The Arrow Observer, AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Friday, Jan, 8, 1875.

Lake County Press, Volume IV, Issue 188, 8 January 1875, Page 2

The Arrow Observer, AND LAKES DISTRICT CHRONICLE. Arrowtown, Friday, Jan, 8, 1875.

The annual meeting of householders for the election of a School Committee fakes place in the School-house on Monday evening. Summonses are now being issued by the authorities against parties whose Crown Grants have not been uplifted, and the dues on which exceed a certain amount. The annual pic-nic given the children of the Arrow United Subhath School took place at Lake Hayes on Wednesday last. We areobligedto withhold some particulars till next week. How is it that the annual meeting for election ofofficersandcommitteeof management for the district Hospital has not been called for the first Saturday in January as usual ? is a question which has been put to us. Perhaps the lion. Secretary will supply the information. At the appi-oaching sitting pf the Supreme Court in Dunedin an action for alleged slander, in which 1,0002 damages are claimed, the plaintiff being Mr M. J. Malaghan, and the defendant Mr J. Wenkhsim, both residents of Queenstown, will be heard on 15th instant. A considerable number of witnesses are re- ‘ quirtd to give their attendance.

TpE nett profits of Madame Goddard’s New Zealand four is estimated at two thousand pounds,

We need scarcely do more than draw attention to the fact that the concert and ball in joint aid of the School and. Good Templar funds takes place this evening in the Library Hall. The attractive)' programme, no less than the good cause in view, should bring together a large audience.

We had intended saying.a few words on some peculiar features in the case “ Coroner v. Douglas” tried yesterday—fully reported elsewhere—but cannot do so this issue. Considerable public comment has been made on the subject, the cause of which will probably be gleaned from the report. During Friday and Saturday evenings last, Mr and Mrs St. Vincent gave their pleasing drawing-room entertainment, en-. titled “ Sketches of Character,” in the Library Hall, on both occasions before good audiences. The singing of Mr St. Vincent and Herr Julius was much enjoyed; but the lady did not appear to great advantage, suffering as she was from a severe cold. Intelligence reached us . (Dunstan Times Ist inst.) on Monday morning last of a more than ordinary terrible occurrence at Drybread, resulting in the death of one of the oldest residents in the person of John Owens. The facts are:—On Sunday night the deceased, who had been in the township all day vent home, and it is conjectured that in lighting his lamp he must have set fire to his hut. At any rate his nearest neighbor on getting up in the morning discovered that the but had been burnt, and poor Owens amongst the ruins, burnt entirely to a cinder, nothing saving the head being left. The occurrence has cast quite a gloom over the district.

Our Queenstown contemporai-y had a reporter at the recent Arrow Races. He is evidently a gentleman of vast and varied experiences, and is largi ly given to “ gmh.” His latest effort, as giveh-below, is really too much—we Arrowitcs bow under the load of honors our Queenstown friend heaps upon us. It couldn’t have been Butler’s gingerbeer that made so much gas, surely. Listen “ 1 have seen every lacecourse of note—lrish, English, Scotch, and Continental, arid will throw Melbourne, Homebush, and Wagga W fl gg a into the scales, and still assert the course known as Watson’s can be mhde to eclipse them all. Talk of the Melbourne course, and its hill! This is a regular too large, but capable of bearing easily half a-million of wondergazers and pleasure-seekers. Such a‘piece ot ground would make the fortunes of the For bury Company. In one place, a clear, crystal stream runs through the ground, and as I heard a poetic creature exclaim—- “ That cool spring is worth a fortune !” The Riverton correspondent of. the Southland Times, writing under drite the 23rd ult., says:—“ Some eight weeks ago a party, consisting ot five men, left this port in order to prospect for gild in. the line of country between this and the South- \\ cst Cape, and, after several weeks’ research, Lit upon what appears to be a payable goldfield. The Sample of gold which they brought hack to Riverton (having had to return through tlnir boat with provisions capsizing on entering the river) is of a coarse and nuggetty character, not much water-worn, with small interspersions of quarts amongst some of the larger pieces. The sample consists of, as mar as possible, some 2|oZa, which was obtained in four days’ working. So well did. they think of their find that it was their intention (previous to the ocourrc-nce of the untoward accident above related) to giva it a. six months’ trial, which must have proved highly, remunerative, had the yield continued in the same ratio.’ So satisfactory is it that some of th< m‘iritfend organising another party without delay; and little doubt exists but that ere Ipng news of great importance to many will be forthcoming from that quarter.

Gueat excitement was created in town yesterday when it was reported that an accident of a serious, if not fatal, nature had happened to the rnai} coach on its way to Queenstown. Inquiries, however, showed that the mishap was not so bad as at first stated, although but for the exceptional circumstancethatthe vehicle carried butono passenger the result must have been most disastrous. As it is, the driver, Mr Thos. I’arsons, sustained a very severe scalp wound which, with the general shake, will lay him up for some days. As the particulars have been tf Id us, it is miraculous how he escaped with his life. It seems that shortly alter leaving Arrowtown one of the horses became restive, and ultimately bolted while going down Patterson’s Hill. Mr Parsons strove hayd to keep the team iu hand, and when he saw there was a Ijkelihood of danger, told the only passenger, Mr Sproul of Mt. Ida, who was on the box, to jump, which he did fortunately without sustaining any injury. Air Parsons still stuck to his horses, but while crossing a little gu'ly. one of the wheels “ burst,” and the conveyance of course capsized, the driver with it. It is supposed one of the wheels struck him on the head, as when Mr Sproul went up to him he was lying on his back covered with blood.' Mr Parsons was quickly removed to Mr M ‘Enlyre’s, near whose farm the accident happened, and from thence was conveyed in Air Patterson’s trap to the New Orleans Hotel, Arrow, Fortunately, no bones are broken, and a few days will probably see the sufferer about again. After the upset, which completely smashed the coach, the horses went off a couple of miles with the forecarriage, clearing three or four fences in their mad career. It is matter for congratulation the result is no worse, and we hope it will lead to only such horses being used in the mail coaches as can * thoroughly relied npon.

AT last meeting of the Waata Land* Board it was decided that notice be given* cautioning parties against occupying Crown lands illegally, and without authority. The notice to be inserted in the Gazette and all the local papers. The A r . Z. Gazette of 24 th pltimo tains the half-yearly statement of the Arrow River United G.M. Co, from which we learn that 8,496 shares have been taken up; that the capital subscribed is £2,201 7s 6d ; the amount of cash in hand is nil, and the amount of dividends declared is ditto. -

The Mail hears that complaints against Mr Warden Beetham have been laid before the Government, charging him with “neglectful attendance at the Skippers Court Sittings. Mr Beetham, we understand has replied to these charges, but we have not heard the result.”

At Timaru, on Christmas Day, a laborer named William Gaiter drank himself to death by swallowing at a draught a pannikin full of raw brandy. He immediately became unconscious, was removed to-the hospital, and notwithstanding every effort to restore him died about two hours after admission. The cause of death was apoplexy brought on by the drink he had taken.

At a conference of Good Templars at Auckland, on 30th Dec. for the formation of a Grand Lodge, at which 47 represent atives were present, it was announced that there were 40 ledges in the North Island —3OOO members. It was resolved to recommend as the boundaries of the district the whole of the North Island. New officers were elec*ed.

In reference to the survey of a practical lino of road from this Province to the West Coast, from the Dunstan Times we Earn that Mr Hutchison and his staff were conveyed by Mr Marsh, of Cromwell, to Wanaka —from which point operations are to be commenced—on Wednesday week. It is satisfactory to learn that practical steps have at length been initiated to open this long talked of and expected West Coast route, and under the guidance of Mr Hutchison there can be no doubt but that the matter will be brought to a successful issue.