ALEXANDRA,

Dunstan Times, Issue 443, 14 October 1870, Page 3

ALEXANDRA,

(from OUR OWN' CORRESPONDENT.) The weather on Monday and Tuesday last was very boisterous, the wind blowing alternately from North and South, the dust being almost, blinding. The rain on Tuesday evening had the effect of keeping down the dust, but at the same time had -the effect of raising the river several feet, an' ston'd no work for fhe season in the river bank claims, also the dredges. Most -of the claims have succeede 1 in taking off the whole of the bottom from the ground they had stripped, and I believe on the whole have had a fair average season as regards the quantity of gold obtained. Kett and Company had knocked off their wages men on-Monday last, coasequently the rise in the river will not materially affect them, the Hit or Miss Company are sluicing off top stuff, which is paying them small wages and working expenses. I have not heard "how Messrs Knowles and Simmons, at the junction of the Earn dough are affected by the rise in the river, but should they succeed in taxing off the bottom of a paddock, they are sanguine as to the result, Knowles having worked the beach outside the claim, which was very rich. There is nothing new from Butcher’s or •Conroy’s gullies to report, further than the who e of the claims are in full work, with plenty of water. There is a report current here, that the -owners of the dredge, ‘Galatea’ lias discovered one of the richest dredging cla ms ever worked in this district, I am in a position to give further particulars, but wi 1 refrain from doing so, ns I hear there is a case pending in the Warden’s Court, as to whether a lessee of a dredge is entitled to any claim, that he, with others, may discover, or whether the lessee is hound to give the owner of the dredge the claim that he, himself has discovered at the end of his term. There is also a dispute between the owners of the dredge, ‘Kcarsage’ and Beattie’s dredge at fire Half-mile beach, but the particulars I have not heard, but I suppose it will en in smoke, the river being too high for either of them to work. It is the-intention of the shareholders of the quartz reef at Conr.iy’s-gully to resume work shortly, an i they talk of erecting a -crushing mill, I would suggest, they should amalgamate with the sharehsldcrs of the Butcher’s-gully reef, and erect a mill between them, the distance between the two reefs is not much over a mile, and -one mill is quite sufficient for -present pur-

poses for'both parties. On Monday gist the Ilori ent Magistrates Court was occupie 1 for some considerable time with the me W. A. Low v. Bridget C'ockran . it appears that Bridget Cochran was in Mr. Lows employ as nurse maid, and on one day last, week she had a row with her fellow servant, the cook, and blows were exchanged between them, which ended in ?Brid. et Cooler n being discharged, but, j 1 efore allowing her boxes to be removed, | Mr. Low obtained a search warrant, and had her boxes searched where was found half a puggory, three pairs children’s socks, sun r pieces of lace, pocket handkerchiefs, and a number of other articles, which .Mr. Low claimed as his property. Mr. Low in giving his evidence, produced duplicates of nearly the whole of the articles found in the accused’s box, which had tho effect of making the court look more like s drapers shop than anything else. Tho case w is post, poned for a week for Mrs. Low to attend, and give evidence, Mr. Low not being able to swear positively to the goods being his property. In tho Wardens Court the application of Hugh M'Kenzie for an agricultural lease Bald Hill fiat was called on having h.en adjourned from last court day it was objected to hy a minor, who stated that ho had a mining claim in the-area applied for but had done no work toit forsomo time past, and stated that he thought tho whole of the area applied for was auriferous and should not he granted for agricultural purposes. Mr. Pyke said no doubt the whole of the province was auriferous to a c rtaiu extent, and that if his objection held good, no ground aon Id be open for agricultural purposes at all. bnta t the same time the miner must ho protected, and ho would protect him in his claim in this instance, and woul alsoreserve the creek line through this area one claim each side of the creek fur the use of the miners, and should it he proved that more was wanted, the agricultural lease regulations made provision for its being got, application granted with reservations Mr. Pyke took occasion to state that he considered the minor who come and obtained his gol I, and then made off to another part of the world to spend the saidl gold was vastly inferior to the man that got the gol', and settled down on the lan I, thereby assisting tho great work of colonisation.