UPPER MANUHERIKIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 350, 8 January 1869, Page 3

UPPER MANUHERIKIA.

(froji our OWN CORRESPONDENT.) St. Batha.n’3, Jan. 3.

Excepting at the very commencement of tlie gohl discoveries at this place the past has been the most prosperous year ever experienced by the mining community. For a long time there has been nothing but up-hill work to contend against. The enormous sums of money absorbed in the construction of water and tail races was a most serious drawback to our early prosperity ; but happily these troubles are now

over, and the money is returning itself to the pockets of investors in the shape of handsome dividends. The Great Scandinavian Company, upon an outlay of 15,000/., is paying 20 per cent, per annum. Shares in the water race companies are consequently at a premium; in fact, they are the best species of investment in the province, and, as time rolls on, water-race pro perty will become more and more valuable. A magnificent now sludge channel, from Blue Gu ly down to the main Duustan Creek, has just been completed. It has almost a straight run to the Creek, and the flushing channel can supply twenty heads of water when necessary. The cost of the channel is 1,200/., one-third of which is paid by the Provincial Government. This is money well laid out, and w 11 return itself to the province twenty-fold. The system of helping those who help themselves is far preferable to making people dependent. The parsimonious conduct of the Post-office Authorities in limiting our mail communication to once during a fortnight is something simply ridiculous Besides having a resident population of two hundred miners at St. Bathan’s, there are at least one hundred more at the Four-mile, or Welshman’s, besides those residing in the small out-of-the-way gullies in the Dunstan Ranges. We might have made shift with oe mail a week ; but, wrth only one a fortnight, it is better that we have none at all.

Consideiable public indignation was felt at the rumored removal of Mr. Henry A. Stratford, the Warden’s Clerk, from this place. Mr. Strat ford may not be a very hard-worked otiicicial yet he is a very useful one, and, unless there is a clerk kept here, great inconvenience will arise A numerously attended public meeting was held for the purpose of taking the matter into consideration, and the resu't was a petition to the Government. The wishes of the people have in this instance been complied with, and Mr. Stratford is retained to us. In fact, from what I ca i learn. Mr. Stratford profits by the unfortunate Pyke dispute, as he ceases doing duty at Black’s, his services being entirely confined to St. Bathan’s

The annual races, held on the 28th and 29th ult,, were a very great success. The attendance on the course was much larger than on any previous occasion, many visitors having come from long distances. At Drybread though why this place should be thus designated I never could understand. Surely a place with a population of about one hundred and fifty souls, that can give away as an advertised programme of a iace meeting, the large sum of 225/. must he a locality where the residents earn something more than the means of obtaining “ drybread,” I fancy, in fact, I am quite positive that, at Drybread, exists the most prosperous com munity of miners in the Province of Otago. The gold obtained here is inc uded in the Escort from Black s, which would loom rather small, were it not for this place. At Blacks’ the past season has also been a prosperous one German-hill has been well supplied with water, consequently no time has < eenlost by the miners The want of land for cultivation, is a serious drawback to this place. Some time ago, people were jubilant about seeing in the Provincial Gazette that 2,5 : 0 acres were open for occupation, but it turns up that, these acres have no existence, save in the pages of the Provincial Organ.