FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16799, 29 May 1926, Page 5

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

THAMES LIFE IN 1876. ; WARD SYSTEM IN BOROUGH. COAL MINERS’ STRIKE AT HOME. The following are extracts from the i Thames Star for the week ending May 27th., 1876: Editorial. We hear that the proposal we made some time ago to the effect that it would, be advisable to divide the Borough into wards, has now obtained practical effect by petitions, as required by the Act of 1867, being presented for signature to the inhabitants of Thames, which petitions will be sent, when signed, to the Superintendent of the Province. We hope this proposal will be carried through. Some of our mining population have recently discovered what has often been realised before that wherever rich deposits have been found, they look for more. It was so in the Manukau and Cure mines, and more recently in claims that had been virtually abandoned, and there is much encouragement for other parties to persevere in a similar direction. It is scarcely necessary to particularise the latest instances of good fortune which have attended the labour of trlbuters. We think shareholders and mine managers should keep this maxim well in mind. Locals. The name of the master of the schooner Sissy, whose arrival was notoced in Saturday’s issue, was erroneously printed Baldwin. It should have been Bayldon, the Sissy being in charge of Mr Thomas Bayldon, who was formerly in the Policeman, trading between the Thames and the Bay of Islands, and who is brother to Mr D. H. Bayldon, surveyor. A sham-fight between the several Rifle Volunteer Corps, Naval Brigade and Native Corps took place at the Parawai Gardens on May 24th., the Queen’s birthday. The body of Mr John Gribble was found floating between the Grahamstown wharf and the goods wharf on Tuesday. Mr Gribble had his overcoat on, which seems as if the occupants of the yacht had been overtaken suddenly. Mining. The arrival of a sufficient supply of coal at the Pumping Association has at last set the Prince Alfred battery going, after a delay of about a fortnight. There are now about 70 tons of stone at the battery, therefore there is good reason to suppose there will not be another stoppage for some George and party, at the Alburnia tribute, finished a 10-ton crushing at the Moanataiari battery yesterday, for the return of 7ozs. 3dwts. retorted gold. Robinson and party lodged 30ozs. 4dwts melted gold from a tribute in the same ground.

The gold return for the week totalled 10390z5., the largest being Kuranui Hill United, 2210z5., ditto (Hutchinson’s tribute) lOOozs. Tenders are invited by the United Pumping Association for driving south at 645 ft. level. George Black, manager. Telegrams. News by the mail brought by the S.S. Australia at Auckland, states that 20,000 colliers in Yorkshire and Derbyshire have struck, owing to a reduction in wages. The first match in the chess tournament between Auckland and Dunedin, by telegraph, was played last evening. An Advertising Breeze. The following appears as an advertisement:—l, the undersigned, have not given J. D. Wickham authority to sell any shares or interests in the Morning Light licensed holding, Owharoa, and caution the public from negotiating any purchase which he desires to effect in that claim. JOHN DICKSON. In reference to the above printed piece of scoundrelism, I state that I have no knowledge of Mr John Dickson, further than hearing in the main street at Mackaytown, that gentleman descried as a liar and a , and seeing him streak off when a public-spirited hotelkeeper threatened to plant his boot toe in the region of Mr John Dickson’s croupe. JOHN DICKSON WICKHAM. (Note. —Mr J. D. Wickham was later known by his writings under the name of A. Tramp, Esq.)