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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 424, 1 October 1868, Page 2

The encouraging news which we published in our last regarding the Stoney Lead, South Beach, is fully corroborated by the letter of our Saltwater correspondent, which we publish to-day. It is a discovery of considerable importance, and as the claims are all extended areas, the population is likely to be settled there for some time. Up the New River, the diggings are all turning out well, and extending rapidly. We weie informed yesterday, on most reliable authority, that what are known as the Eight-mile diggings are now extending over an area of eight miles, that the principal lead has been traced through a series of terraces, and is now running into deep ground. Several parties now sinking do not expect to bottom at less than 160 feet. A number of shafts hare been bottomed on good gold within the last two days ; out of one of these our informant saw a dish of stuff washed whicli, gave a prospect of 1 Jdwts. , with four feet of washdir t. There is a large population now in the district, and a township is being laid off at Pile Creek, where a number of public-houses and stores are being erected. The great want of the district is a road, and an effort should be made as soon as possible by the Road Boad to provide some means of communication with what promises to be for years a most important district with a large settled population. In our last we announced that a prospecting area had been granted to a party of miners for new ground opened by them on. the Left-hand branch of the Cocka-Bulla Creek. The place was rushed on Monday, and found to be a complete duffer. The man who auplied for the prospecting claim cleared out, anticipating the consequences whicli he so richly deserved. A dramatic performance is to be given this evening, at the Union Theatre, for the benefit of Mr Johu Black, which promises to be a great treat. Mr Black has long been a very general favorite with the people of Greymouth, and it is to be hoped that they will show their appreciation of his talents in a substantial manner this evening A statement has been made in the Nelson papers by a Cobden Correspondent, which, if true, ought to be remedied as soon as possible. He says : — One thing has just struck' me as being rather a humbug. A proclamation was published about five weeks a<,o, and posters printed, that diggers must name the Province from whence the gold was obtained to the purchasers. A friend of mil c has sold a decent quantity to the Union Bunk since that proclamation was published ; and the last time he thought that as they asked him no questions, he would ask them one, and so he askedthe following : — "Why don't you enquire where the gold is from, according to that notice ?." — (pointing at one in the bank) . " Oh, the Manager does that in the wholesale way, we don't bother with it; he just allows a per eentage as being Nelson gold!" This is the way in which accurate returns are to be got at, for the redistribution of the West Coast revenue, I presume. What an arrant farce ! In our last we mentioned the disappear- > ance of a miner named James Kelly, from I the Greenstone, and the apprehensions which were entertained for ..his safety. A series of enquiries instituted by the police resulted in Kelly being traced from the. Teremakau to town and thence to the Twelve-mile. It is quite refreshing to notice the energy which haa lately characterised tha proceeding of the Grey Coal Company, and more particularly of their engineer, Mr Wylde, in pushing on the preliiniuary works connected with the construction of the railway to the • mine . The late fine weather has materially assisted the contractors for clearing the line to push forward their operations with vigor. At present there are over two miles of the line being cleared a chain wide, preparatory to the laying down of the line ; and, we believe, the plans have bean prepared, and tenders will shortly be called for the construction of. the bridge over the Amotomoto Creek, which trill, be the heaviest piece of work on the line. The bridge itself will be

350 feet long, and the approaches about an equal length. Jt wiU be pushed on at once, in order to facilitate the construction of other portions of the line where .heavy cutting and filling is required. The directors of the company in Christchurtih appear, to be determined to fulfil the terms of their contract, which binds them to have 5000 tbns of coal brought to town within the next. eight or nine months, and have shewn their earnestness in a number of ways, as well as by transmitting a sufficient supply of the sinews of war. A large quantity has already been brought to market and disposed of. We are informed that in testing the value of the reserve, in order to ascertain the probable amount of coal contained in it, coal was struck a mile and a half nearer town than the present workings, and this discovery may materially assist the company, in many ways, in developing the resources of the reserve. The opening up of the mine is being carried out under the direction of Mr WyWe, on scientific principles, so that the same mistake in reference to ventilation will not bo made here which was made in the Brainier mine. We notice that the Wild Wave, from Christchurch, is bringing down thirty tons of rails, wLich are intended to be laid in the mine. Altogether the Grey Company have now proved themselves thoroughly in earnest in prosecuting the work they have undertaken, and we have every confidence that it will be pushed on vigorously to completion. The sale of improved town sections in Greymouth is announced to take place at Hokitika to-day, and all applications for the name were to be lodged with Mr Kenrick, Clerk to the Bench, Greymouth, before ten a.m. yesterday. We learn that only two applications were lodged, in consequence of the recent decision of the Waste Land 3 Boa' d to sell these sections by auction, on the 27th instant, at £-48 per acre, allowing valuation for .all improvements which were on the ground before the 10th October, 1867. We (W. C. Times) have to record a narrow escape from a frightful death. On Saturday evening last, a bpy aged thirteen years of age was phiying with the windlass rope of a shaft, and while doing so he swung himself forward over thp- mouth of the hole, into which he fell headlong. The rope not being properly fastened paid out, and the boy was precipitated to the bottom of the shaft, which was sixty-three feet in depth. Ob? serving the sudden disappearance of the boy, a number of miners who were about proceeded to the shaft, aud one of them went down and brought the boy up. Singular to state, beyond a very slight scalp wound no injuries were sustained by the poor little fellow, but as might naturally be imagined he was much shaken, and nearly dead with fright. There were two feet of water at the bottom of the hole, and had not the men so quickly detected the disappearance of the little fellow he would have been suffoCcited, for when he was found he was lying on his side. Mr Kynnersley's Commissionership of the Nelson South.west Gold Fields expired yesterday. He is now on a visit to Westport, and will probably pay us a farewell visit on an early day. It is stated to be his intention shortly to leave for England. Under these circumstances, we may ask what the Kynnersley Testimonial Committee are doing? As yet, they have shown very little energy, and if the work they have taken in hand is to be done at all, it ought to be proceeded with at once. We believe the miners in the Grey District appieciate the benefits which Mr Kynnersley's constant care and attention to their wants conferred upon them during the • last few years ; and will ever remember his administration with feelings of gratitude. It is, therefore, to be hoped that th,ey will not be behind their northern neighbors in showing their appreciation of his labors by a substantial addition to the general fund. The Westport Times, of Saturday last, says: — "Many on the coast remember Mr Joseph Yates, for years Gold Fields Inspector for the Bank of New South Wales in New Zealand. In that capacity, though his connection with the batik commenced years before in Australia, he first did business in the Dunstau and other up-country districts in Otago, and from there was removed to the West Coast. During his career in the lastmentioned parts of the colony, he nanowly.. escaped robbery, and perhaps murder, at the. hands of Burgess and confederates, whilst cirrying gold from Mount Ida. Wherever he went, good-will followed him, and on the West Coast he added to an already created multitude of friends. Sudden and fatal illness, however, overtook him something more than a year ago, aud a subscription was raised for the purpose of marking by a suitable monument, where the remains of one so well liked, and so deservedly esteemed, lay. From some cause or other, common to such movements, a rather long delay arose, but at last a suitable memorial was raise.i, and within the last few days Mr Porter has had tae enclosure planted and set out with appropriate trees, the cypress standing at each corner. Loam, to give sustenance to the plants, has. been carted by the same friendly hand, and altogether poor Joe Yates' last resting-place is at length properly marked and cared for. " Statements have been made in the Auckland papers that alluvial gold had been struck in Mercury Bay, which have turned out to be untrue. The Thames Advertiser, of the 18th ins' ant, contradicts the leportthus : — "The rumors of alluvial gold having been found to refer to Mercury Bay, a number of the restless spirits who. are to be found on\ every gold Held have packed up their swag, and taken to the road." Yesterday, two parties left in company, and purposed walking the ranges from Puriri, notwithstanding that the Maoris insisted on their inability to cross the creek, owing to the recent heavy raina. Another batch, about twenty in number, left in a cutter returning that way for timber ; but considerable caution is evinced among the diggers, notwithstanding, the glowing accounts, published in an Auck-

Lind paper, of the acenraoy of the discovery. The s.s. Tauranga, which left Auckland on Monday, took nearly 100 passengers, and several cutters have left with passengers; but our own opinion is that the rush is quite uncalled for, and will end in disappointment to all concerned in it. From our "knowledge of the origin of the rumor in Auckland we are warranted in saying this. The author of the discovery we may state is an interested party, and this throws suspicion upon it at once. We may further state that the gold is not alluvial, as reported in Auckland, for a sample brought from town was tested .in Shortland yesterday by Mr Severn, assayor of the Union Bank, aud found to be composed of 12 to 13rcarat quality, and quartz.washings instead of alluvial gold."