The Dunstan Times. CLYDE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1886. SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1228, 11 September 1885, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

CLYDE, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1886. SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Beneatn the vale of men entirely Jus. The pen is iniuhtier thar the sword.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.]

Dukf.diu, September li>,-7.30 p.ra. (From a Correspondent). —. Wellington, Pepteraber 3, 7 pm. In the Mouse to-day Mr Pyke asked the Minister of Defence whether the Government intends to erect police station at Clyde in lieu of those blown away about 12 months ago. The Minis'er replied ; “Yes, immediately.”

Mr Pvke also asked the Minister of Public Works (1). When and where the wire cables specially ordered for the Hoxbmgh Bride weie delivered to Public Works Department. (2). When the Public Woiks i iopartment will have their phtns and specifications for the superstructure of said bridge completed (3). When will the Government call for tenders for theerection of the superstructure of the bridge. The answer was that the wire was delivered in July at Port Chalmers ; that the p'ans and specifications were completed last night; and that, tenders would be called for as soon as Estimate* were pushed. (The above message, although bated on Septembers, did not reach us till 8 p.m. on the 4lh,

At yesterdays Land Board the only business of local interest was the grant ot deferred payment rurul section to Alex Teesdile, Lauder.

The weather yesterday was fine with one or two exceptions throughout ihe colony for observing eclipse of the sun. The eclipse was successfully observed in line of Totality in North laland.

Bridget Campbell, at Invercargill, is committed for trial for setting fire to her house.

Mr L'arew to day proceeded to Lawrence to eiquite into dispute between Blue Spur claimholders and Gabriels Gully sluici g Company. In I egislative Council yesterday the Ho-pitals and Charitable Aid Bill was passed. fu House of Representatives the debate, on Captain Rn-sell’s nation to ieduce (he Public Works -Ksiirnates bv LSOO 000 was continued and lasted all the evening. Captain Russell originally pioposed it as an amendment on th it of going into Committee of,-apply, and it has been carried as against that, and has become a substantive motion. It has not, however, been carried as a motion, and though nothing can be taken away from it when put to the House, it can be added to indefinitely, and Several additions to it are likely to be moved. Sir Julius Vogei says the Govern ment will not make Captain Russell's motion a Ministerial question, but will vole against it. It i*=> rumoured that Sir Julius Vogel and Mr Rielmrdso are standing out against, the rest of the Ministry in the hast, and West Coast Railway interest, mid that Mr Stou is strongly dispt sed to region. Another amendment is to be moved, viz., that the Otago Central be not included in the ha f inil’ion reduc ion.

The Countess of I) dlev, accompanied by her son, have left on u yachting cruise to Australia.

It is believed that the Rtnpemr William will abandon all designs on the Caroline Islands, provid.-d the Spanish Government cm effectively prove their authority over them. Inconsequence of the Pacilic Attitude displayed by Germany in the matter, public feeling is becoming more calm in Ma rid.

Humours of Osman Cigna’s death are again life, and is reasserted that he was killed hy a sheik. The Wight Mon Joseph Chamberlain, addressing a public meeting at Warrington last, night, stated that he rejected the demands made by Mr Parnell, and expressed a hope that the Whig Party would accept the programme of the Wudiea's, as otherwise they would be compelled to part comply- ’

It is reported to ns that Mr W. Green, of Ophir, has made a discovery ot a quartz reef on the range side at the back of the 1 town of Ophir, From what we can learn 1 the indications are such as to lead to the belief that the reef is a true lode, the vein of qnartz bf-ing well defined, solid, and showing gold freely. Everything is in favor of the assumption of a permanent reef in the locality, the country being solid, and moreover some remarkably rich alluvial ground has been worked immediately under it on the range. We shall hope to hear that something more than a mere scratching of the surface will be done to properly test the discovery. We were afforded the opportunity when at Ophir during the week of looking at M i Haninglon’s new importation of thororgh bred stock in the district. Guardsman is a truly noble looking animal, standing fully 17 hands high, a jet black with star in the forehead, and is by Talisman out of the thoroughbred mare Lady Bird. This class of horse has long been needed in the district, and we feel assured will be welcomed by breeders, not only in the district, but throughout the Country. Weight-carrying horses are scarce, but we may look for a change iu a few years after Guardsman has been in it. Mr W. Jenkins, also of Ophir, has a very handsome raking entire he lately lately purchased from MrLaidlaw, that is well worthy the attention of owners. Both horses we hear, are to s*and in the district during the coming season. Wednesday morning last was cloudy ; accordingly it was not favorable to obtain a good view of the eclipse of the sun, from time to time however the clouds cleared, and a good view of the sun was obtained, but saving that it did not present that overpowering brightness as usual’ nothing unusual appeared. For certain, the morning was no darker than the ordinary cloudy ones, and, indeed, had it not been given out by the scientists that an eclipse would oc-ur on that morning, the general run of people would have known nothing about it. The only strange thing ‘ WO noticed m connection wioh the eclipse - was that the rays of the snn whilst out i from the clouds cast a pinkish sheen over i everything as if it was shining through I pink glass.

Again this week the painful duty de

j volves npon us of recording the death of j two of our local celebrities, William Wood--1 man and William Adams, the former breathing his last in the Cromwell Hospital, and the latter in the Dunstan Institution. Both men were amongst the earliest settlers in the district, and though not filling positions of importance, yet, in their respective spheres of life they were useful members of society, and their loss will be felt by many. So far a< we know W. Woodman leaves no relatives in the oountiy, W. Adams, better known as “ Champagne Bill,” however, leaves a widow to mourn his loss. Tne annual meeting of the Clyde Cricket Club will be held in the Clyde Library Committee Room on Monday evening, the 14thinst., at 8 pm. The Cricket Club will open the season to-morrow afternoon, when a large attendance of all is requested. In the Warden's Court, Alexandra 1 on Monday last, an application was heard for the cancellation of the lease on the Old Man Range line of reef hold by the Last Chance Company. Lengthy evidence for and against was taken, and the Warden without intimating on which side he loaned intimated that be would remit the matter to the Government. The complainants were the White’s Reef Company, who from what we could glean, want a portion of the leased ground for a battery. We are sure a very large circle of friends will join us in congratulating Mr Frederick Williams, woolscourer, of Spring Vale, on his success in obtaining a patent for a wool scouring apparatus invented by him ; the more so as in obtaining the patent Mr Williams, during the past few months, has been put to a considerable deal of expense and worry over the affair, he having had to go to Wellington to the patent office to support his application. If all applicants for patents are submitted to equal torture as has been Mr Williams, through the system surrounding the patent office, root and branch, in onr opinion it wants to be abolished and remodelled on an entirely different basis. We are unable iu this issue to describe Mr Williams’machine, but hope to be able to do so next week. From what we can glean, however, the machine will perfectly revolutionise the business of wool scouring, as it not only washes the wool, but keeps the staple intact; and,moreover, one man with one of the machines can more effectually scour a greater quantity of wool than six men can do with any other known app iance As a great recommendation the machine itself is a light handy affair, and can he obtained for a sum quite within the reach of the smallest sheep owner. The annual general meeting of the Blacks cricket club was held on S Uurday, sth m t. at the Shamrock Hotel. Office bearers for ensuing season were elected as follows President, Mr John Pitches ; Vice President. Mr LaiJlaw; Captain, Mr W. Pitches ; Deputy Captain, Mrßannerman ; Secretary, Mr Boulton ; Committee, Messrs Ferguson and Barren. The club played 7 matches last season, and was successful in 5. The opening game of the season will be played on Saturday, 14th instant. Mr John Briuht has addressed a letter to M. Passy, a French Deputy, in which he says that if the Furopean nations would accept commercial liberty, Europe might rapidly tend to an era of perpetual peace. As matters stand,nations and their resources are swa!lowed up by the insatiable exigencies of the military system under which they live. Tne crushing weight of that system cannot indefinitely be supported with patience, and ihe populations, driven to despair, may, Mr Bright thinks, “ very possibly before long sweep away the persons who occupy thrones and pretended states men who govern in their names.”

It is a significant sign of [the times to find the Canterbury Ipapers advocating the construction of the Otago Central milway. In an article on the sul jeetjihe “ South Canterbury Times ” says:—" We are very glad indeed’to see that the immediate prosecution of work on the Otago Central railway has been decided upon by|the Go» vernment. For two years past the halfcompleted works have lain neglected, and have furnished the Otago contingent in the House with a standing grievance. This,is- ; at Ijngth to be remedied. In two senses this is good news. In the first place the country which the line will place in communication with the centres of population is a rich agricultmal and metalliferous one, in which settlement is certain to follow railway construction. In the next place a great deal of money has already been ex* pended there, on which the colony has for two years past been losing the interest and something more through depieciation. Works of this kind ought not to be regarded as local or provincial works in any sense. They are national ones, and in a national spirit.we are glad to see the Otago Central is to be completed.”

Judge Johnson, of California, in passing sentence of death upon a criminal, is reported to have used the following strong language—“ Norshall the place be forgotten in which occurred the shedding of blood. It was one of thosejautechambers of hell,which mark, like plague spo's, the fair face of our S ate. You need not he told that I mean a tippling shop, the meelin&place of Satan’s minions, and the foul cesspool which, by spontaneous generation breeds and nurtures all that is loathsome and disgusting in profanity, and babling, and vulgarity, and Sabbath breaking, 1 would not be the owner of a groggery for the price of this globe converted into ore. For the pitiful sum of a dime be furnished the poison which made the deceased a fool and this trembling cuU prit a demon ! How paltry a sum for two human lives 1 This traffic is tolerated by law, and therefore the vendor has committed an act not recognised by earthly tribunals ; but in the sight of Him who is unerung in wisdom, 'he who deliberately furnishes the intoxicating draught which inflames men into violence and anger and bloodshed is particeps criminis in the deed. Is it not high time that ail these sinks of vice and mime should be held rigidly accountable to the laws of the land, and placed under the ban of an enlightened and virtuous public opinion ?”

The Post ’ says : “'When the Opposi* tion whips very ungenerously refused to give a pair to jVJr Scohie Mackenzie on Friday afternoon, Mr Dnwnie Stewait at once offered to pair on his own account with the member for Mount Ida. This we suppose, accounts for the pair not appearing in the official list of pairs.supplied to the Press gallery after the division. Mr Stewart's conduct was that of an honourable Opponent, and is worthy of praise.

The stout, innocent-looking old lady,well dressed, plausible in speech, and bearing the name of Margaret Mary lielinda Todd, well known ou tho West Coast, in uunedin limaru, Christchurch, Ashburton, Uakaia, and other places, where on many occasions she has succeeded in introducing herself to strangers, living at their houses, aud deluding them by pretending to treat for the purchase of land and other devices, has again fallen into the hands of the police, ami, according to the Chiistchurch Press, was to make her appearance at tho Ashburton Resident Magistrate’s Comt on a charge of obtaining goods by false pretences. It will be remembered this clever old laly recently lived for some time in a house in Christchurch, where she succeeded in arranging a match between her hostess and an imaginary nephew on the West Coast, carrying the matter so far that a marriage settlement was drawn up by a Chiistchurch solicitor, and invitations to the marriage ceremony issued to a number of well-known inhabitants.

hour stomach, had breath, indigestion, and headache easily cured by Hop Bitters' Take none but American. A romantic story of a deed executed in Melbourne twen‘y«four years avo has just b en brought to light thiough the instrumentality of Mr Chomlcy. Chief Commissinner of Police. A few weeks ago Mr Chomley received a letter from a solicitor in Scotland, asking him to make inquiries concerning a man named Thomas Burn, a n rtive of Dublin, at one time carrying on the busiue-s of a commission agent in Melbourne. The letter stated that recently a man died in Scotland possessed of a consia derable amount of wealth, and leavin' no relatives. Amongst his papers was found the copy of a deed which was executed by him in Melbourne twenty-four years ago, wUcrehy he sol 1 all Ida expectations under his father’s will to Thomas Burn, for the sum of 1.400. J’he solicitor now wished to know if Thomas Burn could be found in the Colony The Chief Commissioner at once set to woik, and after some difficulty discovered Burn, who is now about tif.y-seven years old, living in very reduce I circumstances with his mother in a garret in Lygon street, Carlton. At first he could remember nothing about the deed, but on his memory heinj j egged the circumstances gradually came back to him, and he ultis mitoly proved to be the man sought for. It seems that the original deed was at the time of execution handed to a solicitor who carried ou business in Queen street, where tor years it lay amongst a lot of mouldy papers. In course of time tho solicitor, thinking it was of no value, placed it with the rubbi«h, and it was destroyed. The old man cried for joy when he heard of his good luck. His cl ira now amonn" s to about 1.2000, and the-e is no doubt as to his richt to the money, which at present is lodged in the High Court of Scotland.

] It is commonly considered that a postdated cheque is an illegal document, hut a magistrate at Napier has deui-ied tha*, by law, a postulated cheque is a promissory note and cannot bo sued for unless stamped ; as such.