Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 - 1864), Friday 3 January 1862, page 2


SMYTHESDALE.

(From our oten Correspondent.)

2nd January.

NEW TEAK'S DAT.-New Year's Day sports included racing, jumping, quoit playing, catching the pig with the greasy tail, and boys endeavoring to eat the most treacle and bread. So ran the programme of sports at Denf s Hotel, and in spite ot pic-nics, the Ballarat Caledonians, cricket at Carngham, and racing on the racecourse, some three or four hundred persons gathered to share in or witness the sports here. The race between Hood's Little Mouse and Newcomens Stockman was in favor of the latter, and that right easy. To-day, the former and Delviene's Chance are to run for £20 aside.

WOADY YALLOCK ROAD BOARD.-The Linton Board of the Woady Yallock Road District seemE to get down greatly, being obliged to send its secretary as a deputation. It is a pity that thc New Zealand rush did not break out sooner, inasmuch as that the double election would not have taken place, the secretary in question having then the intention of leaving the place altogether. He was the great lever in getting up election No. 2. I perceive another district has been inflicted with a double Board, namely, Nunawaddiug. That district has, however, adopted the recommendation of Mr Duffys has done away with the two Boards, and is now preparing to have one, and the last interview will give a lesson that paid M.L.A.'s have not always the influence to obtain any thing their paymasters may require.

MINING.-With all the trouble -we are ia and the grumbling about bad times, it is gratifying to have to report the result of the last crushing from the North German Beef. One hundred and four tons of quartz were crushed, and the handsome yield of 184 ounces was obtained. This shows that the richness of the reef increases the deeper it goes. The first crushing gave an average ot 12d wts to the ton, the second 18, and the third lfoz. The Gemini (alluvial) Company have just bottomed on gold. I have not heard the exact yield. The reports from Staffordshire Beef are exceedingly good, the dividends of many of the companies before the holidays having been very high.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENTS AT KOKK WOOD.From Rokewood sad news has just reached me. Yesterday most of the inhabitants in and around Rokewood attended the races and other sports in the township. Some persons residing at Bulldog, on returning homeward, found a person of the name of Branagan nearly lifeless, he having bee n

thrown off his horse. He was taken to Ms

house by a person named Ross. This morning he had not recovered his consciousness. This morning Mr Ross's premises were found to be on fire, and the flames spread with such rapidity that two servant girls who slept in a detached place at the rear of the dining room were frightfully " burnt. They are so frightfully injured that it will be a mercy for them to be released from suffering. Mrs Ross, on seeing the disaster, jumped down a hole from twenty to thirty feet deep; but what is the result of this mad act, my informant, who was obliged to leave before she was brought up, could not say.