CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 261, 26 April 1867, Page 2

CROMWELL.

(FROM A COMtESroXDEKT.) 25th April 1867. Town improvements are being carried out at a most creditable rate and the js&ciency of Mr Beesley, the Town engineer is most satisfactorily proved. The main street has been constructed equal to any in the Province, so far as the works have yet proceeded; it will be finished in about two days. The footpaths will then be preceded with, and I am informed will not only be comfortable for walking, but pleasurable to the eye. The Town Council should at once Jturn attention to opening up of the back streets, as the approach es to the Town are in many instances not what might be the case. The inhabitants of the back streets would then erect substantial buildings instead of living in canvass tents as they do at pesent. As to elinore Street, the Council should purchase at least a thousand }K>p'ar plants, and have them at once planted along the western side of the street, and the waste hindaloig the banks of the Kawarau, so that the town may eventually become comfortably sheltered frcm the strong winds which occasionally follow the course of the Kawarau River, and also from the direction of the Old Stan ltanges. Such trees would not only le an ornament; but prove of incalculable benefit. One street should beyond all doubt branch out of the main street, and that is outsi e the corner allotment of Mr Lawrc ce the baker, it would be shorteni g the road to the Wanaka districts and Oamaru considerably. The Gold Pscort has at present to take a very circuitous course, and should the inhabitants deem it desirable to ask a reasonable subsidy towards the construction of this •■ treet, I have no doubt whatever but it would be gniuttd. 1 am partic -'arly desirous of mentioning the present discreditable deficiency in the supply cf water to the town. A waterracc courses at the rear of the town, but the supply of the needful element, is scarcely enough to wet the ground. The proprietors of the nice present the water gratuitously to the inhabitants, but the Council should unquestionably purchase a greater supply, as in case of fire, wa er is not procurable in a suflieient boby to save any property. » fire lately broke out in ■"r Kidd's stable, and the Hotel of that gentleman, as well as the drapery store of .Mr H dwards bad a very narrow cectpefrom being totally destroyed. A large rvoir, as I some time ago stated should be constructed on the terrace over-looking the town, so that in ease of fire, a prppsr and afiicient supply of water would be at hand a d the Cou> cil's duty is no doubt to turn attention to this all important matter. Smith's Cully, Pipe-clay, Bannockburn, Adam's, Po tor's, and surrounding localities contain a large population, and as it is most inconvenient for them to visit Cromwell to post and receive their letters, a memorial is now being got up to the Government, praying that a post-office might be established in the district; and I may say, that as the new road to the Nevis skirts nearly all those localities, no extra postal expenses would be incurred, except a small pittance to some storekeeper who might take the trouble of turning out a small mail bag and delivering its contents This district is ho'ding out prospects of a most lasting nature, ( and this subject is most worthy the attention of the present Post Master, and I am sure that if the inhabitants carry out with energy their present course there is every , probability of success. Maidstone is a locality about eight and , twenty miles above Cromwell, on the . banks of the Clutba. Sluicing operations , have been carried on here on a limited . scale for some time, but owing to the promising nature of tho ground, two waterraces will soon be brought to the locality. , One party Jones' brothers, have commen- . ced cutting a large race of six miles iu • length and as they intend employing a eon- • siderable amount of labour, the raca will i not be long in course of construction. The t law as it stands, is not in any way suita- • ble for such an enterprise as cutting a : long water race. Jones was told some few days past by Mr War-Jen Stratford that all

the ground he could grant would be or ly forty five feet frontage per man; whether the distance of the nice be one or fifty miles in length. If discretionary power in the hands of a Warden be at all desirable it is in a case where a large outlay of capital has been made. When water has to bo brought to a claim a distance of, say ODe mile, forty five feet frontage may prove quite sufficient; but when an expensive race of ten or fifteen miles has to be constructed, the frontage as a matter of course should be greatly ii creased. Some inducement should be given,for parties to bring.water from long distances to payable ground, which must for ever remain uoworked unless some strong inducement be given to enterprising men to brirg water appliances to it. Every probability exists that Maidstone wi 1 soon be a prominent sluicing locality in the district of Cromwell, as the sluiccrs who are there already, are men of capital, and are determined to bring in water on an extensive scale without delay. Old Bendigo Gull.y is again looking up, and its early prosperity is likely to ha greatly renewed. The Aurora water race from No. 2 creek Quartz Reef Point, is completed to the terraces at Bendigo, and the party have commenced sluicing in earnest. Judging by all present appearances the speculation is a good one, and the p'ueky owners of the race have every prospect of being well rewarded for their perseverance under serious difficulties in bringing this lengthy race in. The Rise and Shine water race Company are in full working order at two places and are in possession of sufficient ground to last them for years, as no other party, most probably will ever bring a race to the same locality. In the old gul* lies many of the " primitives " hands are at work and earning very sa isfactory ai d steady wages. A party styling themse' ves the " Rip and Tear "and who spent several months in openiig a fresh channel through the narrow rocky gorge at the lower end of the gully for the creek to run through, are doing far better than they ever expected ; they are now enabled to work ground that baffled all the energy of former mi ers, and although the ground has de"n " roughed" over, the " Rip and Tear" Company are sanguine of realisiug for an indefinite period, a very gratifying remuneration ■ for their labor. A party formerly known as "Sinclair's" about two miles from the old gully are ground sluicing with a two head water race, and are realising on an average about £4 per week per man. On the whole Old I endigo seems to be renewing its youth, and is likely to improve for the future.