West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1899.

West Coast Times, Issue 11288, 10 May 1899, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1899.

Mr D. J. Evans continues in a very I oritical state of health. Early yesterday I afternoon -his condition was much worse* and very grave fears were entertained by Drs Macandrew and Teichelmann. It : was considered an operation would probably be necessary and Dr Morice of Oreymoutb was sent for to hold a ' consultation. Later in the afternoon he ' was very much easier and the extreme measures contemplated were not con- ' sidered necessary. 'It is understood the doctors concur that the disease he is I suffering from— peritonitis— is only local j and he will probably overcome it, though I danger is not yet over and jaundice is > threatening. Messrs A. Zala and Ford leave this morning for Brownings Pass where they will prospect on the western slope for the reefs worked by a Ohristchurch Company at the Wilberf orce. Tho reefs were found to contain rich gold but the rocks were all dipping westward and the difficulties of working were found to be insuperable. Systematic efforts will now be made to j develop them from this side of the range. This course was advocated by the West Coast Times many years ago when the Wilberf orce reefs were being worked and we are still of opinion it is the only way to make them, pay, To-day's meeting of the Westland bounty Council will be adjourned till lt Tuesday next iv consequence of the illness of Mr Evans, County Clerk. Only one case was called on at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning Commercial Agency Coy, Wellington, againßt F. Tanner, claim £24 11s 9d, judg menc summons. Mr Beare for plaintiffs and Mr Lewis for defendant. An order - was made by consent for immediate payment, or in defaHlt 14 days' imprisonment, the order to be stayed providing a payment be made of 20s per month. The heavy rain which fell on Saturday " and Sunday filled all the dams on Seddon's Terrane. This supply should last the upper part of the field for about 3 weeks and the lower part for a fortnight. The former, comprising thenfollowing claims: Knight and Party, Baucke and _ Party, Ferguson, Houston and Party, M'Donald and Party, and Neilson and Party, receive their water from one dam only, the largest in the company's posl } session, known as the Jubilee dam, iso called because constructed in Jubilee § year— lBB7. The, lower part of the field, 3*3 * consisting of the' following parties, Nicholson's, O'Connor's, Clifton's, and y Hagar's, clustered found Arch Creek, are „ supplied out of the Company's sraallor dams. It is reported that Mr Ferguson, who runs a sluicing claim on .bis own le account and employs wages men, washed up last week and received a very handsome return. This claim is working on a part of Hanson's rush, a good" deal ;- lower than the Seddon's Terrace level. A correspondent writing from Bruce Bay says:— The many friends of Mr, Robert Pollock will bs sorry to hear of his death, which took place at Mr Ritchie's residence at uacob's river, on April 28th last, deceased was a fine stamp of the - old pionear miner, and was deaerved'y respected by all who knew him. His death waß not unexpected aa he had been ailing -for some time. He was 70 years of age, and a native of County Antrim. \ Ireland. . ' Captain M'Gee, officer commanding ' the Auckland Engineers, who has been on a visit to Samoa and was present during the recent tiouble with the rebel forces, asked by the representative of a Canterbury journal if he thought a contingent - from New Zealand could do any good if i they were sent to Samoa, said: — "They could relieve the naval men from the * duties of guard woik, wbiph takes up so much of their time I think they might also be useful in repelling any attack * which the rebels made on the lines, but if they were bent into the bush I feel sure they would be cut off. There is little cleared ground, and what there is the natives fight very sby of. Says an English contemporary in February :— Strawberries are cheap today. There have been days in February on which ona guinea waß the price put upon each rosy-tinted fruit, but not in this February. Strawberries have dropped from their high pitch of excluaivene3s to hide their blushing faces behind the notification that two guineas will purchase a pound. And a quarter of a pound is the smallest quantity sold.

It should be eetnembeved that Filipino^ are not insnrgents by any means, Tbe thiee principal tribes on these islands are the Togalos, Vibola, and Visuyans. There are numnrous smaller tribes, and more than 30 languages are spoken. Togalos are fighters, and all the other tribes are afraid of them, and have compelled many Visayans to join the army. The latter, as well as the Vicols, are industrious and willing to work, and above all things want peace. With . self-government, the Togalos would be in everlascin* warfare with the other races, unless the others would submit to being their slaves. The population of the three races named, according to tbe last census taken by the Spanish Government, is as follows :■— Togalas, 1,859,129 ; Visayans, 2,444,355 ; Vicols, 485,106 ; and shows that the majority of the Filipino people are opposed to the present wtr and want peace. The creditors of Charles Godfrey, the well-known musical hall vocalist, met at the London Bankruptcy court, and decided to administer the estate in bankruptcy. The debtor now has an engagement at a weekly salary, but cannot fulfil h on account 'of ill-health. Hi 3 income from the profession has been £2000 a year. He only owes about £140, and attributes his position to Loss on a theatrical tou? in New Zealand, ill-health, betting losses, and pressure by a creditor. When dealing with an application for an old age pension in New Plymouth Court a day or two ago, Mr Stanford, S.M. (the Herald says) was rather staggered by tne evidence given by a witness on behalf of the applicant. In response to the usual question as to how long he had known the applicant, the witness replied, "Eighty-one years your Worship." "How long ?" said'the S.M., in astonishment. ''Eighty-one years," was again tbe reply. "You must mean thirty-one or forty-one," dubiously asked his Worship. "How old was the applicant when you first knew him ?" "About a year. I remember se*ing him wheeled about in a sort of box on -wheels when he was o HttU baby." "Then how old are you?" queried the Magistrate } tb which he replied that he was eighty-six and that the applicant was eighty -two. His Worship then expressed himself as satisfied