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Otago Daily Times, Issue 407, 10 April 1863, Page 4

The Trotting Match between Mr C. C. Cole's black gelding, Rocket, and Mr Bird's bay gelding, Major, which is arranged to come off to-morrow at the Silver Stream Course, is looked forward to with much interest in the sporting circles of this city. The stakes are L 250 a-side ; weights, 11 stone each ; and distance five miles. Should the weather prove favorable the race will, no doubt, be a good one, as both horses are ia excelleut condition. Amongst members of the turf the event has caused many anxious anticipations.

Amongst the delinquents brought before the Resident Magistrate yesterday, was a poor hungry looking fellow, who had been found by the police roaming in the bush. In reply to questions put by the magistrate, the man said his name was Waters, that he had been working on the Diggings, where he had in a short time lost L 160,, and that he was now without a home or money. The appearance of the fellow was a corroboration of his statement, and Mr Strode in discharging him from custody, told him that at the conclusion of the business of the Court, he would do something for him. Several professional gentlemen present, whose sympathies were awakened by the unfortunate man's tale, subscribed on the spot 25s 6d towards his immediate relief; and Mr Riordan offered to provide him with board and lodging until he obtained employment.

Sub-luspector Morton has carried out' his notice of summary dealing with " sly-grog shanties "at the Arrow township. Two of them have been pounced upon, and the spirits, &c, destroyed by the police.

A case of " sticking-np " is reported to havo occurred about five miles from the Kawarau junction, on the middle track to the Avrow. It is said that two men, with their faces blackened, pounced upon a miner, just at tho bottom of the Big Hill, and eased him of L7O ; but the rascals had fortunately been caught by the police, arid were brought into the Dunstan on Tuesday.

A cat may not have been the means of making the fortune of Whittington, who dreamed that London streets were paved with gold ; but from what we hear, any speculative individual might make an exceedingly decent pile by the sale of cats to those who are getting* gold in. this Province, almost as fast as if they had merely to pick it from a street pavement. We are told that on the Arrow and the Shotover, such havoc are tho elephantine rats making amongst provisions, and especially flour, that L sis readily given for a good cat; while at the Dunstan the quotation is at least Ll.

"We have been favored with some scraps of intelligence by a gentleman who has just come down from Fox's by way ol the Dunstanj and who is quite to be relied upon. During the last two or three days, a number of men bad left the Dunstan and also the Kawarau Junction, for a rush on the' Nevis'; but nobody seemed to know exactly upon what the rush was based. From the Nokoniai, there were accounts stating that as much as 12 ilwt. had been obtained as a prospect; butthe sinking was 12 ft., and the ground so wet that it was useless to attempt to set in to work without having a good pump. A rush to the Dart, on the west side of Lake Wakatipu, was talked of; but nothing definite was known respecting it. Many men were settling down to work on the line of the Molyneux, at various poinls. ' At Roaring Meg, several parties were at work about 150 it. above the river. The sinking was about 10 ft., and nothing but rough coarse gold was being got, some pieces weighing 5 dwt. having been found. The river was continuing its vagaries, falling one day so as to lead to a confident belief that on the next day the spots so long waited for would be workable ; the result being that the water was up to its old level again. The "other foot of fall" so frequently predicted, has yet to be watched and waited for. While parties were daily coming in to the Dnnstan from the Arrow and its neighborhood, their places were being supplied by others, who were not to be deterred by fears of what may come, any more than by the change in' the weather that had taken place. Between the Arrow and the Shotover, the track was already covered with snow ; but those on the latter river, had almost without exception, accepted the conclusion that the track would be for montha impracticable, and had supplied themselves with provisions and clothing accordingly. Our informant, on the morning he left Fox's, saw a bucket, the water left in which over-night, had been frozen into a solid lump of ice. The Dunstau road, from Macpherson's to six milca this side of Valpy's, was in a miserable state of slippery slush, from a fall of snow.

The Fraukton (Wakatipu) races, which were held on Monday, were not very numerously attended, the weather being unfavorable. Kauri Gum, the horsa recently raffled at the Duustan, won the first race; but was not allowed to run in others, as the prizes were meant for local horses, and Kauri Gum has previously won public matches.

Up to Tuesday morning, the prisoner who had broken out of the Dunstan lock-up, and stolen Lls, a watch and chain, and other things, had not beeu captured ; and there was a rumor in the township that the keeper of the lock-up was in custody.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Job Jolmstone, who was arrested by Detective Tuckwell on the Cavershara-road, on Good Friday morning, was again brought up on suspicion of being the murderer of John M'Eldon, atfas'"Yorkey," at Millet's Flat. A witness from Mount Bcngerwas produced, who recognised the accused as being the man whom he had seen in that neighborhood leading two pack-horses belonging to the murdered man. On the application of the police, Johnstone was rcmau'led to Tuapcku, in which locality many of the principal witnesses reside. The man Patrick Ryan, who had, it appeared, been wandering about the bush %n a state fif jtfe//ng»« tremens, and was also arrested on suspicion of hayjnsr poinmitted the murder, was liberated, tljcre being no evidence tfl justify.bis further detention.

It is astonishing how in the construction oi certain works, the want of a little forethought will result in the great inconvenience of the public. An insianco is to be found in the construction oi the Nl-w Jetty at Duneilin. With the laudabledesire of making the structure as substantial as possible *j the flooring of the Jetty has been double planked as tight as the planking of a vessel ; but it seems never to have struck the authorities that a watertight deck, provided with a raised edge at eichside, is admirably adapted for holding an inconvenient amount of water. . We noticed yesterday that the pasWngers from the steamers were compelled. to! wade' up to their ancles in water in - traversing ■■'. the jetty. . The female passengers especially, were put to' a great deal of discomfort; and- the lords of the creation who were not fortunate enough in the possession of watertights, fared little better. We would suggest to the authorities the necessity oi ordering either a, number of holes to be bored in the flooring of the jetty, to give exit to the water in wet weather, or scuppers cut in the side planking. A very trifling expenditure would add much to the public comfort, and we trust to see it attended to.

The Southland Neios, of the 4th instant, report? that on the afternoon of Thursday the 2nd « painful accident took place on the Jacob's River, about ]2 miles above Riverton, nearly opposite Dr Hodgkinson's, which terminated fatally to » young gentleman named Mr W. Gamlen, p nephew of ilr Heale, Chief Surveyor. It appears that the deceased, who was engaged upon the Government Survey Staff", at present located at Pauline's bush, went into the river for the purpose of bathing, and having been caught in the eddy he was carried out beyond his depth. Being unable to swim, he was swept away by the current and soon disappeared. A party who was bathing along with him made every effort to ren der assistance, but unsuccessfully ; a search was immediately made for the, body, which was only recovered on Friday morning.

We understand that the- portions in connectioi with the new ferrying stage at the Molyneux hav< been successfully launched, and that in a few days-1 the stngp, on which passengers and vehicles will be placed, will be fitted to them in a few days So far as we can judge from the model, the new ferry apparatus will be very efficient, and provi fully equal to the great amount of traffic whicl now exists on the route.

Now that meat is so dear, surely a better riti, will be given to the fishermen for the sale of then finny produce. At present those ambitious of :' fish diet have considerable difficulty iil.navign.tir4; the shouls of mud which intervene befcweei Princs-street and the fish stalls on the Rattraystreet pier. ■

Thursday, the 30th instant, is the day fixed fo hearing nil applications for auctioneers' licenses und all applications for renewals and new license, must be lodged with the Provincial Secretary, bj 1 2 o'clock on Tuesday next."

A special meeting of the Garrick Cub will b; held at the Provincial Hotel, on to-morrov evening at 8 o'clock.

The Town Board invite tenders for the fol'owing works ; —Formation and metalling portitn 0; George-street, and the formation of and gravellins. a portion of Forth-street. Plans and specifics tions of the works to be tendered for may be seei at the office of the City Engineer.

The wetness of the weather prevented a very lirge attendance at the Princess Theatre last evening, when " The Harvest Home" was played foj the fourth time, with complete success. This eve uing, for the benefit of Mr J. M. Wolfe, " Damoi and Pythias," and ■' Mary, Queen of Scots" wil bo produced ; and we feel confident that Mi Wolfe will have, as he well deserves, the pleasure of seeirg the house crowded in every part.

Mr Justice Richmond yesterday heard the ap plications of seven or eight insolvent debtors foi relief under the Imprisonment for Debt Ordinance; and His Honor will sit again, for the same purpose, at eleven o'clock on Monday next.

ble rate on leases, being found to be insufficient at once to construct the lines now indicated, it is hereby suggested to the trustees that they borrow a sufficient sum on the security of the rates to enable them to carry out the work forthwith-" The Chairman was requested to transmit these resolutions to the District Trustees. A vote of thanks, to the Chairman terminated the proceedings of the Eoad Meeting, which was now joined by a goodly number of the settlers from Portobello. Mr Maamdrew having been again called to the chair, the meeting proceeded to discuss the question of daily steam communication between the Pmiinsula, Duoedin, and Port Chalmers ; tht result being that it was resolved to form a jointstock company with this view. The prospectusof the company was drawn up and approved of ; a provisional commttteo was nominated ; and onehalf of the capital was subscribed on the spot. The meeting subsequently appointed a committee., consisting of Capt. Ridley, Mr Seatori, Jli Bacon and Mr Henderson, for the purpose ol taking steps to recommend a suitable candidate to represent the Peninsula iv the Provincial Council.

A numerously attended meeting of settlers in the North-East Harbor district was held yesterday, in the School-house, North-East Harbor, for the purpose of electing district road trustees. Mr Maeandrew having been called to the chair read the proclamation defining the boundaries of the newly-created district, and also tlie' advertisement by the General Roard Board convening the meeting. The following gentlemen were unanimously elected as District Road Trustees ; — Messrs Greenfield, junr., Thos. Morris, Stewart, Henderson, Hunter, Geo. Roger, Arch, Dongla3, James';Sim,'Jap.'Christie, Thomas Anderson, Goo.'(Anderson, Robinson (Sandfly Bay), W. Rogers, and W. Bacon, The following resolution was unanimously adopted :—(' That in the opinion of this meeting the more immediate objects tp be attained from the erection of this into a District Road district and the election of trustees, is as follows:—1. The construction of a road along th.o beach to Anderson's Bay.',. 2. The construction of a road'.i.s laid off from the beach, adjoining Mr Monson's, to tlie top of the hill. 3. Ditto as laid off from the road through Mr Rogers' land across the Peninsula to Sand Fly Bay. 4, Ditto as laid off from the road at Mr Smith's property across the Peninsula. That it be respectfully (

suggested to. the trustees that these works bo fciir.ultaneously carried out. That with reference, to the first, they be requested to apply to the Provincial Council to defray the principal pirt of the cost incurred, inasmuch as the line is one in which the whole public is interested, and one which will afford a means of health anil recreation to the residents in Dnnedin superior to any other of its outlets ; that with respect to the other line 3, [the trustees be requested to apply to the Government to supplement the local rates to the full extent to which the district is entitled, seeing that notwithstanding its contribution to the revenue, it has never had a, farthing of public money expended on roads." It was further jesolved, "that in the event of the aid which may be received trcm Government, together with a reasona.