PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IX, Issue 471, 19 November 1878, Page 7

PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

Six hundred volunteers were present at the Thames review on Monday the 11th. In a rifle match last week between Invercargill and Christchurch, the former was victorious. John Casey, a young man out of employment, drowned himself in the Grey River last week. ’ ; # ! At the settling-up over the Christchurch Races, R. Ray headed the list of winners with £1,429 15s. At a farewell banquet given to the Australian cricketers in London, each of the eleven was presented with a handsome silver goblet. Harry Lawsen, a miner at Pomahawk, lost his life last week by a fall of earth in his claim. His wife was the first to discover the unfortunate man, but too late to save him.. At the recent Volunteer banquet in Dunedin, Colonel Whitmore announced the appointment of Major Gordon to the Inspectorship of the Volunteer forces'of the Middle Island. ;i At Napier, one Charles Stewart htts been committed for trial on a charge of impersonating another person of the same name and signing a receipt for a registered letter containing jewelry, which latter he appropriated to his own use. ’ The death is announced of Dr G.M; Webster, of Oamaru. For many years he took a prominent position in this province, being at one time member for Oamaru in the Provincial Council, and having during that period held office in the Executive. Experiments with Siemen’s electric light in the factory of Guthrie and Larnach, Dunedin, have been highly successful. The interior was illuminated with a remarkably steady and brilliant light—in fact, it was almost like daylight, • with the sun’s rays streaming into the building. A “crack” shot in the United States has accomplished an unparalleled feat. The marksman is Professor Charles E. Dwight of Wheeling, who, when shooting at a target at a distance of 800 yards, on ; August 14th, made 39 consecutive bull’s-eyes. The feat places him at the head of long-range shots. Sixteen estates of deceased persons were placed under the charge of the Public Trustee during October. Of these eight wore in Otago, and five in Auckland. The principal of those in this district were,. H. J. Bouman, of Dunedin, LI, 150 ; Richard Patrick, of the Teviot, L4BO ; John Stocker, of Fortrose, L 250 ; Thomas Smith, Bannockburn, Ll2O. > It has just been found that a settler named Wood, seven miles from the Hutt, Wellington district has had his sister, a violent lunatic, under restraint in his own house for over twenty years. Mr Mansford, R.M., was authorised by the Government to ascertain the truth of the information, and on visiting the place he found where the lunatic was habitually kept was a little den about six feet square—one side being occupied with a closet, the other with the creature’s bunk. Mr Mansford said the case was a bad one. It is reported that the woman had been subjected to ill-usage, but upon that point there has been no examination yet. Wood is reported to be a worthy and industrious settler. It is calculated that £IO,OOO was spent in this colony in sweeps. In Mr Cameron’s L 4,000 consultation Calaraia was drawn by a wool-sorter living at the north end of the City ; Tom Kirk by an Oamaru publican ; and Waxy by the wife of an hotel-keeper carrying on business in Walker street. In Mr Dodson’s LI,OOO sweep Calatnia was drawn by a man, who, shortly after, disposed of his chance to a well-known sport and his friend for L 32 10s. The purchasers now nett a couple of hundred pounds apiece on their bargain. The second horse falls to a speculative city auctioneer, who, in order that the sweep should be drawn for the full amount, purchased 100 tickets. Besides Tom Kirk he drew eleven other horses. Waxy goes to Port Chalmers. In Victoria also the big sweeps have been very successful. Miller of Melbourne got off six sweeps, which will give him close upon L 2.000 in per centage—not a bad year’s earnings, especially if we consider the large sum he has in the bank in the meantime, and upon which he can get interest. Those* sweepstakes are very prejudicial to the bookmakers. A circular has been issued by the secretary of the recently-formed N, Z. Rifle Association intimating that an appheation has been made to the Government to ascertain whether members of the Association proceeding to and returning from the meeting at Nelson would be conveyed free over the Government railways ; and the reply was that the Public Works Department would not grant free passages ; but any member of the Association having occasion to travel on the railway going to or returning from Nelson should take a receipt from the booking clerk for the sum paid, and forward the same to the secretary, when all claims on that account would be submitted to the Executive Committee with a view to ascertaining what proportion (if not the whole) should be refunded out of the money voted by the General Assembly. Application has been made to the Government to ascertain whether members of the Association will be allowed to purchase rifles and carbines out of the Government store. That application has been approved; but, -as the stock of arms in the colony is small, the sale to members must necessarily be limited. When lists from all who require them are received, they will be submitted to the Government. The prices will be those laid down in the Volunteer Regulations, viz., for Snider rifles of any description, L 3, 6s 9d ; and for the Snider carbines of any description, L 3 Is 3d. The Government have also promised to supply the ammunition required for the Nelson meeting, and will hand over all the tents, &c., used at the Colonial meetings. The ground selected for a range is a few miles out of Nelson, on a dead level; the fire is into a hill, direction N.W. to S.E., over 1,000 yards, and the railway r uns on to the ground.