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Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1187, 2 October 1882, Page 2

! , We hear that Mr Osbourne has five horaeß in training at Hokitika for the coming West Coast campaign. The string includes Fishook, Longlands, and other well-known performers. A large number of the private friends of Mr and Mra Angus Campbell assembled at the Southern Cross Hotel, Broadway, on Thursday evening last, the occasion being the celebration of the nuptials of Mis 3E. Campbell and Mr Oswald E. Hugo. The company sat down to an excellent repast, and the usual social toasts having been disposed of enthusiastically, the guesta passed a few pleasant hours dancing. The Black' 3 Point band attended and during the evening performed Mendelsshon's grand Wedding March- The company separated shortly after midnight. Steps are being taken to put the ■Reefton cricket ground in good order for the coming season, and the cricketing material is expected to arrive in the course of a few days, when playing will be inaugurated, and it is to be hoped that early negotiations will be opened with some of the down-country clubs for a match. After nearly three weoks of almost continuous rain, the weather appears to have at length taken up, with every pro3poct of continuance. The Inangahua river was in high flood on Friday evening and crowds of people gathered along the banks to watch the passing of drift wood

enormous quantities of which swept past. By the discovery of a flaw in the tari.T laws of the United States a lawyer named Bogley, of New York will, it is stated, reap 3 pmfit of several millions of dollars. • Woolen materials have for some years past paid a duty of 50 cents a pound as an arl valorem duty of 35 per cent. Mr Bcgloy, however, discovered that the word "wool," in an important paragraph in the tariff laws, had been omitted, apparently through a cl^cal error. He therefore undertook to bring a test action in the law courts on condition of receiving half the sums to be re-iinbursed to the leading A nierican firms in the case of his lawsuit being successful. The Supreme Court has at length decided in his favor, confirming the decision of the District Court which held that it had no right to go behind the wording of the paragraph and assume an intention on the part of Congress which that body had not expressed. The sum in which Mr Begley will share is variously estimated at from 5,000,000 dollars to 11,000,000 dollars. The publicans of Melbourne, annoyed by recent efforts to restrain the number of pnblic houre3 made in the House by Mr James Munro, a well-known teetotaller, conceived the idea of punishing him by boycotting the notes of the new Federal Bank, of which he is Managing Director. In pursuance of this a number of placards — " Federal Bank notes not taken here,"— have been stuck up over the bars of most of the publics, and have led to several very amusing scenes old topers suddenly discovering as they leave the bar that they have nothing but a Federal Bank note in their pockets, others insisting that those notes are letral tender, and so on. The Chief Secretary has been asked in the House as to whether he will take any steps to suppress this new form of boycotting, and Mr Munro talks of an action at law. Already most of the public houses find that it does not pay to cut off their nose to spite their face, while the Federal Bank, which is quite a new and previously little-heard of institution, has received a most effective advertisement. The past week has not been signally active, and the sales have been few and far between, business being confined to Welcomes, Darks, Fleeces, and one or two others. Saturday being balancing day at the local banks, business people have been pretty well engrossed all the week with their private concerns. The splendid returns, however, which came to hand early from the Golden i Fleece Extended and Wealth of Nations j companies imparted some zest to specu- ! Jations and set the ball rolling again and there seems every reason to believe that the incoming week will see a return of the old activity. We observe that at a meeting of Dunedin brokers recently held it was unanimously decided to form a Hmrcbrokeivs Exchange. Now is the time for a similar movemeut in Reefton, for unless the step is taken it is quite on the cards that the I bulk of the local business will drift away to Dunedin. The battery returns published by us this morning show up remarkably well, the yields aggregating considerably over 1,500 ounces of gold. The figures for each of the mines being remarkably good. Mr Pownall's picture of "The Strand, Reef ton, " was drawn for on Saturday evening, Mr Mathew Wynn being the fortunate winner. The funeral of Mr Thomas' son took place yesterday, and was very largely attended. The Rev. Mr Parkin conducted the burial service. We elsewhere publish the balance-sheet of the recent Ball at Boatman's in aid of the hospital. For the handsome amount realised, and the evident economy shown in the management of the aflhir the greatest praise is due to the ball committee and the residents of Boatman's generally. The Grey coach arrived on Saturday evening, bringing a full load of passengers, and a very heavy and welcome mail. Two of the three competitive schemes for water supply sent into the County Council provide for lifting the water from the Inangahna river, near the town, and the third suggests the supply being drawn from Yankee Dave's creek. The whole of the schemes are, it is said, to be referred to Messrs Young Bros., civil engineers, for their report. Shoals of greyling were seen passing up the Tnansahua river yesterday, but they could not be induced to negotiate anything- in the way of a hook.