A. TRIP TO ST. BATMANS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 847, 12 July 1878, Page 3

A. TRIP TO ST. BATMANS.

(By Our Reporter.) During the first three days of this month wo had the pleasure of visiting the several places between Clyde and, the above-named township, and we have no doubt but that a few remarks will be acceptable to those of our readers who are not acquainted with this part of the country. We commenced our journey on Monday, July I, and took the Blacks road as far as Chatto Creek, at which place there is a very neat hostelry, kept by the well-known host Mr M‘Donald, who, we 1 are sorry to say, is about to retire from the business, and has put the hotel in the market. It is to be hoped that Mr M‘Donalds successor may prove as obliging a caterer for the public’s wants as he has been. On crossing the Creek, instead of keeping the main road, we branched off to the left and followed the bridle track, which runs parallel with the Creek until we passed a shepherd’s hut, a distance nf some four miles, when we steered our course in the direction of Tinker’s Gully, right across part of Matahanni Run (commonly known as Glaasford’s). The land hero is well adapted for farming purposes and would grow nearly anything, and is nearly all a flat country, with a few gentle elopes here and there ; in fact, to our mind, it seems a great wonder in these days of land fever that it has not been applied for for agricultural purposes. However, no doubt this vast wilderness will some day become a fruitful garden, and instead of, as now, having a tew sheep running theieon, many a homestead will he seen raising its head over this magnificent country. When we arrived in the vicinity ot Tinker’s Gully we found the land was not so good for farming, it being of a shingly nature. We crossed the Creek here and followed the track until we reached Mr J. G. Mellor’s, hotel and store. It being some two years since we visited this portion of the Dunstan Goldfields, we found it a little altered. In passing, we mhy state that Tinker's Gully boasts of a church, library, store, hotel, and blacksmith’s shop, besides a number of neat dwelling-houses, principally occupied by tho mining population of tho place. Mr J. G, Mellor, of Newtown Hotel, has, perhaps, one of the finest fitted up establishments of that kind out of Dunedin. We were shown over a good deal of the building, and we may state, without any exaggeration, that great praise is due to the worthy host and hostess for the comfortable and even elaborate accommodation they have. There is a parlor adjoining tho bar, which is fitted up for the ordinary run of customers who frequent tho house, and there is a commercial room which is second to none that wo have entered on the goldfields., the furnituro and fittings being made especially for it iu Dunedin. Adjoining tho commercial room there are two excellent bedrooms fitted up with special care. The population of Tinkers consists principally of miners and their families, and many good claims are to be found in this region, among which I are the Blue Duck Co.’s, Sarnmon and i Party’s, Murphy and Party’s, John Mel- j lor’s, and others. , j After resting awhile at Tinkers wo pushed on to a gu'ly, known ns Sugar Pot, which is about a mile ami a half from the Newtown Hotel. There are several good claims in work here although many have suspended operations on account of the frost. A number of cottages may be seen with neat gardens, and tho place has an air of thrift about it which is very pleasing. We then creased over part of Matakanui Run to tho township of Urybread, passing on our way the Station homestead and the district School-house, which are situate mid-way between Tinkers and Drybread, Drybread does not seem such a prosperous place as Tinkers, there being now only some nineteen miners at work. There is

one hotel and store, and a butcher’s shop in this township, and some very nice dwellinghouses with plots of ground attached. We again struck across the country towards the main Dunedin road, which we reached after some seven miles riding. We then, it being dark and late, made all haste to the White Horse Hotel, at which place we put up for the night. This hotel is well known to most persons who have travelled from the Dunstan to Dunedin, and has a good name for the capital spread which is always given. Idle following morning found ns again on the road, which road we are sorry to say was in anything hut good repair. From turning off the main road just past the White Horse Hotel until you reach (JamWan (Welshman’s Gully) you go .throughone mass of quagmire and slush, your horse not being able to go out of a walk the whole way, and many a time you feel afraid that you will be stuck fast in the mud. The Maniototo County Council ought to be censured for allowing such .a state of.things to bo left until the middle of winter before anything is done. The traffic iu this part is very great seeing that coal carts and drays are continually passing to and fro. Between the White Horse Hotel and Cambrian there are several excellent farms, the land for miles on either side of the road being well adapted for that pursuit ; in fact, thousands of acres are still not taken up which would produce a good return for the labor bestowed on it in bringing it uuder cultivation.

The township of Cambrian is situated some seven miles from the White Horse Hotel, is off the main road to St. Bathans about a mile, and lies under the Dunstan Eango. The principal buildings are : an hotel, two stores, church, school, and a large number of miners’ dwellings. In its neighborhood is one of the best coal pits in the Dunstan district, and is owned by a Mr Jones. The coal is on the surface, and is principally taken out by blasting, and drays are simply backed in and loaded. The quality of this lignite is very good, and a groat deal of it will ignite by applying a match to it and burn without any additional kindling. The residents for miles around (even as far as Ida Valley, Blacks, aud

Tinkers) are .applied from this pit. The gold mining interest of Cambrian and neighborhood seems still to be in a flourish-

in * condition, and there is hardly one employed in this pursuit who is not earning from L 3 to L 3 15s per week the year round. The Maniototo County Council are making a thorough good road through this township. After seeing all we could at Cambrian we retraced our steps for a short distance, and got again on to the muddy road and proceeded slowly to St. Batbans, a distance of some four miles. When we arrived at St. Bathan’s Creek wo left the mud behind, and for about a mile proceeded on a good road to the township, which lies in a gully about mid-way up the hill, and which cannot well be seen by the traveller until he comes right on to it, having to go round abend. We were rathe.r surprised at first sight to see to what magnitude the mining operations had been carried on, the’ground at the side of the township having been sluiced away in all directions. To give our readers some idea of tho extent of the business carried on here, we may say that there are two butchers’ shops, three hotels, two linen drapers’ establishments, two or three stores, two blacksmiths’ and one carpenter’s shop, besides a bank, telegraph station, churches, court-house, and other public institutions. Ono great feature ot local industry particularly took our fancy, and that was the manufacturing ot iron piping, some of which we had the pleasure of examining, and to our mind was .very creditably done, equal to any of a similar kind manufactured anywhere in the province. The 'piping is used principally fo.r flaming and draining purposes, for which it is well adapted. The manufacturer, Mr Prescott, told us that he had received orders from parties as far up country as the Arrow, and that they had been highly satisfied with it. Mr Warden Robinson held his usual fortnightly court on the day that wo arrived, and seemed to have had his time fully occupied, seeing that it was twelve o’clock at night before he managed to get through the business. We were told there is not' a poor man in St. Bathans, as all were in the receipt of good wagns or incomes from the various pursuits they followed. The miners, however, have been obliged to suspend operations on account of the severity of the weather, but in about six week's time all may be expected to be in full work again The people ot St. Bathans have a good name for getting up concerts and dramatic entertainments, in which they display a considerable amount of talent.

Before referring to the rest of our journey it would bo as well to state here that all along the Dunstan Range from St. Bathans to the Wai Keri Keri Valley there is more or leas payable auriferous ground. This country has never been thoroughly prospected, and it is onr firm conviction that for many years to come this range will give employment to a large number of miners. After a short repose wo again started on our journey, retracing, our steps as far as the White Horse Hotel, and from thence wo set out for* Blacks. When in the vicinity of the Lauder Creek we again perceived some very rich agricultural land for settlement, either on the agricultural lease on the deferred payment system. Having crossed the Lauder Creek we passed on to Blacks, crossing the Manuhcrikia at the upper ford. It is hardly necessary for us to say much in reference to this township, as several articles have already appeared in this journal respecting it. However, we perceived a marked change for the better, the main street having been much improved, a great part of which was well-formed, kerbed, and gravelled, and the work was still being carried on. The new buildings, too, —tho school-house, Mr Pitches' store, and Mr Gavau’s Shamrock Hotel—were very conspicuous.

There is nothing of any moment to note for the remainder of our journey homo save that we passed the new Hour mill which is erected at Spottis Creek, on the main road, the opening of which for gristing is looked forward to with anxiety by most of the farmers.

hi concluding this report we have to compliment the Vincent County Council for the efficient manner they have carried out the making and repairing of all the roads we passed over within their boundary.