BLACK’S.

Dunstan Times, Issue 535, 19 July 1872, Page 2

BLACK’S.

(PROM A CORRESPONDENT.) July 10, The frost seems to have broken up at ast and the miners and farmers will boob be able to resume their various occupation!. In consequence of the thaw the roads are cutting up in a terrible manner, and will soqn'.bcj in apmse state than they were two years ago'. The present system of the Government, that of keeping two men on about forty miles of road will soon have to be done with, that is, if we wish to keep up any communication with Dune, din, or any other place. Our mails now are always a day - behind time,. ami som« loaded waggons have' passed thrpuglj here on their way up country, some of themover three weeks entire road, a distance,of only one hundred and twenty miles, making an average rale of travelling at something under six miles per day, this is rather too bad, especially when we consider the large amount of revenue we contribute. There is any amount of good road making material all along the line pf road, and if the Government were only to make twenty or thirty miles per year, and make it properly, we should in the course of a few years be able to travel with a little comfort, and with something dike speed—the money they are now spending upon the so called roads is only so much thrown away by the present system, and the sooner they, .abandon it for some more practical and permanent plan the better for all concerned. I notice in the report of the last meeting of the Waste Landsßoard, a letter was received from one Robert Frazer, alleged to be written on behalf of the miners of Black’s asking the Board to proceed with the sale of the township on the north side of the Manuherikia river, and to withdraw from sale or cancel the survey of the township of Ophir, as surveyed by Mr. Arthur, now I thick Mr. Fraser must have a very great amount of assurance to write such a letter, especially as on behalf of the miners of Black’s, I am not aware that the miners of Black’s ever elected Mr. Frazer as their secretary, and Ido not think that there are two miners on Black’s that was aware such a letter had been written till it appeared in the published report, and I am-sure that th ;ie aro not half a dozen miners, or others on the place that even wish the township to be withdrawn fro,m sale, nor do Ijthiuk that Mr Frazer linn any intention of turning laud speculator—if he has, and can raise the needful, there will be a line opportunity for him, when the land on the north side of the river is put up for sale,, as I fancy the purchasers will be rather scarce, so,,that if he has the means and the inclination he can have a’townahip all to himself, and as the Government seem to he rather puzzled to had a name for it, he might call it Fra-zer-tovvn, or anything else he chose—this would exactly suit, ns he could go there and reside, there would not be much danger of him quarrelling with his neighbours, and I am certain every person who has the misfortune to be acquainted with him, would join in a very fervent;" thank God’ when he took his departure from his present residence. Another statement in the same letter I must flatly contradict—he says there are two parties working on the township ge'ting from one to two ounces to the load—this certainly is fahe, as there is only one party ot men getting gold on the township, and they are not getting anything like the dirt he states ; the other is Frazer himself, who has been sinking and fossicking round some ;of^the # betels the last four or five weeks, sometimes with one man for a mate, sometimes with another, and sometimes by himself; for no man will stay with him long, especially when no gold is being obtained. One thing is certain, neither by himself nor with a mate has he struck anything payahle’as yet. We may be sure he will let us know when he does. To conclude with this subject, I hope Mr. Fraser will bo more careful in future how he writer, and especially of how he uses the cloak i f the miners of Black’s ; as, from what I have seen of that class of men, 1 am sure, if they require anything from the Government or Waste Lands Board, they know how to go to work to get it, and Mr. R. Frasor is not the sort of man they would call upon to do their correspondence or any thing else for them. We arc to have an amateur entertahimtnt on Friday evening, the Ittth iiist., in aid of the School and Harmonium Funds ; admission ticket, 3s. I trust we shall have # good gathering. I have not seen the programme, so cannot inform you what sort of an entertainment it is to be ; but as 1 shall most probably he there, ! will give you all particulars in my next. In mining at Black’s No. 1 there is nothing of interest to report. At Black’s No. 3, the Homeward Bound Company aro still raisind first-rate washdirt. Mr. James Jarrick, one of tho shareholders, informs mo that it is looking better than the Ida Valley Company over did, being far more regular and level. They have driven across the lead, which is some forty feet wide, the washdirt varying from two to five feet in thickness, with sometimes as much as three arjd four pennyweights to tho dish. The Company intend to wash up as soon as the frost breaks, I shall probably hear with what result, ar.d will let you know in due course They aro now putting m a drive along the lead towards the old workings, and intend to block out the ground as they come back.