to reproduce the concluding ret—cv—— —herein. ** TaJ-en altoget— -ej% Mr Woon ia to be congratulated in the result of his efforts. The only subjecfc of regret is the total absence of even a skeleton orchestra in Greymouth to supplement and strengthen the organ accompaniments. This is very little short of a reproach to a town of tho size of Greymouth. Of Mrs Warner it may bo truly said that she played the, In many instances, difficult accompaniments throughout faultlessly. Where so much depended upon, the accompanist, in the absence of an orchestra, its not too much to say that few lady players could have accomplished so much so satisfactorily as did Mrs Warner on this occasion. It is a pity that we do not havo more of this kind of music in Greymouth, and that some of our young men do not rouse themselves and ' take some Instruments in hand with a view forming a good string band." The church was well filled with an appreciative audi ence, who, I understand, gave liberally to the collection in aid of the choir fund. Gold has been discovered on the property owned by Mr Fairhall on the Marsden road, about a mile out of town. Three parties have been prospecting for some time and it appears with very satisfactory results, but the owner of the land objects to any further intrusion upon his domain. And though numbers of experienced miners are anxious to try the ground they are refused permission, ana as a consequence the feeling against Mr Fairhall ia running high. At the same time, however, I think this ill-feeling Is scarcely justified when it is considered that the land in question is cleared and laid down in grass, and If mining operations are permitted will be rendered almost useless lor farming purposes. Mr Fairhall, who Is an experienced miner himself, desires, I believe, better proof of the payable nature of the ground, but if convinced that a lead of gold really does exist, he may eventually withdraw his opposition upon certain conditions. A species of mild excitement prevails with regard to this matter; in fact gold mining is the main toplo of conversation at the present time. Some very rich black sand has been taken out of Mr Joseph Taylor's special claim on the north beach which the knowing ones perdict will prove a mine of wealth to the lucky owner. Expensive dredging machinery is now on Its way out from home, to the order of Mr Taylor, and should the claim turn out the success which is generally anticipated, there will be a rush for claims of a similar character, Mr Taylor is shipping a ton of the auriferous black sand to Melbourne, for exhibition. A general revival of business ls looked for with tho coming spring and summer, and as a consequence our business people are shaking off the feeling of despondency which seized . them during the past few months. Greymouth, of a certainty, has a bright 1 future in store for it, owing to its vaat> mineral resources, and to tne fact of its being the terminus Of the Midland Railway. Thus I think her people have just cause to look forward 1 with confidence to better times in the course of a tew months. The hydraulic cranes are now in general , use, but unfortunately there Is only a limited number of hoppers available which necessitates moving the vessels to the gadget to complete their loading. This will prove a serious obstacle, especially* ' when there is a slight run in the river. On such an occasion it becomes a matter of impossibility to shift vessels from one berth to another with safety, besides this, it> wastes valuable time. A remedy will 1 have to be found to meet this difficulty, - and the sooner it is done the better, other- ! wise the. anticipated benefit likely to be '. derived from this costly undertaking will i not be realised. It is absolutely necessary that vessels coming here for coal should be > dispatched without delay, thus a moment [ should not be lost in the endeavour to . afford the very best facilities for quick , loading. \ The meeting of the local shareholders of the New Zealand Equitable Insurance s Association was held on Wednesday-even - [ ing. There were nineteen present, repres senting over 10,000 shares. After the chairman had read the documents and telisJ grams received from Hokitika; and a tele- > gram from the General Manager/.. at ; Dunedin, announcing that tbe directors ( had determined to call forthwith an extraordinary general meeting, it was resolved 1 " that this meeting co-operate with-the 1 Hokitika, Westport, Keefton and Kumara 3 shareholders, with a view to appoint a . delegate to represent the shares of .tha _ West Coast at the forthcoming meeting, and act generally on behalf of the Coa**. ' shareholders." It was also carried. i that l»i the opinion of those prel sent greater care should be taken in accepting country risks, and that there '. should only be one agent for Greymouth ' and district. This action on the part of • the shareholders i- taken, I believe, In i consequence of the heavy calls mode upon them, and the losses sustained by fire up , the Grey Valley during the lost month or '. two. A westerly gale with showers set,_ i yesterday followed by a rather heavy sea. > The Brunnerfrom Wellington arrived off L the bar this morning but whs unable to j enter. The passengers were transhipped . to the tug and brought in shortly after. The utility of the tug wan made manifest ' this morning in the case of tim Heralds The 1 sea was too rough to per mi t a vessel of her tonnage deeply laden to cross the bar _ with safety, but with the tug ahead of her . to keep her head to sea, she negotiated , the bar without difficulty. Outward-bound 1 steamers should invariably use thetupc 1 when there is any sea on the bar, and I i. hope shipowners will insist upon thin. 3 practice being followed in the future. It c is a well-known fftot that when a vessel ships a heavy sea she becomes sluggish r and almost stops still, this atlbrds the sea c time to slew her round and drive her out *' of the channel, whereas so long as the c vessel is in tow this is scarcely likely to occur, as tbp strain on the tow ;r lines keeps her in position. A c j steamer crossing the bar iuwards does c j not, as a rule, require any assistance, in , Q j fact she is safer without, as the larger _ vessel is apt to overrun the tug-boat which X I in ii-iahie, owing to'the heavy tow-line, to c j steam sufficiently last to keep out —-.ncr c wuv. In 'order to compel masters or i, vessels to make greater wo .of the'•*«*•» ' towage r te should be. te vi& }'J b &_?X__?„__. a not only tc.id to lessen fc»*e rjsk attending »' faea vilyJade . steamersin crons ng the bar d in -_«h weather, but it would, provida y .he funds necesa-ry-for mwntaluiog tho , c j tug service at this-jport.