FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1875.

Dunstan Times, Issue 682, 14 May 1875, Page 2

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1875.

The annual report of Mr "Warden Simpson, for the year ending 3 let of March, 1875, published in another portion of our columns, cannot be read except but with a very large amount of interest by our readers. It is not only valuable as showing the importance of the Dunstan as a mining district, but being an official record of such it will be accepted by the public as properly authenticated and reliable. In a literary point of view it is certainly the best Warden’s report that we have read, and we much congratulate Mr Warden Fimpson upon his production; but, when we come to consider that the report very plainly shows, as we have always represented, that the Dunstan District is really the most important gold-producing district in Otago, it becomes the more satisfactory. In quartz mining we have of course made enormous progress. The Cromwell division of the district has been proved to possess gold-bearing quartz lodes not equalled scarcely in any part of Australia for actual yield, while for permanence, they promise to be ev n more per manent, such a productive mire as that of the Cromwell Company having only been excelled by some of the richest mines at Pleasant Creek, Victoria. The report also shows that other mines in course of development at Bendigo, promise to become almost equally rich as that of the Cromwell Company, wanting only a little time to be properly opened. The Deep Level, Lucknow, Aurora, and Reliance, can scarcely fail but strike good stone, and the attainment of this is only a work of time ; while other Companies that have just struck reefs upon the surface promise to become rich mines of wealth to their shareholders, In alluvial mining the yields of gold obtained are extraordinary; nothing in the records of gold-mining has equalled what has been obtained lately at Tinker’s, and had there been water obtainable there throughout the year—for instance, of only one-fourth of it—the result would have been most exraordinary. The Dunstan Ranges from Clyde the whole distance to the Lauder Creek, contains, at their base, one vast auriferous deposit, and

it is only a question of water supply to obtain more and more gold. In alluvial mining appliances we have made enormous progress, and even in this respect the Danstan District ia a head of all others. The extensive system of mining carried on at Drybread, Tinker’s, and also by Mr Kitt, at Alexandra, cannot be excelled not only for its elaborativoness, but for the value and completeness of the appliances used, and it shows an amount of enterprise introduced into the business of goldmining not exceeded by older and more thoroughly established industries. In the settlement of the popuhit'ouupon the lands we have made very considerable progress within the past year, while a very general araonnt of success appears to have attended the efforts of our agriculturists. That this description of holdings should be of greater extent we quite agree with Mr Warden Simpson. On dry poor lands one thousand, and even two thousand acres would not be too much, and were our farmers only enabled to properly combine corn growing with grazing, there would spring up in the district, a class of yeomanry that could not fail but be highly beneficial to the best interests of the Province at large. We feel assured that Mr Warden Simpson’s report will be read with a very large amount of interest both within and outside of the Dunstan district.

The Sittings of the Licensing Courts for Cl .'ile and Alexandra are postponed to the 3rd and 7th June respectively. (See ad vsrhisement. We have to acknowledge from the Secretary for the Gold-fields, with thanks, copy of Mr Ulrich’s report on the gold-fields of Otago. The limited space at our command in the present issue debars us from noticing its contents, in our next issue we purpose giving a detailed notice. With regret we have to hold over till our next issue Mr Warden Simpson’s Annual Report of the Dunstan District, already in type. We regret this the more as our leading article deals exclusively with it. It is our painful duty to record the sudden death of Mrs Beck, wife of Mr C. P. Beck of Clyde, which took place on Friday afternoon last. From the circumstances attending the sad occurrence it was deemed advisable to hold an inquiry, which took place the next day before W. L. Simpson, Esq., Coroner, and a jury of twelve. The evidence went to prove that the deceased had taken a quantity of oil of almonds, which was the cause of death. The verdict returned was temporary insanity. The following forcible passage occurs in the Upper Shotover Correspondent’s letter to the WakatipMail. "It is to be hoped that our Members, when present at the coming annual distribution of the ‘ loaves and fishes ’in Dunedin, will think of us poor wretches, and manage to get us a mouthful.” From the balance sheet for the past year of the Mount Ida Pastoral Investment Company, we see that the shareholders have to he congratulated, the balance to credit being L 4060, or a net profit of 40 per cent on the capital invested, We are requested by our local Knights of the Hammer to draw attention to the Auction Sale advertisements. We have to hold over several matters of interest, being crowded out with advertisements. We are requested by the Treasurer of the Dunstan District Hospital to acknowledge a further gift by Mr John Allan of Alexandra of half a dozen port wine, and half a dozen of porter for the use of the Institution. Mr James Aitchison’s (ganger to the road party working between Clyde and Cromwell) letter, intended as a reply to comments contained in our issue of the 7th instant, under the head of “ Cromwell Gossip ” on the work performed by Mr Ganger and his men, we refuse to publish. We however must demand the most ample apology from Mr Aitchison for his effrontery, or we shall exercise the power we have, and place his precious production in the hands of Our Correspondent, for him to deal with as he may think fit. The Pneumatic Dredge, the property of the Company bearing that name, so far as gdd mining is concerned, has played her part, she having sank at her moorings during the night of the sth inst. The cause of this untoward end is to be unaccounted for, we being informed by Mr Kirk, the Manager in charge of her ; also by Mr Coventry, the representative of the Company, who had arrived at Clyde on the evening previously, for the purpose of starting work, that at 5 o’clock in the evening everything was right, and that she was making no more water than usual. The position she lays in being outwards, there is but little hope of saving any of the gearing on deck. On the 12th inst. the whole of the plant was sold under a distress warrant, and realised L 36. Mr E. G. Elliott, wo understand, was the purchaser for the proprietary. On Sunday last the remains of a China* man who had died at the Nevis from exposure, were interred in the Clyde Cemetery. F om what we could glean from deceased's countrymen it appears that a party of Chinese, including deceased, was working on the high mountain range at the back of the Nevis township, and that during the night of the 6th instant, their tent being broken down with the weight of snow that was falling, the whole party started to make their way to the low lying country, where all arrived except two. Search parties started in the morning up the range, and found one man walking round and round a rock, but perfectly oblivious of anything, and the deceased quite dead. Both were conveyed immediately to the Chinese encampment, where by tho use of restoratives the live man was brought round to a state of consciousness, and from whence tbo deceased was brought for interment.

The Bombay Gazette states that the man who personated Nana Sahib died at .Gwalior a few days after ho had been given bock to Soindia.

The Evening Post states that Joe Small’s widow and two children are in distressed circumstances in Sydney. Mrs Small is an invalid, and the family would have been absolutely destitute but for the kindness of a gentleman who was connected with Mr Small in tho mercantile venture on which tho latter was engaged when ho met his death. The Post suggests that amateur societies might get up benefits for the relief of the family of one who never refused his services in tho cause of charity.