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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1071, 7 April 1882, Page 2

Two well-known prospectors, Messrs Steers and Taylor, have been out for nearly six weeks on a prospecting trip up the Left-hand Branch of the Inangahua, and followed it right to the granite country. They were but lightly equipped, an.l consequently could only test surface indications, but these are reported to be exceedingly promising, and they will shortly return to give portions of the country a fair trial. Their late trip has only been a flying one, but they have every confidence of doing some good on their next visit. Taylor was the discoverer of Anderson's line, and both are well known and capable miner.-, so there j*

every chance of new finds being reported hefore. long. The scarcity, in fact complete absence, , of untenanted shops and cottages in Reef-' ton: at the. present time is one of tha outward viable' signs of the advance the town' has made during the lasjt few months. Half -a.-.Jrear ago empty cottages and business '"places were plentiful enough in Reefton, but now there is not a rookery large enough to swing a cat round by the tail in that is not "taken up," and in the language of the share-market "firmly held. House property has risen very much in value in consequence of this influx of population, and a good deal of building Is now going on. A tolerably sharp shock of earthquake was felt here at 4 p.m. yesterday. Although perhaps rather late in the season for such work, we notice that the painters are still busily occupied improving the appearance of the shop fronts in Broadway. The local firm of Waller and Rhodes, painters, have the Southern Cross Hotel, and M'Gaffin's Hotel, now under operations, the former being nearly finished. Dawson's Hotel is fast approaching completion, and a week or two will no doubt see the genial host with his Bost of patrons reinstated on his old site. We remind intending purchasers that. the property known as Kelly's Hotel, Broadway, will be brought under the : hammer by Mr P. Brennan, on Saturday, to-morrow, at 4 p.m. The premises, which have been occupied by Mr John .Dawson since the late fire, have a highly business connection, and is un .wtobtly one of the most comfortable and c6Wftrdent hotels in Reefton, and will no doubt excite the keenest competion. ■ The match for £ 1000 aside, between the Canadian champion oarsman, Hanlan, and Boyd, of Newcastle, came off on the Tyne, on the 3rd instant, but resulted in a hollow victory for the champion, who won yery easily by four boat's lengths, Boyd never having a chance. The unconquered Hanlan will meet Trickett .next month, but, we may much fear that the latter stands a poor show of reversing the result of the last race. The pleasing intelligence reached town yesterday evening that a small run of gold-bearing stone has been met with in the Inangahua Low Level Tunnel. Further particulars will no doubt reach town to-day. We learn that Mr J. Shields yesterday Bold out of his > elson business. It is reported that John Callanan, the well-known local athlete, has "been backed for £100 to do the extraordinary height of sft. in a standing high jump, and the event will come off shortly ; month or so back Callanan jumped 4ft. 10|in. in a Standing jump, which establishes his claim to the championship of the Colo- . hies. We regret to state that Mr W. B. Archer, the respected postmaster at Boatman's, is compelled by ill-health to take a trip to the hot springs inthe north island, where, no doubt, he will be restored to vigor. He goes from there to Christchurch to see the wonders of the Exhibition, and at that centre there are likely to be gathered a very large number of Reefton residents. Friday, being Good Friday, all the. Government offices will be -closed and Sunday hours will be observed at the Telegraph office. A notice from the postmaster appears in another column. The increased cost of the lately granted postal concessions in connection with the Nelson mails ia only £280, and not the larger sum as originally stated. " The new Licensing Act bristles with so many absurdities that one or two more or less cannot make it more ridiculous, hut some of them are calculated to inflict very needless injury and inconvenience. At Boatman's, for example, the Messrs. Kohler were unable to fix up their figures in the hall attached to the Union hotel, and they consequently had to rent the State school which is specially inconvenient and out of the way for any exhibition of the kind, The 128 th clause is the prohibitory one and says:— "lf any licensed person sliall permit any room or portion of his licensed premises, or the appurtenances thereof, to be used or occupied as a dancing, concert or theatrical saloon, or as a place of common rescrt to which persons shall be admitted by ticket or otherwise, he shall be liable to forfeit his license". This clause bears very hardly on the people at Boatman's for Mr Walker's hall is the only place where public entertainments can take place, and, if this place is to be tabooed for such purposes, the residents must go without amusement of any kind. It is hardly likely that the Legislature ever meant the Act to be so stringently applied and, were we in Mr Walker's position, we would try the question. In some parts of the colony there have been disgraceful places attached to public houses that would come under the description given in the Act. That these should be put a stop to is only right in the cause of public morality, but it was never intended to close respectable places like Mr Walker's hall against all entertainments, especially as it is the only place in the township where such can be given. A notice appears in the Gazette of the 27th ult. calling Parliament together for the despatch of business on Thursday, thq 18th of May next. In a Gazette of the 30th ult. notification of her Majesty's assent so "The Chinese Immigrants Act, 1881" also appears. Commission to licensed dealers in stamps has been fixed at the rate of £2 10s per cent on all purchases of £2 worth of j stamps and upwards, and to depositaries at the rate of £2 per cent, for the same quantities. Other persons are allowed a discouut of lj per cent, on purchases of L2O worth of stamps and upwards. It is the intention of the Reefton Bellringers, assisted by amateur vocalists, to gave a concert shortly at Boatman's in aid of local charities. We learn that Mr John Trennery, manager of the Golden Fleece Extended Company, reached Christchurch from Melbourne on Wednesday last and will probably arrive in Reefton on Saturday evening next, We understand that Mr Walter Brown, who has been for some yeara teller in the Reefton branch of the Bank of New Zealand, has been promoted to take charge of the agency at Ross. Mr Pickett from Lawrence, Otago, will succerl him here. Mr Brown has won golden opinions hero by his courte3ey and obliging disposition

and many will cordially wisli him'all sue- . cess in his new sphere of duty. ■'* At a'meetipgf of 'directors. of tiie Rainy Creek Gold Mining. Company, on Tuesday evening, Mr McMasters, late of the Keep-it-Dirk, was'appointed manager. The latest proof there has been as to necessity for the appointment of more justices for the Reefton district has been shown in the fact that the revision of the jury that should have taken place to-mor-row will have to adjourned, as a plural number of justices cannot be got together, the magistracy of the district being in the singular number, Mr P. Brennan being the sole J. P. here. The defendant in a civil case at the R.M. Court at Christchurch, the other day, was named Ell. " Where did he tell you, to go? "said the learned counsel On the opposite side. "He told me," replied the witness under examination, "to go to Ell."—" Did you go ? " queried Mr Holmes. "Yes," answered the unsuspecting witness, amid the laughter of the whole Court. "A witness returned from there should be valuable evidence," said the presiding magistrate. A curious accident happened in : the Wairarapa the other day to aMr Laing. He was in the act of stepping^from the door when he trod on a cat. Pussy glided swiftly from beneath him, and he was thrown foijward with such force that one of his legs was smashed in two places. ~ m ~^ m^~~ mm * m m mm ”