THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 332, 4 September 1868, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(from a coancsroxDENT.) Arrowtown, Sept. 1, The long-continued frosty weather has at last broken up, and since midnight on Saturday there has boon almost continual rain. The minimi interest will bo largely benefited, r.s the supply of water will be move plentiful. In exposed situations, and where the sun's rays do not readily penetrate, mining parlies have been idle for months past, and even when there has been a supply of water the earth has been so frozen that its disintegration was impossible. The farming interest was also at ■>. standstill, as only in favored situations could operations be carried on. Every thing therefore is by no means in a forward state—quite a month behind that of last season. The flour mill at Frankton has not been at work for some time, the lake being too low to supply the undershot wheel which drives (he machinery. Messrs. Robertson and Hallenstein are havingadeeper cutting put through the rock forming the fulls, so that a supply may be obtainable at a lower level, and the sooner this work is accomplished the bette-, as private individuals are much inconvenienced by not being able to turn their wheat into Hour. The Shotover has been exceedingly low lately ; in fact, I never saw it lower. The want of a bridge, however, will very soon be felt, as the season for floods is fast approaching. The state of the road is giving very general dissatisfaction, and all over the district they are in a deplorable state. A new road has been cut up the terrace from Lake Hayes to the Shotover Flat. This road, being at a most unheard-of steep gradient, is cut through a bed of loose sand, so loose that it is impossible for a tangle horse, to take up an empty dray. Plenty of material to make the road solid is close at hand, but not a single shovel-

ful hat been put on. The arrival, of the new District Road Engineer is anxiously looked for. A quartz-reef has been discovered near the Arrow river, from which some very good specimens have been obtained. They are better than any I have ever seen in the Lakes district as yet. Mr, Robertson, who owns the Criterion Crushing Plant, has magnanimously offeeed the use of the machinery to test the stone. Many and repeated questions are asked up here " How the Dunstan Flour Mill gets on 1" The want of a second mill is badly felt. Farmers here, like everywhere else, have no con fidence where there is only one market for their grain, and even let the owners of the Frankton Mill be ever so liberal, a second mill is indespensible. Had you a mill at the 'Dunstan, you might receive wheat from here. It would be as easy to send down grain as flour, and farmers would doubtless patronise your merchants in purchasing stores in ex change for their corn. Grain grown tin side of tli o Shotover cauld be carried down to Dunstan or Cromwell for a very little more than it could be taken to Frankton, because in the one case one journey would suffice while in the latter two are required, and, at times communication by teams between the Arrow and Frankton is completely onto'". I think that private enterprise should r-reet, a Flour Mill at the Dunntan. It should rea ly be worth the while of your enterprising storekeepers to combine together and do so. Messrs. Itallenstein and Co., of this place and Queenstown, I hoar, intend opening a large and extensive estabFshment at Cromwell. By the bye, Cromwell is in high repute up here, and parties aresnnguine of its becoming chief Town of the northern goldfields; However, time alone can decide that. It is however patent to all that one good commercial town would be preferable to many little ones. Tride like everything else is the better for concentration.