NELSON CREEK

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 528, 5 June 1869, Page 3

NELSON CREEK.

(from an occasional correspondent.) May 31. At Tiy- Again Terrace mining matters are quiet. A few parties are scattered here and there on the flat, to all appearances working satisfactorily, while in the direction of Dry Gully the diggers seem to be busy, the divideuds from some of the claims having of late been very handsome. Owing to the rush to Napoleon, this place presents a less cheerful appearance than it has done, but several are making their way back to old quarters where, if no heavy finds are to be met with, there is a certainty of obtaining, what is not to be got in many places, namely, a liberal rate of wages by a little perseverance. During the last week or two a little excitement has taken place at No Town — a quiet, yet old established diggings south of the Twelve-mile Lauding. Tunnelling is the order of work there ; it take 3 some weeks to take one in, and from what I can learn the returns are from £3 to £8 a man per week. Mining matters at Hatter's Terrace, Nelson Creek, are rather brisk now. There are bits of patches hit upon every now and then, and fresh parties appear to be setting in to prospect. At the Upper Township, matters are somewhat similar, with the addition of the race parties, who, having plenty of water, seem to be highly satisfied. It is not long since I read in the "Weekly Argus" about a man named Thomas being killed hereabouts, ! and your remarks thereon. Since that j another has fallen a victim to what must ibe called gross recklessness. Three men , are working in a claim, scarcely ten feet deep, they are facing out, using nine feet caps, without centre props. One of these caps, a birch sapling of six inches, breaks from the weight on it, causing the instantaneous death of one William Menzies, while another got severely bruised. This makes the ninth man killed there or thereabouts through want of most ordinary precautions. An inquest was held upon the body before Mr Lowe, the Coroner, and a most respectable jury, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. The deceased was a married man, having a wife and family residing in Melbourne. From Sullivan's Gully, there is nothing particular to note ; the population is limited, but those there are doing very well. Some parties who have been frozan out of Napoleon's are prospecting the high terraces about, and complain bitterly of the high rates charged at the stores for ordinary necessaries. While lam on the subject of complaints I may mention that having occasion to cross the Ahaura river lately to come to the last-named Gully, I was detained at the ferry for several hours, being sent from the parties who have a canoe of their own to a ferry below, and from the ferry below again to the ferry above, because the latter's boat has been taken to the Ahaura. I may also mention that there are no approaches except crawling through the scrub to the supposed landing on the west or Orwell Creek side of the river, and that it is too bad that people are led such a dance, by a person who, as he is protected in a monopoly, ought to act differently.