North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7464, 12 September 1892, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1892 The special telegram to the Otago D.iily Time 1 ? of Tuesday detailing a plan to be proposed by the Government for getting the gold out of the bed of the Molyneux created, wc understand, quite a aens-vtion among the Dunedmitcs. Tlieie were of course some doubters, as well as some who scoffed, but Bond street is said to be jubilant at the news. The Otago Central was for the moment thrown into the shade, and the Old Identity merchant princes behold in imagination tons of gold coming to town by every escort, and a continual stream of waggons laden with machinery and all kinds of eatables and drinkables wending their way towards the New Zealand Pactolus. Dunedin has been for years as dull as a country town. It was originally built, in its present proportions at least, on the profits of the "diggings," and when the goldfields collapsed its prosperity was , jtlstered up by the lavish expenditure on

public works. This souroe of wealth, however, also dried up, and ever since the city of the Old Identities has been down in the depths. Its own citizens have also done much to add to its depressed condition. They have virtually closed their harbor, so that the Bluff and other ports are running away with the trade that once made Dunedin the commercial capital of the colony. If things go on as they have lately been doing for a year or two longer, the erstwhile famous port cf Otago will be deserted. A new goldfield somewhere in the back country, not too near Oamaru or Invercargill, is what the Dunedinites have been wishing for day and night, but as there was no sign of such luck, they had latterly centered their hopes on the Otago Central, ;md the increased production of butter, eggs and apples which its extension would cause in the upland plains and valleys. Rather a poor source of comfort, it must be confessed. Judge then of the joy which thrilled thiough the city when the " Special" of the Daily Times announced that Dick Seddon was going to dam back the waters of the Molyneux and lay bare its fabulous trcasuie. There is more gold in its bed, said Mr Vincent Pyke, than would suflice to clear off our public debt — possibly more, wc may add, than would clear off the public debt of all the Australasian colonies. This was evidently Sir .luhus Vogels opinion, as everyone who managed to wade through Ins dull tale must remember. It is possible, however, that the wealth of the Molyneux bed lias been overrated. Anyhow, wc are sorry to say that the damming up is not to take place just yet. The hopes raised b} r the Daily Times in the morning were rudely dashed to the ground by the Stir in the e\enmg, which published the sad tidings that the grand scheme to which wc have been referring would not be found .imong the proposals in the Public Works Statement. The whole thing, it was added, was merely a newspaper skit. This wc take leave to doubt. Wc have an idea that the Minister for Public Works has been speculating about the possibility of realising the golden dream of the Pykes and Vogels, though it may be that las plans are not yet ripe for publication. The Daily Times' special correspondent has in fact got a peep on the sly into Mr Kecldon's mental sanctum — has, so to speak, revealed, as special correspondents sometimes take a wicked pleasure in doing, a seeret before its time. Perhaps the Molyneux may be dried up some day for the purpose ©f getting its gold deposit unearthed, but it will not be m Mr Seddons time. Neither the money at his command nor his staff of engmeeis would be adequate to such a stupendous undertaking.

Mi Wm. .Singleton has been appointed agent in Oaniiiiu iind di&tnct for the Kcono11110 Fne Oihce. Mails for United Kingdom and Europe, per Arawa, via South America, close at Lyttelton on Thursday, the 15th instant, at 9 .i.m. A boy named Hamil, while riding a horse yesterday, was thrown off, and sustained concussion of tho brain. Ho wis taken to the Hospital for medical attend auce. Pukouri School keeps up its high average of percentages, which this year totals 97. The Enfield School made 87, and the Cave Valley (W&iareka) School, wc have heard, made 90. It is notified that .ill fiovemment pio perty held by members of t he late Oamaiu 1 vifles must be ictunied to the oidcily loom tins and to-morrow evenings, between the hours of 8 and 9 o'clock. A eontcmpoicuy is responsible for the statement that a, Pahiatiu selector who committed suicide recently left a memo behind hirn, '•iiymg that he hanged hirnself as the only way of getting out of the district, because thcie were no roads. Wc remind our readers that Dr de Lautour will give a lecture to-night on the moa. The proceeda are in aid of the Athenaeum funds. The subject of the lecture is an interesting one, and wc are sure will be interestingly placed before the ' audience. j The Waimate people have had a srnVl battle on the drink question. The question j was as to whether liquor should be sold in the Park there. The prohibitionists put forward three men and the moderates tlnee for the Borough Coiincil* The latter polled 419, and the former ?77. The Tokomairiro Farmers' Club have endorsed the programme of the New Zealand Farmers' and Country Settler*' League, and instructed their secretary to write to the member for the district asking hirn in his place in Parliament to support the views of the League. On Thursday evening a large congregation assembled in the Fust Chutch at luvercargill to bid farewell to Miss Macgregor, who is taking up the duties of a Zenana missionary. The Rev. Dr Macgregor was present with his daughter. A number of addresses were delivered, and the proceedings were interesting and impressive. '! he provisional directors of the proposed Farmers" Co-operative Association met on Saturday afternoon in the County Council Chambers, when it was reported that a number of additional shares had been applied for. Before, however, taking the final step towards completing the formation of t he Association, it was decided to obtain some further information. Two members of the Elginslmc Salvage ( 'oinjiany (says the Timaru Herald of S<itiu« d<\\) wont down to Duncdm by the express ti.nn NC&terdaA. Wc are given to undeistnnd that then enand is to i 'J certain financial aiiangemcnts. foi tho further prosecution of tuen enU'ipu e The inference is drawn that if they are umueee&sful in thi->, the steamer will be abandoned by the company. The North School Committee m?t on Friday evening, when Messrs Pilcher (chairman), Meldrum, Mollison, M'Pheison, Or miston, and Mitchell (hon. secretary) were present The Committee expiessed sitisfaction with the results of the annual examination, It was resolved to give an entertainment in the schoolhouse on Friday evening, 30th inst., and Messrs Pibher aud Mollisou were appointed to act in conjunction with the masters to draw up a programme. Several accounts were passsd for payment. Mes-rs Mitchell and Ormiston were appointed the Visiting Committee or the month. A meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, at which Messrs Stock, Bruce, Mackintosh, aud Captain Crawford (hon. Bee), were piesent, a letter was read from the Hon. H. J Miller saying that if the letting of the islands in the Waitaki came under ! his notice he would be glad to act as requested by the Society. The Marine Department notified, in reply to a communication on the subject, that it was not pioposed to issue netting regulations for the Mackeni zie County lakes. The Department also notified that the fishing regulations for the Southern districts were issued. It was decided to offer one shilling for eich shags head during the nejet three months. At the Resideut Magistrates Court on Saturday, before Major Keddell, R.M., Henry B, Luxon pleaded guilty to the charge of beating his wife. Sergeant ; O'Grady said Luxon had baen confined for ! some time in the Seacliff Asylum, but waa liberated on the 24th of August, uuder police surveillance. Since then he had eonducted hirnself fairly well. On Friday night he came from Moeraki, where he had been ar work, and on Saturday morning, 1 about tiro o'clock, had severely beaten hu wife without the slightest provocation. His wife was now confined lo her bed. The accused was rem*nd«d for medical examination.