THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 475, 26 May 1871, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(from ouu correspondent ) Queenstown, May 23. The Queen’s Birthday last year was marked by an important celebration of local progress, in ihe shape of the opening of the Shotover bridge and the removal of the great bugbear to the traffic - f the Lakes district. One of the speakers upon that occasion appropriately remarked thai we were only on the eve of a prosperous future, arid ibis has been amply verified. The district has been going ahead ever since in a most remarkable manner, satisfactory to the inha itauts themselves and astonishing to strangers. Queenstown lias almost doubled iis proper, ions during the interval, and the improvement is still going on. In proof of this I. have only to remark tint notwithstanding tlie addition of a steam saw mill at the head of Lake Wakaiip and three brickmaking establishments, building materials were never so scarce. In fact the demand is considerably in excess of the supply. Messr-. J. W. Rolerlsuu and Co., are running ihe Antrim strainer twice a week to Kingston, bringing up goods and passengers, and twice a-wet-k io the head of the Lake, retun iig will fill cargos of sawn timber, firewood, fencing materials, Ac. The little Victoria steamer ami the whole fleet of sailin ; vessels are taxed to Ihe utmost and their unit d carrying powers are unequal to the work required of them. For artizans here is abundance of employment. We employ quite a lit le army of carpenters and i hey are a very scarce anicle at even fifteen shillings per ay, while stonemasons and bricklayers are in demand in lixe proportion. Handsome shops with plaie glass frontsare now no novelty. Our worthy Mayor has set a notable example in thi, matter. His new premises in Rees-street would be a noticeable object in any of the leading thoroughfares in Dunedin. A marked improvement has also been experienced in the outlying di tricts. The head of the Lake, Moke (J cek, and Skippers, alik partake in the general prosperity. I fact I may say that peopl are now only but slowly awaking to the immense resoounces of the district and have set themselves m the task of developing them. Quartz mining and crushing is beinu successfully prosecuie , drenging the Shotover has been proved a most remunerative specu ation, a d I hear that a company is in course of formation for dredging ihe bores of the Lakes, the points and bays of which, whenever the bed rock can he reached are fimnd to domain gold in highly remunerative quantities. Agricu t ire is also prospeious—the. farmers never uid so well before, or was pr duce ever so high, and what is better, there is a brisk and co sent demand, The agency of t is beneficial and prosperous change is different to conjecture. Some say it is due to the Chinese while others deny it in loto. 1 am inclined to the belief that our celestial brethren have done good, and will continue to do s providim.’ they do not come in overwhelming numbers, when we should have to c y out, “ hold enough, ” or we shall be e iteti up in the end by the queer-<*yed longtailed strangers. Mark Twain sa.s of Napoleon, tha he tried to do oonmcb, and he did it—now we do imt wish to realise this desirable consummation by overrunning ourselves with Chinese.