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Cromwell Argus, Volume IX, Issue 471, 19 November 1878, Page 5

At the last moment, we are compelled to hold over leading article in type. James Samson, of Alexandra, draper and clothier, has filed his schedule under the Debtors and Creditors Act. Nominations of candidates for the mayoralty will be received up till noon of tomorrow by Mr Jenour, the returning officer. Candidates must deposit with their nominations a sum of LlO. Mr Colclough is announced to hold an important sale by auction on Saturday of a miscellaneous assortment of wines, spirits, groceries, &c M in the estate of Scally and Starkey, Cromwell. For particulars, see advertisement. We learn that a young man named Holtham, a recent arrival at Alexandra, met with a gun accident on Saturday while out rabbit-shooting. It seems he had overcharged his gun, which burst and seriously shattered one of his hands. He is now in the Clyde Hospital. An accident occurred on Wednesday last to Mr Marryatt, traveller for Messrs Scoullar, Duue lin, by which be sustained serious injuries that will confine him to his bed for a cou-iderable time. Mr Marryatt was driving a trotting sulky to Mr Perriam’s, Lowburn, when the axle of the vehicle snapped, and the highset driving seat came down with a crash. In the fall, Mr Marryatt broke his leg badly just above the ancle, the foot being turned completely round. He was conveyed to the Cromwell Hospital without delay and attended to by Dr Stacpoole.

Letters of naturalisation have been issued in favor of William Hansen, butcher, of Alexandra.

On the West Coast the County elections were very keen, in some ridings their being no less than eight candidates. It is stated that Mr R 8.. Martin has been appointed Deputy Land Tax Commissioner for Otago at £350 a-year. The new County Council will meet at Clyde to-morrow week, being the annual meeting fixed by the Counties Act. An inquest was held to-day before Mr J. A. Preshaw, J.P., and a jury into the cause of death of a Chinese who died suddenly at Bannockburn on Sunday. The medical evidence went to show that death resulted from cancer of the liver, and a verdict was returned accordingly. In another column will be found published a list of subscriptions collected towards affording relief to the sufferers in this district through the recent disastrous flood. The local effort has been most generously subsidised to the extent of LIOO by the Otago Central Relief Committee, a cheque for this handsome amount having been received by the Mayor on Saturday. The local committee have thus been enabled to give substantial assistance to some half-dozen families who , were driven to sore straits, and whom utter ruin stared in the face; Cromwell would appear to be in no way singular in the matter of the heavy winds recently prevailing. At Oamaru during last week it blew a terrific gale. Windows were blown out in large numbers. A young man named Mantell was blown to the ground and his leg was broken. Roofs of houses were blown off and shattered to atoms, and other casualties peculiar to such occasions occurred. Also at Timaru the wind was fearfully high, and was the cause of a fatal casualty. On Friday, the roof blew off a house near Ormsby’s flour-mill, taking the chimney with it. The fall of the latter caused instantaneous death to an infant seven months old, and Mrs Drew (the mother) died about ten minutes afterwards. The Rev. J. Lothian, Presbyterian clergyman stationed at Alexandra, preached in the school-room, Cromwell, on Sunday evening to a numerous congregation, The rev, gentleman chose the recent disastrous floods for the subject of his discourse, and inculcated therefrom some striking moral lessons; Mr Lothian, at the close of the service, intimated that the Presbytery had made provision for the spiritual supply of the Cromwell district until a minister was permanently appointed. We understand that it is the intention of the local church committee to proceed with the erection of a new church building without delay. A most suitable site has been secured adjoining the Athenaeum hall —just on the brow of the terrace —so that while the erection will be convenient to all parts of the town, it will also be a commanding feature in our architecture. Plans have been prepared by Mr F. W. Bur well, Invercargill, which show a building of very handsome design and ample accommodation There is every evidence that our Presbyterian friends are about to arouse into new life and vigor. Shareholders in the Bank of New Zealand may be proud of the report and balancesheet which were submitted at the last half-yearly meeting, a copy of which is published in another column. The profits available for division are shown to be £88,263 9s for the half-year, which on the present capital of £725,000 gives over 24 per cent, per annum as the earnings of the bank. The directors, however, and we think wisely, confine the dividend to 15 per cent., and add £25,000 to the reserve fund, and carry forward the handsome amount of £B,BBB 9s to next half-year’s account. We are glad to observe that the increase of the bank’s paid-up capital to one million sterling has been determined on. When we think of this institution in swaddling-clothes only 17 years ago, and regard the vast amount of good it has since effected in the colony, and the large amount it has returned to the pockets of the fortunate shareholders ; and when we further regard the magnitude of the figures in its present balance-sheet, we may well ask who, as colonist of New Zealand, would not be proud of the bank ?