THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1785, 25 April 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1874.

We understand that the Government has accepted the offer of Mr W. J. Coates of this towo, for the convepance of the JBrunner railway plant from Wellington to Greymouth, and that the Gleaner, now in port, will be despatched for that purposi, immediately her present cargo is discharged. That talented lady Miss Aitken (Mrs Bunttn) will perform with the amateurs, on Monday evening, at the Volunteer Hall, in the play of "The Bonnie Fishwife," Miss Aitken taking the part of Maggie Macfarlane. As this is one of Miss Aitken's best characters we are sure that a full house will witness her performance. We observe by an advertisement in the Hokitika papers that the milkmen there have agreed to charge eightpence per quart fcr milk during the winter months, commencing on the 27th iriat. Though the free nominated system of immigration has been in force siuce the 15th October last, thare are yet many who do not know the proper way to proceed in the matter of sending for their friends at horne 1 1 Forms ofapplication, .which anyone will have no difficulty in filling up, are to be had from all the p->st offices; and also from Mr Wylde. the Immigration Officer, Greymouth, Those

applications made at post offices? are forwarded to the Greymouth Immigration < ifncer, anil are sent home by each mail. Anyone coming to town, and wishing forms to distribute among his neighbors, can'get then 1 from Mr Wylde. We understand that the Football Club are going to commence practice this afternoon, when sides will be chosen on the ground. As this will be their first game this season, we nope there will be a large muster, and that all wishing to become members will attend. The Ciomwell Argus states that the lass c tishing — two weeks — of the Star of the East, yielded Ssoz of gold from 100 tons of stone. At the Resident Magistrate' 3 Court, yesterday, Michael Connor, of Maori Gully, brought up on a charge of assault at Maori Gully, was remanded for a week to allow of tho appearance of the complainant, who was at present a patient in the H ospital In the case of cattle trespass at Teremakau, Noonan v. Montague, judgment was given for 83 and costs. 'h» case Levy v. the Bank of Australasia was adjourned until the 23rd June. The General Gevernment is inviting tenders for the supply of 1000 ton 3of eranite for the protective works at Westport. In the District Court, Westport, the other day, Mr Shapter -called the attention of his Honor to the fact of many of the declarations lately filed by bankrupts having been filed before a justice of the peace instead of before a solicitor, as required by the Bankruptcy Act. His Honor stated that in every case where such an irregularity was brought under his notice the petition would be dismissed. Seven applications for publicans' licenses were refused by the Licensing Court at Stafford Town. There was a heavy flood at Ross on Tuesday last, and the Totara lliver was so high as to interrupt traffic. The Dunedin City Council have accepted the offer of the National Insurance Company for LIO.OOO of Corporation debentures. We learn from the Westport Times that a recent discovery on the Albion Company's coal lease, Ngakawhau river, has greatly enhanced the value of the properfy. The specimens of coal taken from the newly opened seam are superior to any obtainable from the old drives, being closer in texture, less friable, and having the bright jet black lustre of true anthracite coal. It is said that his Honor the Supeiintendent of Nelson has cnade publia disavowal of any intention to resiga his office, as vaiously .rumored for some weeks past. - "The West Coast Times of yesterday states that a telegram was forwarded to the Superintendent on Thursday from the Minister of Public Works, stating that the Government were at present wholly unable to uudertake the work of the Mikonui Water-race. The Westport Times says :—" Reliable news from Nelson speaks of unprecedented depression in every branch of business. Landed and household property is offered for sale at almost any terms, and like rats leaving a sinking ship, traders of every degree arc anxious to clear out before the final collapse ensues. Some enthusiasts set their faith on great things arising when the Foxhill ■* ail way is completed, but an idea of the traffic may be gained from the fact that the old established passenger coach running in that direction barely pays sufficient for wear and tear and horse-feed. When an euthusiastic , editor describes a bride as bonny, and an envious compositor sets her up as "bony," as was done at Jacksonville the other day, hope for a season bids the world farewell, and freedom shrieks as the compositor falls at his frame, brained by the brother of the blooming biide. The traffic on the Hutt railway promises to be considerably greater than was anticipated. The railing stock is said to be insufficient for the present traffic. At a sale of bush land in Canterbury recently by public auction, many of the sections fetched from L 59 to L6O an acre. A man named John Thomas was recently drowned while attempting to ford the Shotover River, at Maori Point, on horseback. A man named Richard Bell, who was with him at the time, and who went to his rescue, narrowly escaped sharing the same fate. The body was recovered the following day after the accident. The Neio Zealand Herald says. — "It is satisfactory to learn from a report furnished to the Government by the Chief Inspector of Distilleries that our brewers are subject to strict inspection ; the samples of beer have oeen collected from time to time from the principal brewing firms of the colony, which have been subjected in the colonial laboratory to a searching examination for delete nous ingredients, but in^no cases were such ingredients discovered. The Lytlellon Time* states that tho special correspondent sent by the Times to St. Petersburg, to describe the festivities counecte I with the Duke of Edinburgh's marriage was Mr Frederick Napier Broome, formerly a settler in Canterbury. A New York paper says : — " At an English breakfast party at Delmonnio's, a few days ago, given in honor of a gentleman on the eve of sailing for Europe, the centre floral ornatnent of the table was a full barquerigged steamer composed entirely of rosebuds with the exception of the sails, which were of wnite satin, and the funnel, which was of red pasteboard, in imitation of the Cunarrf line. As the dinner terminated, a tiny bell sounded on deck and a flag was run up to tne masthead, upon which was written bon voyage. Mr George Hancock, of Narribri, New South Wales, may be considered a fortuna c man. The Namibri Herald has been informed that a conveyancer of the Supreme Court of New South '/7ales, and next of-kin discoverer, has written to Mr Hancock, and forwarded papers constituting him next of kin to LIOO,OOO, and interest and compound interest for the last 25 years. A furious attack was mado on Mr Dwyer's accommodation house in the Maitai Valley, Nelson, a few days ago, by a raving maniac, who smashed the windows, hurled stones at the doors, and ultimately obtained eutranoe into and took possession of oue part of the house, the frightened iuniates concealing themselves in another. In the morniug he took his departure, leaving behind hiui his boots, blankets, and some portion of his clothes. hortly after he returned, and Mr Dwyer tried to persuade him to take his articles of clothing, but this he refused to do. The water supplied to the City of Dunediu by the Waterworks Company, has become so bad that a large firm of aerated water and cordial manufacturers publioly uotify in the newspapers that they never use the Water Company' water in any goods of their manufacture. Referring to the proposed great South Pacific Tradiug Company, the Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes : — " No one knowing the Islands would hesitate to declare it a wild and visionary scheme. The capital, she long experience, and the established connections of Sydnej , will be too strong even for a company co supported, not to speak of the immense advantages of a larger home market and a freetrade policy. Whether the Ministry, who are said to he pledged to this scheme through Mr Yogel, with whom it originated, will cairy the guarantee through the Assembly .8 doubted by some, but the majority think

them quite likely, in the pr. sent state of the OpposHon, to succeed. It must be understood that I write this as the current ta k and opinions, and in ignorance of any specific points on which the statement published by you may have been officially denied. No such specific or even unreserved general denial has been received here." The Goulbourn Herald ( New South Wales) of Ist relatts that "an amusing contretemps" occurred on Saturday night on the stage of the Victoria Theatre, during the representation of Watt Phillip's "Poor Strollers." One of the d amatis personm was a donkey which had not attended rehearsal, and introduced in consequence several incidents not in the bill. He was not induced to make his entrte without a good deal of persuasion, and some of those peculiar twistings of the tail which are popularly supposed to facilitate or hasten the progress of quadrupeds ; but once he got on the stage he was evidently so well satisfied with himself that he determined not to quit his vantageground. It was more necessary that be should make a speedy exit from the fact that he kicked the jeune premier violently in the stomach during the delivery of a sentimental speech, and caused much alarm by reaching for any members of the company who oame within reach of a pair of very active hind legs. The situation was perplexing; the stubborn performer would not be persuaded to make his bow and retire by right or left, upper, or any entrance, but defied the management, and was only, after many futile endeavors to dislodge him, prevailed upon to take his cowje by being forcibly carried off by three lusty members of the corps dramatique. The North Wales Chronicle has the following:—"On the first night of the present year a poor woman, the wife of a laborer in the village of Aber, near Bangor, was delivered of twins. The first was born during the closing hour of the old year, and the second an hour or so after the opening of the present year. The peculiarity of this little interesting and double event, therefore, is, that the twins w«>re not born in the same year, the same month, nor the same day— an enigma which would pose a good many acute pacple to satisfactorily solv«. We wish the twins many happy returns of their somewhat singular birthdays." Illness at Cromwell is alarmingly on the increase. Tho local journal list week contains notices of two more deaths, and in the family in which one of the deaths occurred there were two other children lying so seriously ill with diptheria, covaplicated, by Bymptoms of a typhoid nature, that but very little hopns were entertained of their recovery. Some fresh cases of typhoid fever are reported as having taken place in the township. The local paper remarks that on a rousjh calculation there are 22 houses in which there are or have been cases of fever. About 45 cases iv all have occurred in the town. This bears a similar proportion to the population of Cromwell that 3000 cases would to that of Dunediu and its suburbs. The plan and specifications connected with the construction of a bridge over the Clutha River, Otago, have been prepared. The bridge is to be erected at the. termination of the Clutha section of the Dunedin aud Clutha railway. The bridge will consist of six spans of 120 ft. each of timber and iron, and 1 one span of 25ft clear width in concrete. The piers are to consist of two cast iron cylinders, sunk in the ground down to rock. After being sunk to the proper depth they will b-j filled with concrete. The Western Star (Riverton) says : — "The spirit of enterprise is not dead in New Zealand yet. We understand that the spirited owner of a well known whaling craft intends next summer to proceed to Kerguelen's Land, an island situated half-way between Africa and Australia, iv latitude s(>deg. The islaurl is described as abounding with seals, and capable of grazing 100,000 sheep. The gentleman who is undertaking this speculation is a whaler of the "good old times.' He laments greatly the degeneracy of the young men of the present day, and intimates his intention, of manning his vessel with men of his own generation, those of the old stamp who colonised and cruised around New Zealand, before the British flag fluttered in the breezes of Tavai Poenamoo." The Auckland correspondent of the Ota-o Daily Times says : — The Good Templars have lost one of their brightest converts. A Mr Hanuaford, a commission agent, loug known for his c centricities, and, as he does not himself scruple to declare, his liability to a few glasses more than were good for him, joined them, and became one of their staunchest and most prominent supporters He wrote songs and odeß, made excellent and unsparing speeches, and became altogether a great light in the Order. But Mr Hauuaford has also considerable literary ability, and exercised it in caustic criticism of the mode in which provisions were supplied to the brethren, by the brethren, at great public gatherings. His description of a sandwich, aud of the not over-cleanly hands from which it received the final " dab " before being served, was particularly racy. Since then, sb report goe*, there has b^en discord in some of the Lodges, culminating in the publication by Hannaford of a " Good Templar's Prayer." The prayer is profane, but purports to be for the delivery of Good. Templarism ' ' from interested supporters who threaten to make the Temple a veritable den of thieves." The result h>s been the expulsion of Mr ilannaford by the Grand Lodge, whose orders have been foil >vi ed by the other Lodges of the Province. Of course the affair is creating some sensation, and Mr Hannaford (not to be confounded, by-the-bye, with the other gentleman of that name, whose pictures are so much admired, and of whom he is no relation), is again in print to-day. Meantime there is rejoicing among the publicans and sinners, and "Good Templary" is likely to receive a severy blow. People are, in plain English, getting afraid of its narrow, ascetic, and tyranuical spirit, even when they heartily wish hucccss to the cause which ;< Good Templary" was formed to advance