BENDIGO.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 119, 20 February 1872, Page 6

BENDIGO.

(From our own Uori'cspoiu^n*.) February 17. I If I were to record any change since my j last in the prospects of this place,' I should, | politely speaking, ho stating something very i much at variance with the truth : the con-j timunce of the drought dispels the idea of anything approaching liveliness in business! or mining matters; in fact, all may be j summed up in that exceedingly a'uti-prngres-; sive term, statu quo. Wo have twice had showers ot rain, but of so short a duration i that no permanent good has resulted. Do yon not think that a meeting of the Synod,: convened and carried out with as much car-1 nestness as the one held the other day for i the purpose of trying to oust a delinquent | pastor, might effect a change in the weather, j if the said iteverend Fathers were to agree 1 to nay for it on the principle of a long pull, i a strong pull, and a pull all together, as wo say i in rowing i 1 have hoard tnat such a result. has heretofore boon obtained by the same : means : at any rate, it is worth trying ; and a, successful issue would go far to give the! First Church that pre-eminence which it desires, arrogates, but has not, in Otago. -Tne Cromwell and C dclough Cnmnanies | are grassing great quantities of -tone, and | generally of an excellent quality ; but until tiie Clerk of the Weather sends power, in the , •shape of rain, no returns can ho honed for or expected. The Colclongh Company’s reef still keeps up its permanent appearance, as | recently developed, and bids fair to recoup | the shareholders for their energy and perse-; verance. Current rumours inform ns that! the Alta and Aurora Companies, tired with their long inactivity, are about to start into renewed and vigorous life ; but with the ru-

mour wo ha v c to be content, —as 1 fail to see anything very lively or progressive in connection with, either, if we except the d.,,eav consequent on abandonment an i neglect, and this, I must say, is making itself a, parent to tire most careless observer; as tne shaveholders will iiud if they ever resume operations. I am glad to report that the “ Deep Lead” is mlivivus. Halcrow and Murray are blocking out what appears to be, from personal inspection, an excellent stupe of washdirt; and I can only say that the persistent manner in which this party have stuck to the ground ought to convince the most sceptical that there is something in the lead worth trying for further ahead. Anderson and party, i having got a lot of timber on the ground, are engaged in bottoming their shaft,— now about 90 feet deep, and expected to reach 12U feet. They are next to Halcrow and party, and stand a good show, in my opinion. If they bottom on payable gold, the fact of a lead will be established, and there will be plenty of room for the “ digger of the period,” whose business seems to be waiting for the results of other men’s enterprises. Mr John M‘Lean is determined to stick to sheep-farming pure and simple, and therefore intends getting rid of his immense mobs of cattle at once. As these number some thousands, we may reasonably expect, when they come into the market, to see beef at cheaper rates. I believe the same gentleman has reduced the price of sheep to (is. per head, —a good example. Long may he live ! Such a concession, added to free pasturage for the “ moke ” of the digger, is calculated to bring about amicable relations between the mining and squatting interests ; and us such a consummation is devoutly to be wished, let us hope that other “ pastoral lords” may follow the good example. .