MAIL NOTICES.

Mails close at the Ashburton Post Office, as follows :

The outward mails for the United Kingdom via San Francisco, will close at the Ashburton Post Office, on Saturday, the 22nd inst., at 9 a.m.

For Christchurch and North at 6 a.m. 9. a.m., and 5 p.m., daily. For Chertsey Rakaia, &c., at 9 a.ni. and 6 p.m. daily. For Dunedin, Tinwald, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine, at 10.15 a.m. daily. For Temuka, Timaru, and South at 6 a.m. and 10.15 a.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge, on Tuesdays and Fridays, at 10.30 a m. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbeach, at 3.15 p.m. daily. For Wakanui, and Seafield, on Tues days and Fridays, at 6 a.m.

Mails arrive at the Ashburton Post Office—

From Christchurch at 10.35 a.m., 4.55 p.m., and 8.15 p.m. daily. From Chertsey, Rakaia, &e. at 10.35 a.m. daily. From Dunedin and intermediate places at 5.25 p.m. daily.

Fram Temuka and Timaru at 9.25 a.m. and 5.25 p.m. daily. From Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3 p.m. From Ashton, Watertoii, and Long beach at 10 a.m. daily.

From Wakanui and Seafield on Tues days and Fridays at 2.30 p.m.

W. St. G. Douglas, Postmaster. Mails close at the Chief Post Office, Christchurch, for the following places (subject to necessary alterations) as under:— Tuesday, May 18. For Otago and Australian Colonies, per Te Anau, at 3.15 p. m. For Northern Ports and Westport, per Grafton, at 3.15 p.m. Thursday. May 20. For Northern Ports of New Zealand and Australian Colonies, via Sydney, per Tararua. The next mail for the United Kingdom via Brindisi (for correspondence specially addressed only), will be closed at Christ church on June 3rd, and will be due in London on July 24th.

SYDNEY J. DICK, Chief Postmaster,

The Ashburton Herald AND Borough and County Advertiser (With which is incorporated the “Evening Echo”). MONDAY, MAY 17, 1880.

For a considerable time past, there has been a bitter wail going up from the colo nists, in every part of New Zealand, on account of the tightness of the money market, and ihe general depression ex isting in trade circles from one end of the colony to the other. There is no question but this lamentation is justified to an ex tent, and it is equally true that the dis tressing cry has been intensified by the exceedingly low prices which the farmers are offered for the product of their har vest —a harvest, the abundance of which did, for a time, create a feeling of grati tude and hopefulness which, up to a cer tain period, imparted new life to the tillers of the soil. The residents of the town ships, also, caught the contagion, and re joiced with their agricultural brethren, from the patent fact that the prosperity of the farmer meant the prosperity of the merchant and tradesman. But these bright anticipations were dispelled by the inferior prices which ruled in the grain market. The result now is that a feeling of despondency rests upon the majority of the colonists, and the future is looked into with feelings the reverse of pleasurable. The large numbers of working men who have been landed upon our shores—ex pecting that, instead of seeking work, employers of labor would be waiting to snap them up —have been grievously dis appointed. During the height of harvest, when, as a rule, there is “no complaining in our streets,” there were not a few whose efforts to obtain employment were unavailing. Taking this fact into con sideration, along with the knowledge that road-making and works of a like descrip tion are being carried on by the Road Boards of the colony only to a very limited extent, the outlook, especially for laboring men, is gloomy in the extreme. And so long as harvesting and road making are the only sources which are looked to for supplying work to the labor ing classes, so long will this unsatisfactory state of things exist. The high state of perfection to which machinery neces sary for gathering in the har vest has now been brought, re duces manual labor in this branch of industry to a minimum ; and as the money which had been loaned for laying down railways and opening up the country by roads and bridges is now exhausted, any help from local governing bodies will be small indeed. The probablem to be solved—and a serious problem it is—is, what are we to do with our fellow country men who, wisely or not, have been in duced to emigrate to this country, but have not found it the Elysium it was painted ? Amongst other theories which have been put forth, and which should commend itself to the attention of the working men themselves, is that of disseminating their numbers over the goldfields of the colony. From our telegrams, of a recent date, we were informed that a party of miners, in the vicinity of Hokitika, were earning as much as 355. per week in their search for the precious metal ; not much, to be sure, but when the latter portion of the telegram tels us that in consequence of the fish and game that abound in the locality, 7s. or Bs. a week is all that is necessary to live upon, it is surprising that the surplus population of our towns and cities do not make tracks for such a desirable district. There is not, perhaps, a country on the face of the earth which can boast of having beneath its surface such a quantity and variety of mineral wealth, and the only action now required to place the colony on the pinnacle of prosperity is for these gifts of Nature to be developed, If, instead of spending so much capital in the construc tion of roads and railways, Government had made use of a percentage of it for the development of the colony’s mineral treasures, by placing parties of men in localities which had been duly reported on by the Government Geologist as being likely to be not only self-supporting, but to return a handsome revenue to the colony’s ex chequer, doubtless the colony would not

now have felt the hardtimesso much as she has done. As it is, the money which once was at the disposal of Government to have used for this purpose, had they, in their wisdom seen fit so to do, has been ex pended, and if the copper, tin, coal and other hidden treasures are to be developed it will, be by the enterprise of private companies or individuals. Meanwhile we throw out the hint to the unemployed to think over the advisableness of paying a visit to those districts of the colony -where it is known for a certainty that gold in payable quan tities exists, and where the sinew, muscle, and industry which many of those now out of work possess, would stand a fair chance of a rich reward.

Drunk. —His Worship the R.M. dis missed two inebriates this morning, with a reprimand. The New Courthouse. —To-day the contractors made a start with the new Courthouse, and a number of men are at work on the site, which, as our readers are aware, is the reserve just northward of the Town Hall. Free Lodging. —An unfortunate in dividual had got mixed in his geography of Ashburton, and in the darkness of midnight lost his way. He happened to strike Mr. Bossenburg’s stables, and at once made for a hay rack, where he fancied he would be snug till day-light-. He was found there and lugged out. This morning he was charged with being ille gally' on the premises, but as no criminal intention was evident, the man having simply been benighted, he was let off with a caution to bear in mind that every stable is not available for free lodgings. Larrikinism. —In his sermon last night the Rev. W. Keall expressed himself very strongly on the larrikin element which prevailed in the colony, remarking that the very name was becoming odious to all respectable colonists. The fact of most members of the larrikin class being of such an age as to lead to the inference that they were not yet beyond the reach of parental restraint, made the matter even more lamentable; and the rev. gentleman feared that very stringent measures would have yet have to be adopted to stamp out the evil.

The Town Hall Alterations. —The contractors for the work of altering the Town Hall have made very rapid progress, and already the whole appearance of the building has been changed. A very sub stantial, if not very ornate or imposing verandah has been erected ; the t»vo shops in front have taken shape, their how window projecting out to the street line, while the gallery has been boarded up to the ceiling, leaving a space facing the stage that can be utilised as a dress circle, while the space behind the board ing forms a spacious room. The entrance to the upper room and to the dress circle is gained by an outside staircase, which, however useful it may be, does not add to the beauty of the Hall’s outside appear ance. But that can very well be tolerated if the effect will improve the acoustic properties of the building. We should fancy that the two shops, one in the oc cupancy of a confectioner, and the other in the hands of a tobacconist and news man, ought to be good centres for busi ness.

District Court. —His Honor Judge Ward held the usual sitting of the District Court to-day, when several applications for discharge in bankruptcy were made. The following were granted :—Applica tions for discharge by Mr. Branson in re Jeremiah Cummins, John Candish, and J. P. Parker. By Mr. Crisp —in re Wil liam Ford. Mr. Crisp applied for order of discharge in re Patrick Sullivan. A creditor named John Williams opposed, stating that the debtor was only a labor ing man, and had obtained money that be longed to his mates, filing immediately thereafter with a deliberate intention to defraud them. Mr. Crisp said no notice of any intention to oppose had been given, and submitted that Williams’ state ment could not be received without such notice. The debtor was not present, and his Honor, holding that he should have been m attendance, adjourned the case to admit of notice being given by Williams. Applications for discharge were made by Mr. Crisp, instructed by Mr. Ireland, in behalf of William and Charles Risely, and John Young Ward, but both were ad journed for the filing of the necessary affidavits. The application of Henry Thomas —Mr. O’Reilly for the debtor— was adjourned, the gazette notices in the bankruptcy having been informal. Order for payment of costs in re bankruptcy of James Gardiner was made on the applica tion of Mr. Crisp.

Christchurch Corn Exchange. —A meeting of the subscribers of the Corn Exchange was held in their rooms, on Saturday last, when a paper was read by Mr. Bateman on “ The Utility of Farmers’ Clubs and Corn Exchanges. ” The paper was listened to with much attention by all present. Mr. Perryman proposed, seconded by Mr. Bailey, that the thanks of the meeting be accorded to Mr. Bate man for his valuable paper, and that they hoped steps would be taken to have it printed. The meeting then terminated. Inquest. —An inquest was held at Leeston on Friday last, to enquire into the cause of the fire by which Messrs. Wills Bros, had about 1300 bushels of wheat destroyed, and Messrs. Levett and Dale, who were threshing at the time, had their combine and elevators burnt. A grea,t number of witnesses were examined, but nothing of any importance in connec tion with the origin of the fire could be gathered. The following verdict was re turned :—“ That the sacks and grain, part of a stack, the combine, and elevators were set fire to and burnt, but that there was no clue or evidence to show how the fire had originated. ” A Dangerous Jump.—On Saturday Miss Johnston, a pupil teacher in the Rangiora school in attempting to get on the train for Christchurch while in motion, slipped on the platform, and narrowly escaped having her legs cut off by the guard’s van. Being late, she made for the last carriage, but in catching hold of the standard on the verandah, slipped on the wet platform and fell between the carriage and the van. Constable Mahar, who was near, made a desperate effort to pull Miss Johnston back, only succeeding, however, m dragging her from the danger of being cut in two on the metals, and holding her under the step of the van, between it and the platform, till the train had passed. Though Miss Johnson was much alarmed, she escaped unhurt.

Lime-Light Diorama. Raymond’s Lime-light Diorama of the travels of Stanley and Livingstone in Africa, and the principal events of the late Zulu war, is to be exhibited in the Town Hall to morrow evening. The papers speak of the paintings as well executed, the lime light well managed, and add that the lecture is decidedly eloquent and well delivered.

CABLE NEWS.

LATEST FROM EUROPE.

(Reuter's Telegrams.) The Australians Victorious. London, May 14.

The cricket match between the Austra lian team and Eighteen Gentlemen of Hampshire was resumed and concluded to day. The Englishmen scored 11G in their first innings, and then followed and scored 113 in their second innings. The Austra lians thus won the match in one innings with 21 runs to spare. The Markets. Three per Consols New Zealand wheat, per 4961 b., 435. to 455., ex ship. Best Australian beef tallow, 335. ; best mutton tallow, 355. At the wool sales, merino fleece and merino lambs wools are unchanged, hut cross-breds are to 3d. lower compared with previous sales. There will be no further sale until Wed nesday 19th, owing to Whitsuntide holi days. The sales close on June Bth. A Denial. May 15. The statement made that the Chief Secretary for Ireland recommends a policy of coercion towards Ireland is denied.

The^Liguria. The Orient steamship Liguria sailed from Plymouth to-day.

AUSTRALIAN.

{By Cable to Baiter's Agency.) Obituary. Melbourne, May 15, The Hon. Neil Black is dead.

NEW ZEALAND.

A Dangerous Individual. Auckland, May 15,

At Hamilton a man named Flood, work ing for Mr. Martin, tailor, took possession of the upper rooms of the shop in a state of delirium tremens, heaped up a large fire, and threatened to burn down the premises. An attempt to dislodge him was fruitless, and the police were called in. Meeting Constable Weldon on the staircase with a tomahawk, Flood held his own, but a man named Edwards got be hind him and pinioned his arms as he was striking at the constable. He was then secured and taken to the lock-up by the police. Another Skeleton. A skeleton has been discovered by a Native in the vicinity of Huntley, Wai kato. It is not known yet whether it is that of a Native or European. Complimentary. A memorial is being got up to Mr. A. Fantham, for his exertions in preventing the spread of pleuro-pneumonia in the Waikato district: An Eventful Voyage. May 17. During the voyage of the Loch Dee which arrived yesterday from London, one passenger committed suicide, and three, who fell overboard, were drowned. Found Drowned. Wellington May 16. The body of a middle-aged man was picked up on the beach near Coffer’s slip last evening. A large portion of his face has been eaten away. The body has not been identified, and an inquest will be held to-morrow. The Himalaya. Wellington, May 17. The barque Himalaya, 100 days out from London, is signalled. Another Victim. At the inquest held to-day on the body of a man found in the harbor on Saturday last, the deceased was identified as Peter W. Earl, who was last seen about 10 days ago. He had been drinking heavily. A verdict of “Found drowned” was returned. The Hon. John Hall. It is understood the Premier will pay a short visit to Cantei'bury, for the purpose of addressing his constituents before Par liament meets. He will probably leave to-morrow.

Rendering an Account. Kumara, May 16.

Mr. Seddon, M. H. R., addressed a large meeting last night. He advocated the re peal of the property tax and the reimpo sition of the land tax, and a beer tax, if necessary. He supported the abolition of local subsidies. He did not think that the Opposition could form a Ministry if the present Government were defeated. He would not follow Mr. Macandrew because of the latter’s support of the Dis trict Railways Bill. He would follow no party blindly in futui'e, but would give every vote as the best for the district and the colony. The present Government had dealt fairly with the West Coast, and were in all details superior to their predecessors. A vote of confidence was unanimously passed to Mr. Seddon. A Lively State of Affairs. Oamaru, May 16. There is a split in the Liberal ranks. Some time ago Mr. Roberts issued his ad dress in the local papers, and now several of the electors wish him to retire from the contest in favor of Mr. Jones. This Mr. Roberts will not do, urging as his reason that Mr. Jones was one of his sup porters on coming forward, and that it would be undignified on his part to retire. It is impossible to tell what the upshot will be, but it is likely that Mr. Jones will contest the seat against Mr. Roberts.

A Serious Fire,

Dunedin, May 16.

The old (Supreme Court buildings, now used as offices by Mr. Conyers, Commis sioner of the South Island railways, were almost completely destroyed by fire this morning. All the books and papers of the Commissioner and locomotive engi neer were destroyed, including a number of returns prepared for Parliament. Mr. Conyers is now in Wellington. The

origin of the fire is not known. The other office burnt is the Resident Engineer’s and his assistant’s, but their books were in a strong room, and were saved. A Narrow Escape. In verc argil, May 17. On Saturday last a small cottage at Lumsden, occupied by two lads, engine cleaners, was observed to be in flames. On an entrance being effected the occupants were found to be insensible through the effects of the smoke, and were rescued with much difficulty. The cottage was completely destroyed. An Unpleasant Intruder.

Timaru, May 17.

Win. Henry, a Waimate man, of huge size and savage appearance, was fined L2 by the Bench to-day, for creating a dis turbance in the South Canterbury Club, alarming the members, smashing a globe, and attempting to pitch the waiter down the staircase. A Strike. The men of W. Bruce’s woodware fac torjq are out on strike. They were of fered work on half time, with a reduction of 2s. per day in their wages, but declined the terms.

The Waimate Plains.

[by telegraph.]

Hawera. May 15. The Haivera and Normanby Star to day publishes in full a scheme sub mitted by a large number of the members of the Armed Constabulary force now r on the Waimate Plains for settling the native difficulty. They have applied to the Go vernment for block 5 of the open agricul tural land adjoining the native reserve, and so situated as to be considered most beneficial for the defence of the district, to be allotted as follows : —Officers, 400 acres each ; sergeant-majors, 200; ser geants, 150 ; constables, 100 acres each, exclusive of reserves for roads, on the following conditions:—l. That companies of armed constabulary only should be formed of volunteers from the force, suit able men determined to settle upon the land. 2. Such companies to be not less than sixty strong, with a due proportion cf officers and non-commissioned officers. 3. That companies engage to occupy the land at once, or a-3 soon as the Government can see fit. 4. That they will erect redoubts and defend themselves, and that part of the district in which their land may be situa ted. 5. That they will also be available for service as companies of the Armed Constabulary force on any part of the West Coast from the Waingongoro River to Stony River. 6. Companies as regards discipline to be under the same regula tions as the Armed Constabulary force are at present. 7. That such companies shall be considered companies of Armed Con stabulary force, and receive the same pay as at present for a period of twelve months or longer if required from date of occupation, the Government to supply them with arms and ammunition, also with boots, &c., while employed on public works. 8. That companies agree to pay to the Government the sum of L 3 per acre for the land, to be paid as follows. 9. That the Government retain one-half of their pay while serving as part of the constabulary, the balance to be paid on the deferred payment system, extending over ten years, the privilege of paying up the balance at the end of five years being allowed. 10. Government to allow ample reserves for timber, educational, and other purposes, and to issue Crown grants within six months after the payments have been completed. 11. That companies agree to reside on the lai d for a period of five years, and make improvements as required by the deferred payments system, and to be available for service as companies of volunteers in the district above men tioned, from the date they cease to draw pay till five years shall have expired. 12. That at the end of twelve months the lands shall be allotted by ballot, according to rank.

CHISPA’S LETTER.

“I am not yet so bald that you can see my brains. ” —Longfellow.

There is not in Ashburton at this moment nine men more supremely happy than are the Town Councillors of this young borough. T]rom the Mayor down to the humblest member of the municipal staff, each unit of the municipal whole wears a benign smile upon his counte nance, and none smile more benignly than my friend Mr. St. Hill. The reason for this general joy is apparent when one reads the annual balance-sheet of the borough, and the speeches made when the Councillors considered it. Not for many a day has the Council been so well in funds, and the satisfaction of men who are able to pay their way and be re spected, sits upon the countenance of each. It isn’t a nice feeling to have—to know that your bank balance has got over to the “ other side,” and that your banker wants an interview. You feel as if it would be as well for a rich uncle or aunt just then to “ slip hold ” of life and wealth at once, and by the double event leave you in mourning, but in funds. There is no rich uncle of the borough gone to the majority, but she has been able to realise an old debt that was due by Government —wdien she was in partnership with the Wakanui and Longbeach Road Boards— and the realisation has given just the glow that goes through a man when he finds paid to him a bill he had long ago written off as a bad debt. That’s what’s the matter with the Borough, and to bring about this happy state of affairs the Mayor has been continually on the watch, looking up the two Boards and seeing to the account squaring. My friend Mr. St. Hill feels as if it were worth while being a Councillor now, and there is a heartier crack in his joke and a merrier twinkle in his spectacles, and he feels so confident of what is to be done in the future that he has advised me to buy boots without hob-nails, as the boulders are to disappear from the footpaths.

I don’t know if it matters a very great deal to a man, after he has, by becoming a corpse, made his title clear to the cus tomary freehold of six by two, whether a parson or anyone else reads a burial service over him—l don’t think it does. But it matters a little to those whom he leaves behind. I notice that a poor fellow, a laborer named Deacon, who was run over by a railway train at a place called Waihola, somewhere down South, was immediately after the inquest “buried in a newly dug hole, without rite or cere

mony.” The paper from which I quote adds—“ The recipient of this dog’s funeral had been several years in the colony, but had no relatives. Hard lines for a Deacon ! Where was the clergyman 1 Surely a mangled corpse might have been forgiven the audacity of stopping a goods train.”

That Library scare was quite interest ing, and I was very much surprised to see what a crowd of the leading men of Ash burton could be brought together of an evening when the question of the Library’s future was to be considered. There is one thing must be said for Mr. Purnell— he is plucky, and having a grievance he is not afraid to air it. His airing of his grievance has had the effect of getting the Library waggon back on to the rails again, and there is some hope that progress will be made. An attack has already been made on the County Council for funds/by Mr. Ward, and doubtless the County will shell out, seeing that Mr. Bullock promised them that any money given would be de voted wholly to the purchase of books.

Some days ago I heard a laboring man beseech a borough official for work, urging his petition with a statement that for nine weeks he had not earned a penny, and that now something would have to be done, if he and his family were to get a “ bit o’ food.” The official said he had no work to offer, and would have none, unless the Borough Council wanted some stone-chipping done. I don’t know that the Council do, but some of the footpaths do —badly ; and the macadamising of some of the petrified turnips that pave our ways would materially improve walking.

On some of our wayside railway stations the officials must be lonely and dull indeed, and the arrival of a parcel ad dressed to any one of them must be an event. I heard recently of how life at one of these stations was made lively, by the receipt of a very peculiar parcel. It is customery for officials at these stations to receive parcels addressed to themselves free, and if they didn’t there would some times be a scarcity of eatables, for it ■would be an awful handicap to have to pay rail charges on every loaf of bread that -was run along the line to them. This lively parcel I speak of, however, was not a loaf of bread. It was very neatly done up indeed, and when opened by the fair lady to whom it was ad dressed—the wife of an official— out came a packing of tussock, and out of that a full set of teeth ! “ Thirty-two of them, by thunder !” But those teeth were not made by a dentist. They were made by nature, and were intended by that artist for the use of a horse. The sender must have come into possession of them by heirship to the quadruped. By whatever means he came into possession matters not—he sent them to the lady. Had they been the work of a dentist, and made to a measurement of the lady’s pretty mouth they would have been ac ceptable, no doubt. But then they weren’t. She knows the donor, and I would advise him to make tracks for Fiji, for from what I hear his life is forfeited. Chispa.

The Railway Crave.

The Government are evidently to meet opposition from the Nelson members on the question of a railway. Nelson has only one Parliamentary idea, and that is, that it has not received pjustice at the hands of Parliament in the matter of pub lic works, and therefore whichever Go vernment will set on foot a railway that will connect Nelson with the outer world will receive the hearty support of that province, but whichever will refuse that boon must be the object of her implac able opposition. The withdrawal from tender of a proposed railway over which the Nelsonites were shaking hands with themselves has set their teeth on edge, and in public meeting assembled the offending Government have been roundly denounced for daring to sacrifice the best interests of the place. The sorest point seems to have been with the Nelson people, that while their railway was with drawn from tender, there were others in the colony that had been proceeded with, and a local paper in a recent issue in stanced the fact that the Mount Somers district was a favored one, and that tenders for a railway through it had been called for. It takes some time for news to reach IS elsou apparently, and the place seems to have been in happy ignorance of the fact that our railway had been included in the general onslaught and withdrawn from the contractors’ competition. When Relson learns that fact she will learn at least that she is not alone in her suffering of “injustice,” but that there are districts in the colony besides her own that have to put up with “neglect.” The reason assigned by the Public Works Minister for the withdrawal of these works is the financial position of the colony, which, he states, will this year be one million or more backward. When the tide of finance keeps so steadily on the ebb as it has done for the past eight months —when the trade of the colony keeps falling off, as indexed by the reduced Customs receipts —it is high time to think of retrenchment ; and if Government have not the money to go on with works of the trunk railway kind, so essential to the well-being of Nelson district, then the only course open for Government is simply not to undertake them. We fear there are too many works of the kind that will have to be abandoned for a time, and how ever much colonists may wish to see public works progress in every part of New Zealand, there is no man will advo cate the construction of such when the sinews of war are not fortcoming, and especially when the works themselves hold out no hope of a return within a reasonable time. The colony will look anxiously for the report of the Railway Commission, for we feel certain that by that report will many of the works now clamored for in certain districts be weighed, judged, approved, or condemned.

Strange Appetite. —Recently Mr. Fos ter, of Independence, had a fat cow killed for beef, and in dressing it the butcher found in the stomach of the cow a pound or more of nails, pieces of wire, scraps of old iron, horse nails &c.

Religious Freedom:. —A company of Old Believers, dissenting sect of Russia, having been guilty of putting up a new church in Butkoff, have been sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, and the church has been confiscated.

THE STORY-TELLER.

THE INFLUENCE OF A CHILD. (From Harper's Monthly.) “ That’s so, cousin!” exclaims a grim old Californian adventurer and ex-gold digger, who, like Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, holds us with his glittering eye until he is delivered of his story. ‘‘ It was in the early days of the Cali fornia gold fever, when the epidemic had apparently burned out all the ordinary sentiments of humanity from .men’s breasts ; cut loose from family, law, re ligion, and all the conservative appliances of society, the pistol and bowie-knife were considered the most essential artioles of clothing, and men fought over their claims and nuggets like wolves around the carcass of a buffalo, when in their savage selfishness they would sometimes clean out the pockets of the dead or dying com rade ere they abandoned the body to per ish by the way side. In these days I was chief of a company organised for co-opera tive labor and self protection while we worked a claim high up on a tributary of the Sacramento River. Here, day after day and month after month, we pursued our cheerless and adventurous toil, dig ging, damming, washing, and prospecting, carefully hoai’ding our hard-earned gains, jealously estimating each man’s capacity for daily protection,, and grudgingly envy ing his ability for reduction of our stock of coarse and costly provisions. One day as we were gathered in camp waiting for our evening meal, and recklessly discoursing of murders, misery, and gold, the figure of a man was seen descending the rugged path which led to our valley. As we were far away from the usual routes of travel, the stranger’s appearance excited surprise and suspicion, and his approach was greeted with jealous and inhospitable murmurs. Who can he be, and what does he want here 1 Some bummer looking for a free boarding-house ! An itinerant thief sneaking about for an opportunity to hook a nugget or two ! or perhaps some cut throat that has been allowed to leave the settlements to save the expense of a gal lows ! Can’t ring in here, stranger ;no tavern nor spare accomodation at this camp.

“Regardless of unfriendly growls and lowering looks the stranger neither halted nor spoke till he stood in our midst, where, unbuckling a strap, he disengaged a rag-enveloped pack from his shoulders, and, carefully stooping, deposited it standing up endwise on the ground ; then pushing back the top covering, which had some vague far fetched resemblance to a woman’s sun-bonnet he revealed the fea tures of a child, haggai’d and famine pinched as his own, but with a pair of great, sad, appealing eyes that might have melted even the gold-bearing quartz it self.

“ The grim circle was suddenly thrilled with a strange and unaccountable emo tion, which bursts into shouts and ejacu lations. Good Heavens !itis a child, and a girl at that. Then our head bully, a great rude ruffian, stepped forward, knelt beside the little apparition, and pushing back a curtain of tangled sunburnt hair, reverently kissed her hollow freckled cheek. One after another the whole camp followed his example, even the cooks deserting pots and pans to claim the privelege of yearning humanity. “During the salutation the stranger’s toil-worn countenance was lighted with a smile, and he spoke for the first time— ‘ Men, I knowed you couldn’t turn her off to starve. ’

“ Thus welcomed and reassured, while Supper was serving, the stranger told his brief story. He had started from Ken tucky, with his family to seek the new El Dorado by the usual route across the plains. Having lost his horses and cattle, he was forced to abandon his equippage, and with such scanty provision as they could pack on their backs, he and his people essayed to continue their journey on foot. The wife soon sunk under the accumulating fatigue and exposure. They had no tools to dig a grave, so, to hide the body from the wolves, they covered it with a heap of stones. The baby died two days after, which was a relief ; but it seemed too awful lonesome to leave it by itself in the midst of the desert, so they carried it back and laid it with its mother. This was a mighty satis faction, but it was a heavy loss of time, and provisions were getting down to star vation point. The man and his three boys still trudged on, by turns giving the little sister a lift . over the rough places, and always reserving her the big gest share of the provisions. But, in spite of their pluck, the boys dropped one after another, ‘ and ouly she and I have stuck it out. ’ So saying, the stranger wiped his moistening eyes with his coat sleeve, com posed his troubled countenance, and took the proffered seat beside his little girl at the supper table. ‘ A sudden and curious change appeared in the manners and temper of our party. From the hour that our new guests were established among us, gold ceased to be the leading topic of conversation, and its value depreciated to an extent that might have puzzled and alarmed the most able financier in Wall Street. The men worked languidly, gave up prospecting, hurried home to their meals, lingered longer about the camp, apparently for the sole purpose of being near the little girl, holding her on their knees, caressing and talking to her—a privilege which was as eagerly claimed, and jealously divided as had been heretofore the glittering dust of the placer. Cards were forgotten, oaths were suppressed, and we talked pleasantly and dreamily together of our distant homes, mothers, wives, sweet-hearts, and friends in the old States. Wild Indian whoops and ribald songs no longer roused the harsh echoes of the rocky canon, and we searched our memories for all the scraps of sacred or sentimental music that might have survived our long exile from the land of church bells and Sunday schools. It was even suggested that we might have better luck in our diggings if we should resolve hereafter to abstain from work and give some recognition to the Sabbath ; but it appeared we had lost the run of the calender so completely that not a man of us could have guessed with in four days of Sunday. The idea was abandoned reluctantly. So, during the week, this poor little sunburnt skinny sug gestion of womanhood remained among us, it seemed as if an angel sojourned in our camp, rebuking our wild greediness and brutality, and filling our hearts with humanising hopes and memories. ‘At length, rested, strengthened, and comforted, the stranger prepared to resume his journey, and although it

Monday, May 17, 1880.]

THE ASHBURTON HERALD.



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Miscellaneous CHRISTMAS Number Young Ladies’ Journal, London Journal, Family Herald, Family Reader, Boys’ Standard, &c. Just arrived. H. M. Jones, Sta tioner, Baring Square. SERVANTS requiring situations, call and get your names entered in the Herald Registry, Is. “\T7ANTED. —The Herald tells your V\ Wants in 20 words, for 1/-. WANTED— A General SERVANT. Good references required. Apply to Mrs. R. Friedlander, Tailored street. 461 c WANTED— A NURSE, with next steamer to San Francisco, to take care of a child eight months old. For further particulars apply to Mrs. J. S. ZANDER, Tancred street, 46Cc opposite the Parsonage. WANTED KNOWN—That C. Haw kins, The Tinwald Bootmaker, has REMOVED to premises Opposite the Tinwald Post Office, where he is still open to Sell first-class Boots and Shoes at his usual Cheap Rates. All kinds of Boots Made and Repaired. 805g —417c WANTED KNOWN—That Money can be saved by purchasing your Sta monery and Account Books, for cash, at the “Herald” and “Guardian” Whole tale Stationery Dep6t, Saunders’ Build ings, near Station. -\TTANTED —A General SERVANT. YV Apply, Mrs. C. W. Purnell, Trevorton. 468 c "tV7ANTED—SITUATIONS for »V onod Housemaids and G a few good Housemaids and General Servants. Apply, Herald Registry. 4670 WANTED, a General SERVANT. Apply at once to Guardian office or to Mrs. M'Kellar Wix, St. Leonards, Sea field. 470 c OFFICE and Pocket Diaries for 1880 H. M. Jones, Stationer, Baring Square. GHINIQUY’S LECTURES.—Just Ar rived, New Edition H. M. Jones, aring Square. TUST ARRIVED—Young Ladies’ Journals for APRIL, and other Magazines. H. M. JONES, Stationer, 60c East Street and Baring Square.



A AAft TO LEND, in sums to o&JLxJ' suit borrowers, at lowest rate of interest. F. P. O’Reilly, Solicitor, Ashburton. 424c-835g SCHOOL Requisites and Artist M iff? rials. H. M. JONES, Statin ler, Baring Square. ' r, ' / Lost— ten young pigs, just weaned. Anyone giving 11. Lan caster their whereabouts will be re warded. Anyone detaining the same after this notice will be prosecuted. 451 c FOUND. BROWN GELDING, with white hind Fetlocks. Brand W near shoulder, GB off shoulder. Owner can have same on paying expenses. Apply, BALDWIN’S CENTRAL HOTEL, 454 c Ashburton, TO LET. SIX-ROOMED COTTAGE, with half acre Garden, East Belt. Apply, 441 c ORR & CO. nnOWN HALL, ASHBURTON, JL TUESDAY, May 18th only. Ray mond’s Limelight Diorama. The Adven tures of Livingstone and Stanley. Also, the Zulu War. Seventy splendid scenes and eloquent lecture. Admission—ls. ; children, 6d. Open at 7.30, commence at 8 o’clock. 469 c BOROUGH OF ASHBURTON. ELECTION OF AUDITORS. IN pursuance of The Municipal Corpora tions Act, 1876, and The Regulation of Local Elections Act, 1876, I hereby give notice that an Election of Two Per sons to serve as Auditors for the ensuing year will be held at the Borough Council Office, on TUESDAY, the first day of June next. Nominations, in the form prescribed by the second Schedule of the last mentioned Act, will be received at the Town Clerk’s Office, up till Noon on Saturday, the 22nd day of May. CHARLES BRADDELL, Returning Officer. Borough Council Offices, Ashburton, 15th May, 1880. 466 c