Local and General Intellegence.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XII, Issue 506, 1 March 1879, Page 2

Local and General Intellegence.

A special meeting of the Tuapeka Couuty Council is called for Monday.

We observe that the Tuapeka Road Board have considerably improved the track between Wetherstones and the Blue Spur.

The contractor for the new Hospital building is getting on famously with his contract ; the walls being finished, and the roof partly on.

To-MOKROW (morning and evening) the Rev. Mr Byng will preach in the Episcopal Church, Lawrence, and at Waitahuna in the afternoon.

Mr Thomas Featherstone is the successful tenderer for the Moa Flat school. The building is to be of stone and the amount of the tender is £282 12s.

The town of Lawrence during the last two days has assumed quite a deserted appearance, so many of the inhabitants having gone to Dunedin to the races.

Mr Brydie, of Clarks Flat, had a very narrow escape the other day. He had his team on the main road, in front of the gate that opens to the district road at Taborn's. Before he could get the gate opened the train came up, and the horses took fright and upset the loading.

In the Warden's Court yesterday there was only one application set down for hearing — viz., that of Charles Thomson for a gold mining lease of section 31, block VII, Table Hill, and section 121, block V, Waitahuna East. The application was adjourned till the land is surveyed.

Messrs Bastings, Leart, and Co. will sell by auction, in their rooms, Dunedin, this day week, 142 acres first-class agricultural land, being sections 23, 34, and 35, Waitahuna East district, about 50 chains from the Havelock railway station.

The Tapanui Borough Council invite tenders through our advertising columns for a nineteen years' lease of the Borough endowment, situated on the Spylaw Hundred; tenders to be for a lump sum of money as a bonus, payable in cash on signing the lease.

We are pleased to learn that the Lawrence Brass Band has been resuscitated, with a membership of sixteen, under the leading of Mr D. Francis, assisted by Mr Richardson. Several of the members are good musicians, so we may expect very soon to hear them in public. The instruments which were under the care of the Athenaeum Committee have been entrusted to the Band, who purpose holding a bi-weekly practice in the old schoolhouse.

The paragraph in yesterday's "Daily Times," stating that the Wetherstones Cement Company had reached the gutter, is incorrect. The gutter has not yet been reached,' although the miners in the main drive must be in close proximity to it. Really excellent prospects continue to be got from the stuff, and the washup, which will be commenced to-day, should turn out splendidly.

Some Californian miners were employed lately in Messrs Hales and Hinde's claim at the Blue Spur, and they brought with them an ingenious candle-holder, suitable for use in workings of the same character as the cement deposit. It is a very clever contrivance— quite a Yankee notion, in fact — and very simple withal. It is designated "the spider," from its peculiar shape and resemblance to a spider, and its adaptability for holding on a wall with the slightest pressure. Mr Peters (Messrs Hales and Hinde's blacksmith) has had many demands made upon him for them by the Blue Spur miners. He was kind enough to supply our reporter with one, which we shall be glad to show, at our office, to any person' desirous of seeing it.

Pursuant to announcement, Rainer's Diorama of the American War was exhibited in the Lawrence Town Hall on Thursday evening. The attendance was very small, but none the less appreciative. The views, which are excellently painted, were scanned with peculiar interest by the audience ; and the descriptive remarks of the lecturer (Mr Stanley) were listened to with great attention. Mr Stanley, who was in good voice, also sang two songs, entitled " Put by for a rainy day," and " Gold, gold, gold," and these were well received and thoroughly enjoyed. Last evening a panorama of the Russo-Turkish war was exhibited. Amongst the most noteworthy of the scenes presented were views of the Danube and of the fighting in. the Balkans. The attendance last evening, we are pleased to say,(was larger than on the previous evening, and more in keeping with the patronage the exhibition really deserves. By advertisement in another column it will be seen that the company give two more performances — one for children and families this afternoon, and the other in the evening at eight o'clock. On the latter occasion a number of useful and valuable gifts will be distributed among the audience.

A meeting of the Lawrence Athenaeum Committee was held on Thursday evening. Present: Messrs Copland (in the chair), M'Lean, Stenhouse, Johnston, Webb, G-. F. (3. Browne, and Dr Withers. — The minutes were read and confirmed. — The correspondence was then read and dealt with as follows : — Letter from E. Towaey, Secretary of the Brass Sand, enclosing a list of the Band instruments ; a'so, a letter from the same gentleman, asking the use of the instruments for the new Band that had been formed. — A Sub-Committee, consisting of Messrs Copland, M'Lean, and Johnston was appointed to arrange about the Band instruments handed over to the new Band.— Mr Stenhouse was elected Treasurer, and Messrs Johnston, Browne, and Webb a Finance Committee. — The following accounts were referred to the Finance Committee : — Mackay and Co., 4s 6d; T. Barnett, £I.— lt was resolved to remit £15 to the Home agent ; also, that the " Belfast Weekly News " be procured from him. — It was resolved that in future the magazines be laid on the table for one month before they are issued to subscribers. — Resolved : That the Library Committee be em. powered to complete arrangements for the smoking room before winter. — This brought the business to a close.

A pdblio meeting is called for Wednesday evening in Hinde's Blue Spur Assembly Room, to devise means for raising subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the Kaitangata colliery accident.

We are informed that Mr R. Grieve has sold his little battery in the Rip and Tear Claim for the sum of £600, to six of the workmen in the claim, in equal shares of £100 each. This has been a wonderful little battery, and must have been a very profitable venture for Mr Grieve.

From a gentleman who recently paid a visit to Waikawa, the "Southland Times" learns that there are about a dozen miners engaged in washing the beach sand for gold. Their earnings vary from 12s to £1 per day. The gales experienced some time ago cleared away the sand which had been worked, and brought up a fresh deposit to be operated upon. A3 all the available water for washing purposes is at present utilised, there is no opportunity for a larger number of diggers being employed. The gold is exceedingly fine, and there is considerable difficulty in saving it.

The " Cromwell Argus," of last issue, says : — A somewhat peculiar accident occurred on Sunday evening, whereby|Mr F. Frennesson lost some property of value. He had just returned from Clutha Valley, and having •hihitched his horses at the County buildings, proceeded to see to their stabling. While absent, he heard a rumbling noise, and on coming back found his dray, with everything in it, had disappeared. Examination showed that by some means the vehicle had started down a declivity and dashed over a precipitous face into the Clutha River. It is supposed that one of the horses got foul of the cart, causing the mishap.

The writer of "Town Talk" in the Melbourne 'Argus' says :— Talking of substitution, the Gooch case is being universally discussed. The 'general impression is that the grand jury were right in finding no true bill against the ladyship. If she really meant anything fraudulent, it was attempted inso childish , open, and ridiculous a manner, that it was hardly worth serious consideration. "What should be done with the poor woman?" waa asked the other night of a great legal authority. " I think," he answered with a judicial air, " that she ou?ht to be confined." And yet the judges of the present day are said to have no wit!

Prospecting on the Waitahuna cement continues to be pushed forward.— The Richmond Hill Company, who obtained good prospects on the false bottom, along which they drove for some distance, have now commenced to sink for the main bottom. — The Somerset Company, who also obtained excellent prospects on the fake bottom, at about 150 feet, continued their shaft to the main bottom, which they reached at upwards of 170 feet. The wash from the bottom for some distance up was loose and contained a very poor prospect. The experience of the Waitahuna cement has been that the gold is only got on the bottom when the cement is hard. — The Norweigian Company have applied to enlarge their race to enable them to bring in a portion of the Canada water, the rights to which they purchased lately for the sum of £510.— Messrs Kincaid M'Queen and Co. are getting on with Messrs Quilter and Miscalls machinery, which, it is expected, will very shortly be erected.