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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 493, 21 December 1878, Page 2

Wkzsh, the Waikawa murderer, was sentenced to death at luTercargill on Saturday Princess Alice, the wife of Prince Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt, and third daughter of the Queen, died on December 14. The cause of death is not definitely stated, but. it is pro bably diphtheria. ' It is noticeable that the Princess died on the same day of the month and the flame dny of the week as her father, the late Hri'-ce Consort, seventeen years ago llio deceased Princess was iu her 36th year..

The shnre list for Me.-srs. Kemplhorne. Prosser and Co's Drug Company closes finally on the 21st instant.

The Waste Lav.ds Boar • at its meeting this wpek will consider a letter from tin- District Land Officer recommending that the upset prire of 16 sections in Naseby be. fixed at £3i per acre, with valuation added ; and fi<e suburban sections ut £lO per acre with valution added.

Wt? beg to tender our apoloay to the several contributors to our column of " Current Topics," which are as usual very readable and full ef original matter and information not generally to be procured. We are compelled to hold over this column in order to be able to publish a report of a public meeting held last evening to consult in reference to a matter of the utmost importance to the district—viz., alteration of the locale of the block of laud selected for settlement on Messrs. Chapmans' run —which will be f:-und elsewhere. Thb competition for the two silver medals provided by the Grand Lod'_'s 1.0G.T, to each Juvenile Temple to he presented to the most deserving member, took place at the Masonic Hall on Monday eveninir last. Ten candidates were nominated by the Supprintendant for the medals, and th<* election by the members, resulted in the return of Jane Murray and S. J. Ash, toy;horn accordingly the medals were presented. Jnueteen prizes for various subjects weae provided, and were awarded as follows by the examiner, Bro. the Rev. J. M'Cosh Smith :--Prize for the one finding the largest number of Biblical references relating to wine : first, (hoys) If. Marshall; second, James Field ; first, (girls) Jane Murray ; second, Jane Jones Sinjiiv: first (boys), H. Gason ; first (girls), M. Stewart ; special prizes, Elizabeth Moore and Elizabeth Donnelly. Securing largest number of members : Charles Dixon. Recitation (for girls under eight years of Margaret Jones. Ox the occasion of the Warden's visit to Serpentine on the 13fch instant a prospecting claim was granted to Josiah Mitcbinson for the discovery of a quartz reef at the upper end of Scandinavian Gully. The reef was said to be about two feet in thickness on the surface and with well defined walls, and to have a bearing east and west We understand Mr. Mitcbinson has opened the reef for a length of about twenty feet and seven or eight feet in depth, and finds good walls but the reef rather soft and rubbly, but hardening apparently as he goes down. We bavs seen a ver\' goo'd prospect said to be washed from a dishful of the stone roughly broken but not crushed. Mr. Mitcbinson intends to work his claim by means of a tuunet, to open out considerably lower down in Scandinavian Gully which runs into Lon" Valley. This Scandinavian Gully was verv rich in alluvial gold. The head of it is but a short distance from the head of Golduu Gully which runs into the Serpentine, and there is a strong opinion that both gullies must have derived their riches from the same reef. Mr. John Cogan is at present puttir-.: in a trench to try to tiud the reef at the crown of the spur between the two gullies. It is to be hoped that the discovery of Mr. Mitchinson may lead to the developameut of the riches which have been long believed to exist iu the hills above the old Serpentine workings.

This Manager of the Maniotofco Station made a raid upon the cattle depasturing on the run, on Thursday 12ih, and brought about eighty head to the Pound. It was only two months ago that a, similiar raid was made, ind, probably, the proportion of the cattle impounded have belonged to the same persons in each instance. It does seem hard en the runholder that he should viitually be forced to allow, such a large number of cattle to graze on his leasehold 5 but it is much barrier on the workin" man who keeps two or three cows only, to supply his family with milk, that 6 or 7 limes in a year, he should be compelled U> lose a half day's work to release his cattle from the Pound, and pay iu addition 3s or 4s. per head expenses and fees. The runholder has frequently asserted that he has no desire to prevent working men from running two or three cows, but his action in impounding c intinuady is emmeutly calculated to do so. If he really means what he has said it cerlainly would not be much trouble to ascertain who release the impounded cattle. He then would find that his run i* overrun not by the cattle be'onging to the miners, but bv those of one or two moniVd persons. There are one or two persons in the district who are known to keep from 20 to 60 head of cat tieperhaps more—roaming all over the Plains, and who would quite willingly pay for grazing. The rmiholder would have very li'tle difii cu:ty in finding out whose these are, and such should be made to p:iy. This would either create a leir'tim-ite source of revenue, or would have the effect of clearing off numbers of the cattle altogether. If *-ome suoh action is not taken by the lessee of the Manintoto Run, who appca s to suffer most, the people will complain to the proper quarter, and ask for a remedy which pr..bab!y will not be agreeable ; and tin-re is very little doubt that the wishes of 30 ; < or -4 6 people will be attended to in preference to these of the lessee of Hun 222, no matter how great the influence may be at his back, or how unscrupulously he may attack and malign tho=e who opp -se him. [since the above was set up we have been informed that yesterday evening (Wednesday) about seventy head were impounded by Mr. Chapman's manager, a considerable part being what were impounded a week since. We have been told that the Manager has announced his intention of impounding weekly. We imagine that if this programme is carried out it is not improbable that such pressure will be brought to bear upon the Government by the residents of the district that the whole of the run will be cancelled, or at any rate so much of it for grazing, in addition to the 10.0U0 a-res, as will have the effect ot making the reteution of the remainder insufficiently remueurative.]

We greatly regret to learn from a pood judge, who has just returned from a trip through the Pitpaknio district, that Ihe majority of the crops there are suffering from the effects of the late severe nor'-westers. Although these parching winds were followed by a copious and refreshing rainfall, it appears thai no amount of moisture could compensate for the damage 1 hat they have done Our informant says that in many places crops will not pay for cutting.—' Mail.'" Spakkows were becoming su°ha pest, about Woodend a few months ago that the farmers of the district formed themselves into a. committee, in order that steps might be taken to abate the nuisance. Nearly £2O has b-'en spent in the purchase of grain and prison, and its effect has been most disastuvis to the sparrows. The Committee also offered 3d per dozen for young birds and 2 I per dozen lor eggs, which resulted in a terrible onslaught by the boys on the birds. Ou ?»lon lav evening they produced about 3000 eggs and fifteen dozen young b'rds, for which they paid over £2. The (Jommittc intend to continue their efforts iu this direction, so that the nuisance may be prevented.—Canterbury ' Times ' It is rumored that Mr. A. I?. Fitchett has decided on severing his connection with the Wesleyan body. The 'Times' understands " that Mr. Fitchett has been offered ordination iu the Church of England—or, as we suppose we should, at the cost of brevi'.y,more correctly express it, " the Church of ike Province of JS r ew Zealand coniuioniy called Ihe Church of England " —and. that he is likely to accept it. Should he do so, we have no uoubt he will very speedily find a sphere of labor within thai Church suited to his acknowledged abilities, His-many frwnds in

Dunedm wiH hope i.hnt this spsere will be found within th,> city, and that, he '.nay no:, be induced lo seek filling cm-<soymcnt c'<awiirrn." AVe wondvr if this r'ep is wholly due to the " itinerant l.iw," as th-* rev gentleinin averts, or wh'ther the unusual stand he m:idc a year or two ago in Dane Hn lias had anything to do with his resolve 1o .-ever his connection with the We-lsvan Church the tenets and beliefs ::f which are rather too anliqinted to suit ui-n who can esult over the enlightenment of the present age of " modern thought." A touso man, named John Muitlaud. was tilled on the new railway Hue in the vicinity of Invereargill, on the 14th instaut, through the capsize of the engine and three of the trucks, whicli occurred through the train coming into collision with a cow. Ou the same eveniug a Mrs. llalony, an old resident of the Oaraaru district, was killed at the Awamoko stalion, through the train suddenly moving while she "was in the act of entering one of the carriages. The wri»stl : ns raitch between the champions of New Zealand and Victoria (Tyson and Thomas) came oif in the Calcdoniin* grounds on Saturday afternoon. Ab nit 2000 .people were present. The general impression was that the Champion of Australia did not receive fair play. The ' Star' thus alludes Jo ihe event:—On stepping into the ring both men \verc heartily cheere 1. Both were very cautious, and as some minutes elapsed without getting a hold, the referee, in terms of Lhe articles, put them together. After repeatedly slinpiuc their holds, owing to Tyson continually wriggling his shoulders and head out of his opponent's grip, Tyson at last, gain-d a fall by forcing Thomas back, apparently by sheer strength. Again were the men repeatedly put together, and incessantly did Tyson repeat his shuffling practices, adding to them this time the questionable proc.dure of j.-imaiui<r his head into Thoracis' throat and half chok" mg him, and this smidst great yelling and hooting from the public. As might be expected Fhoma* at length was completely exhausted, and fell to the ground in a fainting condition, Tyson thus winning the match by two falls to nothing. Anything more unsatisfactory we never wituesssd, aud it is to be hoped that Thomas, who wrestles in a perfectly f lir siyle, will meet Tyson at the Caledonian Gam*s under rules which will prevent such an exhibition as was presented on Satu.-day. We suppose we ought to feel gratified at the Champion Belt remaining in New Zealand, but. we should have preferred to have seen it won in a more manly way.