THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27,1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 27 April 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1881.

i We elsewhere publish a letter received by .j Mr Brennan froni Mr Ei Wickes, and tbe Ohairman^of the Christchurch Railway j Committee. We are also able to furnish our , readers with the report of Mr Browne, C E., upon his last trip over the inland railway route. > We learn on good authority tbat some land sharking upon a small scale is now going on in tbe neighbourhood 'offche Maruia and Cannibal Gorge. Realisitig tbe impossibility of securing large areas of country there some two or three persons have hit upon the in** genious plan of applying for small holdings ostensibly for the purpose of agriculture and residence, but really to block up back coun* try- Several of these patches situated in the throat, so, to speak, if fertile valleys have already 'been applied for, and unh-ss, there* fore, prompt objection is lodared against them, as .well as all prospective ones of the kind a serious publio Wrong will be done. There is another matter which also requires a word or two. The hot springs at Maruia should be protected against occupation, and this can be conveniently done by the Oouncil here apt plying to the Waste Lands Board for a publio reserve in that locality. A large crowd of persons congregated in the CourMlquse on Monday evening as the inquest upon the body of J"hn Bell drew to a conclusion, and the proceedings were watched witii great interest. The evidence was closed, and the summing up concluded at about 10 o'clock, and the jury then retired to deliberate. After an absence of one hourjthey returned into Court when the foreman announced that the jury were d'S*agreed, twelve being of one, opinion and four of another. Th e Coroner then directed them apon the point involved, and they again re* tired, and after a further absence of an hour returned with their verdict, which was to the effect, tbat John Bell came byffihis' death at Larry's Creek, on the 16th instant, by a blow on the back of the head, tbe said blow being struck by David Charles M'Gahey. Tbe prisoner heard the verdict wMi apparent unconcern, and except at the close, when he passed his two open hands over his faca in a momentary fit of abstraction or eleepishnes*, nothing unusual was observable in the demeanour which he maintained throughout the inquiry. Thirteen jurymen were for "guilty," and three against. The prisoner was then removed. A new printing plant for the Lyell Times arrived in Westport from Melbourne last week, and is now en route to its distination. The people of Reefton are about to have something cheap in the photographing way, as we learn that the American Ferro-Photo Company (who have done Fuch a remarkably good business in Hokitika,!! Kumara, and Greymouth), intend opening la branch here for a few days. The novelty of having one's photo taken and finished io ten minutes at the rate of two doaen for 5s 6d* is sure to attract, as the spe'cinfens we have! seen are first-class productions of the 'photographic art. . Mr Blair, Engineer-in-CbiefJ for the Middle I land, and Mr Martin. Resident Engineer, arrived from Westport last night. David M'Gahey was brought before the Magistrate's Court yesterday, and formerly remanded to Monday next, when he will be charged with the wilful murder of John Bell. The prisoner will be eent to Hokitika for safe keeping. The police have not in any way relaxed their efforts to trace tbe missing swag and gun ( f M'Gahey. The vicinity of the murder was again searched yesterday, but so far as we can learn, without euccees. Complaints are made of the condition of the slip on the Black's Point road, and some accident is likely to happen to traffic unless the rosd-way is attended to. Tbe census enumerator at Patea refused to allow people to enter themselves as Freethinkers in the column set apart for the record of religious persuasion. The Dunedin Free thought Association heard of this, and telegraphed to Wellington to the effect that tho enumerator's action was illegal. This •tep hud the desired effect, ond the Patea enumerator was instructed thut ho was not aHing in accordance with law in declining

to allow people to describe themselves as • Freethinkers,' and to abandon the position which he had taken up in the first instance. The largest toy factory in the world is in New Tork, wbere playthings in tin are manufactured literally by tbe million, .It. stands fire stories high, and (urns out 1607 distinct varieties of tin toys. No. 1, of course, is a tin horse j No. 1607, a tin menagerie. Tho output of circular tin whistles i-* 12 000,000 per annum. Everything is made on the establishment excepting wheels, which are ordered in Tots of thirty tons at a time from a foundry in the East* Two hundred men, women, and boys are constantly employed in toy making. To make a tin horse twelve inches long dies have to be cast costing £600. Toys are exporter! from New York to all parts of the world. The children of different countries have different tastes. The passion of the young Brazilian is for a toy water-eart, while in the States the rage of the American boy is for tin horns and * putty blowers.' 'Tin swords are wanted all over the world,' the military instinot being as universal in the nurseries as iu the Courts and Cabinets of tbe world. The other night in San Francisco, while Mr Moody was dilating on the gratifying result of hia preaching, and his approaching departure for other fields of labor, a roughlooking listener in the gallery said : • Where are you going Mr Moody ?'— * I am going to heaven,' said the evangelist promptly ; f and I've been on the way for twenty-two years.' — • Well, if you've been on the road to heaven all that time, and havn'tgot any further than ' Frisco, you had better give it up, pard.' — And tho great exhorter joined in the audible smile as Mr Sankey led of with 'Inching Along.' A terrible experience, almost unique in military annals, comes to hand from the Cape of Good Hope, in connection with the march of the Diamond Field Horse to the scene of operations in Basutoland towards; the end of last year. The men had outspanned for breakfast, when a heavy thunderstorm suddenly burst over them, so sevei e in its effects that they were forced to abandon their attempt to procure a meal, and remounted in the hope of riding out of the storm. Towards the afternoon, however, it broke upon them with increased violence, the rain falling apparently in sheets, and the flashes of lightning apparently continuous. At last a flash' struck the'- troop flinging seventeen horses and tbeir riders to the ground, and killing ten men and five horses on the spot. Those who were not killed were all seriously injured, and it was long before animation oould be restored in the case of seven of the men. The bits and stirrupirons of the whole number were blackened, and many of the men, though personally uni jured, had their clothing rent by the force of the eleotric discharge. Tbe greatest difllculty was naturally experienced in preventing a general stampede among the frightened horses. ' "' ■*