BENDIGO.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 154, 22 October 1872, Page 6

BENDIGO.

( From our own Correspondent.) October 10, 1572. “ When things ar6 at their worst, they are sure to mend,” is an old saving with which we have been fain to content ourselves for some time past; but in our case, unfortunately for the truth of the aphorism, the interval is so prolonged that I begin to think there is a sort of purgatorial state intervening which has hitherto been overlooked, and may be defined as “ worser.” Into this slough has Bendigo fallen, and' as I heard a local Boniface complain the other dav, there is a perfect stagnation : anything duller, flitter, more stale, or more unprofitable than its present aspect, it is difficult to conceive. However, “ the darkest hour is before the dawn,” so we must hope that the sun of prosperity is about to burst forth, and dispel the lugubrious clouds which hover in men's minds, obscuring the vista of our possible future, of which I may state emphatically I entertain no misgivings whatever. The place has all the natural requisites ; capital and labour only are needed, and I have a sort of Micawberish belief that these will eventually “turn up.”

The Aurora tributars will commence their trial crushing from the new leader on Monday next. They will put through about 33 tons. The stone keeps up its rich appearance and its width, being now ab >ut eighteen inches wide. Should the yield turn out ae cording to prospects, I fancy the turning point alluded to above will be reached, and many other neglected and now torpid schemes Be warmed into active vitality. A claim known in Bendigo’s primitive d lys as the “ Blackfellow’s” lias been again taken up by Hawkes and party. It is situati dto the eastward of the Coldough claim, and is, or was, popularly supposed to be a continuation of that lode, the correctness of which supposition is open to doubt. Ba that as it m iv, the reef is there, well-defined, cropping to the surface for 333 feet, and varies from one foot to two feet six inches in width, with very excellent prospects. The stone is soft, friable, and mullocky, and will be easily crushed. How ever the coloured proprietor and his mates overlooked it puzzles me ; but 1 suppose in those feverish days more attention was paid to the disposal of shares than the development of the reef, and thus the party missed, possibly, a good thing.

I presume by this time the Oolclough Co. | is scdd no, or, as the broker mildly puts it, I has "** changed its proprietary.” It is to he! hoped the change may prove beneficial ; an I infusion of new blood generally is in such! eases ; so we may expect shortly to hear the now solemn ...and silent mill rattling away quite merrily. Speaking of brokers, a friend of mine asked me the other clay,"how the'busi-1 ness would pay np here ? I told him 1 was I a;ra : d that if-he started, he might lihd him- j self in the position of “Daniel Qmlp, ship-1 broker,” who, as the immortal Dickeris wrote, I “ if ke was a ship-broker, must have' broken ! the vessels into verv small.fragments indeed, 1 .as not a vestige could be found in anclanmhd ; !. the premises.”. Ami*such might be the case | with one of the profession in this .place. He i might advertise and sell scrip It there was any, only there isn’t. But I forgot: shall we nob soon see “Golden Links” floating l about *o, after all, the fraternity may flourish on Bendigo yet, and T can assure them that anything which will flourish will be a j relief to this community. • >

The Cromwell Co. have reduced the number of their hands, several of whom have left the district, ostensibly for the Roner. It is apain c nl experience to note the d'sanp'n’'ance of old and familiar faces from a small comrnnnitv like ours,, but snch is the miners’ lot, and svill continue so until a new order of things is instituted 1 ; —- •

Sluicing is■ being.'prosecuted with great vigour throughout the distncf, "and I am inclined to think your escort is augmented tp a larger extent thereby than Is generally sup# nosed. The various parties are scattered over a very extensive area, and from what I can learn arc tolerably satisa >d with their •earnings. I v'sited the clahn of Messrs Bowman and Sergeant, on the Clutha. IJis-t Snndav ;it is situated about a m : le north, of the debonchement of the Lindis Riyey, I was reallv surprised at‘the ex tent of .'payable ground which exists in thdt local<tv: there is room for a hvge ponn’at'on for many years, to come, if—ah! that if!—water was avadable. The party are Ovens slnicers, and work with an interminable length of boxes This is rendered indispensable bv the svant of fall to the ground, which is elevated but a few feet above the river level. They earn from Cl to £7 nor week, and their race commands an almost inexhaustible area of similar ground ;in fact, it extends for miles. If Mr Macandrew should succeed in inducing the General Government to hand over the £100,039 bo asks for, lie would easily find n this locality an investment to return the 5 1 per cent, per annum ho assures the Government it is possible to obtain by a judicious expenditure of the money.

The lone* and anxiously expected cattle-raid by Mr I'd‘Lean took place last week, and verily there was great fear and trembling on the part of owners of quadrupedal property. Adi sorts of absurd rumours were afloat as to lijs intentions ; all cattle, horses, and even diggers were hinted at, were to be driven off en masse to the pound ; but the exaggeration was anparent when it was seen tint on’v the holders of large mobs were to receive a salutary lesson. As I have before stak'd, tV> squatter Ins a perfect right to act as ho has done in the matter, and if he allows the miners to run a horse, or a row or two for domestic rmrposes, it is as much as we any to expect, and a great dea 1 rmwe than is permitted on the adjacent station. *io long as Mr M‘Lean makes these c<mc"ssions, he is entitled to praise; and if anv- ■ thing further is needed, the Government. and not the i nnholder, are the proper rabies to be appealed to on the subject, seeing that no commonage exists in the vicinity.