The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 54, 5 March 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1868.

The Mail via Panama, by the Taranaki, will close to-morrow, at 10 a.m. Newspapers at 9, aud Money Orders and Registered Letters at 9.30. We understand that it is the intention of a large tiumber of influential residents in thia city and neighborhood to present a silver salver, bearing an appropriate inscription, to Dr Cusack, on the occasiou of his departure from Nelson for Wellington, for which place we learn that he purposes leaving by the uexfc steamt-r. Dr Cusack served with distinction iv the Crimean War, for which lie holds the medal and clasps for lukermanu and Balaclava, and ou his return home he was appointed Surgeou to one of the most important hospitals iv Dublin. There his health, already over-tried, begnu to fail so seriously as to compel him to relinquish the bright prospects which lay before him in his native couutiy aud to seek safety iv a more genial climate. He selected this province as his future home, and settled in the Waimeas as a country gentleman and magistrate. Bat here however, he was uot long permitted to retaiu his poatt i"n as a private individual, and finding that hia health was considerably improved by the voyage out, aud by country air and country pursuits, he yielded to the representations of his friends, aijd commenced the practice of his profession in Nelson. He at once took a leading position in our city, aud for six years has conducted a very successful practice, whilst at the same time his intellectual powers have been usefully aud influentially exerted in this and in the Australian colonies iv the advocacy of various sanitary reforms, &c, and ou other subjects connected with his profession. We are pleased to find that Dr Cusack is to hear away with him so gratifying a proof of the esteem in which he is held in Nelson hs the testimonial to which we have ulluded, aud heirtily wish him all health and prosperity in his uew sphere of action. We are informed that the Nelson Volunteer Fire Biigade have receivei a communication from the Provincial Government to ihe effect t afc, the mainpipe of the waterworks, and several of. the suhmaius being now completed, and the water laid on at full pressure, the Provincial Engineer is prepared to hand over to the brigade the following articles, to be used iv case of fire ; — a hydrant, for attnehiug to the different fireplugs iv the street?, which is to be kept in the new Enginehouse with the hose reel belonging to the brigade, and also oue Government hose reel, with five 50 feet leugfchs of hose attached, two branch or jet pipes, and one hydrant, with spanners and wrenches complete, which is to be kept ready for service in the Engine-house within the Government grounds. The brigade has ilso been informed that tbe members of the waterworks staff have received instructions to attend every fire, and render every assistance to the brigade that .may be required. Thia apparatus having thus been placed in the hands of the brigade, and the supply of water being now available in all parts of the city, we may congratulate ourselves on at length enjoying

a security from fire of which very few other cities in New Zealand can boast. Ser-vice-pipes are being very generally laid on to private dwelling-houses throughout the city, which will conduce most materially to the comfort and sanitary condition of its inhabitants. We publish elsewhere a resum£ of the first Report of the Dunedin Waterworks Company, which will doubtless interest our readers. Some sensational news comes to us from Waimea West, iv the form of un advertisement from the Inspector of Police for the owner of a horse, found riderless, with broken bridle and carrying a saddle and small swag, in the bed of the river Wairoa, and the owner of which is supposed to have met with some serious accident. No informutiou has, as yet, been received by the authorities iv reference to this matter, nor can ony further tidings iv connection with the missing man at the Baton be obtained for some days to come. We give belovy the principal scores made in the firing for the Colonial Government District Prizes, which commenced on Friday last, when the Wakapuaka Artillery Company opened the competition. It may be as well to mention that the competitors for these prizes are divided into two classes, all 'efficient' Volunteers being eligible to take part iv the competition for the lst class prizes, wbich for this province consist of three prizes of £12; £10; and £S respectively, whilst all Volunteers, whether efficient or not, can fire for the fout 2mi class prizes of £8; £6; £4; and £2 respectively. The following are the principal scores of the Wakapuaka Artillery Company made on Friday iast : — First Class. Captain D. Slater— 3oo yds., 19; 400 yds., 15; 500 yd*.: total. 46 Gunner A. Barnett— 3oo yds., 16; 400 yds., 17; 500 yds., 0: total, 42. Gunner G. Blatichett— 3oo yds., 18; 400 yds., 13 ; 500 yds., 1 1 : total, 42,* Second Class. Gunner C. Hibbard— 300 yds., 18; 400 yds., 17; 500 yds., 7: total, 42. The City Artillery Company fired yesterday, with the following result : — First Class. Captain Pitt— 3oo yds., 16; 400 yds., 14; 500 yds., 14: total, 44. The other scores were all under 40. The City Rifles No. 1 fired to-day, Sergeant J. Sharp scoring 53, Privates Moore and Catley 46 for the lst Ciass prizes, and Private G. Bachelor 48 for the 2nd Class. The shooting generally was very good. Some oil-paintings of very considerable merit are now on view at Mr. W. M. Stanton's, Trafalgar-street, executed by Mr. W. J. Wilson, for some considerable time principal scenic artist of the Prince of Wales Opera House, at Sydney, and who has lately filled a similar positiou in the new Theatre at Hokitika. Two of these paintings, of considerable pretensions, representing the old pier at Calais and Greenwich Hospital, are especially worthy of notice. We understand that Mr. Wilson has visited Nelson under the expectation that transparencies, &c, would be required in anticipation of the Prince's visit to Nelson, and we can conscientiously state that the execution of such works could not be confided to abler or more artistic hands. We have received a letter from a miner who has been digging ou the table land at the back of the Mount Arthur Ranges, where he states that about 12 or 14 men are now working, and who complains that the track now being made by the Government leads to a country where there is uo one at work, whilst the Loadstone iratk, which has been condemned by the Government, and which is the only one by which the diggers are obtaining their stores, or whence gold ia at present coming, might, after a small outlay, he rendered available. t A meeting took place yesterday evening, atthe Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond,

of the committee of the Nelson Agricultural Society, all the members of which, with only one exception, were present. A sub-committee was appointed to draw up a programme for the approaching Show, the sum of £100 *beiug appropriated for prizes, and £40 for the purpose of promoting ploughing-matches, both amounts being very much iv excess of those usually offered for these objects. This arises from the fact that, no show having taken place last year, the Government Grants for the two years are available on the coming occasion. It will be the endeavor of the committee to fix the date of the show during the Race Week ; they will therefore put themselves in communication with the Turf Club, and as soon as the time of the meeting can be fixed, the exact date of the Show will be made public. The programme will in all probability be published in our columns next week. We understand that the highest score yet made by any competitor for participation in the tiring for the Colonial Prizes at Wellington, has been that made by Private Macfarlane, of the Duuediti Artillery, who scored 27 at 400 yards, 24 at 500, and 21 at„6oo, making a total of 71. Mr Stanton informs us that he has disposed of a considerable number of tickets for the series of concerts proposed to be given by M.. and Madame Simon3en, on their return from the West Coast. We would remind our readers that, as the carryiug out of this scheme is dependent on the requisite number of tickets having been takeu by the 10th inst., on which date the result will be communicated to M. Simonsen, it is highly desirable that they should lose no time in securing tickets. We have been favored with a perusal of the primary report of the Duuedin Waterworks Company, for the year ending 31st December, 1867. It appears that the completion of the reservoir aud the introduction of water into the city took place on the 9th of that mouth, aud the report states that there is already ample proof tbat the undertaking will not ouly be a pecuuiary Buccess as regards the shareholders, but will be of great and increasing benefit to the inhabitants of Dunedin. The mains, it seems, which have as yet been laid through only part of the city, have stood the pressure, on the whole, satisfactorily. The report observes that it was to be expected that some of the pipes would not be able to stand the severe test to which they were subjected, but that the number that have given way is comparatively small. The most serious breakage was the fracture in the main and scour pipes in the principal erabankmeut, which has been repaired at much less cost, and was of less importance, than was at at first apprehended. The hydrants, fitted to the fireplugs on the mains for supplying water in case of fire, have been repeatedly tried by the Fire Brigade, and the results, as regards the force of watev and the ease of working, were found to be most satisfactory. The report goes on to state that the Insurance Companies have already reduced their rates 10 and 20 per cent, ou timber and brick houses respectively. The water is being introduced into a large number of houses and ©ther premises, and the list of consumers is steadily augmenting. Applications have been received for the use of the water for manufacturing purpose and driving machinery, and considerable additions to the revenue from tbis sou fee, and from baths, breweries, stables, &c. are anticipated. We would add that the Company has a capital of £50,000, with a Government guarantee of 8 per cent, in 5000 shares of £10 each. It is suggested in the. Beport that the Government might in a short time be altogether relieved of tbeir guarantee, if tha extension of tbs

Iriains are vigorously prosecuted, and a siguificaut hint is thrown out for the benefit of those proprietors and occupiers •who have not yet taken an interest iv the undertaking, that the Government have power to recoup themselves for the outlay under the guarantee by a general assessment over the whole city. The New Zealaud Gazette of the 251h uit. publishes, by order of his Excellency the Governor, some very lengthy Prison Regulations, to be observed in the gaols of this province, for 'the classification, diet, instruction, treatment, and correction of the prisoners therein confined. The New Zealand Gazette of the 25th uit. contains a notification that a Postoffice Savings Bank would be opened at Charleston on the Ist iust. A Syduey telegram which appears in the Hobarton Mercruy, states that the Galatea was to sail for Wellington on the Bth of March. This is evidently a mistake, as it has been settled that Auckland will be iv the first place visited by the Priuce iv New Zealand. It was currently reported ia Melbourne that the purpose for which H.M.R. Brisk was despatched to the coast of Western Australia, was to intercept a Fenian ma'n-of-war vessel escaped from England for the purpose of releasing Feniau prisoners aboard a convict ship bouud to that colony, but the report had not been confirmed. Mr Murray's large drapery store in King William-street, Adelaide, has been accidentally destroyed by fire. The estimated loss is £40,000. It was insured for £31,000. In the days of high letter postages, newspapers were greatly used as media for smuggling private messages. The more simple form of writing the message on the margin of an inside page was too open to detection to be geuerally adopted. Certain words and even single letters in the printed matter were underlined here and there, so as to form a complete message when picked out and put together; but it was against rules even to mark a newspaper, so various other devices were resorted to. Amongst others a gentleman wishing to let his son at school at Brighton know the exact day and hour of a promised visit, sent him a copy of the Times addressed, ' Master Sep. Alert Jones, No. 23, Dr Blimber's, Old Steyne, Brighton.' This iunoceut looking address would iuform the young gentlemen that his father was coming down ou September the 23rd, by the ' Alert' coach, which he well knew arrived in Castle Square punctually at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Some of these devices were so palpable and transparent that the Post-office people could not fail of seeing that they were being systematically * done,' yet did not feel justified in stopping the game. Thus a firm of stockbrokers were in the habit of receiving an occasional Shrewbsury Journal, addressed 'to Mr Celatto, Messrs B and Co., Change Alley, London,' or * Messrs Biatfor, care of Messts B. and Co.* It was obvious to the authorities that there was a speculator in the funds at Shrewsbury instructing his brokers by thissurreptitiousmode(ouly supplementary of course, to a more regular correspondence) how to act for him, and they read in Mr 'Celatto' that he instructed tbem to sell at two, in • Biatfor ' that they were to buy at four (probably a diminutive for 84, as the Stock Exchange quotes prices to the present day). The Post-office solicitor was at last consulted as to what steps could bu legally taken to stop th is system, when a heavy full in the funds took place, and the Shrewsbury gentlemen, apparently in a great panic, addressed a Journal to 'Mr Cellthelott,' and this closed the clandestine correspondence. The Postoffice solicitor only discovered ihe name of the offender when it was too late, and whea my etepe would have been useles*

A letter from Messrs B. and Co., enclosing an account current, which showed a deficiency of some thousands of pounds, and was addressed to Mr John Robinson, 24, St, Ann's Place, Shrewsbury, came back opened j.nd marked, 'Goue away — left no address.' —G. P. O. — Newspaper Press, During the last homeward trip of the Heury Chauncy, from Aspiuwall, the steerage passengers were so numerous as to make them uncomfortable. As for sleeping accomodation, it was aptly described by a Californian who approached the captain and said: — '1 should like to have a sleeping berth if you please.' — * Why, where have you been sleeping these last two nights since we left?' — ' Wa'al, I've beeu sleeping a-top of a sick man; but he's got better now, aud won't stand it uo longer!'

*