RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2008, 12 October 1869, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

This Day. (Before James Fulton, Esq., R.M., and Captain Fraser, J.P.) DRUNK AND DISORDERLY. llohert Airs and George Oldrage, for being drunk, were fined 10s each, or 24 hours’ imprisonment. CHARGE OF STEALING. Philip Ashton, charged with stealing a pound note from the dwelling of Charles Heeding, Walker street, was discharged. PETTY OFFENCES. The following fines were inflicted for the offences stated :—James M‘lndoe, allowing 11 head of cattle to wander, Is per head; Edward M'Glashan, 4 head of cattle wand ring, 2s 6d each ; George Boid, being at a distance from his horse and dray, Ids; M. Anderson, allowing a horse to wander in High street, 2s 6d ; William Busken, 1 horse wandering, 2s Cd. INFORMATIONS BY THE INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES, A. Cullen, a nuisance on premises, dismissed ; J. A. Russell, same offence, 2s Gil ; Henry Davis, for furious driving, 10s ; William Bourne, 2s Gi. ASSAULT. Thomas Birch charged Robert Bates with assaulting him in the Club Hotel. From the evidence of the complainant it appeared that he and some friends went into the Club Hotel, when, without provocation, the defendant threatened to wring his nose, and, without further notice, struck him on the face. Suppressing the natural impulse to return the blow, lie seized his hands and held them, when the defendant vented a torrent of abuse, and as the complainant could not allow the assault to pass unnoticed, ho laid the information.— The defendant said he could say nothing in extenuation of the offence, which he did not remember, as in view of bis leaving the town with his family, he had been led into taking more wine than was good for his sobriety. He was sensible of the impropriety of l.is conduct had ho been guilty of what he was charged with doing, and tendered an apology.—Mr Fulton said the Court could not allow the matter to be passed over without recording their sense of the impropriety of which the defendant had been guilty, but they were uuw illitig that the family of the defendant should suffer for what he alone ought to he punished, The sentence of the Court was, that the defendant should be imprisoned 48 hours.

THE RESOURCES OF THE DUNSTAN DISTRICT, Writing On the above subject, the Times says “ Though last in the field, the Dunstan district promises not to bo least in the important industry of quartz-mining. It seems now to be a pretty well ascertained fact that the Garrick, Mount Pisa, and Dnnstan Ranges, abound in gold-bearing reefs. The knowledge of their existence, however, is not a thing of to-day, as reefs at Bendigo Gully and the Upper Nevis were discovered as early as ISG3. In September of that year specimens, in which the presence of the precious metal was plainly distinguishable, were brought into Clyde from both plyers ; but the public mind was too much occupied with alluvial mining in those days to pay much attention to quartz-mining, and the excessive cost of provisions and mining tools placed prospecting beyond the means of those engaged in the ordinary pursuits of mining ; while any spare capital that existed was invested in the construction of water-races, most of the large undertakings having been commenced about that time. Tn our opinion it is the richest gold producing district in Otago. From the Nevis qnartz mining intelligence is encouraging. It is believed that Messrs Smitham and M'Morran have made important and valuable discoveries. Specimens which have been shown to us as coming from this reef give every promise of success, while miners who have been for some time resident at the Nevis inform us that Remarkable or Hector Mountains will be found to contain numerous gold bearing reefs lumps of quartz studded with gold having been repeatedly picked up in the gullies and watercourses of those mountains. The Cairn Muir Range will also be found to contain auriferous quartz. Some trials lately mad# give ample evidence of this, and the same has been proved to exist in that of Mount Pisa. Besides gold, the ranges in this neighborhood are rich in other metals which must be a source of congratulation that qu'rtz-mining has but so recently developed itself. We are thus enabled to profit by the experiences of oui neighbors, Their reverses are our gains, and, although individual losses may have been sustained by early pioneers, it is stliofactory to know that the community at large will reap the advantage in the end. This, unfortunately, seems to bo the case with most now enterprises, and quartz mining has ever proved by no mean# an exception. We may fully calculate that, from this time, the prosperity of this district is permanently established. The Cromwell Quartz-Mining Company’s claim, at Bendigo Gully, has, up to this time, produced more gold than any similar undertaking in Otago ; and, when we take into account the depth to which they have penetrated and the stca’y yield of the stone, there is nothing to fear regarding the continuance of the reef. The claim of the Aurora Company looks equally as promising, and when their machinery is ready for crushing the increased yield of g>ld from the Dunstau district will satisfactorily demonstrate what we have often urg'.d - Ci-'nabar has been found at Campbell’s Gully, lead and silver at the head of the Fraser River and Bannockburn, copper at Mount Pisa and the Leaning rock, and plumbago and antimony in the ranges between Adam’s Gully and the Nevis. In addition to these minerals beds of coal are very generally distributed throughout tbo same localities, an 1, where that is not obtainable, there is plenty of water-power for driving machinery. Time will no doubt develop the existexccof these metqls in quantities sufficiently large to make the working of them highly remunerative, and thus add largely to the productive industry of the district. We cannot leave this subject without again impressing upon our readers the necessity of joint action in the matter upon the Government how desir >ble it is that something practical should bo done in the way of making plantar tions of trees. As our mining operations be r come extended the demand for timber will be enormously increased, qnd. unless this dCr mand can be satisfied at a reasonable rate, many undertakings, from this cause alone, will be brought to a stand-still. It would be a pity that the progress of the country should be delayed for the want of so indispeusible a material as timber, and for which, for mining purposes, no substitute can be found.