The Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, April 14, 1874.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 231, 14 April 1874, Page 4

The Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, April 14, 1874.

The last crushing (two weeks’) of the Star of the Mast yielded 85 ounces of gold from ICO tons of stone. Mr F. J. Wilson has been appointed Legal Manager for the Reliance Company', in room of Mr D. MacKellar, resigned. The boy Anderson, who had his leg amputated as the result of the coach accident, died in the Hospital at Lawrence on the 9th instant. Mrs Anderson continues to improve. The contract for driving tho Star of the East tunnel has been taken by Messrs Knudsen and party. The Star Company are bringing out stone at the present time at considerable disadvantage for want of the tunnel. The Cromwell Company’s mill is stopped at present, in consequence, we suppose, of Mr J. Reekie having resigned the management of the company’s affairs. The stone which is being brought up is reported as being very good ; some think even better than any yet crushed. It is reported that Mr Jones, one of the three owners of the Young Australian quartz mining claim, has sold out for something between £3OO and £4OO. Mr Jones is leaving for the Palmer rush. The purchasers are Messrs Williams and Edwards, the other shareholders in the claim. The Garrick Range Water Supply Company have at length completed all the necessary negotiations for procuring the advance of £4OOO from the Government, which has been so long promised. The deeds, we believe, are duly executed, and it only remains to receive the advance of cash, or a portion of it. The following was the only business of any interest at the last meeting of the Waste Land Board in Dunedin:—“Mr W. Goodali applied to purchase or lease from 50 to 250 acres on Loughnan’s Run, on the Chitha River, about 10 miles above Cromwell. The Board had no power to deal with the matter.” The fever which has now become an epidemic in ('rnmwell shows no signs as yet of abating as far as the number of cases is concerned A number of fresh cases have occurred during the week, although we are pleased to report they do not appear to be of such a malignant type as some of the earlier ones. Medical authorities ascribe it to the impure water, and defective sanitary arrangements. The same report was made last year by Or Lake, now of Switzers, but no attention was paid to it by the municipal authorities at that time.

Mr M‘Cormick is making very good progress with the erection of the bridge at the Nevis Ferry ; in fact, there appears a strong probability that the bridge will be finished before the approach on the Western side is completed. We have been informed that the Government are going to do that portion of the work, and that the necessary levels have been taken for that purpose. It should be pushed on without further delay, as it would be a pity to have the bridge standing idle for want of an approach. Mr MfN’ulty lias finished the contract which he had on the road between the bridge and Messrs Goodger and Kuhtze’s brewery. It has not been formally accepted by the Government, in consequence of the absence at Dunedin of the District Engineer. The gravelling done by Mr M'Nulty will prove to be a great improvement when the rainy weather sets in. The gravel will then set a little, and form a hard road.—The contract taken by Mr Drnmmey, for the gravelling of a portion of the Clyde road, near Mr Felton’s, is also progressing well. The full benefit of this will not be experienced till the winter has set in. , We cannot help expressing oar regret that none of the miners in the Cromwell district thought it worth their while to send their gold to Melbourne for assay, as provided by the recent Government regulations. Mr Shepherd, as will be seen by another column, represents the Cromwell gold as being worth less per ounce than that of any other portion of the Province. It certainly appears a curious thing to us that the Bannockburn gold, for instance, should assay so badly, when gold from the Star, the Oak, the Elizabeth, and several other quartz claims on the Garrick, is found to be nearly pure. The experiment ought to be made by some of our enterprising sluicing companies, to see what the value of their gold really is. The Corporation of Riverton would seem to be blessed with a Town Clerk, whose services (for their variety and value) would be difficult to over.estimate. The local paper says ;—“ The versatile Town Clerk of Eiverton is at present devoting the whole of the immense energies he | possesses to enforcing proper respect being paid jto the municipal bye-laws. The sight of that official walking up the street, casting his eagle | glance around, strikes terror in the hearts of | citizens possessing animals of truant dispositions. The other day Mr Grant, while roaming about the other day in search of stray cattle, found a perambulator containing a child standing unprotected on the side-walk. He immediately efj footed a capture, and proceeded to trundle his | prize triumphantly to the pound. He had not I gone far when the young lady who had charge of i the vehicle turned up. and “ went for” Mr Grant i under heavy pressure of canvass, and with such I effect that he relinquished his capture and beat lan ignominious retreat. The worthy Town Clerk j since that time lias spent his days and nights j trying to find out some Ordinance under which | to increase the municipal revenues by having the l owner of the perambulator and its occupant I fined. His studies have been so intense that his [ raven locks are rapidly changing to iron grey.”