MIDDLE ISLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4260, 14 November 1874, Page 2 (Supplement)

MIDDLE ISLAND.

OTAGO. The proposal to establish a Servants' Home in Dunedin has been favorably received. A committee of ladie3 have drawn up the necessary, rules. A site has been given at the corner of Lees and Jones-street, by Mrs. E. Cargill, at a nominal rent. A curious accident has befallen Dr. Borrows' equipage in Dunedin. The horse and carnage were in the yard at the rear of Dr. Borrow's residence, and the groom was sitting in the carriage. The horse took fright and leaped with the carriage and groom into a gully fifteen or twenty feet deep. The groom was not hurt, though he had a narrow escape of having his leg broken. Both shafts of the carriage were completely smashed off. The horse did not appear to have been injured, but the doctor would have no more of him, at least for that day. An additional clerk has been added to the staff of the Dunedin Town Council, at a salary of £3OO per annum. The Olutha Leader states that about seventy school children and two teachers in that district are laid up with the measles. The case of Calder and Bell v. Brogden and Sons, being an action to recover £IB6O ss. lid. for materials supplied and work done on the Clutha Line of llailway, occupied the attention of the Supreme Court for three days. The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs for £OSO 12s. over and above the amount paid into Court, £786 16s. sd. Several nonsuit points were raised. The case was the last in the civil sittings of the Court. Mr. Val. Vose, the well-known ventriloquist, gave an entertainment a few nights ago to the inmates of the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum. A hundred and twenty of the patients were present, and were highly entertained. Mr. Val. Vose deserves great credit for his kindness. Mr. David It. Hay, tailor and clothier, of Princes-street, Dunedin, who had to stop payment in IS7O, when considerable commercial depression prevailed, paid to his creditors a few days ago £950, being the balance required to make up the sum of 20s. in the £. The Lake Wakatip Mail has the following : —■" We reported a few days ago that we had been informed a number of immigrants were expected at the Queenstown depot; but, up to the present, there is no sign of them. Except the excuse—"none at liberty"—.Government can make no apology. A married couple have been appointed to take charge of the barracks, and the demand for laborers is great. We think the Town Council and our members should communicate with the authorities on the subject." Judge Gray, on his trip up this time, says the Lake Wakatip Mail, was unfortunate enough to lose a roll of notes containing £2B. The loss was not discovered until after Clyde had been reached, and the manner of loss is also unknown. It is to be hoped the finder will have some qualms of conscience, and return tho lost treasure. CANTERBURY. At Christchurch, the Resident Magistrate has given a decision in a rather novel case. An auctioneer had valued some stock at Southbridge at something over £ISOO, and charged five per cent for the valuation. From one of the two parties to the affair he roceived two and a half per cent., but the other refused to pay his half, and the claim was for the latter's share. One and a quarter per cent, had been offered, but refused. After a considerable amount of evidence had been elicited, the Magistrate said that he would give judgment for five per cent, for tho first thousand, and two and a half per cent afterwards, costs being allowed, and expenses of three professional witnesses, this, as he stated, being the custom in England. A lithographed map of Christchurch and its environs has been published. The plan of the city proper is very minute, and the sites of public buildings are accurately laid down. NELSON. Mr. James Conolly, of Reefton, has lost a valuable draught horse through the animal taking fright on tho Energetic tramway whilst dragging a truck from tho mine. The tramway line runs on a steep sideling, and the speed which the trucks attained led to its being upset, and both horse and truck rolled over the bank. The latter was smashed to atoms, and the horse killed instantaneously. Certain facts have recently transpired at the Lyell, says the Tnawjahua Herald, tending to show that a system of robbery has been going on at Carroll and Cairns' machine, and it is supposed by some one employed at the battery. Parcels of amalgamated gold have been disposed of which may or may not represent the entire proceeds of the theft, but looking at the comparatively small returns (about two and ahalf ounces to the ton) from the last Break o'Day crushing, it is reasonably concluded that a considerable quantity of gold ha 3 been abstracted. Suspicion attaches to a certain person, but the thief will probably escape conviction, owing to want of direct proof. The lloss Guardian learns that private- advices from Wellington state that the sentence of three years' imprisonment passed upon S. M. Spiers, late postmaster at Boss, for embezzlement, has been commuted to fifteen months. Referring to Judge. Harvey'a offer to interchange hares for specimens of quartz from this district, we have pleasure, in extracting the following from the Grey River Argus of the 27th ult. ;—" It must be interesting to the residents of the Grey Valley and those of the Reefton district to learn that Judge Harvey, during his recent visit to Melbourne, has made arrangements for the supply of twenty brace of hares, to be liberated ou Totara Flat, Fern Flat, Devcry's Terrace, and other localities suitable, upon a quid pro quo being afforded by the managers of the reefing companies, by the gift of samples of atone from tho various reefs of the Inaugahua district. We should think that this offer will be liberally responded to, for, apart from the mere exchange of compliments, the bargain is one likely to be interesting, and as regards the reefing companies a specially profitable one. Judge Harvey assures us that the people of Victoria are moro than dubious regarding the richness of the Inaugahua reefs ; but probably tho contribution of samples from the various claims would help to remove this, and lead to tho attention of -Victorian capitalists being called to a profitable field of investment.

The Eov. Gt. 11. Johnstone, who, having l'O' signed tho iucumbcucy of Christchurch, ia pra

ceeding to the West Coast, was on Saturday invited to attend at Messrs. Adams and Kingdon's offices. He was there met by the Rev. P. Calder, Presbyterian Minister, Messrs. D. Rough, F. C. Simmons, A. S. Collins, J. Oldham, and A. Adams, who represented the subscribers to a testimonial to the Rev. G. H. Johnstone. Captain Rough, after a few most appropriate words, as Mr. Johnstone's oldest friend then present, read a very complimentary address, and presented Mr. Johnstone with a purse of sovereigns, with which he was requested to purchase a keepsake to remind him of his Nelson friends. ' The eighth competition for the Nelson Rifle Company's silver champion medal took place on Monday morning at the Matai butts, when it was won by Color-Sergeant J. A. Burn (with a score of 46 points), who now becomes the final owner of it, he having won it four times. The ranges were—r2oo yards, position standing, target G x 4 feet; 400 and 500 yards, position any, target 6xo feet. MARLBOROUGH. A building society is about to be commenced at Picton, A fracas occurred on Saturday night (says the Times) at Grovetown which was very nearly having serious results. A man named Charles Ohlsen, but better known as, Dutch Charley, had used some violent and abusive expressions to some Maoris at the Grove Hotel, and they took an opportunity afterwards of maltreating him when he had left the hotel, and he had, as they thought, no one to defend him. Fortunately his cries were heard, and Mr. Busch succeeded in rescuing Ohlsen before he had sustained any serious injury. The following are the successful tenderers for the mail services in this province, for the year commencing on the Ist of January next : ■ —Blenheim and Picton (continuation of present contract until the railway opens)—George Stevenson. Picton, Grove, and Havelock, calling at Hood's Bay on return trip—Laery and Smith. Havelock and Deep Creek—C. Diamante. Blenheim and Hawkswood—W. Blick. Blenheim and Renwicktown—H. C. Pirani. Blenheim and Wairau Valley—Wm. Ockley. Havelock and Nelson—Laery and Smith. Havelock and Homewood Mills Brothers. Picton Wharf and Post Office— Laery and Smith. Kaikoura Wharf and Post Office—C. Hagger. Blenheim Post Office and Opawa and Wairau rivers—J. Ewart. The result of His Honor the Superintendent's exploration of the Bui Bui Pass, says the Express, has been communicated to the following effect. It had been arranged that the attempt should be made in company with Mr. Lemon to discover whether a practicable bridle track could be made which would answer the purposes of the telegraph as welL The lastnamed gentleman having been taken ill, Mr. Seymour went alone, and after examination found that the gradients were too steep in several places for general traffic, but that a telegraph line could be taken through it. We believe that the Government contemplate ascertaining what, if any, improvements may be made calculated to improve the present coast line for general traffic. The projected line for telegraph purposes is easily obtainable over the Kekerangu and Woodbank runs, and across the Clarence to the Bui Bui; where the Bui enters the Clarence, is an impracticable gorge, but by taking a small valley a little higher up the Clarence, the line can be carried over a saddle into the upper portion of the Bui, and thence over a succession of low saddles to the head of the southern Bui stream, running into the Hapuka, whence the line would continue through the Kaikoura settlement. This would necessitate the new bridga over the Clarence being placed about the site of the present crossing. A serioua accident occurred at the ferry at Blenheim on the 4th instant. It appears that Mr. Joseph Rose and George Gibson were going over on the timber waggon, when as they went down the cutting the leading horses swerved, breaking the pole, and throwing both men off. Mr. Bose has severely hurt his ancles, and was unable to move them, and Mr. Gibson was much shaken, two of the horses were severely cut, one having a large gash in the tlrigh, and the other on the hocks. The waggon lies in various places between Gane'a smithy and the ferry.

WESTLAND. The Hokitika papers report the result of the great Fox expedition, and, it is almost needless to add, that result is failure. Nothing else could be expected from the sending forth of a party of men at the most unsuitable season of the year to prospect a district almost inaccessible except in the most favorable weather. An accident of a very serious nature is reported by the Ghw/mouth Star of the 3rd inst., as having occurred on board the schooner Alma this morning to a seaman named Amor. It appears that for some reason or other the ladder leading into the fore skuttle (an apartment between decks for the accommodation of . the crew), was removed, and Amor, in consequence, fell down on the lower deck. Dr. Morice wa3 called in and pronounced the man too much injured for present removal to the Hospital. The exact nature of the injuries cannot be ascertained at present. The contract for No. 6 section of the Waimea Water Race, the West Coast Times of the 4th inst. reports, was settled by the Government on the previous day, and the teudei of Mr. Wni. Smith, of Kanieri, for the whole of the work, has been accepted at £19,402 13s. This includes the laying of the pipes for the whole distance of the Kace, two-nriles fifty-seven chains in length, also the construction of earthwork, tunnels, culverts, fiuming, piping, and the other works specified, together with the furnishing of labor, plant, and materials, the materials being those supplied by the Government. The contractor is bound to complete the work within twelve months from to-day. The Register ceased to exißt on the sth instant. In its issue of that day the editor takes farewell of his patrons, observing : " It is with no ordinary regret that we have in this issue to bid adieu to our renders. For many months, we cannot say years, we have had daily communication with hundreds, but at last we have had to succumb to circumstances, and resign the position that we had hoped to attain, through causes that must be apparent. There is not in Hokitika, at present, room -for a second morning paper, and the attempt that we have mado in this direction cannot, therefore, be considered altogether unsuccessful." . . , A township is about to bo surveyed iu the south of the province for a special settlement. Housekeepers in Hokitika, remarks the Times, think that the prices of meat are enormous, but thoy are nothing compared with those ruling in Westport. By an advertisement published in the Westport Times on Friday last, signed by all the butchers there, the following tariff is laid down : —Beef wholesale, lOd. per lb. in the fore-quarter, and 10W. tho hind; whole or half sheep, lOd. per lb. To hotels—Beef and mutton are charged lOd. ; veal, pork, chops, steak, • and sausages, Is. Private families are to pay Is. per lb. for all joints ; chops, steaks, and sausages, ls._3d., do. In spite of the meat famine, these prices cer* tainly seem to us to be preposterous. We (Times) learn that at the close of the financial year the Borough Council will have a balance in the Bank to their credit, as well as £SOO to receive from the local Government, as share of lands sold within the municipality. A criminal prosecution winch was recently instituted in Hokitika by a Customs' officer had rather a different termination than the prosecutor bargained for, or perhaps expected. Mr. G. C. Limming, the. Customs Landing Surveyor at Hokitika, charged a man named David Davidson with the indictable offence of obstructing him in the execution of his duty as a Custom-house officer.,. The obstruction mainly consisted;in Davidson threatening to smash Limming's "brandy nose," and as that feature of that officer's very ruddy countenance is particularly fiery and prominent, the threat was deeply felt. Mr. Limming seized Davidson, and, after striking him, attempted to turn him out of the Customs' shed. Davidson struggled and a scuffle ensued. The upshot of tho matter was that the magistrate dismissed tho case against Davidson and fined the Custom-house officer five shillings for striking Davidson,