The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1210, 20 December 1882, Page 2

The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1882.

The next English and European Mail via San Francisco, will close on Wednesday, the 27th December, at 6 a.m. As the Reefton races open on Tuesday and Wednesday next, 26th and 27th inst. and the Greymouth races on the following Saturday and Monday there will be ample time for residents of Reefton and Greymouth to interchange, so as to be present at each gathering, and the reduction of coach fares and daily service between both places will no doubt act as a strong inducement in that direction. We notice the Ahaura people have arranged for a one day's meeting on New Year's day, but as the date unfortunately clashes with the Greymouth fixture, none of the horses now on circuit will be able to attend the meeting! which will therefore be confined to locally owned animals. We think it a pity the Ahaura date could not have been fixed for Friday 24th inst., instead of Monday, as on the trip downward visitors could have broken the journey at Ahaura and spent an agreeable day there. Owing to the interruption to traffic on the Westport road on Monday last, the up , coach did not arrive. In order to catch the English mail the coach was delayed by the postmaster in Westport until this morning. At the half-yearly meeting of shareholders in the Golden Treasure Gold Mining Company, Messrs T. Hunter, D. Young, . 0. Macquarrie, and A. Heavy were re-elected directors for the current half-year. The ordinary half-yearly meeting of shareholders in the Eureka Company was held at Mr Lee's office on Monday evening last, Mr Eater being in the chair. The report and balance sheet were read and adopted, and the following gentlemen were elected directors for the ensuing six months :— Messrs T. Collings, T. Bruce, J. Kilgour, A. Nottman, and A. M'Kay. Mr F. Smith was elected auditor. . We remind owners of race-horses that to-night is the Reefton Jockey Club night of general entry. All nominations for the different events are to be made to the secretary of the club before 8 p.m. The stewards will meet this evening at Williams' Hotel. In accordance with a resolution passed at Jiht last meeting of the Reefton Railway League, the County Chairman on Monday laßt telegraphed to the Hon. the Minister of Public! Works, who was then in Christchurch, inviting him to visit Reefton. An answer was subsequently received stating that the Minister would reply to it on reaching Greymouth. The Hon. Mr Johnston was in Geymouth yesterday, but up to noon no reply had been received. We understand that the hon. gentleman expected to catch the Graf ton at Greymodth, but the steamer is storm bound at Westport, and consequently there is a probability that the Minister will have to make the journey overland. Mr Hankin advertises an extensive sale of Jewellery at his Mart, Broadway, on Saturday next, at 3 p.m. The following telegram received yesterday afternoon, has been placed at our disposal. — "P. Brennan, Esq., Chairman Inangahua County Council, Reefton. — Hon. Mr Johnston desires me to say he regrets his time will not permit of his visiting Reefton on this occasion, it being necessary for him to return to Wellington as early as possible. — N. W. Werry, Under-Secretary for Railways." Werry good. But why the "dooce" did Mr Johnston come to the West Coast if his time is so precious?. The explanation probably is that Mr Johnston has been sent round by his colleagues, merely to feel the pulse of the different representatives^ and ascertain their feelings towards the Government. Accordingly, he has just time enough to drop in at Westport in order to save his Christmas dinner. It is announced that the sittings of the Resident Magistrate's and Warden' 8 Courts appointed to be held on Thursday, 21st instant, have been adjourned, the former until Tuesday, 16th January and the latter until Monday 15th January. The weather has again cheated the prophets, and instead of a heavy downpour the fall has been scarcely sufficient to saturate the surface. A large number of alluvial miners in the district will thus be prevented from washing up for the holidays, and this will no doubt have an appreciable effect upon the spending power of a large section of the population. The glass however, still remains almost at the rain guage, so that it is just possible the week will finish wet In the list of fifth year successful candidates at the October term examinations of the Melbourne University, is the name of Mr C. J. Potts, younger brother of Mr W. J. Potts, Reefton. It cannot but be regarded as a little significant that in the interview which Greymonth has just had with the Minister of Public Works, not the slightest allusion was made by any of the speakers to the East and West Coast Railway. The desirability of extending the Brunnerton line to Nelson Creek was duly urged upon the attention of the Minister, but none of the speakers seem to have been able to trust their advocacy beyond that limit.

The interview was strictly of the harbor, harbory. It is related of a Bailor who was promised the full gratification of three wishes, that he first wished for rum, and next tobaccy, and being pressed to name bis third greatest desire, ejaculated "more rum," and this would seem to be the position of the Greymouth people. They want, 1. harbor: 2, Cobden bridge : 3, more harbor. A challenge has been received by the local cricketers from the Greymouth Club offering to play a match on Christmas day. A cricket match on Christmas Day ! Did anybody ever hear the like ? Greymouth cricketers know little of the habits of Reefton people if they think that such an outrageous proposal will go down here. Christmas Day is a day of rest and thanksgiving, and there is not a married cricketer in Reefton that won't have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning, and chop a heap of kindling wood and then fly round till breakfast time strangling fowls, and making numerous other vicarious offerings to the domestic shrine. And thiß is'nt all the thanksgiving he's" got to do neither, but enough to show that the very idea is sufficient to disorganise the whole domestic economy of the community. No, we say again, on behalf of our respective Belves. If the Greymouth cricketers will come up on Christmas Day, we shall be glad to play over again some of the English- Australian matches over a select bottle of wine with them, but to ask us to take the field in earnest, under the gorgeous influences of a Christmas dinner, we say firmly and emphatically — gentlemen, count us out. ' In Auckland, with a population of 16,664 there are two daily newspapers (one morning and one evening) and three weekly (one of which is a society journal): in Wellington, with 20,563 of a population, one morning, one evening, and one weekly paper : in Christchurch; with a population of 15,214, two morning, three evening and five dailies (one being a society and another the licensed victualler's organ) : and in Dunedin,. with a population of 24,372, two morning, one evening, and two weeklies. Two strong-minded females at the Thames have entered into parsnership as brokers for the sale and purchase of mining stock. This is the first instance on record in this Colony of a woman having entered on such a line of business. It is intended to station detectives at Auckland for the purpose of watching the departure of the outward 'Frisco steamers. The men are to be drawn from the principal towns, and it is thought that this will be the means of preventing such wholesale exoduses of levantera as have occurred lately.