FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875.

Dunstan Times, Issue 666, 22 January 1875, Page 2

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1875.

will he seen by our columns, the visit of-Professor Ulrich to the Gold fields has turned out as satisfactory to the mining community as we could desire. Our neighboui aat the Wakatip appear to have absorbed a considerable portion of his time, and is doubtless the cause ofhisnotbeingable to remain in this district on his return journey to Dunedin. Professor Ulrich and the Secretary for the Goldfields only arrived last evening, having driven down from Cromwell, and leave by this morning’s coach for Blackstone Hill and Rough Ridge Although we may feel disappointed at their not stopping here, we must, nevertheless content ourselves with the knowledge that their lime has been more advantageously employed elsewhei’e. To make a geological examination of so many quariz reefs as have lately been opened, besides probably some that are yet undeveloped, cannot be rapidly gone over, and we feel sure that Mr Ulrich evidently desires to do the Province justice, and the publication of his valuable report we look forward to with considerable interest. From all that we can learn about' his proceedings his opinions have been given without the least prejudice; and there evidently has been a desire to state facts as they are. Some few of course may feel aggrieved that they have not been praised, while others who did not expect it s°emed agreably disappointed in receiving approval. Nevertheless, all are satisfied that it is honesty of purpose with which they have been judged. It would be folly of course to suppose that Professor Ulrich can indicate exactly where gold is to be obtained, or where reefs can be struck; still, from his large experience in quartz mining the result of his observations must have enabled him to arrive at sufficient data to enable him to give a pretty correct opinion, and we feel assured that, when his ideas have been caivied out he will not lie found to be very far wrong. We must, to a large extent for the future, look to quartz mining as one of the staple industries of the Province ; it is the main stay of Victoria, and the same will be the result here. The alluvial workings of the Province are npt likely—unless something very extraordinary is dis : covered—to support a larger population than at present employed upon them; but in the matter of the development of our quartz reefs scarcely anything has been done. Professor Uiricb’s visit plainly shows that the Province is rich in these auriferous lodes, and it is only our want of knowledge that they have been so long neglected. The Provincial Government have taken the matter up just in time, and if they never before attempted anything to assist the mining industry, they have done the right thing this time, and very important results cannot fail but to follow.

We have reinserted the notice of Mr Murphy’s death oh account of a slight mistake in the age and name of the deceased. His Honor Judge Gray occupied the Bench in the District Court, Clyde, on Tuesday last, and reviewed the case Phillippi v. Felton, and stated the points he intended referring to the Supreme Court. In our next issue we hope to give the substance of His Honor’s remarks. We were grieved to see the very serious indisposition of His Honor.

To-morrow (Saturday) the annual meeting of subscribers to the Dunstan District Hospital will be held in the Town Hall, Clyde. As the business will be the election of Committee for the ensuing year, and receiving reports of retiring officers and Committee. Wo hope to see a good attendance.

The following telegram was received by ns from our Cromwell correspondentDr Stirling has given notice to the local Board of Health of the re-appearance of typhoid fever, the same as last February. Cases as yet limited to two. The contractor for the new Presbyterian Manse at Alexandra has made a start, the stone foundation being laid. The old building has been pulleddown, andnothing now remains to mark the greatest piece of folly the people of the Dunstan district was ever guilty of, but the three large stone chimneys.

A scheme is on foot at Alexandra to establish a floating swimming bath in the Molyneux. We understand there is every probability of it being carried out. Tire sale of the Alta Quartz Miningplant, Bendigo, will bo sold by Auction on Monday next at Cromwell, at 2 p.m. ; imme diately afterwards will be sold tho old bnildmg, formerly used as' tho Cromwell school-house. George Facho officiates as Auctioneer on both occasions.

On account of the rain falling in torrents at Tnapeka, tho Races to have been commenced yesterday, were postponed till today. Wo understand that fully forly horses are in the district to contest tho various events in the programme ; therefore, weather permitting, a most successful me ting is anticipated.

The January number of the Illustrated New' Zealand Herald wo have to acknowledge the receipt of. The ongravingsi though not of direct interest to New Zealanders, being principally Victorian, are up to the usual standard of excellence.

A flro broke out in Straohan’s Brewery, Dunedin, on Friday morning last, originating, it is thought, through the spontaneous combustion of six bags of patent malt. Messrs M'Connochie andTohill, contractors for the now road approach to the Alexandra Punt, on the east bank of the river, arc progressing well with the work. The two stone culverts on the road are now being built. The whole is anticipated to bo completed in about a month. Anchovies, according to the Westport Times, abound in large quantities off the coast, but as there is no local knowledge of how to cure them they are not caught. “ The night license question, which has been a source of anxiety to Dunedin publicans of late, was decided yesterday, tho decision of the Commissioners being that all hotels must be closed at 10 o’clock. An appeal has been lodged by Mr Haggitt, on behalf of the proprietor of the Criterion Hotel, who was fined in a small penalty.’, —Daily Times. From the accounts of the Dunedin Savings Bank, it appears that during the year ending December 31st, 1874, the deposits amounted to L 33,856 19s lid, and the sums withdrawn, to L 32.117 5s 6d. The interest passed to the credit of depositors amounts to L 2.499 Is 9d. Tho business done shows a very considerable increase on that of last year. Daily Times. Lindsay, Anderson, and Co., who are sluicing on tho Wia Kori Keri terraces, at the rear of Clyde, washed up last week after running about four months, the result being 200 ounces, which will pay, clear of expenses, about LlO per week per man.Messrs Hastie, M'Nally, and party, who are bringing in a large race from Chatto Creek on to the Wia Keri Keri terraces, report that at the furthest they will have the race so far constructed by March next as to commence sluicing with about five or six heads of water from the creek known as Turnbull’s Creek. This race is one of tho largest mining ventures undertaken by a private party in the district. When completed the total cost is estimated at L6OOO. By a recent American invention it is possible to send four messages simultaneously in opposite directions over a single telegraph wire. Mr Lemon’s recent discovery of sending two messages on one wire at the same time is therefore eclipsed. “Augur,” one of the sporting contributors to the Australasian, appears to fancy Lurline for the Geelong Cup race, to be run in March next. Speaking of the New Zealander, he says :—“ That this mare is one of the best horses in Australia I’ve always maintained, and by the March meeting she will be quite herself, when we shall see that the New Zealanders made no mistake respecting her capabilities. Lurline has been backed a good deal in doubles on the V.R.C, Leger and the Australian Cup.”

“ We (Mount Ida Chronicle) drew attention to the apparently well-authenticated cases of gold-stealing from the tail-races of miners at Naseby. Since then, in one case near Enterprise Gully, a theft was detected, but the perpetrator, in that case a Chinaman, got away through want of prompt information being given to the police. Not long since a box near tlie Ballarat Hotel was tampered with. About six days ago the Dead Level Company’s box on Surface Hill was cleaned out, and on Tuesday night a robbery was committed, nearly leading to a capture. The place of operations chosen was also Surface Hill, in a tail-race belonging to Shannon and party, who, at considerable expense, have opened a tunnel to enable them to work their ground. Bobberies having been suspected for some time, Mr Shannon was on a bank some 50 feet above the race. Between twelve and one o’clock ho heard a movement among the tubs, and strained his eyes, the night being dark, in vain into the double darkness of the race below. Waiting some time to allow the visitor to make good his intentions, and failing to see any hope of detecting him by keeping concealed, also thinking the tunnel was t;io dangerous a road of exit, Shannon called out, 1 Come straight up the race, or I’ll shoot you.’ Throwing down the tin dish, the thief dashed into the tunnel in preference, receiving the contents of a double-barrelled gun, which, from the flattened appearance, in the morning, of the No. 1 shot round the edges of the race, must have proved rather a warm reception. The dish was left, and about l|ozs. gold, which had been nicely panned off from stuff taken from the box.”

The Warnambool Standard says that an interesting experiment has been tried by Mr William Tlutledgo, illustrating very forcibly the value of washed and greasy wool. “ Cast year a flock of half-bred ewes consisting of 1563 in all, was divided at random into two lots, one of 781 being washed, and the other of 782 shorn in grease. They were all of the same age and breed, had been similarly treated throughout the previous year, and the shearing was effected within forty-eight hours. The wool went home in the same ship, and was all sold in London on the 10th of September last, by the same broker, so that no trial could be fairer. The result was that the accouut sales show a balance of L 54 10s 8d in favor of the washed wool. The washed sneep brought (after deducting expanses of washing) 8s lid per sheep, ns against 7s 9Jd a sheep for greasy, showing a clear profitof Is on the washed sheep. The loss of weight by washing wasfound to be as nearly as possible one-third ; the OJd instead o' u|d —thus by no means compensated for the extra weight; and the warehouse charges on the grossy wool were also more in proportion. The experiment shows how great a loss must be sustained by large flockowners when they shear in the grease."

Circumstance* confirm that it was not a mere echo which lately reached the “Tub” of the oraold of Modern Athens, but a veritable earthquake, that so shook the “old boy, the effect must have been terrible if we can judge by the last screech, which was something excruciating—not resembling “Cat Call Music,” but a kind of vernacular said to be indulged in by elderly females who are to be found in the vicinity of Billingsgate, and used by them when hardpressed for argument, which may be called more forcible than elegant. Wo regret much that our Modern Athenian has followed so dose to his ancient namesake as to feast us with vapid warm water, and painted stones for artichokes j or, what in colonial parlance may be called “unmitigated rotin future we hope that his equanimity may not be so rudely shaken as to prevent him giving us a feast containing something less ingustiblc to digest at our leisure. Well, perhaps, after all it was only the effect of the g measles. The first stone of the bridge over the Molynonx at the Teviot, was laid on Monday last. The bridge is to be a laminated arch with stone abutment having a span of 170 feet and will bo a handsome addition to provincial bridge architecture.

A recent article on the South Sea Island scheme in the San Francisco “ News Letter ” concludes thus :—lt is plain that tho company wish to make New Zealand the Emporium of the Pacific, and our merchants may before long find a powerful competitor for even the trade of the Sandwich Islands. That it is an eminently wise scheme, wo are ready to assert. It is only second in importance to the great railroad and immigration policy by which Mr V ogel is fast making a nation of New Zealand. With accurate knowledge and a clear appreciation of what we are writing about, we have little hesitation in saying that no part of the British colonial possessions is to day blessed with a more farsighted statesmanship than that long displayed by the very remarkable man who, by this scheme, proposes to acquire the commercial supremacy of tho South Pacific.

The following items published in the Melbourne papers, respecting the Palmer, may assist in determining some of our friends who meditate a journey to tho Eldorado of the North:—“ Private letters from the Palmer state that provisions are scarce at the Normanhy, from whence fearful accounts are coming into Cooktown. At Stony, Oakley, and Sandy Creeks, typhus is carrying off the diggers wholesale. At Oakley, of a party of twenty-five twenty-four died in six hours. The natives attacked the camp at the Christmas claims by throwing spears but no damage was done. ”

The following Victorian gold-mining statistics are prepared from the reports of the mining surveyors and registrars for the quarter ending 30th September:—The number of miners is 46,329 of whom. 33,555 are Europeans, and 12,684 Chinese—33,oß3 being employed in alluvial, and 15,186 in quartz-mining. There are 1134 steam engines with an aggregate of 24,902 horse-power and their value, with that of other mining plant is estimated at L 2,101,783. The number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon is 1063, and there are 3393 distinct quartz reefs proved to be auriferous. The deepest shafts in the Colony are the Magdala, 1457 ft; the Newington and Pleasent Creek, 1360 ft ; and the South Scotchman’s 1256ft—all in the Pleasent Creek division of the Ararat district. The estimated yield of gold for the quarter was 108,5050z 6dwt alluvial, and 70,2450z 2dwt from quartz miners- together, 278,7500z Bdwt. The quantity exported in the quarter was 207 5130z 3dwt. The Royal Mint received during the period 92,9770z of gold or bullion, and issued 86,8040z of gold coin and 8460z of bullion.