Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Friday, December 31, 1875.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VII, Issue 320, 31 December 1875, Page 4

Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLDFIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell : Friday, December 31, 1875.

The elecfon for the Dunstan district, which for the jjstten clays lias been the prevail* ing topioof conversation, has come and gone, an Mr Vixcext Pyke is the chosen, of the pople to represent their wants and wishes i|cl political sentiments in the ensuing sisiou of the General Assembly. For reams which appeared to us good wo foun" ourselves .somewhat opposed to that goileman's candidature, though not bitterlvppposed ; but now the electors have priounced their verdict in such an unmissable manner, we must perforce assume,!! obedience, to the maxim which enjoinsaat majorities shall rule, thattho fittest nn has been chosen for the vacant seat, or in doing this, do wo for one momemVish to do so in any ungracious manner We accept the situation tho more cferfully because we are aware that we shaliiave as our representative a man of ackuvledged ability. We know that he has Id long and extensive experience of gold lids matters particularly, and that he posses to a large extent, the gift which enables, man to do good service in a deliberaye body to any cause which ho undertais to support or defend. We go further,tnd say distinctly, remembering for the no being all the good things wo could sapf the victor in the late struggle, that weladly .bow to the decision of the majorhVand shall be glad in time to come toive him all the moral support we can in dug his duty to the country at large ai to the district for which he has just becelected. Mac discussion, however, has been lately dted in political matters, and many te a deep interest in them now who n<3r did so before ; and it will be well th;Mr Pyke should realise the difficult dr he has undertaken to perform. We trait will not bo considered offensive wh we assure Mr Pyke in plain terms tt his conduct in the ensuing Assembly ill be more carefully and eagerly scrutinxl by his present constituents than it has oi' been before by any body which lie has |1 the honor to represent. His late opatents might naturally be expected M do is; but we speak advisedly when

we say the keenest scrutiny will be made by his strongest' supporters. Strange though it may seem when speaking of an old politician like Mr Pyke, we think we are correct in saying that he is now on his trial as a politician. Should he fail this time, he fails for ever.

If our member devote his whole energies to the duties now devolving upon him, if he consistently and steadily follow the cne line of policy from the beginning to the end of the session, no man will'be more popular in the district than {Mr Pyke. His present supporters will rejoice to think their action has been vindicated by the conduct of their candidate, and his late opponents will be able, not as now merely to acquiesce in the verdict, Wt to be glad that such a verdict was returned. For ourselves, though Mr Pyke shallhave no favor at our hands, he may confidently rely upon having a " fair field."

It is customary amongst journalists at this particular season to wish their waders a "Merry Christmas and a Happy (New Yeai'," but on this occasion we shall have to slightly vary the old greeting by expressing a hope that, having enjo;ed a merry Christmas, they will now expedience " A Happy New Year." j The opportunity is a suggestive one \,o us who seldom enjoy the privilege of speaking to our readers from a personal point of view, and we shall take advantage of it by further expressing the hope that we shall be credited with the intention hj our dealings with public matters with hiving been actuated with a sincere desire id advance the common weal—"to ncthing extenuate nor set down aught in nalice" when dealing with individuals ; aid to give a true and faithful account if the progress of the district in its variois enterprises. To what extent we havl succeeded in aiding the progress visible in every part of the district we canna tell ; but this much we may say : that qir endeavor has been a striving to abide by the truth and justice in our dealing! with matters which came under notice; This course we will continue to pursue, aid feel assured of meeting with the favoifof ouv readers, to whom again we wish "Ajllappy New Year." .

The hist crushing of the Cromwejl Company reali-ed, we understand, sometling like 520 ounces. We have not hea'd tje exact number of tons of which this is the res jit. The local mail services for the yair 1876 hive been accepted as follows:—Orde and Queenstown, John Chaplin ; Oromrell and Nevis, via Carrickton, Thomas Oilmou ; Crom"well and Bendigo, Thomas GilmourJßendJgo and Cardrona, via Albertown and Thomas Gihnour. Mr Colclough, auctioneer, is advertised to submit to auction, to-morrow, thoseyaluable freehold premises owned and occupieij by Mr Scott, baker, together with other valuable property. Imrh"diately afterwards, Mr (plclough will offer a number of valuable horses etc, in the estate of the late W. U. Goodall. It is only just necessary to remhd the reader that the Cromwell Lodge of jemplars give their liberal and attractive enterjn'nment this evening, in the Athcna3ura Hall, o popular have the social gatherings in connecjon with this body become that it is unnecessar for ns to enlarge on the enjoyment which will be afforded to-night. All that we can do sto advise punctuality, as the programme is itensive and there is suro to be a big crowd b serve. Tea on table at 6.30.

Our Bendigo friends present a most vai Jed and attractive programme of sprts and races to be competed for to-day and tomorrow. We believe no pains have been spared 6 render everything as attractive and plcisinj to the visitor as possible, and no doubt the eorts will be responded to by a large concourse c; people. A considerable sum of money is offered n prizes, and we notice the entry-money is flxcrlat a low rate, thus offering every inducement fc competitors to enter the lists.

A paper to be called the Evmwj News is about to be commenced in Dunein. The first number will probably bo issued tomorrow. The fact that the projectors (Ancklnd men) are importing compositors from the Nttth at. a lower rate of wages than the Otago stpdard is

causing great excitement and indijmalon in the trade in Dunedin, and resolutions live been . pissed by the "type's" to do their tmost to crush out the venture,—even to the jxtent of starting a new co-operative paper, wit the object, we suppose, of running the obnosous journal out of the field.

A disastrous fire occurred at (lyde on Wednesday evening last, whereby It James Parks, of the Hartley Arms Hotel [ suffered serious loss. From what we can lean] shortly after midnight the stable of Mr Parklwas discovered to be in flames, and before isistance could he rendered the-building was ohipletely demolished. Unfortunately there wet in the stable at the time thV|o valuable horse owned by Mr Parks, and itlwas found impossible to rescue them. The poaf animals werJliterally roasted alive Much sympathy is fel for Mr farks in his loss, which is a total one, ts he had not a penny of insurance on the propefy. It is not known how the lire originated, fiat it is thought to have been caused by the cafelessness of a person who took a horse" from *ie stable shortlyJbefore the burning of the builcpg.

Owing to careless blundering somewhero —wo Will take the trouble to find oat—our usual telegram has not come to hand this Week. • It is notified that 0. B. Smith, tailor, and J. Arnal, stonemason, both of Queonstown, have filed declarations of insolvency. It will be recollected that some months since a painful fooling was experienced in Dunedin owing to the suicide of Mr Jules LangSoigne, a gentleman widely known in the city. It was supposed he took his life in a fit of depression owing to monetary difficulties. It is now said on authority that by the death of a relative a fortune of £BO,OOO has been left Mr Langseigno. The news came by last Homo mail.

A Melbourne telegram under date 18th instant reports that an important discovery has been made by the Chines Quartz Company of a new reef at a depth of a thousand feet, being the deepest gold-bearing reef in the Colony. Large heavy gold is seen in the blue slate, and also in the solid quartz. This disproves the statement that the reefs get poorer as they deepen.

At last week's meeting of the Waste Lands Board, the Warden at Arrow forwarded a petition from Mr William Belton, and letters from Messrs John Evans and Martin Houlaghan, requesting that Hanger M'Moran might be instructed not to take further proceedings against them for their illegal occupation of Crown lands until their crops were off the ground. It was resolved that they be allowed to take their crops ofF the ground, and then to remove.

At last,monthly meeting of the Cromwell Kilwinning Lodge, S.C., the following brethren were appointed for the ensuing yeir to the offices set opposite their names : —lt. W.M., Bro. J. A. Preshaw; S.W., Bro. W. Taylor; J.W., Bro. C. Wrnht; S.D., Bro. R. A. Brown ; J.D., Bro. J. Escott; Secretary, Bro. R. Brown; 1.G., Bro. W. Foreman; Steward, Bro. J. S£uart'; Assistant do., Bro. J. S. Burros ; Organist, Bro. C.

For the representation of the Tuapeka district, Mr J C. Brown was re-elected without opposition. Mr J. C. Chippie retired from the contest, —if, indeed, he ever had any intention of going to the poll.—For Invercargill, the struggle appears to have been an exciting one, the result being the return of Mr Lumulen, a confirmed Provinciahst, over Mr Cuthbertson, the late member, by a majority of 30, the numbers being—Lumsden, ISO ; Cuthbertson. 150. On the ISthinst, a man named Thomas Scale, who has a wife and eight children at Caversham, fell from .a wool press on Stronach's Station, Ida Valley, and broke one of his thighs. Hh was conveyed to Dunedin, a distance of 150 miles the requisite appliances for setting the limb not being on hand at the Civile Hospital, ft says little for the management of the Institution that a man should be obl'ged to undergo the agonies of such a journey for the reason given.

During the past week two deaths by drowning; have occurred at Fliverfcon. On Tuesday week Mr Charles Smith, mnuy years Clerk to the Otago Provincial Council, wetft into Jacob's River t-> bathe, and his clothes were found on the bank some time afterwards. The body has nob been recovered.—On the Friday following, a man named Ohades Lyon, a butcher in Riverion, while bathing was observed to sink suddenly, and never rose again, although his comrades used every effort to rescue hiui. Lyons was a widower, and leaves four children.