OUR COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 3326, 17 October 1873, Page 3

OUR COUNTRY CORRESPONDENCE.

Mount Bengek.— “ In the spring time, the only merry ring time,” but, odzooks, with us spring has been rather severer than winter. At last fine weather has set in, and again the roads begin to be almost passable. A mile ot the worst portion is to he put in repair, but the cost will be greatly enhanced by the blundering of Mr Reid’s Government, who sold the adjacent land without any reservation for the quarries and gravel-pits required in the formation of the main road line. —We have a nice little land stir going on, with our reverend member and a publican or two as moving spirits. The teterrima causa is the lessee of Run 210 exercising his right under the "Waste Lands Act, by taking up his 640 acres. Anxious to avoid any cause of offence, he selected a block of shingle, which had been rejected by everyone, but no sooner was his application in than valuable properties by the score were discovered in it. My own impression is that it will be worth a pound an acre when gravel rises to L 5 per ton, and not until then. Still the people heie have been so quiet for the past few months, that they are glad of any excuse for a good ruction, and it is notorious public meetings are as paying a spec to our pubs as free balls. —Moa and Miller’s Flats must no longer be confounded ■with the Teviot, as those places have declared their independence, and elected a Progress Committee to look after their own affairs. Barring the little town of Roxburgh, principally supported by odd shillings from over the ranges, all the settlement in the district lies u|)oip these two flats, and their capital city Ettrick is rapidly increasing in size. Mr M‘Gill’s flour mill has given it a great impetus, and I bear of other additions to be shortly made.—Talking of over the ranges, the Upper \\ aikaia is soon to have a handsome store and hotel erected by Mr Norman Ross, one of the lucky prospectors.— There is an eager demand for shares at present, but no sellers.