The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI – WEEKLYMONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1051, 20 February 1882, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI - WEEKLYMONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1882.

Our Grey Valley correspondent writes as follows: — "The Aha-ura survey staff will probably be at Reefton next week. The Nelson' Creek' County election petition, to dislodge Councillor M'Beath, will be heard in Greymouth, on Tuesday next. The grounds, of the petition are that Mr M'Beath is partner in a bond to a contractor under' the Council. Business jealousy is at the root of the petition.

The case of M'Williams v. M'Kenzie was concluded in the Magistrate's Court on Thursday eveniug last, and on the following morning his Worahip gave judgment for plaintiff, awarding £17 damages, and costs. The only other case of importance dealt with was an action by J. Craven v. the Golden Treasure Company, in which £22 8s damages was claimed through the alleged wrongful act of the defendants in flooding plaintiffs claim. After hearing the evidence his Worship reserved his decision.

The share market was fairly active during the past week, and a good deal of broking, principally with Dunedin, was done in Lankey's Creek cements, Imperials, and one or two otlier lines. Inangahua Low Level shares were in rather active demand on Saturday at 2s. 9d. to 3s. In other lines there was no great stir, although quotations closed tolerably firm, buyers on the one hand being disinclined to advance, and holders on the other showing no dispositior to recede, In the meantime everybody is on the alert for another jump, as the result of the large amount of prospecting work now being carried on in almost every part of the district.

A meeting of shareholders in the Gorge Gold Mining Lease was held at the office of Mr W, Hindmarsh, on Saturday evening. A large number of shareholders were present, and Mr J. Kilgour was voted to the chair. A. very encouraging report from the mine manager was read, and favorably received, and it was decided to register the company at once under the provisions of the "Mining Companies Act," with a capital af £12,000, in 24,000 shares of 10s. each. Mr W. Hindmarsh was appointed legal manager, and Messrs Kilgour, Lawn, Bruce, Nottman, and Clifford were elected directors, and Mr Elliston was appointed auditor.

Professor Hugo delivered one of his instructive and entertaining lectures in Kater's Hall, on Friday evening last, but the attendance was not nearly so large as might have been expected. The subject o. the lecture was " The Physiognomy of the Eyes," and the manner in which it was treated proved unmistakeably that Mr Hugo is a complete master of the subject. The lecture was made additionally interesting by the exhibition of a large number of life-size drawings of the heads of historical and other personages, which ware used to illustrate the lecturer's remarks. Taken altogether the lecture was what lectures of the kind rarely are — really instructive and entertaining.

The tender of Messrs Kruzenga and Seymour was accepted on Saturday last for supplying the Rainy Creek Company with 4 ; oDoft, of sawn timber,

Tlie Auckland Star ofthe Ist inst. says | — The Premier received a telegram from I his manager, yesterday announcing that one day's hot norwester had damaged the ! wheat crop on his estate to the extent of £300, Other farms have suffered equally.

An important experiment with the electric light is about to be tried in New York by the Brush Company, in the shape of very powerful lamps suspended at a considerable height. The elevated poles in the City of London are not altogether satisfactory, much of the illuminating power of the lights being wasted ; but in New York the high standards will be in open spaces. The poles will be 165 ft high 15ft being in the ground. The top lights will he Lamps of 24,000 candle power, with lower ones of 12,000 candle-power.

An impudent robbery recently took place at the house of Mr Robert Alcorn, J. P., in Ashburton, some person or per sons unknown having paid the premises an unexpected visit, and cleared the clothes line of a quantity of things hanging out to dry. About £3 worth of shirts and other articles were carried off. The police have the matter in hand.

An Emotional Elephant. — How smart American showmen are to make a full house the following example will prove. A circus proprietor informs the public that his unrivalled performing ' elephant will, on its own benefit night, give a recital of popular music on a splendid Erard piano. The house of course is crowded, everybody being anxious to ear the new virtuoso. Towards the end of the performance a beautiful new piano is brought into the centre of the arena. The elephant, after saluting the audience in its usual graceful manner, advances to the piano, lifts with some difficulty one foot, places it on the keys, but all on a sudden howls fearfully, frightening not a little the expectant audience. The elephant's master approaches, and examines anxiously its eyes and throat in order to discover the cause of this emotion. Having made a very careful examination, he orders the virtuoso to retire, and announces to the greatly-astonished audience that he regrets that the elephant cannot play on the piano, being overcome by emotion on having recognised in the keys the tusks of its own poor mother. An American paper says : — We have come to the conclusion that whenever an editor refers to the San Francisco police as the finest force in the world, he is kinder hedging, as it were, against the day when, having enough money or credit to get drunk on, he shall fall into the clutches of the law — a much to-be-dreaded misfortune, since, according to a recent showfng, an officer has a right to treat a prisoner, male or female, as roughly as he pleases, and need have no fear of the Commissioners. The case referred to is that of Officer Griffiths, who after arresting a young women on a groundless charge, abused and ill-treated her under the pretence of searching her. His cruelty wa#«xposed yby a if daily paper, which suggested that Griffiths was drunk, whereupon Griffiths asked for a retraction only of the charge of drunkenness, saying that he* knew the Commissioners would dismiss any charge of ill-treatment brought against an officer. As Griffiths is still in the force, it is fair to presume that he was a good guesser.

Mr George Robertson has in the press a book of travels by "The Vagabond." It is entitled, "Occident and Orient sketches on both sides of the Pacific," and it is the outcome of the author's recent voyage to China, Japan, British Columbia, California, and thence back to Sydney, via Hawaii and New Zealand. This is but the first of a series, and will include the voyage to and sketches in China.

Mr Parnell has been learning carpentry during his imprisonment.