THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 548, 18 October 1872, Page 2

THE LAKES.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.) Arrowtov.il, Oct. 11. The Port Darwin fever is raging in the out-lying districts, and numbers in those isolated localities wi'l believe nothing else I but that it is all gold, requiring nothing but I inching up. Some of the “ cockatoos” have taken the infection, have sold out, an J de- ! parted. Of this class a number might leave | with advantage, they being far in excess of public requirements, and of no benefit to i anybody hut the storekeepers, who buy of them cheaply and sell to them dearly in i e turn things as tea, sugar, and s’op clothing, and except a cockatoo can exist on these articles he is not wante 1 here. Our large storekeepers have, with one exception, all turned farmers on an extensive scale, and and fully stock the market before their customers can sell an article. They thus dictate their own price for produce, and they must accept, or leave it for the rats and mice to eat. Should the Darwin really turn out a profitable field, the district will stand a good chance of being mainly left to the storekeepers and 1 'hinese. There is, however, plenty of gold in the district. The Shotover and Arrow claims have never been equalled, and capital and men will deved p it more. It appears to mo that if some of our small farmers would turn their attention to gold-mining instead of growing oits at less than 2s. a bushel, they would be much 1 otter paid. They might graze a few sheep, fatten cattle, and mine as well, keeping their laud in good heart, instead of laying it down is sorrel, the inevitable result of over-cropping. The crops do not look go promising as they should do, owing to the extreme dryness of the weather, and a fall of ram is greatly to he desired. In mining matters there is nothing par tieularly worthy of noting. The business of gold-getting appears to pursue the even tenor of its way, disturbed only by the Port Dorwin excitement; but, beyond that, I do not app eheud anything more serious. A great many Chinese have left the district lately. It is sail some of them are making their way to the West Coast, forgetting to discharge iheir little accounts with the storekeepers before taking their departure. This is gieatly to be deplored, as it affects the business men i.i the out districts, who are n~t blessed with a plethora of capital like, those in the towns. On Saturday ivenirg last Mr. Stratford gave a lecture at the Library Hall, for the benefit of the Arrow School funds. The subject, “Tough Yarns, by an Old Sailor,” was skillfully and humorously handled. In a number of instances the “yarns” worn from the personal experience of the lecturer, therefore the more enjoyable, as having some reality about them, and it takes an old sailor to properly relate sea stories. The lecture proved a great financial success. At Queenstown, everybody is improving and every ho y grumbling at the badness of the times. How they manage to make those two incongruous circumstances agree I cannot telL I suppose many of them must ! hava borrowed money to effect these improvements, and don’t care about coming up to (he scratch with the interest. - Two miners had a dispute about their claims at Charters Towers, fought, and ono | of them died on the spot,