NASEBY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 677, 9 April 1875, Page 2

NASEBY.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. Fires are now pretty common occurrences now-a-days all over the Colony, and our district is no exception to the rule. Two weeks since a fire occurred in Naseby, and ast week a conflagration broke out ok tho premises of Mr Walter Morgan, hotel and store-keeper at the Kyeburn diggings. No one was supposed to lie on the premises at the time of the fire breaking out—Mr Morgan being occupied at the time at bis coalpit a short distance away, and the women folk away on a visit. When the fire was first observed it had too great a hold] to admit of any possibility of extinguishing it, it had taken too great a hold. The building was entirely destroyed, but a few valuable articles were saved. The building was insured for LSOO. Tho origin of the fire is unknown. Nothing was elicited at the inquest, and an open verdict was returned. The Mining Association has been causing a lot of ill-feeling here of late- For some time past there h'i-3 been a groat desire on the part of people in the district to purchase their residence areas. People build houses, make gardens, &o , and if the right which they have to the ground is only that given by their miners’ right, they are liable at any time to have it worked, or a tailrace put through it, an.l thus destroyed—• certainly with compensation, hut which is always inadequate. Occupiers therefore have been endeavoring to purchase, and consequently a number of applications have been made to the Waste Lands Board to purchase. The Mining Association to these applications have raised objections. A fact, which cannot eseape unnoticed, however, is that not one of the applications by individual members of the Association have been objected to. In some cases where the gold procured has been proved not to he payable, they maintain that the ground will he required for tail-races. If there is the slightest justification they will have it for mining, no matter what its value as a freehold. The feeling against the Association is very strong. By over-doing their work they will lose favor in the eyes of those they represent, be shies their sayings and doings will, when it is seen that they are abusing their office, be ignored, and the weight, which their opinions once posse • se I will 1 o a thing of tho past Tho cause of mining representation will ho looked upon with disfavor, and their opinions disregarded. Our mining Associtmn by persisting in the same course will injure the miners’ cause throughout tho Province. Great sorrow was evinced hero on tho receipt of the sad intelligence of the death of Mr Wilson Gray. He was universally respected, looked up to, and loved. Tho miners, through his goodness and abilitv, accustomed themselves to look upon his judgments as correct, and accepted them as such without questioning. Hero too, in a Colony where respect to onr seniors is so little practised, he evoked the respect and admiration of all—in a great many instances amounting almost to veneration. Tho “ Good old Judge ” as he was commonly called, will ho greatly missed—and the name of Wilson Gray will long he cherished on the Otago gold-fields as one of tho dearest with which it has ever been associated. Tho weather is still unbroken, the davs being very warm, and little or no rain falling. Mining is consequently really at a stand still.