OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 24

OUR WEST COAST LETTER.

(Fsom Our Own Corkesiosdent.)

Westland, July 27.

ANOTHEK EUMrUS.

When the Premier was last giving in the different centres of Westland an account of his stewardship, Rimu sent a cordial invitation to the lion, gentleman to a banquet of ducks, geese, roast beef and " plum duff" and whisky, and to which Mr Seddon went and did' full justice, ending up the affair by a good after-banquet speech in the public hall, and for -which that statesman obtained hearty votes of thanks and • confidence, and also a good send-off. That was at the beginning of the current year, but all Rimu was not apparently satisfied, for some time after tho departure of the distinguished p.uest the owner of the public hall sent him a bill for 100- for uso of the building, which item vas promptlypaid. When tho Rimu Minei-s' Association, the body whose guest Mr Seddon. re-illy had been, heard of the transaction the miners waxed indignant, and, hastily summoning a special meeting, indignantly demanded why the bill was not sent in to them for payment ; but the secretary of tha hall, who by the way happens to be a Teutonic alien, " neeh forstein," and so the half-sovereign was refunded to the Premier with profuse apologies from Mr Comport, of the Rimu Miners' Association, who also attempted to carry votes of censure upon the offending kaiser of Rimu. FLATTENING OUT THE nOKITIKA BOKOUGH

COI'NCIL,

The town clerk appointment row still goes on. anil the irate ratepayers have held another meeting at which his Worship the Mayor was denounced in no mild terms, and resolutions carried asking the whole of the Hokitika Borough Council to resign. Next morning's paper, in making reference to the proceedings, advised straitjackets for some of the promoters. COLONEL POLE-PENTON INSPECTS THE KUMABA

VOLUNTEERS

Last Saturday evening I saw Colonel PolePenton. commander of the New Zealand forces, walk into the affections of the Kumara Rifle Volunteers, and this is how he did it^ Whilst the company stood at " Attention _ on the well-polished floor of the Adelphi, Commander Pole-Penlon — a soldier from hair tips to heels—" militaried " up and down the kharkeo lines, and when he came to No. 4 lie was plucking his cap. All in a moment, in stern haughty accents, rang out the order from the commander. "Fall to rear, sir! you are disorganizing the whole company. No. 6's belt was askew, and he was promptly sent after the cap-plucker. When the company was being put through its facings the captain, his lieutenants, and non-commis-sioned officers were frequently fetched "P standing with the colonel's demand v , /Where did you go wrong in your orders .' ihe Kumara sodgers aro a good enough body ot men, but what is wanted aro periodical PolePenton drill". THE LORD BIf'HOP OF CHBISTCHUITCH NAILS UP

HIS THESES ON THE WALLS OF WESTLAND. Whilst at Greymouth the Lord Bishop of Christchurch shocked the " Straightlaced Squaretoes" by stating in a sermon that it id those long-faced people who play the devil with religion." Referring to the overcrowded state of Great. Britain's cities, his Lordship is also reported to have said to the people of his own see that "If half the people of the old country were put into a lethal chamber it would be very much to its advantage." Whilst cordially agreeing with his Lordship's ethnology of the first part, the proof of his second theorem I leave to that distinguished ecclesiastic himself.

MINING NEWS. An intrepid prospector having stated lie has discovered an auriferous quartz reef of largo dimensions near the town of Ross, a»plication is being made to the Mines department for a subsidy under the regulations to the Mining Act providing for aid to prosP< The elevators of the No. 1 Barrytown Gold Mining Company, which are to be lighted up with electricity, are to work night and day on a 60ft fall of wa-sh. To-day the company anticipate getting into full work, and Mr Warden Stratford's annual report upon that locality states the " colour" may be got lrom the grass of Barrytown downwards. Prospects from the wall of the Totara River claim (Rosb), on which some North Island speculators arc placing a dredge, gave as high as Igr of gold to tho dish, and it is estimated that the company have Bft of general stuff that will yield from 2gr to 3gr to the cubic vanl. , . „ " Last Monday a young man named Arthur .Sharp? was crushed rather badly by a tall of earth whilst at work in his claim at Donoghue's (Ross). His injuries, internal ones, placed him in the local hospital, where he now lies in a precarious condition, and attended by two doctors. His father and brother also had a narrow escape.

FOOTBALL AS rLATED AT HOKITIKS. Football, as attempted to be played lately between Greymouth and Hokitika, bids fair to become "'coffined." La&t week, whilst a

match was proceeding at the latter town, a disgraceful scuffle, not in the curriculum, occurred between two opposing players, who were rushed and wildly trampled upon by about 500 of the onlookers. When the melee ended the referee called "No bide," and everybody went home in bad humour. Again last Saturday, at Groymouth, a Hokitika team on arrival at the railway station were met by several of the Nationals (Grey), and informed that in consequence of »ome misunderstanding there was to be no match that day. In consequence the visitors strolled about town instead of repairing to the '" battlefield." At the due lime the Nationals were on the park, where they fruitlessly awaited the coming of their rivals till 20 minutes to *, when the home team kicked off and claimed the match. Shortly after this the visitors met tho "victors of a bloodless victory" returning, and then Cain arose from the dead all round.

EXORBITANT MINING BENTS,

At a largely-attended meeting In Greymonth last. Tuesday, the very heavy burdens placed upon tho development of quartz mining leases by Government taxation were roundly condemned, and a strong committee appointed to consider the matter and draw up a petition to Go\ eminent praying for a reduction of taxation.