THE LAKES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 571, 28 March 1873, Page 2

THE LAKES.

o A rrowtown, March 25. The Right Rev. the Bi.shop of Dunedin, paid us a visit during the past week, and preached in the Church on Sunday morning last to a large and attentive . congregation. There is service now twice aday on Sundays in the Episcopalian Church, in the morning it is conducted by the Rev. Mr. Smith, the Incumbent, and in the evening by Mr. Warden Stratford. As you all are well aware at the Dunstan, Mr. Stratford is most zealous in the cause of the Church, and wherever he has been stationed on the gold-fields, the people owe him a deep.debt of gratitude for furthering the object of Christian worship. The new Presbyterian Church is rap-’dly approaching completion, and it is, I believe, contemplated to erect one for the Roman Catholics, so that in the matter of Church accommodation we shall bo pretty well provided. . A new. schoolhouse is badly wanted, the present building is in a most dilapidated condition, and positively unfitted for its purposes, and should the present winter prove a severe one, I question whether it can be used. It appears to be a most miraculns circumstance that while we have been most lavish in providing Church Accommodation, similar provision for the education of the young has been entirely neglected. It is to bo hoped, however, that this will not much longer ho a reproach to the district, Our Improvement Committee have set themselves to the work of repairing the streets, and people will be able to go about comfortably. The absence of mud in the streets of Arrowtown during the winter will he quite a novelty. With respect to buildings, both public and private, we have made great progress during the past twelve months, and this improvement is still going on. Chinese labor lias come considerably into fashion of late. European workmen are scarcely to be had for, love or money, and to find a man wanting work is almost as difficult as to find a good claim. In building the stonework for the Presbyterian Church, Chinese labor was profitably employed, and now our Improvement Committee have broken the ice, and John Chinaman may be seen repairing the streets. These celestial workmen arc really very efficient, and I question much whether Europeans would do more. The wages paid to the children of the flowery land is five shillings per day. There never was such a scarcity of labor before, and what is available is of the worst description ; there arc, of course, men carrying their swags about and looking for employment, but really wanting none, a feed and a shake down is all they desire. The harvest is all now fairly gathered in, and the thrashing machineshre all in full work preparing the grain for the market. In all cases there appears to he a great falling off in the yield, and considering the long dry season, it is only a matter for wonder that it has been so good. The’root' crops have failed considerably, turnips, carrots, beets, and mangolds are extremely scarce ; potatoes are not quite so bad, still there is not one half so many as last season, the average is less, and the yield much in* ferior. The only successful crops have been the early sown wheat which appears to flourish despite dry weather. Early sowing is the order of the day now, and ploughing for wheat is being pushed forward vigorously. In some few instances the crops are already in the ground. The Company mania has seized upon Arrowtown, and a mining company is projected to work that portion of the Arrow Flat and the junction of Bush Creek with the Arrow River. That there is gold there can be no question, hut as the proprietors of the claim ask 30001. for their share. Out of 90001. capital the public have not responded to the allurements hold out by the liberal and far-seeing directovsjof the Arrow River United Gold Mining Company (Limited). Such a large slice of the cake for the promoters of this precious company who have done nothing but mark out the ground, is considered as too great an estimate of their own worth and labor, and no response to tbe voice of the charmer. Three thousand pounds for merely sticking four pegs in the ground. Who would ever think of working hard all day with a pick and shovel after that? Taking a lesson from the Arrow River United Gold Mining ■ Company (Limited), every miner can he a : full bloatedjcapitalist at once, without doing a stroke.