OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 13

OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

By Ajor.

Ross-, April 26. JOURNALISTIC AMENITIES.

The Grey River Argus and the Brunner News are "going for" one another in the old Mark Twainian American style. Quoth the mouthpiece of Ooalapolis :— " There is connected with the staff of one of the Greymouth prints a young man who masquerades in the trousers of a journalist." Fitting the cap on himself the Grey^Etiver Argus retorts: — "One of the most extraordinary effusions that ever appeared in any journal with the slightest shred of respectability was published in the Brunner News of Tuesday. The paragraph referred to is about the coarsest piece of personality that was ever penned outside the Arizona Kicker." To this the Brunner contemporary disclaims its inability to come within cooee of the Kicker, but cruelly adds that it could lay hands on a man who could. A VERITABLE GOLD CHANNEL. The Waiho, an ice river fed from the Francis Josef glacier, south of Ross, has been bringing down for a number of years coarse and nuggetty gold, depositing the nuggets in pockets of its rocky bed, and the lighter gold, upon the beaches. At certain seasons when the river is low miners frequently make handsome rises prospecting its banks with knife and tin dish, whilst on the beaches further down good livings are made with the cradle and copper plate. This recurrence of gold deposits has always begotten much conjecture as to its source among the diggers ; but the frequently asked question, " Where does the gold come from ? " is now about to be solved by five or six bold prospectors who are now searching the country about the glacier. The very go-anead people of Okarito, determined to do everything in their power to develop the latent resources of their district, are raising money by public entertainments, subscription, &c, for the purpose of sending out paid prospectors, Government having given them to understand that they are willing to give a liberal subsidy on every pound locally raised for such a purpose. Tho Hokitika papers think there is a pile in the sawmilling industry there, and I believe the company mentioned in a previous letter is in a fair way of being floated. A man named Doyle was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for stealing a ring from the Gilmour Hotel, Greymouth. Recognising that unity iB strength, the Kokatahi settlers are forming a farmers association, and towards that end they held a public meeting last Wednesday evening and agreed to take the necessary steps to form a society, to be called the Westland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the same to be registered in terms of "The Industrial Society's Act 1893." A number of gentlemen are now canvassing for signatures through the different ridings of the county. UTILISING A SCHOOL OF MINES. The Inangahua Times says :— " A parcel of stone, weighing 321b, from the Dayspring was treated at the Reefton School of Mines and gave the very satisfactory return of quite 2oz to the short ton. Ihe stone treated was so highly oxidised that not a vestige of gold could be seen in it before crushing As the reef is proved on the surface already for over 70ft, with a width of 24in, the Globe prospectors may be congratulated on having already a claim of very marketable value. The tailings left after the- treatment in the School of Mines' berdan are, we understand, to be tested by the Cassell process, after which the full value per ton of the new stone may be approximately estimated. The new find is said to be in the direct line between the Golden Fleece and the Welcome." SORING FOB. COAL. At the last meeting of the Greymouth Harbour Board the following notices of motion were tabled to be moved at the next meeting :— (1) " That it is expedient in the best interests of the district and the revenue of the board that bore holes for testing the coal measures in the Brunner district should be put down, and that the Government be asked to sanction such work being undertaken or subsidised by the board." (2) That this board is of opinion that immediate steps should be taken to open up the Coal creek coal mines, and that, subject to the Government approving of the proposal and getting the necessary legislation passed, this board enter into negotiations with the proprietors with a view to taking over .same, constructing a railway to Greymouth, and working the mines upon the co-operative system." THE PICTURESQUE ATLAS AGONY. The much-dreaded Bowerman Brothers, who appear to come and go like evil spirits in the various centres of the Coast, turned up in Ross last week and literally flayed alive 42 unfortunate victims, all of whom, mindful of the case of Bowerman Brothers versus John Currie, claim, for £10 10s, value of books not delivered, heard at Hokitika a few days previously, "anted up" without recourse to law in various sums from 3gs to sgs, said guineas being, as Mr Bowerman calmly remarked, " damages, you know, for not taking the book ! " Curriers case came before Mr Macfarlane, R.M., who, notwithstanding the potent facts sworn to by the defendant that he (defendant) had signed for only five shillings' worth ; that he had refused to take any books on discovering what he termed the fraud practised upon him ; that no copies of the atlas were in coasequence delivered at his house; that no money passed between him (defendent) and any of the agents ; and that no demand was made by the latter on him till the summons was served ; that defendant's counsel pointed out to the presiding magistrate that Mr Justice Williams, of the superior court, had upheld an appeal against the Bowennans on the grounds that the service of the supplies should have been completed within reasonable time— all this was swept aside with a wave of the magisterial hand, and his Worship ruthlessly gave judgment for plaintiffs for the amount claimed and costs £2 4s. This bombshell bursting over Ross and other centres has had the effect of accelerating the collection of the amounts claimed from unsophisticated and too susceptible people, whose bitter experience, however, has prepared a very black frost for book fiends in general in future. a. verdict FOR £302 19s 2d. The Greymouth Star of the 22nd inst. says :— "Judgment was delivered to-day by Warden Stratford in the long-standing Barrytown mining case, in which Mr Hannan appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Guinness for the defendant. It will be remembered that some months ago Callinan and party sued Claxton and Davis for £300 damages for encroachment on their claim. The •..so was tried in the Warden's Court, where judgment was given for the plaintiff for £142 19s 52d. The decision was appealed against upon certain aw points, when Judge Ward decided that proceedings should be commenced afresh in the lower court. Before fresh action 'was taken, further mining by Callinan and party revealed greater encroachment than was at fint known, and a claim waß put in for £500 damages. After a lone and tiresome hearing the warden gave judgment for plaintiffs for £302193 2d, with £32 9« costs, making in all £335 Wfl 3d. . The Reefton Jockey Club fined two jockeys, named W. Mitchell a,ad"G. Osborne, £1 each for behaving in au unseemly fashion in the saddling j- ' ' ick on the occasion of the St. Patrick s Day His Honor Ju-Ige Robinson, who arrived in Greymouth last Situ. day, and took his seat on the bench of the Dibtiict O-'jurt for the first time, was cordially welcomed by Mr Guinnes*, as senior member of the box present. Mi Guinness expressed the hops that the same cordial relations which had always existed between Mr Robinson's predecessor* and the members of the profession practising before that court in Greymouth would continue ; and to this hi* Honor replied thanking the members of the bar, aud remarking that he would endeavour to maintain the kindly relations that ought to exist between the bench and the T)JJ.V SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS. The annual election of school committees fixed by the statute took place at the various places appointed by the Education Boards, as follows :- 82°: Robert Bellamy 80, Charles Free 79, James Sharp 76, John Oarrio 73. John Patno 71, Josroh Hammond 56, William Nelson 51 (elected). The otheris nominated were : John Halligan 49. votes, Rmes Scott 42, William Bale 40, John Smith 38, Samue Knowios 31, Dennis Collins 30 It was thelargest meeting which has been held during tht past lo years Mr Bellamy waa re-elected

chairman.— Hokitika '. Hudson 31, Brown 31, Aitken 29. Thompson 29, Breeze 27, Tait 26, Crawford 26, Kenny 23, Benjamin 20 t Little 18, Fendall 16, M'Gregor 12) and Jacobs 12. The Chairman then declared the first nine gentlemen duly elected. Mr Hudson was re-elected chairman.— Kumara : Messrs G. R. Rendkin, S. V. Byrne, Stubbs, Bemjon, Olden, Stennard, M'Ennis, Jones, and the Rev. Mr Woodthorpe. Mr Rendkin has been elected chairman.— Stafford : Messrs Sandle, Byrne, Low, Duff, Heill, Murphy, and Sell. At a subsequent meeting of the committee Mr Sandle was re-elected chairman.— Arahura : Messrs J. L. Smith, H. Thomas, W Lark, J. Dick, A. Peebles, E. Dove, and H. M'Kinnon. The new committee held a meeting immediately after the election, when Mr J. L. Smith was re-elected chairman and Mr A. Peebles secretary.

DISGRACEFUL SCANDAL. The full particulars have not yet seen daylight, but one of the most disgraceful scandals in connection with a teacher of the Hokitika High School and a girl of tender years attending that institution has already become public talk. Ihe teacher in question sent a letter to the school committee resigning his position, but the committee refused to recommend its acceptance to the Westland Board of Education, but instead of that they sent a letter to that body recommending them to dismiss the teacher. In this recommendation the rector of the District High School, in a letter to the local committee, aquiesced. The board has given effect to the recommendations, and the teacher has flown to parts unknown, leaving behind him the scandal and his unfortunate victim to bear the brunt of it.

CONSTERNATION. The ratepayers of the Charleston riding of the Buller County have been thrown into a state of consternation by being called upon to pay the first moiety of the rate struck to provide the interest on the loan raised to extend the Argyle water race. It appears the county is levying a total rate of £600, whereas the interest only amounts to £225. Of course even those who supported and carried the loan stoutlyobjectto contributing a greater sum than that agreed on to meet the interest upon the loan ; whilst, on the other hand, the minority who voted against the loan stoutly refuse to being saddled with the tax at all, and both sides are to join isaue to resist the rate as it stands, the aid of Sir Robert Stout being sought in the hope of effectually resisting payment ofthe Dr Gaze, of Westport, has lodged with the patent officer an application for patenting an entirely new departure in gold-saving, especially as applied to tailings and refractory ores. The process is a combination of chemistry and electrometallurgy. THE FUNERAL OF THE COAST S MARK TWAIN. All the West Coast papers mourn the d*ath of the late Mr Patrick Kit3on, the witty editor and proprietor of the Charleston Herald. The following is an account of the closing scene in the life of the man who has for years past thrown his harmless mirth around everywhere :— One of the largest funerals that has been seen in Charleston followed the remains of the late Mr P. Kitson, the genial and witty editor of the Charleston Herald. Members of the House of Representatives County Council, Westport Borough Council, Harbour Board, and hundreds of people f ollowed the remains to their last resting place. The Rev. Father Mosrissey officiated at the last rites."

MINOR ITEMS.

There is a great row in the Lyell district over the absurd mail service lately introduced, and largely attended meetings are being held there to protest against the reduction. The restriction to two mails a week between Nelson and Reefton through one of thelargestpopulated districts ofthe West Coast is roundlycondemned, and the public papers hold it would be almost as well tobe without a mail service altogether as to continue the present unsatisfactory arrangements. Captain Wade, of the First Westland Rifles, and also mayor of Hokitika,. recently offered a trophy in the shape of a Martini-Henri rifle to be fired for between that company and the Kameri contingent, and Sergeant Harvey of the latter team won it twice in succession. Mrs Scott, wife of a Ross digger, in attempting to cross a foot bridge the property of the Ross Borough Council, but which was unauthonsedly interfered with by the Mont DOr Gold Mining Company/fell through the bridge and seriously injured herself. Naturally 1 her husband made a demand on the borough council, claiming £15 as damages sustained, but that body referred applicant to the offending company, who, to save legal proceedings handed him a cheque for £7 10s which was accepted by Mr Ross in settlement of the The Hon. Mr Seddon's reply to a deputation from the Westland County Council, askinghimto proclaim certain water courses as tailing sites, to the effect that Government would probably be guided by the opinion of Sir Robert Stout, who held that where sluicing had taken place for 20 years without any attempt to stop it the prescriptive right is given, has caused infinite satisfaction among the miners. To another deputation he said he would press on the widening of the Main South road on the co-operative principle, but he warned them that where it was found that men were not making wages on the co-operative works no alteration could be made in the contract which the members accepted, as the price of the work was impartially fixed by the engineer, and as such must stand. Certain country c > operatives working long hours had earned £4 per week. In reference to prospecting, Mr Seddon said Govern^ ment would continue to deal with each application for aid on its own merits. This matter was now largely taken up, and is well managed by miners' associations. A ten-year-old son of Mr Callinan, of Brunner, met with a painful death last Saturday morning. The poor little chap was burrowing under a rock some half ton weight for gold, when down came the stone, crushing the life out of him. Regular work is again setting in at the Coal Pit Heath mine, Brunner, and every effort is being strained by the management to recover the valuable Kimberley level, the coal of which is so much prized. The salmon ova for Westport. Greymouth, Hokitika, and Reef ton arrived at Greymouth all right by the Wainui, and will be hatched in due course. The prospectors of a small rush at Tucker Flat, in the immediate vicinity of Kanieri,,are reported to be getting 3dwt of gold to the lode, but the area is insignificant. The prospecting tunnel at Paynes Gully, Kumara, is in 140 ft, and it is anticipated that the wa3h will be struck in a further distance of less than half a chain. Mr Leon Simon, who has carried on business here as publican and storekeeper combined for the last 25 years, and has amassed a small fortune therefrom, has advantageou ly sold out, and r ••• res into private life shortly in the Empire City. Two riotous young rascals named Quinn and M'Leod, for disorderly behaviour in a railway train of the Midland Railway Company, were fined £2 or 14 days' hard labour and counsel's fee of a guinea in one case and in the other of £3 14s. The total amount of coal, coke, and bricks exported from the port of Greymouth for tha week ended Saturday, 22nd inst., was 3869 tons 17cwt. That wonderful steam fire engine at Greymouth, about which there haa been so much rjw and newspaper comment, bas " bust up " again. Last Thursday when out for practice a piece of a tube blew clean out, struck another tube, smashed it, and then operations catne to a dead stop. As the tubes don't appear to be of the right size, it has been determined to send home for a new set. Last Thursday the Knights of Labour at an assembly meeting in Greymouth carried a resolution unanimously discountenancing the patronising of Chinese dens and shops by either the members, their wives, or families, as it was considered the inroads the "yellow agony" are endeavouring to make in competing against legitimate European colonising business people is detrimental to the best interests of the town, commercially, morally, and otherwise. Mr and Mrs Thomas Jones, lessees of the Post Office Hotel, Greymouth, having amassed a little competence there during tho past 10 years, are leaving for the old country to enjoy the fruits of their toil. Prior to their leaving the inornbei sof the several lodges presented Mrs Jones with a small souvenir in the shape of a gold bangle. Several changes are being made by the .Justice department on the West Coast. Mr Rawson, assistant clerk of the Greymouth R.M. Court, has been transferred to Nafieby, in the Otago goldfields district, and Mr John Terry, cleik of the I court at Lyell, takes his place. Mr Elmer, of

Greymouth, is also under marching orders. With a view to economy, the department also proposes to do with one magistrate for the Coast, from Reefton to Ross, the change taking place, it is supposed, next month. In the Orown Lands department Mr Barrou, of Naseby, Otago, takes Mr Stranchon's place a 8 chief surveyor and commissioner of Crown lands, Hokitika, Mr Stranchon in turn being removed to the Taranaki Land district. Another batch of 'summonses has been taken out againßt the owners of unlicensed vehicles in Westland County. Mr Cuddeford, a very old servant of the Westland Hospital Board, has been discharged for negligence in the discharge of his clerical duties, whereat there was a "breeze" at tho board's meeting last Wednesday. Hopgood, who was brought into Kumara in an unconscious condition from burning, has since died. Mr J. N. Morris gave an excellent address on "The Single Tax" to the residents of Red Jacks, Grey Valley, and received a hearty vote of thanks.