NELSON CREEK.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 412, 3 September 1868, Page 2

NELSON CREEK.

(moil OtJB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Ahaura, September \. According to promise, I visited Nelson Creek last week, and am glad to report a steady progress in the number of its business places and mining population. At the foot of the creek, near its junction with the Grey, the only building visible singe the creek was opened, until the last two months, was the accf mmodation-house-and receiving-store of Messrs Brosman and Clear. There is now a receiving-store be* longing to Mr Drennan, another to Mr M'Kenna, an accommodation-house nearly finished for Mr Kinchly, and a new one now erecting for Messrs Brosman and Co., opposite the ford to the Ahaura, at which place they intend placing a boat, a convenience lr»ng needed by passengers up this road. I believe it ia also their intention to cut a foot-track through the scrub facing this point, which, when completed, will enable foot-passengers to go right up to Try-again Terrace dryshod. A dairy hag been established on the fern-, fiat, about midway to the diggings ; and the proprietor, Mr Jones, intends to place a good area of the land under cultivation, A first-rate new track has been formed from this flat right up to the township ; and I think I may safely say that Nelson Creek possesses the best means of communication with the river of any diggings in the Grey district. On arriving at Tryagain Terrace, the first thing that strikes the observer is the magnitude of the undertakings recently started, as compared with all the former plans of working this terrace. Several long tramways have been laid down at great expense. Long, and deep tail-races and tunnels, penetrating far into the range, are everywhere to be seen ; and to any person who had visited this place but a few months ago, the vast increase in the number of tents, the extensive addition to the size of the township, and the general evidence of prosperity could not fail to present the, most gratifying aspect. There is at present in Nelson Greek eight stores, three hotels and billiard-rooms, four hotels and dance-saloons, three shanties, five butchers* shops, three shoemakers, three restaurants, three bakers, a clothier's shop, a chemist's shop, a circulating library, and two blacksmiths, or altogether, nearly forty busi-* ness places, certainly the largest number ever erected on any of the up-river diggings before, and speaks volumes for the richness and extent of the ground. The fine, weather of late, so unusual to the const, has a little retarded washing operations ; but one fact which came .under my notice will show more than if I were to | instance a hundred :— A party who went j into a long job of opening up a tail-race nearly 400 feet about nine months ago completed it without having struck the. gold ; they then drove into the hill, and struck the wash about forty feet in. This was about a month ago, and the fine. weather ensuing, compelled them to stack the washdirt in common with scores of other parties. They have not much water at the best of times, and you can imagine the richness of the wash, when four days* sluicing yielded sufficient to pay off all their expenses for that long period, and yet leave them a balance in band. I know many parties of two who are doing very fair with cradling alone, the stripping* being mostly shallow and the ground not difficult to work. I watched one of these parties wash lidwt. to the dish, and 4 or 5 grains is not at all uncommon. That workings at the head of Dry Gully also show a considerableimprovement; M'Kerr and party are still at work at their large paddock, the finest piece of stripping I have seen up the river. At least a dozen long tunnels are being worked about here? one commenced by Leaver and party this week beinor expected to go 500 feet. I saw several fresh parties of men sinking* on the flat here, a place never before* tried, and I do not doubt but they will meet with success. On the opposite side of the river Potts and party and Lecher and party are sluicing with firsfr-clasa results, andT heard of anew party havingstruck gold about a mile lower down thia terrace, and directly opposite the township. If this be true, and I see no reason to. doubt it, a field may be opened here equal to that on the terrace opposite, as the* wash and general appearance is exactly* the same, and gold has already been found on the other side of this range. At the upper township things also look busier. I counted 30 new comers the day I was there. Five large races already exist, most having three or four hydraulic hose at work, and paying really well; and another, to be about six mile s long, and started thia week by Graham and party, and as they brought in the first race here, you may be sure that this would not be> started without they knew well it would be a paying speculation. Many of the workers here are men whom I knew 1 twelve months ago, but who have since wandered to Queensland, Auckland, and other fields, only to return to their old and Vest ffround. At Callaghan's Gully matters are also, improving a little, but not so as to call for any special notice. German Gully may be classed in the same category, a few 1 more having set in, and the old worker appearing satisfactorily settled down. I am happy to inform you that the testimonial to our late warden, Mr Lightband, is being responded to in a manner which fully shows how highly that gentleman was esteemed throughout this district. A handsome sum has already been subscribed, but will not be made publicuntil the returns are in from the whole district. Much dissatisfaction, however,., is expressed at your naming this testimonial as being in conduction, with that of, the people of Charleston to,, the_> samegentleman, as although it is gratifying to the inhabitants of the Grey>Jßiver district to see that Mr Li^htbahd has gained the same good-will from the people of the district to which he was removed, yet it is only just to them to state that the idea. . was originated up this river, and .the matter put in motion long before the same was done at Charleston.