QUEENSTOWN.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 13, 9 February 1870, Page 5

QUEENSTOWN.

~ a (From our o-im Gorretjmi lenf. } February 7, TB7O. 1, The extremely dry weather we have lately 1 iit tills district was' agreeably varied by an abundant downpour of rain (luring the 27th<and '2Bth ultimo. This has tended to raise Hfc*i_h.earts and hope* of the milting |c>rtion of our residents, and the more substantial results will 'no doubt lie demonstrated bv the next eaeort. Upon the farmers, however, the rain had la very depressing effect, as, owing to the crops having been loft so long uncut, the grain w:ys too ripe, and of course every hour's delay in getting it in, subjected the producer to furfltegfosß. lam glad to say that the weather silica the date mentioned has been favourable ,{pr-harvesting operations ; and doubtless, by the of another week, the anxiety of our farm™S friends in regard to the effects of climatic 'inntienees will be set at rest. fa|KAjßoniewhat remarkable instance of navigation under difficulties occurred in this quarter last I week. Now, if I were at all of a romantic or turn of mind, I would have commenced this paragraph with some such startling , heading as " Victoria honk ovkh TUB Falls !" J - is»fat)U.Rbmakkablk Advkxtork and MrRAOPP». r rfaijaa-Escvi'l':! " —hut l>oing a prosy an 1 matterC^ 1 'of-TaJst party, 1 will simply give you the " plain, n - iihvarnished tale." It appears that the steamer L Victoria proceeded on Saturday week to Messrs ii Jlßte''' s " u Hallensteiu's mill with a cargo. JXyw, you must understand that the mill is 9 s'ltuated just at the outlet of the Like to the Kawarau river, and there is a fall of some eight j< I kbflsfcie feet from the Lake to the river ; eonse- ' the current at that point is verv strong. ' pu"tyunday morning Mr K. Koworth. the owner * the steamboat, thought of bringing her a little I'I'MSMSF the mill, so as to be handy for discharging y, «ariy pn Monday ; and while attempting to do I Jo f , the force, of the current proved too much for her, and despite every effort, she was carried down the Liliputian Niagara. lam very glad, however, to sbate that the steamer sustained no • ! injury in her dangerous course, and the more so j because her owner has been very unfortunate j with his vessels, having but recently lost the . ; sister boat to the Victoria (the I'-xpert) by nu ; ; unlucky casualty. As it will cost a considerable j sum to get the Victoria hick to the waters of ! ! the Lake, it is not improbable she may do some I service on the Kawarau, "should sufficient inI ! ducement olfer" (!) ; j The claim, machinery, and general plant of i that company whose prospects were so much | thought of some three years ago (I allude to ! South berg's), were disposed of in Dine lie, by ! public auction, a few days ago, " by order of | the mortgagee-.," and were, I believe, purchase! j by Mr M. J. Malaghau, of this town, for the j sum of £IOO. It is probable the maohuwy will I bo brought on to the Nugget Reef, in which Mr I Malaghaivhas sonic interest. The local journal here states authoritively i that the Kb itover Bridge will be avail ible for [.traffic on the Ist of March. 1. trust this will be I the case, as the river is every day becoming a ! greater bugbear to the residents, owing to the ! ford continually shifting, an I the bed becoming : softer and more sludgey. Although the bridge j maybe opened for traffic, ! am inclined to think | it will be a mouth aftes the Ist of March before |it is fully completed. Doubtless, as the folks I up here have in tde a great cry ibaut this muchwanted structure, the day of the o licial opening will be a "red-letter day" in the history of Wakatip ; and it i-s not improbable our worthy Mayor may take advantage of the occasion and ! proclaim a public holiday. Without any feeling of scllishucss on behalf of this district, 1 think it is high time (rovernuient did something in the matter of a bridge over the Shotovcr at Arthur's Point. Tim bridge that now spams the ugly chasm at that place is in « very frail condition ; and as there is a considerable traffic over it, the " powers that be ' should see to it in time, or some day it will come down by the run, an I perhaps a fatal accident be the consequence. The Arthur's Point road is the outlet for our richest and most prosperous mining district, as well as for a large area of cultivated land ; anil it certaluly has a claim to be properly attended to.