GREENSTONE,

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 505, 10 April 1869, Page 3

GREENSTONE,

(from ovr own correspondent.) April 5. The report, as far as niiniug matters are concerned, in this district during the past week remains in- statu quo, and it would be only taking up time and space to particularise the different terraces and Huts ■which have been producing gold for some time past. It may be mentioned that' water is the watchword on the terraces, while the flats are yielding much about the aame amount of gold as formerly. From the Greenstone to Maori Point now seems to be about the healthiest part of the district, some very nice gold having been sold from that portion of the district,; those. who come down the creek from that portion of the district seem free to spend money and enjoy themselves in their own particular way, more so than those situated immediately around the Greenstone township. It may be that life in the bush may give more zest to . town pleasures only, enjoyed once a week. However it is, it remains a strange fact, that up to the time when the first serious row commenced on the Greenstone— thai with the police — business may be said to have been brisk ; since that, it has gradually fallen off, and from the last assault case, it would be superfluous to name it as business at all, it having come, compara- , tively speaking, to a dead standstill. I leave it to heads better fitted to reason about cause and effect to explain this hypothesis. Such a hunting after money, by all businesses and trades, since the „ Greenstone was first opened up, has never been experienced before, and at the same time none to be collected, as the civil cases in the Magistrate's Court will show. The following may or may not be correct, it » being merely the supposition of your correspondent. In the first instance, on the , Greenstone, when the rush reached somewhere about 250Q people,"there were more stores than public-houses— trade waspretty brisk then, and no growling. More stores, alias shanties, next appeared ; fine hotels, &c., following close upon their heels. When these were finished and opened, the credit system in the stores commenced. And why? — simply for the reason that those then on the field, and who were not on what may be called paying claims, spent all their loose cash for amusements running into debt at the same time for their provisions. When the credit system first commenced in the stores already up (which did not number very much, compared with what they now do), others •sprung up in all directions, and it then seemed to be the great object of the storekeepers, large and small, who could have the most customers, credit or cash — they did not aeeni to be particular which. The hangers-on and outside diggers, sharp to notice anything of the kind, toot advan- j tage of this, and, as a natural consequence,, sell off or retrenchment is now the rallying cry of the business people. Sad is it to be mentioned that even now some of - the diggers who are on gold seek the public-house and dance and billiard-rooms vi preference to paying those to whom some of them are indebted for their present position. But lam glad to say this cannot be called a general thing. To sum up in a few words, for the last two months the stores have been keeping the public places of amusement, simply for the reason that the miner spends his ready cash at those places, and books his tucker—consequently it is the storekeepers' capital that keeps things moving. At last the lock-up will be a palpable fact to offenders against the laws. It will be completed this week, and will prove a much more suitable place than the one they have hitherto kept the prisoners in. An amateur performance in aid of finding the main bottom in the Duke of Edinburgh Terrace will take place, likely, some time next week. The programme is already prepared, and the performers preparing. Three ladies having already most kindly volunteered their services, from present appearances the entertainment will no doubt be a complete success. In my last report mention was made of gold having been struck at Lake Brunner. To-day (Monday) reports are rife as to a new rush to that distriat. But to prevent anything like a false estimate being spread of the value of such a proceeding, the true facts of what has given rise to such a report are as follows : — On Monday last, the 29th March, a party of storekeepers, headed by a thorough bushman, started for Lake Brunner, having heard that parties were working out there. They arrived at the Lake, after a tedious march through rough and swampy country, just in time to see a boat about to cross the lake with provisions for some 30 diggers, it is said, who are tunnelling into a terrace, a considerable distance up the lake. The exact locality could not be ascertained, but it is supposed to be between 30 and 40 miles from the Greenstone. Owing to this rumor having got abroad, and absolutely nothing more, several small parties of three orf our have been starting every day since Friday last, the 2nd April, but the general impression here is, that they will again return. Indeed, so meagre are the positive facts connected with the report, that it seems to me to be almost madness for meu to start on such a long journey, unless well provided with the needful, and making up their minds at the same time to take a long spell of prospecting. One good thing only, as yet connected with the Lake Brunner dis- ! trict, is that it has as yet been but little prospected, and gold was certainly got there two years ago. I will most likely tike a trip to Lake Brunner before many days are over, and will then be enabled !, to report more positively about the place. The tramway from the bush has already conferred a material benefit on the town. The slaughter yards having been removed, . and a large one erected away from the town up the tramway, the truck running the meat into the town, after being slaughtered ; this does away with . the offensive smell invariably connected with slaughter yards. There is little doubt should the Greenstone hold for any length of time, the speculation will pay. Private companies are far ahead of Government contracts, and general subscriptions for tracks and roads. The money collected by subscription for a road to the Duke of Edinburgh Terrace evidently not meeting the requirements, the track remaining still in the same break-neck state. The bridge to the Camp and Post-office across the creek are also as far from being commenced as ever. The Junction track, report says, will be continued again shortly. It would not have been at all

impossible, for these last three necessary improvements to have been completed long since ; they have to be done some time, and it seems to me that a little more energy and pushing would have at all events pushed them much farther ahead. : A mail to the Grey is to be made up from the Greenstone, but whether it is to be twice a week is not as yet understood, or on what day it; is to: commence. Of course a return mail from the Grey will be expected. Whether it is true or not, is not known, but it is said that the Grey mail will have to go to Hokitika first in both cases. This will be a serio\i3 loss of time, which might be easily obviated by Cobb s coach carrying the mail from the Grey, leaving it at the mouth of the Tereraakau, and the bag could then reach the Greenstone the same day. In fact contracting for the Grey mail the same as the Hokitika one is at present, with the Greenstone.