ST. BATHANS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 48, 12 October 1870, Page 6

ST. BATHANS.

(From our own Correspon'tent.) September 30, IS7O. 'What a pleasant change in the weather we have enjoyed since I last wrote ! The roads are drying up and becoming passable ; locomotion revives; mails are delivered on the proper days, and past neglect is forgiven. And now to the meteorologi cal register for September:—lst to 3rd, fine and warm ; -Ith, cold and threatening ; sth, snowstorm ; 6th, flying send, clearing up; 7th, rain—drizzling; Bth to 11th, glorious weather ; 11th, mist; 12th, fine ; 13th, one of the severest thunderstorms ever experienced in this place—forked lightning—hail; 14th to 20th, splendid weather; 21st, rain, hail, snow— Aurora A uMralis red and brilliant at night ; 22nd to 25th, very fine— Aurora Australis red and brilliant; 26th to 20th, line—occasional showers ; 30th, fine overhead, but very squally. On the 9th, Mr Alfred Hill, after five years’ residence at St. Bathans, sold out the Montezuma hotel and store to another old resident. MrMellor; and on the 15th, Mr M. Gaffney—whoso untiring efforts during five years to promote the interests of this place will be remembered as long as it is a township—sold oft’ his stock, and closed his store. He his gone from us, and we all miss him very much. A man of amiable disposition and undoubted integrity. lie has been always chosen to take the lead in all matters of importance connected with public affiirs. He was one of the Otago Gold-Fields Commission for revising the rules and regulations, and gave great satisfaction to his constituents in that capacity. Wherever he goes, he has our best wishes for his welfare. I may here add that a most substantial proof of the esteem in which he was held by the community is evinced hv the amount collected in one dav (T believe XBS) to purchase a testimonial to be presented to him. Our school affiirs, after waning for nearly a year, have taken a most favourable turn under the ansnices of a new master, who takes great interest in his work, and gives very general satisfaction. Tee school is gaining a reputation which T most sincerely hope will bring more scholars and a better salary to the teacher. I am sorry to have to record the occurrence of a sad accident on the 27th, when Patrick Kenny, hotelkeeper, while working in his claim, was struck down by a fall of earth, which broke his leg. He has been removed to the Dunstan Hospital. "'What misery and pain the poor fellow must have endured on the forty five miles’ journey in a spring-cart! According to my promise, I subscribe a brief review of St. Bathans’s past history ; a rough sketch of it in its present stage ; and, at his particular request, Tom’s prophecy of its future. Poor Tom ! his failings crop out most conspicuously ; while his virtues (some sterling qualities) remain obscured in this isolated spot. He appears to thrive on visions. PAST HISTORY OF ST. BATHANS. It was some time in November 1833 that, attracted by an account of the success of a few miners in Welshman’s Gully—which is situate about four miles west of St. Bathans—a party of miners (among whom, I believe, was Mr Pcvman, photographic artist) commenced prospecting in a gullv now known as St. Bathans Basin, or Pcyman's Gully. They were not left to enjoy their splendid harvest alone for any length oi time, for within four months from the date that they turned the lirat sod, there we'-e about 80(1 persons on the ground, and a substantial-looking! township was erected at the base of the basin. At first, Kildare Hill (a prominent rise on the eas'ern si le of the basin) was the greatest object of attraction, and about 200 persons were employed defacing that far-famed dcoositorv o gall. Shor.b- afterwards, a rich find was dis covered in Blue Gnllv bv Hobart Town Jack and. almost simultaneously, a rush took plac< to Surf-ice Hill and Stewa-t's Gull r .—dinging! adjoining St. Bathans on the eastern side. But it was soon discove cl that rich finds were con tmel to small intches. and that, general! • speak ing, the ground was too poor for tunne'ling, bn would prove a valuable and extensive slnicin" ground. No sooner were the miners convince! of this than a comoan • was formed +o brine- v* i race ; and the first shiicing-claim in the locality was marked oT h ,r Hart k Go., at Surface Hill in I'obrnary or March 1864. While preparin; their claim for sluicing. Dobson, Pront. kCo wore husv enttine in what is now ca'led th Mountain Race, from a stream rising in mien Mount St. Bathans’s south marges, and ahnn eight miles east of thn townshin. The race w.a cut to convey seventeen heads, and commence! disehariing in -\nril 1834. Har* and mrtv mail fortunes .and went home to Great Britain ; wbi] the Mountain Race Company remained, and en joved a speed r rcwar I for their entornri«e.. Th <-ouipan ■ ha ve continued to share good dividen 1 no to the present time. The next race was th Kutenv-'sc, which was brought to Surface Hi in about December 1814, discharging twolv heals ; and at;hough rather late in the seasonas the Hamilton rush had attracted about Iml the nami'-.tion—it neve-tbe'ess made itself market, and the demand soon became groatc than the sup ilv. This lei to the eonstruetiii My*, Sean Hnaviau Race, which was brought i rom the. Manubcnki.il at » distance of eighti-c

miles from St, Balkans, ami the race large i enough to hold from twenty to twenty-live 1 heads, The only other races were brought in fr nu short distances, and holding hut one or two hea.is each, fro u uncertain resources ; they arc known respectively as Wheeler’s, Hally’s, and Ewing's races. Bef ire the races were ennatructo:!, the usual mode of working was by paddocks Some deep shafts were also sunk, and driving was carried on to a small extent. No sooner was the water brought to hear on the claims than it was discovered that the workings would become choked unless a main sludgechannel was cut to convey sludge and tailings down to the Dunstan Creek. After a groat deal of bell-ringing, and numerous public meetings convened in every hotel in the township, a committee was formed, and operations were commenced which, in February 1866, resulted in a public main sludge channel, built, at a cost of £2:)iH), from the foot of St. Bathans basin to Dunstan Creek, a distance of about 600 yards. This channel was paved with stones, and had a wall, IS inches high, of the same material, and, for four feet above the stones, sods closely packed ; the width of the channel being live foot. The fall was so slight that it was found necessary to divert a portion of the Dunstan Creek at about two miles above the sludgechannel, and discharge into the channel at different points the flushing-water to assist the tailings down into the creek. These Hushingchannels have answered their purpose admirably. After two years’ service of this channel, the increase of tailings became so great that it was continually choked, ami often two or three days in a week were lost in clearing it. This constant cessation of work led to a new scheme, and a well-signed petition having been favourably received by the Government, a new channel—larger in every respect than the first—was constructed at a cost of about £ISOO, half the amount being contributed by the Government. Before this channel (which was opened in the latter end of 186S) had been in use a year, it had fully paid its first cost by the work it had accomplished in conveviug the discharges of a large number of claims, with scarcely a day’s loss of time from choking. Up to the present date, while the population has been gradually decreasing, the escorts diminishing, anil other signs of decay appearing, the wator-supplv has always been less than the demand, and the quantity of ■ tailings passing through the sludge-channels has j been as large as when they were first opened, j The secret of the diminution of population is to \ he aeoounte I for (by comparison to the -lischarg- j lug of shepherds owing to the wire fencing performing shepherds’ work) in this manner ;—increased quantity of limning, hose branch pines, and water ; deeper claims ; and tail-races having been completed, less hands required to work the ground. The only accidents attended with loss of life, during six years, were:—Patrick Ommerford, killed by a fall of earth at Kildare Hill in September 1837 ; and Felix Hackett, also killed at Kildare Hill, in the same manner, in 1866. John Tierney had his leg broken bv a landslip in 1865 ; and the accident to Patrick Kenny is already mentioned in my letter. [The remainder of our correspondent’s communication is held over, on account of As length, till next week,— F.d. C. .4.]