TEVIOT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 500, 17 November 1871, Page 3

TEVIOT.

(from our correspondent.) I am afraid that the fact of my not having forwarded a communication to yon sooner will he considered as a sign of indi r . fnrenne on mv r>art, hut I can assure yon the only reason of mv silence is the want of something of general public interest to write about. With respect to mining matters in general, I have no glowing accounts to «end, as moat of the people in thisneighborhood are steadilv at work runnmg off the ton lovers, os the river cnntinu°B ton hi r h to work the bottom level. The track to famnhell’s from the Tcviot is now open for pack horses, and a great, many men are conMnually travelling over the ranges hy the short track, hut nn to the present date we hnv» not received anv returns from Comnhcll’s nr the Pomahaha. In regard to racing matters, the people of this district se"m determined not to t he behind their np-countrv neighbors, for on Saturday the 4th instant, an event came off on the Coal Creek race course, between Mr. M‘Pherson’s Wil l Harry and Mr. Carious Joe Cone ; the distance was a mile and a half for twenty pounds. Neither of the ho-ses aeneared to he in condition for racing, and Wild Harry labored under the disadvantage of carrying over two atone more than Joe Cope. For the first half mile, both horses kent pretty close together, when Joe Cope took the lead, and maintained it to the finish, coming in an ea-y winner. The programme issued by the Dr.nstan Jockey Club is read with interest, and finds general favor. I hear that 500f. has been voted for the Teviot and Alexandra Road, which will not much more than cover the expense of keeping the s'ip at Shingle Creek in passable order according to the rate they have been going o n these last two winters. At the present time there are five men at work and for the last two seasons there has been one, two, and sometimes three men at it, and yet after every shower of rain the road is impassable for any kind of convoyance, and it is the terror of all carters and wagoners on this line of road. Now 1 think Mr. Editor that an effort should be made to stop th : s waste of public money. Why do they not put up a bridge, (wh ch Would be cheipin comparison with what they are doing now), and so save all this unnecessary expense, and it would also be a boon to foot passengers, who, in the event of a flood, have to take off their clothes to wade through it. The principal work done during the year on the road from Teviot to Alexan Ira ha- been the making of a piece in Dry gullv, about eighty chains in len ;th. Near the Teviot township, there has also been a contract completed for about seventy chains, and here and there along the road, patches of metalling has b'en put down, and some new culverts laid. It is reported that the greater portion of the promised 5001. will be spent between Dry gully and Alexandra, hut a bridge at Shingly Creek is of more n-ed than any other work on the road. There is a rumor that we are not likely to heoften visited hy the Road Engineer now, seeing that his district extends right awav to Invercargill, ami that he has gone to live in the cheapest part of it. Now that the ■weither is getting fine, there is a far larger amount of traffic on this line of road, and I see that Chaplin and Co. are commencing to run th dr large coaches, and great credit is due to the driver of the bi-weekly coach for the punctuality with which it arrives at its different stages to and from its destination. The Company are fortunate in getting a goo I and steady driver on this road, ns successor to our late friend, “ Tommy.” It is perhaps not wise as a rule to parade the excellencies of public servants, hut a meed of praise is really due to Ha-ry Craig for his assiduous attention alike to the interest of his fares and his proprie'ora. From the Teviot township no news of great importance presents itself. The agitation concerning th« Moa Flat block has subsided, now that the report of the Committee, appointed to decide on the merits of the case, shews so plainly that the people were right, and our conscientious lawmakers altogether in the wrong. Some inter' st is expressed to know what will he Mr. Bradshaw's excuse for his line of action. Mr. Mervyn has not gained in the good opinions of his neighbors here, but then no one expected much from him, and thus we are not greatly disappointed. The crops about the Teviot are looking well, an I the fruit harvest will be heavy. Berries will he had for the picking, and a fine chance fir the new local industry of jam making, will offer itself to any enterprising party up to the business. Our thrifty housewives turn out a good household article, hut the wholesale manufacturer will require something more than the primirive appliances of the hook pot and kitchen fire. For the remainder of the news, see the Supplement.