ARROWTOWN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 729, 7 April 1876, Page 3

ARROWTOWN.

(from our correspondent.) We have not been short of a sensation this last week, event after event Raving kept the public mind fully employed. The first, which occurred on Monday, was the death of the Inspector of Nuisances, who expired rather suddenly from heart disease. He was interred on the following Wednesday, his funeral cortegd consisting of the Mayor, Councillors, Town Clerk, and a very large majority of the citizens. As the departed had only been in office fourteen days, and only resident iu the district one year, the occasion of so much fuss being made at his funeral caused a considerable amount of surprise, and many conjectures were propounded to unravel the mystery of so much public sorrow upon the occasion of the funeral. My solution of the whole affair is this : that considering the objections the Mayor, Councillors, and a large majority of our citizens have to an Inspector of Nuisances prying into their pigstyes, cow sheds, and filthy back yards, let alone the interrupting the perambulations of their bovine favorites through the public streets, the removal of this officer by the grim hand of death might not have been a matter for real sorrow at all ; and this is borne out by the fact that the first Inspector of Nuisances, I’olice Sergeant Morton, was compelled to resign from continued interruptions, because he did his duty faithfully and well. Three months elapsed while our sapient Councillors were debating as to whether they should appoint a successor or not, and they did not'do so until ashamed of the dirtiness of the town, and the approach of typhoid, they were constrained to appoint the deceased, whoso delicate state of health they knew full well would incapacitate him from active service. Unfortunately, the poor fellow died, hence so much real or imaginary sorrow. Later in the afternoon of the same day, and at the farm of Mr Fox, on the banks of the lower Shotover, a terrible event occurred, resulting in the burning to death of a poor fellow named Michael O’Donnell. Mr John Butel’s steam threshing machine had been working all day threshing out grain, and the work was successfully accomplished, and it only remained to attach the engine to a chaff-cutter to cut up a small heap of unthrashed sheaves. The day was rather windy, and twice had the sparks fired the straw, still it was deemed advisable to proceed with the work, the two men who had been stationed to extinguish any flame feeling confident that no harm could come. However, alas for the mutability of human nature, harm did come in spite of all precautions, and a little bit of fire, at first not bigger than a man’s hand, deded all efforts to extinguish it, and communicating to the straw stack spread with incredible rapidity, barely allowing the men time to escape who were employed near the engine. Poor Michael O'Donnell was engaged upon the stack and had jumped off to escape likewise, when in all probability he fell into-some loose straw and before he could extricate himself was overpowered hy the fire and perished. He was not missed at the first, no one doubting but that ho had escaped ; but a search soon revealed the fact that a human being had been reduced to a smoking, hideous mass, recognisable only on the outline of its form. An inquest was held on the following day by the coroner, Mr H. A. Stratford, R.M., when a verdict in accordance with the facts was returned. The threshing mill was tit ally destroyed, also all the thrashed grain and sheaves upon the ground. The mill was valued at L 250, aud uninsured. Mr Fox, the owner of the farm, also loses about a hko amount. This dreadful occurrence created a profound sensation.

Now to a more pleasing story which was taking place about the same time at the reefs at Macotown. The Homeward Bound Company celebrated the successful completion of their crushing machine and the opening of the mine with a christening ceremony. The machine was tastefully decorated with many-colored flags, flowers, and evergreens, and the silence of the deep,

sombre looking gully which twelve months previously was scarcely broken by human footsteps, was alive with the voices of a merry-making throng, intent upon not only celebrating the starting of the first quartz crushing machinery in the neighborhood, but the advent of a new era in mining which must give to the district new life and vigor, bringing back the old days when Macetown had no rival in the yield of enorniouauriferous wealth. Miss Elizabeth Fitz gerald stood sponsor on the auspicious occasion, and the moment the foaming wine broke upon the water wheel Mr Eesta, the builder of the machinery, turned on the steam, and the work of reducing the golden ore to powder proceeded smoothly and satisfactorily, much to the delight or edification of all present, many?jof whom had never seen a crushing machine in their lives before. Public curiosity having been satis ■ fled the mill was stopped, and the company proceeded to the discussion of the good things provided for their delectation, and the cravings of hunger and thirst hairing been somewhat satisfied, Mr Warden Stratford delivered a very capital speech appropriate to the occasion, wishing the Company all the success their pluck and energy deserved. Mr H. fJ. ;[Cope, manager, replied appropriately, also Messrs Jenkins, Eesta, Symonds, Mackay, and Hornsby. Mr Warden Stratford'then turned on the water for the final start, when the battery at once entered upon its continuous duties. Ajßall at Messrs Eesta’s Macetown Hotel wound up the evening’s amusement. The Homeward Bound Reef is something like a “ mine of wealth,” and when I tell you that it measures upon (the average three feet in thickness, can be traced upon the surface over twelve hundred feet, and in depth in one great ravine it shows for fully one thousand feet, and with gold injevery place where the stone is 'exposed. Its valve is something enormous. The Cross Reef looks splendid. The All Rations Company’s claim may almost be compared to a jeweller’s shop, and it seems,-impossible to go wrong for gold. This company have built and'provisioned a'hut and intond’-to push on all through the winter, the two men being equipped as if for a voyage to the Arctic Regions. It is intended tojraiae two hundred tons of quartz, which is estimated to yield at the least twojhundred oz. of gold. The company intend to have their crashing machine ready by Christmas, and will start with the stone as described. Tho Maryborough Company’s mine also looks extremely well,’but the stone is wider and tho gold more’diffused, consequently it is not so showy. They have the reef five foot wide, and are now down in the solid, hard rock. The last bias*, fired on Saturday afternoon, exposed a plentiful supply of gold, in fact, no man could desire anything better. The reef is exceedingly well defined, the front and hanging walls are as firm and as hard as flint, and will ring again when struck with the sledge hammer. Mr Coleman, from Alexandra, was on the ground ; he has been prospecting for some few weeks, and leaves for home for the winter in the course of a day or so. He will bring a few specimens down with him just to astonish the good folks at Clyde and Alexandra. The Ruggetty, a new line, also looks well; this company are about to float their property in LoOOO worth of scrip, and build a machine at the junction of the Twelve-Mile and Bush Creeks. Although the prospectus has not been issued, one thousand shares have already been applied for. There is no doubt whatever about the value and the permanency of the reefs here, and I fully believe next spring there will bo an immense rush to the district. All property in the Arrow has greatly advanced in price, and evetyone is jubilant on the prospect of so much good luck in tho future.