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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2124, 25 February 1870, Page 3

Skippers.— Writing under date the 17th instant, a correspondent of the Wakatip Mail says .-—The mining prospect of the beginning of this year has been very encouraging here, Skippers Point carrying the . load with extraordinary finds, bringing back remembrance of old times. From here to the reefs mining is very active and increasing. Between Europeans and Chinese, the choice creek claims are being fast taken up, and miners generally are earning good wages. The Chinese are speculative in the purchase of known payable claims, one having changed owners during the past week ; and I am informed by a Celestial that an offer of LBOO was made lor a well-known claim on Pleasant Creek, but refused. In reefing, the most prominent feature is the sale of crushing machinery, that of the British American having been bought by Finney and Co., and the Otago by Mr Malaghan, who also purchased the Nugget claim. I earnestly hope that the purchases of that gentleman may prove remunerative. When we see such claims as are the Nugget, with its one, three, and nine ounces to the ton, lying four or five years with scarcely more than the sub-soil turned up, and the British American, with its last crushing from a new prospect amounting to 10 dwts. per ton, also with gold to be seen in the old working—it becomes a shame to the district that such mines should he unworked, and a hye-word in the mining calendar of the Province. The Otago machine is, I hear, about to commence crushing a lot of quartz, about 50 tons, as a trial lot of the reef in bulk. The Phoenix Company, having faith in deep ground, are penetrating the hill which contains the Scandinavian Reef at the lowest depth, and the tunnel is now being driven on a contract by Messrs Bennett and Co. The reef, it is anticipated, will be struck in June next. This being nearly 120 feet below the last gold obtained, will prove a great trial to the reef as to its continuance in depth. This Company is including the ground formerly held by some other clasms to the east on the line of reef, and should the present tunnel prove successful will have a valuable property. Westland. —The West Coast Times, in a recent artfcle, speaks of the County of Westland as being in a prosperous condition, surpassing all other Provinces ; the County Council as being quite a model for imitation, aud having passed creditably through many difficulties. The Grey month Star replies to this:—“ls having the Government doors besieged by unpaid contractors and hungry workmen, Treasurer’s cheques dishonored, money speculators buying up G comment vouchers at a high rate of interest, a County Chairman telegraphing to the Colonial Government to send L 40.000 at once, to preserve the peace of the town, a County Treasurer, in penal servitude, the Government accounts and books unintelligible, no public works proceeding with, although for its population and extent Westland collects a larger revenue than any other Province in New Zealand—a Government official sent down from Wellington to watch and cheque the expenditure of the public money. If all these things can be called ‘creditable,’ then are we the most creditable of local Governments, if we can only get people to think so.”