The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1209, 18 December 1882, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1882.

Under the terms of his lease to the Reefton Jockey Club, Mr A. Smith, the proprietor of the race course, has reserved the right of allowing horse-owners up to the day of the races to train on the outer circle of the running ground. Owners wishing to train must, therefore, make arrangements with Mr Smith before they will be allowed to use the course for exercise gallops. A meeting of the stewards of the Reefton Jockey Club was held at William's Hotel, on Friday evening last, there being a full attendance of members. Mr T. Lee was voted to the chair. Applications by the Austrian Band and Black's Point Band, for the supply of music, were considered, and it was eventually decided to engage the local band, upon the terms contained in their letter. Mr Shepherd was appointed treasurer of the gate funds, and Mr Wise to a similar capacity at the grand stand. Mr James was appointed treasurer of tho totalisator fund. And Messrs Connolly and Lee were elected a committee to superintend the working of the machine, and to see that no money was paid in on any event after the fall of the starter's flag. The course committee, Messrs Beilby, Edwards and Finlay, were empowered to authorise certain needed improvements about the grand stand. It was decided to write through Sergeant Neville to the Inspector of Police askingthattheserviccsof an extra mounted constable might be allowed at the gates on the race days. The meeting then adjourned. The half-yearly meeting of shareholders in tho Golden Treasure Company was fixed for Friday last, but owing to insufficiency of attendance the meeting was adjourned for seven days. The next sitting of the District Court at Reefton will be held about the middle of January next. There is a large amount of business both on the criminal and civil side, as well as several important mining applications. The unfortunate man Ralph Hall, who sustained a fracture of the spine about a month ago through falling down the Imperial shaft, died in the hospital on Saturday morning last. The poor fellow passed the last few days in great agony, md with a coneiousness of the hopelessness of his condition awaited his end with £rcat fortitude and resignation. His wife wan with him to tho la:;t and the final iceii'} '*s ,-;;ii<l \(> have be-;); v very (nTcct

ing one. The funeral will take place at 3 o'clock this afternoon. It is worthy of note that all the latest detail maps issued by the Public Works Department Bhow the Cannibal Gorge as beginning and ending to the west of the Spencer Range, whereas it is beyond the possibility of doubt that the Gorge begins on the eastern side of the Range and cuts it right through to the west. Yet in th*e face of this palpable blunder some of the surveyors of the .Department talk about the West Coast railway route with an air of authority. The map accompanying the Surveyor-General's report for the current year shows the error in question. Mr Preshaw, secretary of the Reefton Hospital desires to acknowledge the receipt of 21s, from Mrs Minderman, and 10s 6d from Mr C. Mlndennan of the Inangahua Junction, as a contribution towards a Christmas dinner for the inmates of the institution. The practice of making special contributions to hospitals to supply the patients and inmates with a dinner is followed regularly in all the West Coast towns but Reefton, and this is an opportune time for suggesting that a similar course should be here. A very small contribution from each of the business people, whether in money or kind, would suffice, and we need hardly add that the secretary of the hospital will be very happy to acknowledge all contributions through the press. The first contingent of racing stock reached Reefton yesterday in the charge of Mr S. Osbourne. The arrivals consist of Fishhook, Longlands, Shark and Black Prince. The horses were quartered at Twohill's Hotel. Inquiries are made from Greymouth, of the whereabouts of Mr W . L. Macalaster who resided in Reefton some four or five years ago. Important letters await him at Greymouth, and any information concerning him will be thankfully received by Mr James Payne, Greymouth, or at the office of this paper. There was a rather large muster on the race course on Saturday afternoon last, to witness a private match between Mr Duggan's mare and a Nelson horse belonging to Mr J. M'Lean. The stake, it is said, was £60 to £20, M'Lean conceding 141bs and receiving the oddish The distance was one mile, owners up. M'Lean weighed out, turning the scale at 2241b5, and his opponent at 2101bs. Mr W. Cochrane acted as starter, and the horses got away well together, the mare, however, soon forging to the front, in the first half mile gaining a lead of four or five lengths. From this point onwards, the Nelson horse, notwithstanding his tremendous load of beef, rapidly closed up, and the race seemed a gift to him, but at the last turn into the straight M'Lean lost control, carrying hi 3 horse on to the outer circle, thus losing a deal of ground, aud Duggan was landed a winner by about two lengths. The betting was three to one on the local horse, but the result showed that properly ridden the Nelson horse could have won easily. The following telegram in reference to thecrushinggoingonby the United Victory Company, Lyell, reached us last night : - " Glad to report great improvement under new battery management. Though scarcely crushed thirty tons last week, yielded over one-and-a-half ounces per ton. Confident paying property." This is of itself satisfactory, but although the information reaches us from a gentleman in no way connected with the crushing, and in whom we have the. fullest confir dence, wo are afraid in the face of the miserable, and as yet, unexplained failure of the last crushing, it will be received by the public with a modicum of distrust. We sincerely hope, however, that these glowing anticipations will be realised. Between Saturday and last night, a splendid rainfall took place, and which will prove a perfect god-send throughout the Inangahua. Never was rain more ardently wished for than at present, for another week's dry weather would have ruined every vestigo of crop in the district, The glass continues to fall, so that there is every prospect of a continuance of the rain. Tho booths and other privileges at the forthcoming Christmas races were offered at auction by Mr P. Brcnnan on Saturday last. There was a veiy largo attendance, and the competition was remarkably keen. No. 1, or the steward's booth, fell to Mrs Hartignn for £81, and No. 2, to Mrs Enwright for £72. The cards were knocked down at £5 and the refreshment stall at £8. Tho total realised was thus L 165, which is probably the highest figure ever realised on the West Coast for those privileges. The Club retain the grand stand, gates and totalisator. A private offer of LIOO has since been made to the stewards for the gates, but nothing has yet been done in the matter.