BLACK’S.

Dunstan Times, Issue 471, 28 April 1871, Page 3

BLACK’S.

(from our correspondent.)

There is very little of importance to chronicle since I last wrote. Our worthy Warden has come, adjudicated, and departed again for your delectable village—city, I mean. The purchaser of the share in the Perseverance Waterrace, sold last week by Mr. G. Fache, was Mr. Greenbank, of Drybread. A public meeting was held at the Shamaock Hotel on Saturday evening, for the purpose of electing a Library Committee. There was a miserable attendance —in tact, it was a regular Black’s meeting a I over, The establishment of a public library is a project which everybody seems interested in, but nobody will endeavor to push forward. At the meeting, I believe, a temporary Committee was elected to canvas for subscriptions and perform other preliminaries. I heartily wish them success. After the library business had been disposed of a motion was proposed, and, I believe, carried, to the effect that the Progress Committee now in existence should be called upon to resign, and a meeting be held on Saturday, the 29th instant, to elect a tresh Committee. This is a step in the right direction, and, if a few enetgelic men are put in the place af the apathetic members of the Progress Committee, we may look tor some good results. There is no doubt the Progress Committee did a great deal of good while they attended to their duties, and deserve, therefore, the best thanks of the public; but, 1 believe they have not had a meeting,

for tho last six. months, sothat it is quite time we had a change. „. At Black's No 3 things are still looking bright. I hear tho Ida Valley Company are still getting out rich dirt—it is rumored, better than ever. Shares have changed hand* at GOl. The All Nations Company, I believe, is made.up, so we may soon expect to hearof their commencing theirohaft; A meeting is to he held at Kyan's Bendigo Hotel, for the purpose of raising a company to work llevell and party's claim. It is proposed to start with a a capital of 1,0007,, in fifty shares of 20?, each, Bevell and party retaining ten shares for their interest in the ground. " I think the Company will be easily floated and very soon be in working order. The proposed company is to be called the Try Again. (from another "correspondent. ) Since you last had a communication from me nothing of any great im portancehas transpired in this locality. Mining affairs are dull, in consequence of tho dryness of the season. Black's Fo. 3 is improving daily. Tents and houses are rapidly springing up in all directions, and where only three months ago there was only a population of twenty souls all told, there are now upwards of sixty, and the number is increasing every day. There have been several attempts to form a new, or resuscitate the old Progress Committee, but I am sorrv to say with very little success. Farmers are busily engaged in threshing and chaff-cutting, and where a very short time ago was heard only the bleating of sheep, can be heard the " whirr " of machinery, but of course thi« is not true progress according to the gospel of Cargill & Co. Murphy and party have finished repairing their race and will soon be ready to recommence sluicing operations. This party have been at great expense and trouble in repairing the damage done to their race by the recent gales, and it is to be hoped that they will be well rewarded for their labor. Our local police are —or rather is making a crusade against the dogs, and although I for one consider the tax oppressive, still it has the effect of preventing a great canine nuisance. By the way, I see we have had a magnificent appellation bestowed on us by the " powers that be. " No more shall we be known by the vulgar name of Black's, nut to future ages we shall be handed down as Ophir. I can find no reason why we should be called Ophir, but I suppose some Government official on a wet Sunday discovered the name in the Bible, and gave it to us to show his extensive Scriptural knowledge. I hope that in future ages no confusion will arise out of this giving us a name. It would be awkward you know if about the year 22, 221 wh<Hi places and" dates got a little miipd up, if some traveller after discovering the ruins of Solomon's temple in the vicinity of Alexandra, should, in his search for the gold mines in which that regal swell so heavily and luckilv speculated, discover a fossil Warden's ? Clerk labelled Black's. It would be very confusing to the learned mind df the day, and Heaven only knows how many lives would be sacrificed in endeavoring to prove that Black's and Ophir were pronounced the same though spelt a little differently.