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Western Star, Issue 932, 21 March 1885, Page 2

Mr A. Thomas, late manager Mararoa station, has been appointed manager of the Clive Grange estate, near Napier.

Tenders are invited for the erection of a new Presbyterian Church at Wallacccown.

The date for receiving applications for space at the forthcoming Industrial Exhibition has been extended to 31st inst.

Horse races are announced to take place at Orepuki on Wednesday next. . h /k “Traveller” wishes us to direct tljex 'attention of the County Council to the state of the approaches to the Waimatuku bridge, neartho beach. The approaches, he states, have been washed away to such an extent that there is barely room for a trap to pass, even when the driver has the advantage of daylight to guide him, but the feat is almost impossible in the dark. The Waimatuku stream is the boundary between the Wallace and Southland Counties, and between these two metaphorical stools it is very probable that some unfortunate wight may come to grief, and when he has sufficiently recovered, tender a claim for damages for a sum greatly in excess of the amount necessary to put the whole structure in a safe state for traffic.

The tender of Messrs (lenlcy and Tiliyard for alterat ons and additions to Oolac Bay native school has been accepted, the amount bcitig £203 I Os.

In anticipation of the Easter review at Queenstown, the local Rifle Company hive lately been undergoing weekly drill at the hands of St uff-dergt. Blackmore. It is ex pec*ed that the corps nill be well represented on the occasion. The company will proceed to Invercargill on Thursday afternoon, from whence they will be coiive eJ to Kingston per special (ruin, arriving at Queenstown at an early hour on Good Friday morning. Inclu ding the Lakes and Southland volunteers it is calculated I hat there will be a muster of about 300 of all arms, amongst whom will be some 30 or 40 of the Hus-ars, who propose to negotiate the Devil’s Staircase track from Kingston to Queenstown. It is to ho hoped that when tire muster roll is called at Queenstown all our mounted men will have survived the dangers of that cheerful truck. Judging by the outlined programme, tire Lakes district people have apparently combined to make the stay of the visitors as attractive as possible, as besides the usual brigade, battalion, and camp drill, there will bo musical and other entertainments, cavalry competitions, rifle matches &c.

The success of the excursion trips initiated by the railway department a short time ago suggests the advisability of Riverton being fixed upon as the destination of the next excursion. Beyond doubt such a trip would bo extremely popular with tho people of Invercargill. As an attraction to the visitors it has been suggested that the excursion should be fixed for the day on which Mr Beer intends to launch his new vessel—-the Hope of Riverton, as wo learn it is intended to bo christened. The ceremony will be an interesting one, and excursion or no excursion, wo hope tho event will be made the occasion of some public demonstration.

“Ada Mantua’s” consultation on Christchurch Autumn Handicap rapidly filling. Early application necessary, care of Lyons and Hart, Box 351, Dunedin. —[Advt.l *

A Gazette Extraordinary issued on Wednesday afternoon contained a proclamation further proroguing Parliament from March 19 to April 28.

£ Our Otautau correspondent writes;—Harq vesting is in full swing in this district, and grain is already pouring into the railway t sli ed from Bayswator. The late broken weather delayed work for a few days. On the whole I think the crops about this district are a great improvement upon those of last 3 year.—The Crown Hotel has changed hands> Mr F. A. Price having sold out to Mr E. } Sweetman, late of Wrcy’s Bush and Bluff—--4 St. Patrick's Day passed off very quietly , here, no doubt owing to the great attractions your town offered to the district.—Mr Ford’s I new store is in progress, and as a whole it is a very neat building, and docs Mr Mainland credit.—The Eev. T. Hodgson, Church of England clergyman of your town, held a service in the schoolroom on Sunday morning last. Owing to the inclement weather the attendance w'as meagre. At a meeting held after the service the committee decided to canvass the district with the view of ascertaining what inducement would bo held out for a regular fortnightly service. I hear that the lists have been very liberally responded to by people of all denominations, showing that the Otautau people have at last come to the conclusion that they require services every Sunday.—The monotony of our existence w r as relieved the other day by an incident that caused a little excitement, when two well-known workers in woodwaro gave the public a gratuitous entertainment in the shape of throwing each other out of the windows of a new building in course of erection. : With the exception of a few scratches : neither seemed to be much the worse for the" 1 skirmish.—The librarian of the Athenaeum 1 wishes through me to thank Messrs Mainland 1 gad Broad for their present of Jfome papers i

o the reading room.—Tho attention of Ibo County Council should bo called to tho holes at approaches of bridges on main road, tho gravel having slipped through the planking) which might cause some one to break their neck, especially horsemen.—Strangers are often at a loss to know where the police camp is, owing to tho building being so much like a private dwelling. Would it not bo better to have the name painted on it, as i s the case with similar buildings in other places.

.From the report of tin* Land Board meeting elsewhere published it will be observed that the Board declined to comply with the peiiti m if a number of miners in the Orepuki distriot requesting that an men- two chains wide should be reserve I on ouch side of Grindstone Creek for mining purposes. The reason given by the Chairman for refusing to comply wiib the petiiion was that the application had come too lute ; the Act provided that the highest tenderer for the land (which had been opened for sale under the peipetunl leasing system) should be declared the lessee, »nd the Board could not refuse a tender because the applicant would not agree to conditions which had not been slated in the advertisement; ho also further slated that had the petition been lodged before the land was advertised, he would have complied with same. If the miners are wise they will profit by the fate that befell the petitirn referred to, keep a sharp look out for any future proposal to decrease the already circumscribed area and enter timely objection thereto. The local branch of the Salvation Army hold a grand demonstration on Monday evening next, in honor of the visit of Major Pollard, who will bo accompanied by Captain and Mrs Graham. A tea meeting will be hold at 6.30, after which there will bo a public meeting, when addresses will bo delivered by the visitor’s and others.

A Nightcap correspondent writes: —“We never sec any news about the Nightcaps in the Stab nowadays,” is the cry of a number of your readers, and I think it is time that people should know we are not yet quite defunct, though trade is for a short time rather slack We had a ball in the sekoolhouse on St. Patrick’s evening. It was very w;ll attended in spi'e of tbe numerous at t ractions elsewhere. The notice was rather short, otherwise there would have been a better muster. Messrs Beard and Church generously played the violin, while the indefatigable Mr T. Knight rendered valuable assistance on the flute. Tire evening was enlivened by a few songs from Messrs Knight, Jus. Johnston and otbe"s, and about, 4 a.m. the tired dancers dispersed. Financially the ball was even more successful than was expected. The proceeds go to the s bool funds, the Board giving poin d for pound. The Ooinmitt.ee are anxious to erect shelter and coal sheds before the winter sets in. We could do with far more amusement here than we have been having of late, and I trust the school committee will keep the ball rolling through the winter—A. contingent of t ie Salvation Array bombarded us last Sunday. Four meetings were held throughout the day, but rain falling all day prevents 1 a number attending. There were no rotten eggs, &c., going about, as you have in Riverton ; everything was quiet and orderly.—Harvesting is in full swing, and the weather is grand. —Wc must agitate to have telephonic communication between this and Otautau; it would bo a great boon to the surrounding districts.

Mr 11. K. Taiaroa, M.11.R. for Southern Maori dist ict, is at present on a visit to this poition of the electorate.

Mr D. W. Withorby, district engineer, is under orders 'o proceed to Auckland, where lie will be engage! in connection with the Northern trunk railway, the construction of which is about to be commence 1. The completion of the Western railways, which may now be sdd to be accomplished, is doubtless the cause of Mr Withorby being removed. During the five or six ye>rs that he has been superintending the railway construction system of this district he has proved himself n thoroughly competent man, and it is something to his credit that throughout the whole of that period there has been an entire absence of serious disagreements and squabbles with contractors, while the works themselves testify that a close adherence tc conditions of contract was insisted ipon.

A Napier insolvent having drawn the first horse in a consultation, paid his creditors in full 'j 'f The Gladfiold post office has been removed to tho store of Mr J. C. Shearer, Drummond.

It is said that arrangement* have been com. pleted for opening the Orepuki railway on Ist pror. The department has not yet announced the details of the service, but we understand that the time table as far as Riverton is concerned will not be interfered with to any material extent. There will bo a daily service from Orepuki, starting at 6.30 a.m. and returning about 9 p.m.

Tho local Blue Ribbon Union arc in correspondence with the famous Temperance lecturer —Mr Matthew Burnett; and arrangements are being made for a visit to Riverton, and probably Orepuki, about tho . cud of tho present month or the beginning of April. Particulars will be duly advertised. We understand that the splendid estate of Meirivale, near Otautau, has, through the medium of Messrs M.iepherson and Co., been sold to Mr James Ashbury, lute Conservative M.P. for Brighton, England. The estate in question belonged to John C. Ellis, Esq., Etc of the 13th Hussars, and c> sists of 26,390 acres of floe agricultural land, well-waterel and sheltered. Mr Ashbury does not inten I to grow cereals oxc *pt for sta ion purposes, but the estate will be fully devolope I for sheep and tatth-graziug, for which it is admirably adapted. Although the price has not transpired, we uuderstan I it is about £150,000. We are glad to learn that although Mr Ellis has disposed of the Merrivale estate, lie still retains a considerable interest in the district, being the owner of s one 2000 acres adjoining the above property, known as the Ellerslie estate.—“ SoiOhlan 1 Nows.”

The following amended conditions are announced respec’ing rewards offered for the discovery of new goldfields:—l. The maximum sum offered ns a reward for any proved discovery of a new goldfield in accordance with these conditions is €SOO, but if the total sum claimed as rewards in any year excoels the Parliamentary vote (.22500), the amount available only will be divided equally. 2. Newly-discovered goldfb Id- 1 , if alluvial ground, mud be situated not less than 10 miles from ‘ho nearest alluvial gold workings, or if in quartz, net less than five miles from the nearest existing quarlz-mines. 3. Ho grant will be paid upon any application until it shall have boon proved that not le*s than 20,000 ounces of gol 1 has been extracted from the new gohifiold within two yars from the registration of the discovery if of alluvial workings, and if in quartz workings, proof of similar yield f.'vrq these sources within three

years from such registration will he required. 4. Anybody discovering new gold workings nnd being desirous of obtaining a reward, shall burned ately forward a written report of, such discovery, with full particulars, to the Warden or Kesident Magistrate of the district within which such discovery shall b e situated. 5. No prospecting is allowed upon Native land without the approval n writing of the IS alive Minister, or of someone appointed by him in thac behalf. Prospectors going upon Native land without the consent of Ihe owners are liable to the penalties imposed by Acts relating to goldfields, and will forfeit all claim to a reward. The “ Celtic friend ” referred to in the piscatorial par. following will be readily identified. We copy from “Mataura Ensign ” : —A lineal descendant of Jonah has related to us some of the aquatic experiences he met with on a recent piscatorial excursion; He had the misfortune last season to lose his equilibrium and become for a little while invisible in the watery elemen', much to the detriment of his irreproachable “ get up.” His companion of course enjoyed the incident, and gleefully circulated the story of his Celtic friend’s disaster. But the wheels of the gods grind slowly, and the other day the incident was repeated with the characters reversed. But this is not the story. The two gentlemen alluded t® above formed part of a party of four who purposed indulging in a day’s fishing in the classic but sinuous waters of the Waipahi. A favorable light and good sport rewarded their toil, and they were in anticipation of having a cart to fake home the spoil. But accident still dogged their footsteps. One of them got fast “ to an eno-r-r-mous eel, Sir, by Jove, the largest eel I ever saw ! His mouth was as wide as that.” The too successful fisherman loudly called for help, which speedily came with a gaff. But the eel was too many for both. When half out of the water, he skilfully twisted bis tail round the legs of his capt.or and capsized him. He did not keep him down, however, being more merciful than the sea serpent, who is supposed to be the head of the family. But he spoiled the gaff and that weapon is proudly shown in proof of the narrative. Judging by the enthusiastic description of the monster it must at least have been a conger.

W. Sheehan was again before the Police Court at Auckland, on Wednesday, when Sergeant Danny, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, gave evidence, and the depositions of witnesses previously taken before a magistrate in Ireland were read. One of the witnesses (a boy) in his deposition swore that he saw Sheehan and his brother-in-law (Brown) place the bodies in a Ciirt and take them to the well in which they were found. The R.M. committed the prisoner for 15 dayr, intimating that in the meantime a writ ©f habeas corpus could be taken out. He could then be brought before the Supreme Court, and cause might then be shown why he shod I not be remanded to Ireland to stand his trial upon the charge of murder preferred against him. Mrs Sheehan fainted during the reading of the depositions relative to the finding of the bodees of Sheehan’s mother, brother and sister.

An influential company has been formed in Dunodin to construct a bridge across the harbor from Waverley Point, Peninsula, to Dunedin, at a cost of £50,000.

The tender of Muses Scott Bros., engineers, Christchurch, has been accepted for the construction of ten c'ass D locomotives for the N. Z. railways. The firm undertakes to complete the whole in two yeari and to manufacture every portion of the engines on their own premises.

The London correspondent of the Liverpool Mercury, referring to the incident mentioned by Canon Liddon in a recent sermon of Sir Robert Peel leaving the table nt which the Christian religion was reviled, says: “The incident occurred at the table of a son of a peer, now himself a member of the House of Lords. There was a young man present whose ribaldry reached a height which nowadays would not for an instant be tolerated under any respectable roof. Sir Robert rose and left the room. He did not ring the bell and call bis carriage, for in was too early in the evening for his carriage to be there; be left the room. His host, rising and follow ing him into the hall, asked him if he were ill. ‘Ho,’ replied Sir Robert, ‘ but I cannot sit any longer and hear that young man’s conversation.’ —‘ Come back, and I will stop him,’ said the host. ‘ Ho,’ rejoined Sir Robert decidedly; ‘I cannot sib in an atmosphere polluted by that young man’s presence.’ And he departed in an ordinary cab. Though that young man was a rising politician on the Conservative side, though ho had many parts and attained great weight, Peel never associated him in any of his Governments. Peel’s neglect made a bitter enemy of the young man, and he was pursued by him to the end of his days. That youth was Mr Benjamin Disraeli.”

,T. 11, Mills and Co.—House and section, Riverton; also household furniture. McLeod Fund—Additional subscriptions. County Council—Tenders. Rev. Father Kehoe will hold services at Orepukion 29th inst. Orepuki Coal Co.—Tenders props. C. MoLaughlan—Tenders threshing. Races will be held at Hirstfield on 25th inst, Fairfax Dairy Factory Co.—Tenders building. Football Club —Annual meeting.