OUR NELSON & WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 17

OUR NELSON & WEST COAST LETTER.

(From Our Own Couui-sroNribNT.') Nklson, tjcptembjr 11. MADMAN CKLKIMUTIKS AT IIOMK. One of the oldest houses in the licensed vie-tuaHi-ra' line is the Trafalgar Hotel, which was built iv the year 1849, and is now run by Mr Fred Turner, formerly a popular traveller at various times for several large brewery firms. The old place still presents a bold front, and as its spirited proprietor is secretary to tho Nckon Jockey Club, who hold their meeting there, all sporting men, from the falhcr of the New Zeal.tnd turf (Mr Henry Redwood) down to the latest " pluigt»r,'' frequent the gay rooms of the Trafalgar. Add»d t > the foregoing, Kred ki'nps a pair of the beat pomes and a pine on, in wh'ivh, on gpp<:ul occasions, he drives over tbe city and suburb* boarder; so disposed. Mr V. Tr.tak, of Guusbuiy llmm.*, is auothor old idi-nti'y, having come to Nelson in 1850 when quii.o a lad. Ho bus by his owu unaided industry worked hia way up to th<s top rung of the ladder. He has now boon in tyor of tho City of Nelion five consecutive Urn-*, «nd the pcplc are so well tsilmlled withhlsadiiiiuißlr.itiou that he has been asked by petition to ullow himself to Income nominated for the lion ur a sixth tim<>. He h.\x n beautiful home, to which tourists and visitors to Nttlnon ivre made lre*ly welcome by the genial, hohpiUhl'j hurt, who ulio quickly nmkc« a Hlr.iiiKttr ut hocio in the City of Nulaon. Mr O. Simpson, lDonunicntul tnußon, is of the firm Uid hcud of which iv 1815 presented the fuuinUtioti mono of tho I'icNbyteriun Church (Trinity llhuush). That Is a long time uro, but the thin still cinry mi, and are turning out very handsome v, <iik iv i.vest Htone. MIi('K|.I.\NKOUS ITKMS 'Ihe quietude of Nulsou City lias just been shaken to its \cry cuntro by a dvrin^ burglary. Lit-t. KriJay iiij;Kt. whilst, thu uwnrti bluintjcred and slept, "ye liouible villmi«" cut the gUcs in a shop wind >w, and entering thuruby, etolu £4 in cash, at.d quttutitioH of cigars, toliaccoH, Ac Hince then, although the police have be-n Ijuny, I i egret to say no cluo to the depredators has been found. Mr buiton, C. X , ot GullitiKwoid, isu much-sttt-on man. As cni* result of hU energy and ability in eudeavouiiug to push the fortunes of the Colling wood ieer<, a number of folk so interested met and decided to send Mr Buxton to London, with the object of floating concerns in that "little capital of the island off the French coast;" but owing to the subsequent illness of Mr Buxton the local syndicate recanted, and refused to civry out the original idea, whereat Mr Buxton now threatens them with legal proceedings. Nothing fiuther, however, has developed in that line, save and except the fact that the irato engineer bas written to lh« Nelsou Colonist, stating that " a crowd of Collingwood folk, amongst whom were Bishop Redwood aud Father Mahoney, m^t and cheerel him (Mr Buxton) a* the little steamer with him on board neared the wharf, and that subsequently Father Mahoney told him that the checra w<;r<i for him." The ''g'is" question still agitates Nelson, and the proa aud cons " go in lemous," one party contending that the Westp >rt coal, which is tt'e mineral now beiug usea by the city council, m.tkes the best gas, whilst the other argues that Westport and Collingwood coal mixed give3a higher percentage. When the matter came up at the last meeting of the city fathers, " Father" Ackerstea stouewalle 1 for nearly two hours Iv favour of tbe " mixture," "Father" Piper and a majority of hia brother fathers " holding to pure Coal brookdale. Now they are threshing out the whole dispute in whole newspapers, written and edited by themsilv-es, and as both parties make out au exccl'eut case, the uuravelmont of Philadelphia law yerism is needed. Last Tuesday the Greymouth folk gave an amateur entertainment in aid of the first mate of the barque Thurso (who lost everything in the wreck), which was a great success. Siuger and party, who have been prospe-.ting near the lOdcatahi road, have struck wash iv a shaft which give 3 about half au ounce of gold to the too, and the find is naturully causing anme exoiterue .1 about Uokitika. Mr I'aviJ Ziman, English speculator, having cone to Kngland, has left his brothir (Mr J. Ziimau) to manage his Reaftou nff-iir-s, and at tho meeting of shareholders of the Bii< River Gold Mine the latter propjsed that the duectnra be authoii.sed to sell the company for £25,000, a motion which was carried by 22,000 share representatives out of 24,000 Mr Howard, alias " the bishop's son," has been engage 1 to lecture on " Sceiled trom Ifigh Life" by the Bruunerton fulk. He has takeu to " tailoring" again. The Weatport Newa, a rabid opponent of the Government, says that " after tho banks have had their turn at the colony, the Midland railway people v> ill follow with their little bill i f d*inagt-», and that meunwhila there is no employment for tbe prople, ftnd businiiss is dead." List Saturday night whilst a bright little lad named Bertie Chunu was playing, h« fell over the Greymouth wharf and waa drowned in the river. Canvassing the question, the Gieymoutn Star says that the accident, and many Hmilar ones, are due to the inßufliciebt lighting of the wharf by the Railway depirtruent, and also demands the attention of Govern ment to the want. A Ureymouth witness named Peter O'Brien having been charged with perjury, the lower court there committed accused for trial at the »dxt B«ssions. allowing a bailmeut of £300. A wind stojiii has been raging up and down the coast all the week, and little, if any, mail communication has bsen made. During this time the seaport of Greymouth has been blocked. Until the parliamentary deadlock paws, the Minister for Marine has promised to give £S'JOO to Westport and £10,000 to Greymouth for kaibour impiov. ments. Ti-o Westport Athenseum Committee offer a reward of £3 for the discoveiy of the thief or thieves who atole last weok from the reading room copies of the Otago Witness, "Westrsort News, and Truth. Kurnara miners having asked Government to pin chase Mr Jau.es Holrues's water race, to be worked in conjunction with the Government race, that gentleman is now interviewing Parliament thereon. G'-ner»l regret is being expressed by the Coast and Nelson papers over tho untimely death of the I late Mr Oou O Regan. He was a brother of the | genial Pat ORegan, M.H. »., and although but 21 yeaio old, had already signalised himself as a post I of no mean order. There h sporting money fn Greymouth, the local jockey club there offering prizes of £200, £150, and £100 for its forthcoming New Year events. ! A3 a mpans of seenrement against more persons falling off the Greymouth wharf, the local authorities propose putting a chain 3ft high all along the outside of the quay.