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Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 4 February 1880, Page 2

! The County Council will meet for tbe despatch of business at the usual hour to-day. Numerous complaints were made in TJeefton during Monday and yesterday of tbe fact of the non.arjjjvul of any mail from Greymouth since Friday evening ' last. Owing to tbe rain of last week, the service was interrupted temporarily, but there is no reason why the mail should not bave come through on Saturday evening, and it is to be booed that the postal authorities will endeavour to pre» vent the repetition of such an interval in tbe arrival and departure of mails for the future. The gold from the recent crushing of the Golden Fleece Company was smelted at the Bank of New Zealand yesterday, j and resulted in a cake weighing 225 ozs 13 dwt. The quantity of stone crushed was 240 tons, so that the return upon the whole is a very satisfactory one, as after paying the working expenses it leaves a credit balance of £470- Tbe stone was taken from what is known a? the old

Ajax block, from which another crushing will be taken out during the present month. It is intended to increase tbe number of men at present engaged, in order to expedite tbe work of opening up the low level. Upon the whole, the prospec's of tbe mine are very much brighter tban they have been for a long time past. Mr W. J. Shaw announces the resumption of his business in the premises at the corner of Walsh street and Broadway. Steps are, we learn, about to be taken with tbe object of working the Venus mine upon a more extensive plan. The property is admitted to show prospects hardly second to any in the field. From the upper level stone was taken out which yielded several dividends, but it is now necessary to put in a tunnel at a lower level in order to give greater permanebce to tbe workings. At present there is paynble stone for a distance of 250 feet underfoot. Bvrnesand party, the contractors fo r the Welcome low level, are now in about 140 feet, but the driving is much harder tban was ever expected, and consequently the contractors are not making as mnnh headway as in the earlier stages of their work. It is believed, however, that softer country will be met with by the end of the present week, when a more rapid rate of progress will be made. A most determined attempt at assault was (writesour local correspondent) made upon a man named Neil M'Lean, by a man named Stewt. M'Lean, who re# sides on tbe north bank of tbe Buller river, about three miles below the Inan gnhua Junction, states that he was driving home his milch cowa when be was set upon by Stewart, who was armed with a bil'-book. He received some ugly gashes, and only saved himself by rnn« ning to his o»noe and making for Lines', his nearest neighbor. Mr Revell, R.M., who was passing at (be time, on his way to bold monthly Court at the Lyell, se^iug the man covered with blood, promptly despatched him to Westport, in a canoe, to have his wounds attended to. The cause of the quarrel between the fwom?n is a somewhat buxom young worn in of about forty-five summers, 5 who bad foimerly been housekeeping for Stewart, for many years, bqt who, with that fickleness peculiar to ber sex, eloped and married M'Lean. . The.old man, Stewart, retired to his desolate home, and seems to have treasured up a spirit of revenge, culminating tn the rash act of yesterday. Similar circumsfancps have occurred to all classes of society, from the lowest boor to tbe most exalted personage, at different periods of the world's bistcry. It was tbe fickleness of Helen which led to the destruction of that prosperous colony called Troy. Tbe reigning belle of Cartilage, Queen Dido, had cause to shed many bitter tears for transferring her attentions from their legitimate owner to that adventurer Eaneas, who basely impoverished ber treasury by stealing her Gulden Fleece, and trampling upon ber affections. The moral of all this, of course, is that ladies should not transfer —i.e., not too oft«n. We learn that the County Rate-Col* lector has received peremptory instructions to commence legal proceedings ton <*ay against all defaulting ratepayers, This step is absolutely necessary, as the financial year will shortly expire, and the annual returns bave to be tnade up and forwarded to WeJlinaton,. in order that the County subsidy may be fixed, and as subsidy will only be paid upon the rates collected, the matter is one which brooks no further del iy. Mr Richard Reeves wwil t we believe, visit Reefton in the course of a few days, for the purpose of being present at the interview with tbe Minister of Public Works. Mr Oharles Woolcoek, late M.H.R. for the Grey Valley, has joined tbe ranks of tbe Fourth Estate, having been appointed editor of the Rangitikei Advocate. Both the down country mail coaches arrived last night, that via Westport bringing tbe Australian mail. There will be a sitting of the Magis* trate's and Warden's Court, to-morrow, at tbe usual hour. A luminous body which was generally made out to be b comet, was observed in the western sky last night.