THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 19, 1861.] DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1866

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23203, 29 May 1937, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 19, 1861.] DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1866

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

The interest in the Panama service increases as the time approaches for the despatch of the first mail to England by that route: we therefore present an abstract of the terms of agreement between the Government and the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company, which, we do not doubt, will be acceptable to our readers. . . .

A screw steamer, intended to be employed in the lighterage business here, has been commenced on the reclaimed land, a little to the south of Jetty street. The vessel has been designed, and will be built under the superintendence of Mr Guthrie, of the firm of Guthrie, Asher, and Henry, who will be her owners, and who have already two or three lighters employed in the harbor. . . . This will be the first steam-lighter set to work in Otago, if not in the Colony; and it is believed that she will be afloat in 12 or 14 weeks.

We extract the following from the "West Coast Times" of the 19th:— "For some time past it has been well known to the police here that a number of the Sydney bushranging fraternity have been resident in our midst, quietly taking notes of the general mode of conducting business in the town and outlying districts, more especially that connected with the purchase of gold. Gossip says some of the strangers were seen oftener than once present in the dress-circle of the Prince of Wales Opera House. Of the intentions, however, of these characters nothing was exhibited until the evening of the 10th instant, when the startling discovery was made that between the hours of eight and ten the officers' quarters at the camp had been entered by one, of a gang of daring thieves, and tin following articles carried off:—l cross belt and pouch. 1 large size Colt's revolver, 1 small revolver, 1 patent leather case for revolver, 2 large size Dean and Adams' revolvers, 2 plain leather cases for revolvers, 1 pair Bedford cord pants, 1 set sword slings. The revolvers and belts were taken out of the mounted constables' room, and the pants out of a framed tent, which is used as a wash-house. . . . That a portion of the stolen property has been recovered —that one or two of

a gang implicated in thp transaction are in custody, and that the police are on the tracks of the remainder, is, besides what we have given, the total amount of authentic information we can furnish to our readers."

The "Southland Daily News" says, " The Bluff and Invercargill Railway is rapidly advancing towards completion. With the exception of one mile and 45 chains of the line between this town and the level crossing at the Greenhills, and one mile on the other, the platelaying is finished. .... The hopes expressed that the line might be ready for traffic next month are thus in a fair way of realisation." We give thj following on the authority of the "Grey River Argus":— "Not long ago it was mentioned in one of the Hokitika papers that there were reasons for believing that the Fenian movement had many adherents on •the West Coast. It has been communicated to us by persons of undoubted reliability that so much sympathy with the Fenians exists among the Irish miners as to lead to the opinion that, should the movement by any chance gain the ascendancy in Ireland, there would be trouble even in this far distant Colony. Our information states that subscriptions are being raised for the wives and families of the Irish political offenders, and that a good deal of money is being collected."