Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JAN. 9, 1872.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 113, 9 January 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JAN. 9, 1872.

zz=_ = ei The scheme for supplying Oarrick Range t( and Bannockburn with water from Coal & 1 Creek will, if successfully carried out, * s prove a great and permanent benefit to V this district. The scarcity of water is a without doubt the greatest drawback the -a miners on the Carriuk Range have to encounter in the pursuit of their labours • and with the prospect of a speedy removal r of this difficulty, or at all events a partial t amelioration of the present unsatisfactory ( state of things, payable returns from many r of the claims promise to be considerably A augmented ; while claims which at present t are perhaps not yielding remunerative returns, it is fairly presumable will, with the desideratum of a cheap and plentiful ' water supply, become profitable and valuable investments. It is a well-recognised fact that payable auriferous ground exists in abundance from the Bannockburn river to the very summit of the Carrick Range, ( and that alluvial deposits capable of yielding handsome returns are also to be found on the western slopes of the mountain, as far down as the Nevis river. With a copious and regular supply of water brought in at a high elevation, and let to miners at a reasonable charge, we confidently predict that the alluvial workings on the Carrick Range will prove astonishingly rich, and that no portion of the New Zealand Goldtields will present greater facilities for profitable alluvial mining,—to say nothing of the immense stores of wealth that lie hidden in tin* qnartz-reefs so abundant on the Rihge. The present mode of obtaining the necessary motivepower foi' crushing purposes is uusatisfic tory in the exnvme. We may instance the Elizabeth Company's claim, situaed at a distance of about three miles u;> the ringe from the foot of Adams's G illy. From the latter place, coal has to be carted j to the claim, and when it is got there its I steam-producing qualities are anythi'io; but I first-class ; it burns so slowly and unsatisfactorily, that the driving powe;- required to keep the .'stamp* going cannot b< ar, all regularly maintained. If wate--pnver were avail ible, it would save the expense of the engine and boiler, and do away - with the heavy expenditure incurred for ,' fuel, besides possessing the great advantage [ ot giving a regular and uniform drivingpower. These expenses, together with the large outlay for cartage of the fuel, are very s rious items in the working expensesof a quartz-claim ; and if the carrying out f of the Coal Creek water supply scheme ) should only have the effect of lessening those expenses, that project ouL.lr to have 1 the support of everyone interested in the . prosperity of the district. Of course the higher the water can be brought on to the Range the better, for after serving the purposes of the claims at the greater altitudes, it can be used again by the claims situated lower down the hill; and this fact will no doubt make a difference in the price charged for the water. In the event of a second 1 use of it not being required for crushing I purposes, it could very easily be stored in dams, and utilised for sluicing operations. It is most essential that the cost of crushing should be reduced to the lowest pos--8 sible figure ; for until this be done, it is ' only to be expected that many claims will ; prove unremuuerative. With an abun.t dant supply of water, lanje batteries could 1-1 be erected and brought into active opera- „! tion ; and instead of companies who have ; not themselves erected crushing machinery 1 having to pay seven and sixpence per hour i for the use of four stamps, and put a man on at the battery as well, the cost might ; be brought, down to something like a third ■of the sum. In Victoria, it is only owing i to the very cheap rate at which crushing ; is accomplished that many claims are made ' to pay, the yield of gold per ton of stone 10 being sometimes very small even in paying ; 's claims,—much smaller than that obtained I from some of the claims in this district „ I which have been pronounced duffers. " ! Simply on account of the superior facili- ; ties for crushing, and not account of i any larger per ceutage of gold in the stone, I- is it, then, that claims are made to pay 7? reasonably in Victoria and other places; and we see no reason why those of the ! Otago reefs which have not hitherto been ' : payably worked on account of the heavy ! outlay incurred in getting the stone "f; crushed, should not be more hopefnllr 1 looked upon. It only wants combination

nnd energy on the part of miners and others interested in the claims on the Carrick Range to procure a good water supply, ami with this once procured, and the advantage of low rates for crushing, payable claipril would be more numerous than at present. The recent survey by Mi- Smythies of the country through which the race from Goal Creek wouid require to be cut has proved that the scheme is quite practicable, and that it only requires to be energetically taken in hand to be carried to a successful issue. Mr Smythies' report appears in another part of our present issue. A meeting of the projectors takes place in the Town Hall this evening, when a draft prospectus will be submitted for approval.

Three weeks since the Public Works Committee were instructed to timber the sides of |' the town race across the sand-flat near Mr Geodger's residence. The flow of water in the race is now more uncertain than ever, and we i would suggest the advisability of carrying out the work mentioned without further delay. i An extraordinarily prolific pea was shown us in a garden at Bannockburn the other !, day. Upon a single stem there are not less I; than a hundred well-filled pods, and the plant was blooming a second time when the late heavy gales destroyed the flowers. The plant is a straggler, and is believed to be of the variety known as the "Wonderful." The following official changes on the Gold fields are, the Mount Ida Chronicle believes, anticipated, and will come into operation on !. February 1 :—Mr Warden Vincent Pyke of the !. Dunstan to exchange districts with Mr Warden j Simpson of Tuapeka ; Bailiff Connolly to return to Mount Ida ; Bailiff Hall to proceed to Dun- | stan. The advent of the New Year was not allowed to pass unnoticed in our usually quiet township. A band of "children of a larger) growth" paraded the streets as " the clock struck ! twelve," and levied " black mail " in the shape I of whisky or beer from all householders whom j they favoured with a visit. There was nothing I u.msual or objectionable in this, so long as the | parties kept within bounds ; but the wanton damage done by them in breaking the doors and j windows of several houses in the main street was | altogether beyond a j >ke. j We direct attention to an advertisement announciug a meeting of promoters of the Coal I Creek Water Supply Company to-night in the , Town-hall. . The Wesleyan Chapel at Queehstown l was destroyed by the gale on the 30th ult. The j wreck was sold by auction for £l2. A special meeting of the Town Council was hell on Wednesday evening, when the as- j s 'Ssmont-roll prepared by Messrs Burres and j Maclvellar was submitted and allowed. Notices of assessment have since been served upon the ratepayers. The Ferry Hotel, Shotover, the property of Mr J. Limbrick, caught fire, and was burnt to the ground on New Year's Day. Mrs Francis Foote narrowly escaped with her life. The fire is supposed to hive been caused by a spark igniting the thatched roof A party of Victorian notables, mostly barristers and M. P.'s, are excursioning round the New Zealand coast in the steamer Rangitoto. The statutory annual meeting for the election of a School Committee was to have been held yesterday evening, but the unavoidable ab- ! sence of the president and several members of the existing Committee necessitated an adjournment for a week. We believe we are correct in stating that the present Committee has met once during the term of its existence ; and we are of opinion that unless a different method of con- ' ducting business be initiated and carried out by the committee to be elected for the ensuing year, ; the choosing of a new managing body is simply j a sham and a delusion. A school committee, to , be of any service at all, ought to meet monthly, i or at any rate once in two months ; and the teacher should, in justice to himself, as well as regard to the efficiency of the committee, be re- j lieved from the duties connected with the secretaryship. One of the best proofs of Mr MacKellar's unquestionable tact and ability as master of the Cromwell School is the fact that no emergent occasion has arisen to necessitate a meeting of the Committee during the year ; but we feel sure all parties would be better satisfied it meetings were held regularly and punctually. The Lake District Races take place at Frankton on Thursday and Friday, 11th and Pith instant. For the Handicap Hur'le Race of €4O, four nominations have been sent in viz., Patch, Maid of the Mill, Pretender, and Gamecock. Patch is weighted at 9st 41b ; the Maid and Pretender at Ost 101b each ; and Camecoek at 7st 81b. For the Lake District Handicap of £75, the following horses have been nominated, and the undermentioned weights declared:—Patch, Ost; Pretender, Bst lOlh : F >rctop, Bst 41b : Burgundy, Bst; Excelsior, 7st 71b ; Brunette, 7&t 41b ; Nelly Gray, 7»t 2:!) ; Reefer, 7st ; Morven, 7st; Flora, fist Gib ; Miss Elswick, 6st Gib ; Master King and Manio+o L '> <v ft:}, a ■,.-.•-,

The thermometer, at one p.m. today, • indicated 118° in the sun, and 94° in the shade. These observations were recorded by Mr Henry Waeber, watchmaker, Melmore-terrace. Most of our readers will recollect the ■ circumstances of the accident which befel Ser- : geaut Cassels' son at the Cromwell Bridge some , months ago, and the remarkable degree of cour- , ago displayed on that occasion by Master Richard '. Whetter, who was the means, under Providenee, J of rescuing young Cassels from imminent peril. ' Not forgetful of the debt of gratitude due to his preserver, Master William Cassels (who has only ' recently recovered from the effects of the acci- 1 deut alluded to) a few days ago presented Master ; Whetter with an address of thanks, accompanied with a handsome gold pin, in recognition of his manly conduct in risking his life to save that of the donor. A miner named Peter Taylor died suddenly (of disease of the heart) at Skippers, on the 30th ult. By request, we direct attention to the advertisement of Mr Hay don's Imperial Hotel, Princes-street, Dunedin, which will be found in our present issue. A man mimed Robert Thomson was | drowned on the 2nd, while bathing in a lagopn | near the Arahura bridge, Hokitika. Joseph Hewson, ginger-beer brewer, of Tokomairiro, met his death at Manuka Creek on the 31st ult., from injuries received through being thrown out of a spring-cart on the previous ! day. The Dunedin book almanacs for 1872 j i present in various respects considerable iinI provements upon those of last year. We will j notice the newelitions of ephemeral literature in the order in which we have received specimen ! copies of them. " Keith and Wilkio's Otaso j i Provincial Almanac and Direetory" contains 231 i I pages of letterpress, including much information ' j likely to prove valuable to all classes of settlers, j j The accompanying map of the Province is hardly • | in keeping with the general get-up of the volume I and we should be glad to see an-improvement I next year in this respect. The printing of this I almanac is incomparably superior to that of i either " Wise's" or " Maekay's," and fully sus- ! tains the reputation of the topographers, Messrs j Mills, Dick, and Co. —*' Wise's Aim mac and! I Otago Directory'' has the advantage of cheapness, ! ! and the letterpress compares favourably with ! I last year's issue of the same publication. A j j useful olfice calendar of a convenient size accom- j I panics this almanac, which contains 212 pages of! i matter. Last, but not least either in bulk or utility, we have "Maekay's Otago Gold-fields ! ; Aim mac, Directory, and Animal Repository of i | Useful Information," now in i(s ninth year of I publication. The volume before us contains a I mass of statistical and practical information on I many subjects, and bears evidence of careful and j laborious compilation. The aggregate number iof pages is .116, an 1 the price is half-a-crown. •ne mechanical execution of the work is rather better than usual, although still susceptible of much improvement. The small map " prepared specially" for this almanac bears a strong similarity to the one we have before noticed, except that in Mr Maekay's publication C vrdrona and Bendigo Gully have been added to the numbe•• of gold-fields centres indicated in the map. Mr 1. Wright, bookseller, is agent for "Maekay's' and "Roith& Wilkie's," and Messrs I. Ilalienstein and Co. cm supply copies of " Wise's." (We make this litter announcement voluntarily and gratuitously.) A distressing accident, involving the loss j of two lives, occurred at Lake George, near • j Riverton, on the 21st ult. From the Southland i Thn"s we learn that on the afternoon of the day mentioned, Thomas Hindi, John Pryatt, and , j Charles Fryatt, miners for some time past work- ■ i ing in the neighbourhood of Colac Bay, were on i their way to Riverton to dispose of a quantity .: of gold, the proceeds of their labours, and spend | the Christinas holidays. On reaching Lake ,! George, which is described as a lagoon sheet of ' water from two to three miles in length, and i about three-quarters of a mile broad, they all embarked in a canoe, or rather a " dug-out," i.e., , | the trunk of a tree scooped out in the centre. j In this frail bark they set out for the opposite , shore, which it i 3 necessary to reach en route from Colac Bay to Riverton. The dug-out in question is the only available means of transit. The lake at the time the accident occurred is reported to have been rough, " with a nasty chop- . ping sea on." Despite that fact, the parties in- ■ , cautiously hoisted a sail. When about two hun- ! dreel yards from the shore, towards which they were making, the craft was caught by a sudden t squall and upset. Charles Fryatt, who is but I an indifferent swimmer, sueseu led with some 3 i difficulty in reaching the shore, and on looking - i round his companions were nowhere to be seen. II Both bodies were recovered the same day. At e the coroner's inquest the evidence showed thai 1 [ both the deceased men were first-rate swimmers, t and that at the time the accident occurred they i ■ were in the act of taking in the sail, being oi s ! opinion that the craft had too much head-weight. : Both had oh heavy gum-boots, and it is supposed ', that these got water-logged, and dragged their t down. Charles Fryatt had a very narrow es ; j cape. The men had a swag with them in th* - boat containing a quantity of gold, which ha<: 1 net been reco, trad a& the date of las! advices