THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 409, 18 February 1870, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(I'KOJI OUR OWX CORRESPOND XV. Queenstown, Fob. 14, Mining matters s;um pretty prosperous, anil this is amply bumj out by the liscort returns, which maintain a very hiyh average, amounting to three pom la per week for every man employed in dinging fur gold. The dredge at the Upper tdiotov r has got to work, and it is satisfactory to notice that she answers all the expectations of her shareholders. I must class the drelge with th i fe.ni li ieg;n lor, she being "ho generally accepted term for cvery-hing hat do.its, except a •* buoy.” It is said that the abandoned works of the New Channel Company, on the Shotovir, are to he resuscitated. Some lucky quartz reefers are coming over from Auckland to prosecute this work, forming them selves into a Joint Stock Company for that purpose. I do not know the amount of capital proposed to be invested, hut I hear that the shares will be J. 100 each. From my knowledge of the ground there appears to he 1.0 great difficulty in prosecuting this enterprise to a successful conclusion. Tho amount of gold in this particular bend of the river, (andtoobtain which an mormons deal of work has alroa ly been done) must, bo something enormous, and will warrant ahant a ay outlay to obtain it. Tho tunneling claims are turning cut enormously rich. At Aspinall’s Terrace Point aparty obtained twenty four pounds weight of gold e short time tincc fum only ninofeot of a ciiac. fLiner's Keel I'tißiu to

look up soon. Mr. Evans, the Manager of thb Phoenix (late Great Scandinavian) Company informs me that their new tunnel is now in one hundred and seventy four feet lower lhan it has ever been worke •. He is very sanguine of success as three reefs already found in the Company’s ground present every appearance of making a junction.

In Municipal matters there is hut little excitement, an I as the Government have attended to most of the wants of the town and district there is nothing to grumble about. We have just bad a visit from a distinguished Melbourne merchant, Mr. Miehalins of Michalions, Hallenstein and Company, who is on a visit to our worthy Mayor, and purposes to make the grand tour of New Zealand before he returns to Victoria The Shotover Bridge is advancing fast towar's completion, and will be ready fir tiadic inside of two months. An addition of twenty feet is to be made to the shore end on the Arrow side. The bridge is un lonbtodly much too short, and will require good embankments to coniine the stream, or it w ; ll some fine iay be left high and dry. A new bridge over the Shotover at Anbur’sPoint is badly wanted. It is really dangerous to cross, so rieketty is its condition. A dray road by this route could be made to the Arrow at a very trifling cost. The success of Mr. M‘Kerr..w’s party in finding so easy and practible a route to the West Coast lias delighted everybody. It will fend largely to increase the trade of Qu enatown an l add eonsi eiably to the value<f property. The coming Dunstan Races is the topic "of general conversation amongst, I was going to say, the sporting fraternity, but I ■should say almost everybo y, and you may expect a goodly number of visitors ; peop'e talk about your races now as the great annual event of the goldfields, and the only no con dry meet worth going a long way to witnc a. There is a gre t bobbery amongst the School Committee, which body have passed a n solution ilat 10 tl rgyman sh mid boa member of committee. This appears to most sensible people a very wise proceo iug, and surely clergymen can make themselves very useful to a school without taking a part in its management. This will prevent sectarian squabbles, and we all know from experience that nth clergymen and school masters are inclined to lie too dictator! it for the gemeral affairs of daily life. Their advice is always good, but badness matter in detail are always best left to business people.