West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1890.

West Coast Times, Issue 7678, 21 April 1890, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 1890.

Wirthß* circuß did a roaring business on Saturday last. In the afternoon, the largo tent was filled with youngsters to such an extent that there was a dearth of children in the streets. In the evening there was a bumper house, a largo number of people attending from the outlying districts. The performance was quite on a par with the previous one. Miss Marizleei Wirth and Gus St. Leon's act on two bare-backed horses was exceptionally clever and daring riding, this young lady, it is understood, having taken the part at a moment's notice, Mrs Wirth having hurt herself the day before. Qua St. Leon's jumping on to a bare-backed horse was

.equally clever. Mp Wirth's five horse act comes under the same category, the rider being as much at home on a horse's back as on : the floor of a room. The contortions of young Carl, Mr fifth's feats of strength', the plack wire atifc by" Midi Marizles Wirth, and the - Sagacity of th'o trick pony General are other I items worth mentioning" The circus opens again for the last time to-night. The management announce a complete change of programme, to conclude with ' Dick Turpin'a Ride to York, or the Life and Death of Bonny Black Bess/ and there is no doubt the attendance will be as large as the merits of tho bTiow deserve. If we might ask for a repetition of a previous act it would be for Mis 8 Marizles Wirfch's juggling on horseback, one o£ tho pi'ettiest and nio9t graceful acts we have seen performed in any circus. Several complaints of the bad state of the southern road from the Waitaha to Okarito reached us by last mail, tho blame appearing to be principally attributable to the road overseer. A bad hole near Peterson's at the Big Wanganui has been endangering tbe lives and limbs of travellers forthelaßt six months, and yet the overseer does nothing and attempts nothing. An attempt at a repair Jof the road from the Forks is being made, but things wil 1 be in a worse condition, when completed, than before. If the Council' allow their officials to wilfully neglect places that are thus dangerouß to' life, it is probable that they will, before long, have to pay heavy actions for damages. By news from tne South wo learn that Cunningham and Nugent, at Lake Mapourika, have sunk through the cement bottom in their claim, and" have found good prospects, with plenty of wash. The new rush at the Forks is also said to be looking well. At the Circus, on Saturday night, the Maori element was not only in force but unusually and amusingly appreciative of the parformance. There seemed to be general disposition on the part of the ladies to indulge in war dances and songs of triumph. Some times these terpßichorean proclivities brought the performers in unpleasant proximity to the hgrses' heels', and Constable Bennett and tho management had a lively time in catching them by the skirts and pulling them back to their seats. Such profound admiration did one lady express for Gus St. Leon's riding, that she attempted to kiss the ground at the very moment that tho horse was passingAltogether, tho episode invested the performance with much mirth and laughter, quit e distracting attention from the witticism of the clown. In another column will be found an advertisement calling for tenders for ditching and fluming for the Kanieri Lake Water-race nnd Mining Jompany. The above work will complete the new race, and in less than three months it is hoped that water will be available for working the claims already taken up near Kanieri Forks. It is satisfactory to learn that excellent returns have recently been obtained by the party of Chinamen working on the Bame terrace as the company's claim, and immediately adjoining it, and that fresh ground has been struck in the neighborhood showing [highly payable prospects. The company is evidently on the high road to successj and already anticipates a larger demand for water than they will be able to supply. The shooting match on Saturday between the town and country contingents of the First Westland Rifles ended in a draw in favor of the former, darkness coming on at the 500 yards preventing the match being completed. Next' Saturday will probably see the first competition for Mr Grimmond's trophy. Wednesday, next, being St George's day will be observed as a bank holiday, Th'o Christchurch coach arrived at the üßual hour on Saturday evening. Passengers — Messrs T. O. W. Croft and Dunk, and Master W. Croft. Asa result of the recent rains wo hear of tho bursting of a very large dam in the neighborhood of J3aok Creek, the property of Mr Handlcy. It appears that the water began to eat away the embankment, at tho guage box and in a short time, gaining headway, swept the whole bank before it. The damage such a vast body of water let loose effected can be imagined, and unfortunately it falls upon one or two men though in addittion there 'is tho delay to those miners who were just preparing to make use of tho water for opening up their claims. There was (says the Argus) a very narrow escape at Nelson Creek from a fatal mining accident. It appears that on John Collins, one of a well known party of miners, being lowered down a shaft in the tail race shaft 20ft deep, he gave no response when called to, and on being again spoken to without returning answer, one of his mates, M. Ward went down to see what was the matter, when he also was overcome by foul air at the bottom of the shaft. A third partner, named Brunetti, realised the cause, and in no way daunted, after singing out for assistance, went down himself and managed to send both his mates' to the surface in a very exhausted con dition'. A very few minutes more and Collins would possibly have had to succumb to tho poisonous gas. It was not so close a shave with Ward, though it was close enough. Brunctti did not appear to suffer so much from tho foul air as his other two mates. Ib is possible that the two men going down had disturbed it and sent a good deal of it up the shaft. Captain Jackson Barry is at present in Tasmania lecturing. Ho is engaged on hia now work, entitled "Australian Men of tho Times," on which ho has been working for aix years, and which is now nearly ready for publishing. He purposes shortly revisiting Now Zealand. Selina Davis, the notorious baby farmer has been committed for trial in Melbourne She is now undergoing a three years' sentonco.

We have often had oooaslon to remark on the know-all, self-satisfied way in whioh the big London papers write about ua, whilst at , the same time they betray a most profound ignorance of their subject. The following from the London Daily Telegraph will illus- J trate what we mean :—": — " Australia is a large j island, or continent, with central deserts and a colonised coast. There are no trans-con-tinental railways, as in America ; every i delegate who joined iv the Federation Con- ■ ference came by sea in a coasting steamer. I 'Jhis characteristic of the new land makes common naval defence absolutely essential to safety. Were a foreign foe to attack South Australia, it would be necessary for New South Wales and Victoria, the nearest colonies, to send assistance by sea. Short cuts by land across the waste expanse may bo eventually developed, but at present the new nation will be, in fact, a fringe of States along the coast; of a vast expanse of central uninhabited territory." Lawyers' bills of coats have always been the subject of much ridicule and bitter pleasantry* None of the bills told of in truth or fiction, however, quite equal one which has recently been occupying the individual attention of the recipient and various Supreme Court registrars. This particular account was rendered to certain natives, and the amount of it waß only £6000. The exact language used by the natives when they received this bill has not been preserved for historic reference, but there is reason to believe that it was expressive and free. Subsequent investigation by rogistrars led to a sum of £4600 being knocked off, and the amount of the bill as it now stands (subject to further reduction) is £1400. The latest story of Mr Spurgeon. As told in the Memorial Hall, on the authority of a member of the London County Council, it runs as follows : — A gentleman who had amassed a big fortune in the erection of jerry, built villas and 'eligible family residences,' on retiring from business built for himself a splendid mansion in a suburban district, and, being dubious as to a fitting name for it, wrote to Mr Spurgeon for advice. When the answer came it was to the effect that, after very careful consideration, Mr Spurgeon could think of no other name than 'Dun robin.' The Queen's signature to State documents is Blill a model of firmness and legibility, no sign of Her Majesty's advanced age being discernible in the boldly written ' Victoria R.,' which she attaches to such papers as have to boar the royal autograph. There are veteran statesmen living who will remember that the signing of Stale documents by the sovereign became one of considerable importance in the last months of George IV.'s reign. During this period His Majesty wa9 iv such a debilitated stale that the writing of numerous autographs was practically impossible for him> and under these circumstances a short Bill was hurriedly passed through Parliament authorising the King to affix a facsimile of his autograph by means of an inked stamp. It was also provided, however, in the Bill, that George IV. should before stamping each document give his verbal assent to it ia a specified form. The Duke of Wellington wa 8 in office at the time, and it was his duty to lay certain documents before the King for his approval. One day the ' Iron Duke,' noticing that His Majesty was stamping the papers before him without repeating the prescribed verbal formular, [ventured to enter a respectful but firm protest. Tho King, much irritated, exclaimed, ' D it, what can it signify ?' ' Only this, sir,' replied the Duke ' that the law requires it.' George IV. snid no more, but at once began to repeat the requisite formular as he stamped each of tho remaining documents. S. R.Roger and his brother, loft theirhomes near Hastiugs, Mar., about four years ago, and went to Breckenbridge, Colo., whero they worked in a stamp mill. They got possession of two claims, the ' Iron Mask ' aud tho 'Kawawnee,' and worked them during their spare hours, putting considerable time > and money into them, Tho claims had been worked previously for six years by an ,old miner, who failed to make paying ore. Roger recently put a man in the lower one, and went to work himself. In less than half an hour, after digging about two feet, he struck gold and silver bearing carbonate of silver, said to be the most valuable and easily worked deposit in the State. The vein was followed to the surface when it was found that all the previous years' work had been within 16 inches of the vein. The Roger 9 brothers have been offered 100,000dols for the two mines, but want 200,000. Within a week after this, 5000 men were on the spot establishing claims, but the Rogers had secured many of the most desirable. The mine is on the east of the mountain, and the snow necessitates keeping it roofed over. A writer in the Medical and Surgical Journal says :—": — " I have been using pure oil of turpentine in affections of the throat and lungs for some time, and find belter and more satisfactory results than from any other remedy I ever tried. I use the or dinary hand atomizer, and throw a spray of the liquid into tho throat evory few minutes, or at long intervals, according to tho gravity of the caso. Tho bulb of tho instrument should be compressed as tho act of inspiration commences, so as to ensure application of the romedy to the whole surface, which can be done incases of children very successfully. It is surprising how a diphtheritic membrane will melt away under an almost constant spray of pure oil of turpentine. I now use the turpentine spray whenever a child complains of sore throat of any kind. In cases of tuberculosis of the lungs, bronchitis, and tho latter stagoa of pneumonia, I have found tho turpentine inhalation very beneficial. I use an atomizer, or papor funnel, from which tho turpentino may be inhaled at will. I hang around tho bod and in tho room, ilamiol cloths saturated with oil of turpontine in all casos of catarrhal bronchitis in fact, in all affections of tho air passage) and my pationts invariably oxpress themselves as being very much relieved." The London market is largely overstocked with diamonds. Mr J. 1\ Wilson, Dontist.can now bo con. suited at his rooms, Hamilton street, opposite tho Fire Brigade Station, between the hcurs of 9 a.m. and. 5 p.m. Ho leaves in about cix weeks' timo. Leaving for Kumara on May 7th.— Advt Tho best Remedy for Indigestion. — Nor tons Camomilo Pills are confidently Kccommonded as a Sunplo Remedy for Indigestion, which is tho cause of noarly all tho diseases to which wo aro subject. Norton's Pills, with justice called tho " Natural Strongthonor of tho Human Stomach," act as a powerful tonic and gentle aporionl, arc mild in their operation, and Bttfo under any circumstances Sold in bottlos, at Is lid., 2s 9d., 11s., by nil Moi?icino Vendors throughout. tho World,