WEST COAST LETTER.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7364, 17 July 1889, Page 2

WEST COAST LETTER.

IFROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.! ' GREYMOUTH __,« I stated in my last letter that the Mm. Hera was to relume her running j_ _; Dunediu-Greymouth service; this apnea* however, to be a mistake, or atle»_ another arrangement has been made, T_ Penguin, Rotorua and Takapuoa fcife each to undergo their periodical ov_rW| and as each is laid up in turn for that don pose the Mawhera will take up _* running; some weeks will ther-feS elapse before -lie takes her place agaiu_ this trade as originally intended, and _ the meantime the Herald will coutin.eS run in conjunction with the Brunnisr. The bar continues in a vvr/sati.fsctm. state with from 20 to 2_ feet of w_S_' springs, and furthermore there k. straight channel that has not varied .tai for months past. The of water In the river is also good, and if we could only prevail upon Government to continue th* Cobden training wall, we should have all we require to accommodate aa many Vendi as might choose to come here. CompetiM the present condition of the Grey river__} bar with that of three or four years ago. it is really wonderful to note the'succeai that has attended Sir John Coode's plain for the past. I am pleased to say that our nm. sentative, Mr A. R. Guinness, irk. his usual determination and fixity ot purpose, has succeeded In getting * aim placed on the estimates for the erection _ a new Custom House, to replace tin present disreputable looking structure. The new building will be erected, k Tainui street, adjoining the post effl<s_ti proper place, which is both central aa. convenient. Mr Guinness deserve. {__ thanks of the community In this matter, for had he not insisted upon obtaining a vote, the department would have patched up the old place, and made it ao._nty probably, for another ten years or more, notwithstanding the fact that Greymo.t. is the largest revenue producing port-on the West Coast, and promises to iucrewe very considerably in the i_ime<_— future.

The heavy southerly gale to which I | . alluded in my last letter had tbe ; r effect of drying up er.ry.hl_g to i f, degree; the miners iv particular wore vcrj - '. much inconvenienced o wiug to the want F of water. Rain, however, set In wife a v change of wind during the early: pari pi i - the present tweek, and, having fall--'- S considerable quantities, our gold-aee-Cn '\ are supplied again with all the water the; require. lam imformed that daring the \, height of the gale on Thursday night a f> fire broke out iv one of the building oa > r ~ "Mawhera Quay, but it was most tssr L tunately discovered in time and $' jB tiaguished before it obtained a firm hold, jp thereby averting a terrible conflagration, p for there is no question about it, had the ; fire obtained the mastery on such a wild L and stormy night, tbe whole of tbe loirer V cud of the town would have bean re.-ced „' to ashes in the course of a few hours. F _- It was decided some time ago to work i '' the pillars in the Brunner mine, 3s Od per " ton being offered by the proprietary for ~ doing, but the miners, considering the otter too low, declined to accept it, and % since that time the work has prbve-1 a maubject of dispute. At a meeting of t.a I Grey Valley Miners' Union, held 8, Wtek | ago, it was decided to do the work for 3s 9d per ton, with a mlnimn-a of Bewt and a maximum of Bcwt per .„ack-,IW» resolution baa been forwarded, to tne manager for his consideration and It ta ( thought that tho offer will be accepted, j seeing that the terms are fair and reason- j able. The mine in question has'not been t worked since the endless wire rope gave I out, the output from tbe pit Heath and | Wallsend mines being more than s-ffl* i « clent to meet all requirementa. It to } probable that when the pillars are wwwa I out, the Brunner mine will be closed altogether, at any rate for some tune to come, inexhaustible quantities otapu being obtained from the other two mines, as already stated. '.I Mr Guinness, with the assistance $ , Messrs Seddon and Grlmraond, Jsleatlag j no stone unturned to bring about tie | completion of the Grey-Hokitika Una tin; J deed, he has been so far successful»« » ' Ministers have promised to take am* f for the unexpended balance of &l*m i which is rstlmated as more than suSeljp < to complete the work- from GreymQ-gP | the Teremakau. As our representamw \ appear to be working well together;! \ th- matter wa have no doubt they si ; succeed before the close of the sessto-a » making such arrangements with Govg_ l ment as will lead to the entire eomplefP [ of the railway line at,an eadyuatM| < report was telegraphed from WeUlogP § to the effect that the Midland «aU»g Company had agreed to take orwrw line and finish it at once, but tW appears to have been a mlsta-fog *° I such arrangement having been co-KSffi' I plated. How the report orfginated-»j» I difiicu It to say, unless it was owing Wlf § fact of Mr Napier Bell being em® 1 Wellington a w_*k or two ago on bMiW g In connection with opening of the Ke« a § Creek section of the Midland 1 The Rev. Mr Griffin delivered his seCOJP § and concluding address last Sanfaj;«*<»' § ' ing on the subject" Is spiritualismopPgf I to chriatianity." As on the previa m- g day evening, there was a lM».'__J I attentive congregation. The -p«»Pg 1 dealt exhaustively with the matter h?W i in hand, and although opposed, § to tbe theory of spiritualism, he a_S-w"» § his views in a candid and liberal ra_BBS& f Many of those present J were X § nounced spiritualists, but, finding W i I Mr Griffin endeavoured to prove t»» § •pirltuallßta was opposed to the § ings 6f the Bible, ' W**r. § themselves dis«atlsfl«d with bis *» g elusions. Be this as it may, Mr i to be commended for taking UP •«» J2J ing a subject that is creating a great I of interest at the present time, J*** § few more of oarclergymencoataw #* § vailed upon to■ follow his eMiapl«g view to dealing with the roWffi I and burning questions of the Q*v!*r%L \ 1 the old fashioned Mother Hub-arcw» 4 of stringing out textH, become a mean* of drawing «**¥ |K_ 1 repulsing people, indeed'it result in the recovery of the groan-? - now so rapidly losing. _ ~_. (_ The Railway Department. *»JJgfc mind the necessity for having a <W®"J& 1 good man to fill the position g | By the late Patrick _~ C **_L.T* 1 tJ_e Brunner bridge, u »»t?_JStt» I man named Collins to take chaW «* g work, and as he comes with big- "*3/ | mendations I hope he will P_je WgJ, § I worthy of the coufldence reposed | | the officers of tbe 1 1 account I gave of ooor Casey a J anuw m | B I to be avoided, for although there iaa^ ol9 | I way for passengers overhead | 1 do not care to make use of it, **"■ tliS g | rather to run the risk of K^St* 3 1 I railway track, consequently the *? #, I | charge of the horse attached to toe « ■ I owing to the extreme . » bridge, is obliged to i I avoid running over peopleM I 1 to meet. Casey was very fortnaatf I respectduitog-lßlong-areer,bnt_9i^ f ■ I over once too often in j_« d f& I to see that the road w fta I d^ a °___t!ifiS fi met with his death. thp : was written I find thati CWJto* *»$* signed the position, on *• S'SJJLrtOi I the nature o_tbe work is ™gU i{ ( at night time, for, in order to rf | is necessary io lean _»«Jf "5f Sw**.? getting one's bralaß_dash«d %iw b3S m the uprights of the bridge;•**»"_ «i>B beer, twenty years in the servise. an sent over here from P«tw»» "Jjgcd W »'. therefore, that tbe pb/ections m m him must be seriou- indeed to £ to decline the fc the work. Itwi_fbenec«saaryn^ oKß in| to inerea-o the man s pay or & % %i y a-m-one else; the rat* I ItnClfy anyone In «J I arduous duties, _nd ■» | have to awake to Hhi» **#' uv 1 pleaaant it mayj> g