West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Friday 12 August 1881, page 2


OCCASIONAL NOTES

LOCAL AND GENERAL

LETTERS from correspondents at Northam, Roebourne, and Cossack are unavoidably crowd-ed out to-day.

WE have been requested to publish the following acknowledgement : " The High School Athletic Sports Committee desire to express through the columns of the West Australian their warmest thanks to those subscribers who so kindly contri-buted to the prize fund, thus ensuring that success which is acknowledged by every one to have at-tended the sports this year."

A FREMANTLE correspondent writes :" The old man, Burns, whose horse strayed on the railway line, some weeks ago, and who was fined £10 and costs for the trespass, has, in, default of paying the penalty, been committed to prison. Regard being had to all the circumstances con-nected with the trespass, a strong feeling of sympathy is felt for the poor old man, who is now on the verge of four-score years, and who has always borne an unblemished character."

FROM Toodyay a correspondent writing

under date August 5th complains of the long con-tinuance of dry weather, and of keen frosts which had greatly retarded the growth of the feed. Wheat, generally was looking well, but the prospects of the coming season were not considered encouraging. The energetic chairman of the Toodyay roads board was setting to work in earnest upon the roads, and there was reason to anticipate that they would soon be placed in decent repair.

MANY of our readers will be glad to hear that by last mail a despatch was received by His Excellency the Governor, informing him that Her Majesty had not been adrised to withhold her assent from the Railway Act passed last session. The Guildford Square is, consequently, safe-the rail-way wiH not be permitted to disturb it No mentieii whatever is made in the despatch of the Square controversy, which the engineering advisers of the Colonial Ottice must, therefore, presumably, have considered quite unimportant.

AMONGST other items of news from the North Weat, there is one which is very satisfactory. It appears that the Government revenue cutter. Ruby, has succeeded, without any difficulty, in passing over the bar at the mouth of the Fitzroy, which Captain Archdeacon considered, we believe, would prove a complete obstacle to the navigation of the river. The Ruby anchored near an affluent of the Fitzroy, called the Yeeda, where there was twelve feet of water at high tide, while at low tide she was high and dry. There was very good land-ing for stock.

MB. EDWARD BROCKMAN, writing from the Warren, under date August 1st, says : " As Mr. George Simpson has for some time been trying to damage the trade in karri timber, wiil you allow me, through the medium of the West Australian, to give my impression of this timber. I have lived m this neighborhood for about twenty years, and can shew plenty of karri that has been underwater

for that length of time, Some time ago I had > occasion to drain a swamp, which I found to be one-- i mass of fallen karri legs, some of which must have been submerged for many years,-probably 100 years or more. The sap, of course, had disappear-ed, but the remainder was perfectly sound. I have no hesitation in saying that the karri is a mora durable wood than the jarrah growing in this dis-trict, either in or ont of water. I.ara afraid that self-interest has something to do with Mr. Simp son's efforts to depreciate this timber."

THE Diorama of the Zulu War has been drawing crowded houses during the week, and the nightly distribution of gifts has created unabated excitement. No less than fonr valuable suites of

furniture have been given away during the hut few

evenings, in addition to the other presents. We suppose'Mr. Thompson knows his own businessjbest, but the mystery to outsiders is-how it pays ? To-night will be positively the last appearance of the diorama in Perth, and it will be observed special attractions will be offered in the shape cf a hand-some piano, valued at forty guineas, and a fine oil engraving (the latter to be awarded to the author of the best conundrum on the Zulo War.) A host of other gifts is announced, and no doubt the liberality' of the proprietor will be duly re-warded by a crowded house. To-morrow evening the diorama will be exhibited at Guilford.

Ox Monday evening, last, two little boys, named respectively Crogan and Fraser, residing at the back; of Perth, were sent by their parents into the bush to gather firewood, and as they did not return by night their parents naturally became anxious about them, and search parties volunteered to go ont and look for the little wanderers, but their efforts to discover them proved futile. Next day the police were communicated with and some black trackers were despatched to scour the country in the direction which the youngsters had taken. Alter two days continuous search, the boys were found lying down ander a tree in the vicinity of Wanemong, a lake in the neighbourhood of Wanneroo. The poor children were utterly exhausted by their long privation, and partly delirious. Upon the ap-proach of the police in charge of the search party, they essayed to run away, but they were too com-pletely exhausted to crawl fromjthe spot 'where they had lain down together, in the anguish of their childish despair. Some food and restoratives having been furnished to them, they were convey-ed to their respective homes, and are recovering from the effects of their involuntary explorations.

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday last sat for

the first time under the new rules of the Judicature Act. The only cause set down for trial was a com-mon law case, in which Edward Hanrahan, a mech-anic, sued Mr. Lacey, the proprietor of the Green Mount Saw Mill, for unlawful dismissal from his service, and for money payable by the defendant to the plaintiff, and for materials provided. The plain-tiff claimed £150. It appears that Hanrahan was formerly employed at Jarrahdale, at the rate of £3 a week, but Mr. Lacey offered him £3 10s., and a written engagement for one year, which was accept-ed by the plaintiff. Owing to some disagreement, the defendant discharged the plaintiff soon after he entered his service, and the plaintiff returned to Jarrahdale, to his former employment, receiving the same wages as before (£3 a week). He now claimed as before stated. The Attorney General (instructed by Mr. Horgan) appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. S. H. Parker (instructed by Messrs Stone and Bart) for the defence. The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff for £17 10s., being at the rate of 10s. a week (the difference in the plaintiffs wages), from the date of his discharge till the termination of the year's agreement.

On Tuesday last, twenty-two members of the Perth Artillery Corps proceeded to Fremantle for shot and shell practice. On arrival at Freman-tle, the corps was joined by about the same number of the local Naval Artillery Volunteers, who also took part in the practice, with their six-pounder bronze field-pieces. Fifteen rounds were fired from each of the Armstrong guns at a floating target, the range being 1450 yards. The practice on the whole was good, and very superior to that on any former occasion. The shells were burst directly in front of the target, and many of the shot struck within a very few feet of it. Three rounds of case shot were also fired from the Armstrong guns across the bar. The firing of the Naval Artillerymen was also very fair, some excellent shots being made. On the part of the Perth Corps, Gunners Williams and Hare were particularly noticeable for their gunnery, while on the side of the Port corps, gunners Wemyss and Mews made some very fair shots. Both corps are deserving of praise for the progress they have made, and we have no doubt they will, by steady attend-ance at drill and strict attention to their respec-tive drill instructors, become, in course of time, fairly efficient gunners.