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Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 28, 13 June 1877, Page 2

The heavy and incessant rain of Monday night caused a flood in the Inangahua, and the drey ooaeh was unable to leave as appointed. A sitting of the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts was fixed for yesterday, but owing to the river being flooded Mr Shaw was unable to cross, and the sitting was there* fore adjourned. We learn that although nothing definite has yet been arrived at, there is every probability of the pending dispute between the Wealth of Nations and Vulcan Companies being amicably settled, It is netified under the hand of the Clerk the Court, that all persons to whom licenses were granted at the recent sitting of the Licensing Court are requested to apply at once to the Clerk of the Court for certificates. Mrs Enright, who is relinquishing her hotel business at Black's Point and about to depart from the district, announces a farewell ball tobe held at the Empire Hotel, Black's Point, on Friday evening next. The Hokitika Star says that Ross is about to lose one of its most useful residents in the person of Mr John M'Gaffin, M.0.C., who proceeds at once to Aeeftou to permanently settle there. Forty hours' continuous rain fell up to the ; time of our going to press this morning, at which hour there was not the slightest prospect of the weather breaking. The Inangahua River at nightfall was greatly swollen, and at the hour wo write the water is still on the rise. At the half-yearly meeting of the Little Boatman's Creek Company, held at Mr Brennan's office on Monday last, the following were appointed directors for the ensuing half y oar; — Messrs Osborn, Hanson, Payne, Notman, and Rawson. Mr Bayfeild was ap« pointed auditor. It is reported that owing to no definite satisfactory arrangement having yet been conoluded in relation to the closing of the affairs of tho Argyle Company, the matter is likely to come on at the ne.it sitting of the District Court in tho form of an application for compulsory liquidation. It ia to bo hoped the shareholders hava already seen sufficient of the perils of compulsory winding up to induce them to at ■ once removed the necessity for such an application. At the meoting of the County Council hold on Monday last the petition- for merging the road Board in the County was received and ordered to bo published in the Ikanoahua Times, The date of tlie dissolution of the Board was fixed by special resolution for the 9th proximo. The estimated incomo and expenditure of the Council fox tho current year waa approved and also ordered to be pub* lhihed. Mr Pitt, County Solicitor, presented a list of amendmouts to the Counties Act, suggested by the Council. Tho Council then adjourned uutil tho 2UtU iastaut,

The Hopeful crushing proceeds, and even at this early stage gives promise of a highly satisfactory result. The stone is being sent forward in abundance, aad twice the number of stampers could be kept going by the Coma pany with the greatest ease. Shares are held firmly at £7, as high as £7 5s having bees offered for a large parcel but was not accepted. When we come to reflect that it is oaly a, few months ago that these shares were barterd freely for from 17s to 2ta 6d, it makes one regret l( mudhly" that he did not east his bread upon this particular water, for to those who did there is no doubt that it is new returning to them in many ways— ay— in many ways. At the nfeeting of the County Council held on Monday last, survey plans and specifications of the proposed Grey Road construction were laid upon the table. The estimated cost of the work, we believe, something like £9000; The line of road will pasa through a portion of the leasehold lands of O'Mally, Prender* gast, and the freehold of M'Hardy. Road to be 15 feet wide metalled, with a crown of eighteen inches. In reply to a question put by Mr Davies, the surveyor stated that the distance of the road by H. 0. Mirfia's farm would be one mile longer than via the Little Grey Junction, but the surveyor declined to express an opinion as to which was the most advantageous route. Mr Davies expressed dissatisfaction at the refusal of the surveyor j to express an opinion upon the matter. Mr Kelly said there could be no question as to the merits of the respective routes, as in tho one instance the land was good and occupied by farmers, while in the other it was unoccupied and quite unfit for any kind of settle* moat. The plans were ordered to be forwarded to Mr C. Y. O'Connor, Government Engineer, for approval. The Inaagfthua Suspension Bridge, that object of prolific paragraphs, of incessant grumbling, and— well, not exactly of official energy and foresight, is no more. As tho smallest drop of water will wear away the , hardest stone, so with the river, and the bridge has met its doom at last. At 2 p.m. yesterday the bridge, which ' for some hours ! previous was greatly strained by the volume of water pressing against it, lurched over, and the uprights breaking off close to the ground, tho who!o fabric tumbled into tho stream and was swallowed up. All that dow remaino is the crate and uprights on tho south side of the river,- and to this the wires are hanging, but the whole wooden framework isprobably by this time in the vicinity of Westport. The squabble about the repair of the b«idgo is, of course, liko the bridge itself, now at un end, and steps will have to bo at once taken for the erection of a new bridge, as also for a convenient ferry in tho meantime, whether the Road Board is or is^not groatly responsible for this mishap it is- perhaps rather late now to con* .aider, but that the County will now h-'vo to provide for an expenditure of eomo £500 or £600 for a now bridge admits of little argument. As the Road Board is now in atticulo mortis it is .hardly likely that that body will proceed to deal with tho matter, but leave it for the Council. In any case it is to be hoped that by whiohever body the work is taken iv hand, the members will not in their •otion emulate the celebrated Woutor Yon Twiller, who having bethought him about building a new nous* laid ia half a ton of tobacco to keep his pipe going while be decided where be should place it. We take the following from the West Coast Times:— The want of competent engineers and surveyors is one wbjoh has long been felt in Westland* but never so much as at the present time. We have reason to belive that County works, much needed, are standing in abeyance owing to the difficulty of obtaining the services of qualified men — or of a qualified man— to lay off roads and tracks in various directions* Mr O'Connor, the District En« gineer, and the Consulting Engineer to the Counett, cannot *yet obtain the professional assistance" required, and the work on his hands it consequently very great. It must be satisfactory to the Council, at all events, to know that the Government, having assumed charge of the Christchurch road from Bangiriri, have placed the maintenance of the road under his supervision, giving him, of course, an overseer to aot under his directipns, The road is in capital order at presontt and has suffered little from the late heavy rains. It is expected that when Mr Camp* bell has completed his present work— which he, will do in a few days— he will bo enabled to take ia hand the most pressing works ro« quired by tho Council. The difficulty of ob« taining competent men like Mr Campbell is ndt felt in Westland only. !In various parts of the isHuttfa tho same difltmiUy h experienced. There is no calling or profusion, not only in tho colonies of Aiutrnlmlfv, bul in (he world, in more oonaLant requiaition than engineer! and surveyors. QUrgymm, barristers, and doctors, in theis days, supply the demand of the professional mftrkat, but fot* good engineers and surveyors there Is oonntsnt domum! everywhere, and a limited nupply of tho proper article. And yet there jt» no profegaian more fascinating to young men j none more healthy morally and physically, and none more free from the disagreeables and unpfonsnnt* ness appertaining to other professional employments. Tho following advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the Nelson Daily Timos, and offers a good opportunity to bachelors : — " Matrimony. Rita and Muriel aro two friends, who desire to correspond (with tho object of marriage) with two gentlemanly looking, dark young men, possessing moderate incomes. Murel is nineteen, dark, and con* sidered handsome j fond of home. Rita is eighteen, warm-hearted, and very affectionate ; is of middle height, with bluo eyes, and fair hair. Will exchange oartes-de visile. Address : Box No. 56, Post-office, Nelson." Could anything be better than the following " improvement" of a minister ofArran,who was discoursing on the carelessness of his flock t " Brethren, when youleavs the church, just look down at the duke's swans ,* they are vera honny awans, and they'll be Booming about an' ayo dookin* doon their heods and laying tkcirsoia wi' tho cleat water till they're ,

a* drookit ; then jou'll see them Booming to 1 the shore, and there they'll gie their wings, a i bit flap |and they're dry again. Now, my ' friends, you corns here every Sabbath, an' l j lare you a' ower wit. Bat yoa jast leave an' f awa hame, and sit down by your fireside, *gie ] your wings a bit flap* an ye're as dry at ever \ * gain ' H i *