COUNTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 4068, 10 March 1876, Page 2

COUNTRY NOTES.

(From our Exchanges.)

The Cromwell Company, Bendigo, washed up from their last crushing on Wednesday, the production of 290 tons of stone being 6700zs 6dwts of gold. The quartz crushed did not comprise any from the rich leader recently mentioned by us as having been struck in the mine. This body of stone in prospecting still keeps up its rich appearance, repeated trials yielding an average of an ounce to the dish, we are informed. Mr M'Kellar paid an official visit to Naseby last week. The * Chronicle' 1 says the Goldfields Secretary held consultation with the Warden, Messrs De Lautour, Bosch, and Shannon as to the best mode of management for the Mount Ida works.. The scheme likely to be reported on most favorably has not yet transpired. The specifications for the new tenders to be called for to complete the works are being prepared. At 'Qneenstown it is (according to the Argus’s correspondent) reported that Warden Beetham has resigned; but the report cannot be traced to any reliable source. ' At Cardrona mining matters are not particularly brisk, more especially amongst the European population. The Chinese are very reticent about their earnings as a role; hut it has come to be biown that a party of twenty-four of them recently left locality with no less than LB,OOO worth of gold between them. These lucky Celestials were homeward-bound.' There are still a good number of their countrymen working on the Creek. Two or three parties of Europeans are out prospecting. The following items of mining intelligence are from the ‘Cromwell Argus’:—“The Young Australian Co. had a washing-up last week from a crushing of 150 tons of stone, with a yield of 1270z5. of gold. This company is sadly kept back by the noh-compie* tion of the Camck Race. During this crushing the mill could only be kept going eight hours out of the twenty-four. In September last the Eureka Company decided to send out two miners to prospect, and if possible recover the reef which they believea to run through to a lease held by them *nd fyirwp up about five years since. The men succeeded, after five weeks’ work, in cutting a reef of the most solid description; the stone, j. so far as the reef as been broken into, showing itself rich in gold. Miners well accustomed to quartz mining estimate it will crush 2Jozs. per ton. The stone is ofa rich blue color. The company were so well satisfied that they immediately purchased the Alta battery, and have constructed a tramroad through a very rough country for about one mile and a quarter, which is now nearly finished.

The ‘ Southland Times ’ mentions that Mr M'Kerrow, the Chief Surveyor, accompanied by Mr Lumsden, member of the Provincial Counci, has left Invercargill for Riverton, on official business connected with the West* em Railways. A twenty-five-acre field of oats belonging to Mr James Blakie, of Royal Bush, Southland, has this year yielded about seventy bushels to the acre all over. The culverts and small bridges on the Tuapeka branch line, between Clarksville and Glenore, are now being built. The work of fixing the sleepers on this portion of the line will soon be commenced. Yesterday, the largest load of wool (we believe) ever brought into Oamaru, viz., seventy-three bales on one waggon, was brought down by one of Dalgleish and Smith s teams from Morven Hillw, driven by the well-known driver, Dick Weaver. The ingenuity with which the load was stowed was worth seeing, the load not having shifted the least through the long journey ol 124 miles.

Mr Wheatley, acclimatisation ranger, informs us (‘ N. O. Times’) that a flight of five white swans passed over his woolshed on Tuesday, flying, in the direction of Dr Webster s._ He also states that pheasants are now very numerous oh the Taipo estate, being seen by hundreds. The other day, while reaping a field, the driver of the machine - started a hen pheasant from a nest of fourteen. eggs, and afterwards reaped round the spot so as to leave the com about the nest standing. In the evening he returned, and was : pleased to find that his care hod had the dosired effect, ai the pheasant had returned, and was sitting .on her nest. Active progress is being made with tho. ballasting of the Kaitangata Railway. This operation is now completed from the coalpit to within half a mile of the Stalling Station. The worst part of the line has thus been finished, and it is expected the whole will be completed within a week. The tunnelling to the coal -pit is being pushed on, and the mine is expected to be folly developed in* the course of a month. Scarlet fever is still prevalent and spreading in the Kaitangata district. At first it was only of a very mild nature, but now it seems to have assumed a more serious aspect. About twenty-five cases have occurred in the district, and Dr. Smith has at present two patients pn hand. It would be well that tjie community should adopt every precaution against the spread of the disease.