ALEXANDRA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 267, 7 June 1867, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

(FROM A COr.KESFOXDENT.) Consequent on the severe frosts and the hard dry weather that has reigned for the past few weeks, sluicing, I may say mining operations in this district are not carried on with that vigor thev otherwise would he if there was 1 ut an adequate supply of the ecessary element, but notwithstanding the scarcity of water, the return of gold from the district is hand-some!,-and will 'compare with any other portion'''of the Province. The river MoTyneux is reaching a very low level, of which a considerable number are taking advantage, and the old accustomed rocking of the cradle is to be heard more frequently than has been the case during the p st two years. The ( hinamen are those principally engaged with the primitivo cradle ; but there are a goodly number of Europeans also so engaged, and from what I hear, some are doing remarkably well. A great accession to the population is shortly to be made, as the Johns who are located in the Tuapoka district, intend passing the winter in the val'ey of the Molymtn—they say that Tuapeka is too J cold. The dredging machine's at Sandyj Point are doing handsomely—.the inn's I cannot be included amongst the "fabulous"' | but the shareholders most sanguine expoe I tations have been" more than realised. T j am not in a position to say the exa< t j amounts of gold obtained, but about i'P>o | a-week per man has been the dividend [for some time past. The Frenchman's, ; Enterprise, and Hit or Miss claims on i Frenchman's Beach, are vie ding enori iuous returns, and if the river contiuui s i for the season at the low level it hat attained, a little fortune is expected by tl c lucky shareholders- as much as 70 oz. has : been taken from the boxes of the Frond - ' man's claim, the result of 24 hours washing. The Imperial Company's Fluming at Butcher's Point, is again, of construction—they intu.vd -adopting the' plan as used by Mr Fuller, the manager - of the Golden Gate Company, i>. eonvcy- | ing the water of that race over the Mauuherikia—galvanised iron tubes are used instead of boxes or canvas hose : the tubes are seven-and-half inches in diameter, ami about twenty feet in length, and are suspended from two wire ropes that an; > stretched from either side of the river, the ' joints are made secure with vulcanised ■ india-rubber bands, and cemented with a composition that is to be obtained with ; the bands. Mr Fuller was the first that used the iron tube for fluming, and ho ' finds it to answer moat admirably—the 1 one tube of seve -and-a-half inches diameter, with a moderate fall, will convey about four Government sluice-heads of water—so satisfied is he with the result that he is about,, to erect two more tubes to convey the water of the Golden Gate Company on to ...Black'*. The Ovens Water-Race Company has changed hands, the Dunedin shareholders having disposed of it to a local company—the price given is an exceedingly high one, but that is somewhat counterbalanced by the terms of purchase; two years bei' g given for the payment—it is a hazardous specula- • tion for a party of world-g men to enter 1 into, and it is to be hoped fur their enter--8 prise, they v\iil le lewarded— of the plan 3 of working the water, at some future time 1 I may give you further particulars. The all (]:{.Hisirg subject ei enwmatieu aid 1 matter w.th (he. v oithy people of Ah >:- 1 audra are, who is to be Mayor, and who r will compose tie Cuir.cil cf tie newly c made Muintijid Town of Alexandra. Several •, emes arc ir.ti.iioi ul, but as yet it is pure surmise as to who will til! tie much coveted Mayor's chair. When the: road on the wes-t Lank of the Jh.rt ncur,

from Teviot to Alexandra is made, the Municipality of Alexandra may be of some service, but until then, I cannot but think with others that the money subsidised could have been better expended. The weather is bitterly cold.