THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3450, 13 March 1874, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

Waieom.— ln mining matters there is nothing fresh : everything being very duU. The heavy rain of Fndiy and Saturday had the effect of flooding the river. Considerable damage was done to the claims on the flat, which were completely swamped out in many instances. [ notice also that one or two flumes were partly carried away. This was the heaviest flood we have experienced for the past three years,

Operations have commenced ih the vicinity of the drainage channel at the lower end. From twenty to thirty miners are employed. This number would be considerably augmented were it not for other inducements offered at the present time throughout the Province to the miner. Several old and respected miners left some time f£° for the harvest at Oamarn, and fjlsp for the Tuapeiia‘'Bail Way works,’ The rate of wages paid is 9s and 10s per day of 8 hours. Harvestmg operations appear to be in lull swing. The clops, generally speaking, are, on the average, good. • Oats is the principal Crop.— ‘ Times.’ Tuapeka.— The total amount of 'subscriptions td the funds of the Tuapeka Hospital for the years 1873' was L 513 Os 6d, as against L 314

Is 6d for the previous j'ear. ■ The increase during. the past year is therefore close upon L2OO, which with the subsidy is equal to L4oo.—On apeending that steep pinch leading from Gabriels yully to the Blue Spur township, known as Jacobs Ladder, the attention of Mr Luke, a «P.ur resident, was attracted to somethin" shining m a pocket of the reef, which had been Washed by the repent heavy rain. • Q n picking SH- ft? prey ice, Mr Luke bbtafned Upwards' p f four ounces of gold. Since ibe abovp dispovpry, every step qf Jacob’s Ladder haa been occupied by foasjokers, -A wall parcel of cement from the Nelson Company’s claim, Blub Spur, was crushed at the

Gabriels Gully Co.’s battery last week, and yielded at the rate of loz'sdwt to the ton. The cement was taken from the main bottom, 50ft below the company’s present working level. If all the bottom dirt is as good as that crushed, a new era will soon commence at the Spur. In a short time we may expect to see several batteries erected, and a fresh impetus given to the present dull state of things existing in our gold workings. At the Blue Spur, many of the hitherto dividend- paying claims have, for several reasons, during the last two years fallen off in their returns. Several of the claims are gradually getting hemmed in by adjoining claims, Several can hardly afford to pay the high price charged for water for sluicing purposes, and the want of fall for their tailings is making the workings, comparatively speaking, unprofitab! 6 . Many of them, amongst which is the Nelson Co., would immediately commence working their deep ground, if they could command the use of machinery for crushing, and eave their top stuff until some more favorable opportunity offers for washing it way. The result, therefore, of the late trial crushing of cement cannot be underrated.— 1 Times ’ . Cromwell.—Yesterday, March 9, the’bankers in this place notified their customers that the price of gold would, till further notice, be L 3 15s bd per ounce. The rise is, like the reduction, JY® understand, to be a, general one throughout the irrovince, ihe sickness which has been so prevalent throughout the district still continues, and is even apparently on the increase, ihe break m the weather, which occurred on oaturday morning last, has, so far as yet can be seen, had no effect for the better, as it was hoped it would. At Alhertown, Pembroke, and other outlying districts, the same complaint is made of sickness as in the town,— 1 Argus.’