BENDIGO.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 166, 14 January 1873, Page 5

BENDIGO.

(From our own Correspondent. ) January 10, 1872. One might naturally expect that, with the advent of a New ¥ear, something fresh or interesting to the outside world might exhibit itself in any place with the smallest pretensions to progression ; but with sorrow and shame I have to confess my inability to discover that Uendigo is, or is likely to be, any further ahead than in the previous years. I plead guilty to having persistently foreshadowed prosperity, but, as your readers may recollect, always with an if; aixd lucidly for my character as a sanguine, if not a true prophet, the if still exists. If wo had capital, energy, and a permanent water-supply, 1 reiterate that this piace would take a foremost position among the gold-producing districts of Otago. As these desiderata are not forthcoming, our progress is like that of a familiar crustacean—uackwards. How long this state of affairs is to last, rests entirely with "the powers that be"; and I trust when our Superintendent and Gold-fields Secretary make their promised tour of the Gold-fields, they will not neglect to pay us a visit. If they do, they will have missed the opportunity of discovering a key wherewith to unlock the golden treasures of hundreds of square miles of auriferous country. A starting-point is needful in all undertaking*

and if the Government intend keeping faith in the matter of water-supply, the said point for that scheme is only to be found in this district—if quantity, permanenoe, and cheapness of construction of necessary works are matters at all worthy of attention. ] see the good folks of Clyde are making a stir about the alienation of auriferous laud in the Wai Keri Keri Valley,—and they are right : that local My, and many miles of the adjacent country, would constitute one of the best sluicing districts in New Zealand if plenty of water was available. This I know from practical and local knowledge. But whore the supply of the great agent in disintegration is to come from, unless from thia quarter, " deponent knoweth not." A rev&nom a nan mou+ons, T your readers expect to hear something about Bendigo. Well, 1 will endeavour to satisfy the craving to the best of my ability, albeit news of any kind here is almost as difficult to obtain as perfect happiness. To begin. Christmas and the New Year have passed, and really, from the entire absence of any demonstration, I was doubtful, reference to the almanac, that the great Christian Saturnalia was in progress. Everybody seemed to have gone "out of town." Anything more dreary and lugubrious than the aapect oj : the local " pubs." and their proprietors it would be difficult to conceive ; however, that was their look out : they might have put on a spurt and endeavoured to get no some amusement for their customers, and so made a struggle to " keep the money in the family." So long as a man gets drunk, I presume 'it matters little where he commits the breach ; and doubtless many of my neighbours have by this time experienced the delightful (?) transition from exhilaration to " tapering off," and for a few days will look back to the Christmas of 1872 with other than feelings of great satisfaction. To comfort them, let me quote Byron : " 2*l m, being reasonable, must get drunk : The best of life is but intoxication," &c. Nearly the entire district is at a standstill from the want of water, the frightfully hot weather of the oast month having effectually I cut off the supply. On Saturday last, anticipation ran high that the hoped-for, prayedfor, and much-wanted rain was about to fall : j indications certainly warranted tiie belief ; j but, unluckily for all concerned, they culmi- | nated in a thunder-shower of short duration ' and consequently of little benefit. Hailstones las large as bullets fell during the storm, which was of extraordinary violence. The Cromwell Company's mill is idle from want of water, and they purpose taking advantage of the spell to effect some necessary repairs to the machinery, which will occupy probably six weeks or two months. The Aurora mill is silent from the same I cause. The tribnters have the ''paddock" i crammed with stone; so when rain does j come, 1 hope to hear a good account given I of this mine. ; The contractors for the Lucknow tunnel | are prosecuting the work with vigour, but | the rock is still dreadfully hard, consequently j their progress is very slow.—five to six feet | per week being all that four men are abie to i accomplish. They are now m eighfcv feet ; ! and I must sav their indomitaMe pluck in j persevering is worthy of a better cnuse. As l time is of such importance, 1 wonder the ! company does not see the necessity for vorkI ing the whole twenty-four hoir-s in the level. There seems to be a scarcity of quartzj miners in the district. All the men who j have lately been thrown idle here have ap- | parently met with ready employment at the j Carrick ; —in fact, generally, the supply of i labour is unequal to the demand. This state ! of things—as a north country friend of mine I remarks—is " pwoper," but it is doubtful if I employers will agree with him as to its pro- ! priety.