EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26545, 21 August 1947, Page 6

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©tago ©atl? TTimes DUNEDIN, AUGUST 21, 1862 “We question,” says the Daily Times, “if the excitement which prevails in Dunedin was equalled even by that which was occasioned by Gabriel Read’s discoveries. The whole population, since the public announcement of Hartley and Riley’s discoveries, has been in a perfect ferment.” Advice was received by the Daily Times from Hobart that the Beautiful Star, which had been specially chartered to convey salmon ova from England for acclimatisation in Tasmania, had arrived at Hobart Town, but the experiment was a failure, all the ova having died during the passage. Says the Daily Times in the course of a leading article: “ If anything were wanting to prove the absolute necessity of chastising the Taranaki Natives and thd neighbouring tribes, recent events show that unless something more than the simple- • recognition ’ of the necessity is shown, the settlement of Taranaki might as well be abandoned at once.” A correspondent of the Daily Times. Henry Scott, writes complaining of " the very exorbitant prices charged by butchers in Dunedin for mutton and beef, viz., chops and steaks Is per lb, and on the diggings, I believe, Is' 2d. . . . Believe me, sir, ’tis an important item, particularly for the poor labourers who are obliged to work on the streets for 7s 6d per day.” “As was anticipated the escort this week will be better than the last. The quantity of gold deposited for transmission by the escort, which is due to-day, was, at Tuapeka, 5070 ounces and at Waitahuna 1801 ounces.” The Nelson correspondent of the Daily Times writes as follows:—“Mr Alfred Saunders, whose name was struck off the roll of justices of the peace in consequence of having been convicted of libel, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, has been again made aJ.P. in the Fox Ministry. 1 hear that in consequence of this the magistrates of the district in which he resides (Richmond) have ceased to sit on the bench.” At a meeting of the committee of the Volunteer Fire Brigade it was announced that the gross amount of paid-up and promised subscriptions had reached a total of £713. “The Waikouaiti traffic received an impetus to-day by the departure of more than a hundred miners, per the Samson and Lady Barkly. all bound for the Hartley diggings.” The fare from the Dunedin jetty was 15s.