Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

GERALDTOIST.
(From our own Correspondent.)
Geraldton. 23rd December. ififiS.
It appears likely to be anything but a festive season this
year, when from old associations we we-^e taught to look on
Christmas aud New Year's Day as golden epochs in each
recurring season.
We are sadly off for bouse accommodation for the working
classes. I believe at least a dozen Siuall houses would be
taken as they were built— at once.
The Assistant Surveyor, we hear, is busily at work at
Onngarra and on the Irwin, making boundaries, and
making what will one day be a most complete settlement
of farms, and we trust mining companies.
The heat has not as yet been excessive-tempered with
strong sea breezes, the average of 1 he thermometer in -rtnnra
haft been between 78 and 78. The barometer average I
cannot send you, not having one, but the tail of rain in
inches— in diameter— for a long time has been 0000.
I send yon specimens of the Irwin coal, lately brought
into Geraldton. I have tested similar ones minutely, and
find them to contain a very large amount of gas. Jt is very
similar to what is called the ' caunel' coal in England, but
I think purer. '
A most salutary measure has been adopted by the Go
vernment to prevent the escape of convicts, in the addition
of water police for this town, which will, £ feel sure, make
us and our shipping more secure.
Our old enemy the sand is being attacked right and left
by our new Resident, who appears most anxious to prevent
its spreading; a huge heap, however, yearly belches forth
its tons upon our principal street, and independently of all
considerations as to private interest, if the whole were
once cleared by convict labor, it would save labor in the
long run, for the present holder is willing to build on it, if
it were cleared. Thus by one outlay of convict labor for a
time, keeping our street clear always. Between the houses
from the Court-house to the Victoria Hotel are three or
four unfenced allotments, over which horses and carts are
being constantly driven, and away flies all the sand on the
roadway. Are the holders of these allotments, who are we
suppose living somewhere in the world out of Champion
Bay, to be allowed to leave them as a nuisance to us and
the town generally? Why, if they were for sale, half a
dozen houses would be on them ere this— all inhabited, and
making the town complete.
Another boxing day has come and passed away, and as
we are not, unfortunately, Volunteers, we had to make tbe
best we could of that old stock commodity - Cricket. Two
matches were played on the Greenough flats, eight of our
Victorians playing twelve on the ground near the hotel, and
8 elevens at the Bootenal. Really, although it is a pleasure
to recount the anniversaries whenever they occur, it re-
quires a great stretch of the imagination to make an ac-
count at all palatable to general readers. We might always
have a stock of cricket notices on hand, if we had many
newspapers, as the correspondents do in Kngiand. Alt
tbe obituaries, for uu-tauce, are prepared and written
mouths, aye and perhaps years before they are used. The
trip to the l-eroy or Ascot is written as often an not the
night before, over a pipe in Lincoln's Inn Fields, or, like
the romance of illustrated papers, that have always a stock
of battles for printing off Varna, lialacklava. Bull's Uun,
golferino -ah pustuuly off the same block, vamped and
spiced up a bit tbr eacn new right. So ?'vanitagvanUatum'
ail the world throughout;
. Uf course then we had a pleasant, a fine, and a jolly
day: bat riding considerably over thirty miles, and playing
cricket all day, savours considerably of hard work. How
ever, everyone seemed to like it. Christmas otherwise has
been very dun.
I enclose tbe score:—
VICTORIA EIGHT.
1st INNINGS.
S. Sainsbury, b. Unthqrne .. ,. .. 19
J. M Davis, b. Conndly ? 1
VV. Smith, b. Connelly ? *
J. Allpike, b. Unthome. a Lfnthorne .. .. 14
C Duffield, b. Lautburne, s. Connelly .. .. 3
H. IVuldeck. b. Lanthurne, & Unthome .. 6
J- Pengelly, b. Connelly .. .. .. 0
F. feud, not out ? 0
ny« ? 9
Total .. .. .. .... M
2nd INNINGS.
W. Smith. b.Coanelly.c.ConneDy .. .. la
J.M.Davie,b.CDnnelly. 0. Connelly .. .. o
8. Sainsonry.notout.. .. .. .. si
M. Waldeck. b. ConneUv .. .. ,. o
J. AUpIke. b. Unthome, c Unthome.. .. 12
J.Pengeuy.s. Unttiome .. .. o
Byes ? .. .. f
Total ? : .. 91
Grand total lifi runs.
GBEENOUGH TWELVE.
f 1st Ibhings.
W. Lmthome, s. Smith ? 7
W. Adiam, b, bainsbury .. .. .. s
K. Pearson, a. Smith .. .. -a .. 3
fi. Connelly, b. Sainsbury .. .. .. 4
J. Connelly, b. Smith.. .. .... 1
J. Giles, b. Sainsbury ? : 3
W. Watidnson. b. Sainsbury ? 4
R. Wright, b. Smith ? 0
J. Brockman, leg before wicket .. .. 0
Jas. Connelly, b. Smith .. .. .. 7
i\ Wilkinson, b. Smith, c Duffield .. .. S
M. Rowland, not out .. .. ,. .. 4
Leg byes ? 3
Total ? 43
2SD INHINGS.
VT. Adiam, b. Smith .. .. .. .. 17
K. 1'earson, leg before wicket . . . . . . 3
W. Luithorne, b. sainsbury .. .. .. 1
K. Connelly, s. Smith .. .. .. .. 9
J. Giles, b. Smith .. .. .. .. 3
B. Wright, b. Sainsbury .. ' .. ..0
W. Watkmsou, b. Smith ? 3
J. Connelly, b. Snuth. c. Smith .. .. 0
M. Rowland, b. Smith .. .. .. 0
F. Wilkinson, b. Sainsbury .. .. ..3
Jas. Connelly, b. Smith .. .. .. 0
J. tfrockman,notout.. .. .. .. 0
Total ? 41
Grand total 84 runs. Victoria Eight— winners by «l runs.
Umpires, Jas. Andrews. & Pearson.
$