UP-RIVER DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 673, 12 May 1870, Page 2

UP-RIVER DIGGINGS.

(from our owsr cokrespondbwt.) AHAURA. May 10. A meeting was held on Monday eyening last to take into consideration the necessity of having M'Donald's track to Napoleon thrown open, and the result has been that a petition to the Provincial J Council has been drawn up and extensively signed in the town and surrounding districts, praying that body to open the track and grant an equitable compensation to the proprietors of it. This petition, which has been signed by nejarty 600 persons of different occupations, has been forwarded to-day to Messrs Mackley and Franklyn, for presentation to; the Council at Nelson. Another meeting has been held with reference to the establishment of a hospital in some central position in the Grey Valley. It wa3 resolved at this meeting that deputations should be appointed to visit the different mining centres to lay the project before the miners and to elicit an opinion as to the probable amount of support the movement is likely to receive. ]n accordance with this resolution a deputation called a meeting at Napoleon on Saturday evening. A report of the proceedings** appeared in our last. It was the intention of the committee to hold another meeting at No Town > on Tuesday, 10th inst., and at the other digging townships as soon as possible. From the earnest manner in which this matter has been taken up, and from the general and practical support which is likely to be given to it by the miners. there is every probability of the movement being a success. There is no denying the fact that an institution of the kind is a great public requirement, and numberless instances could be adduced where sick men and those suffering from the effects of accidents have preferred to remain, in their tents until it was too late rather than undergo the miseries of a removal to Greymouth. An instance which came under my notice recently was that of a man who fell over a cliff at the upper part of Nelson Creek, was brought to the township at the foot of the creek, but there was no boat to be had to convey him to Greymouth, until MrC. Hansen brought one specially from the Twelvemile Landing for the purpose. In consequence of this delay this poor fellow suffered for ajconsiderable time in intense agony, which could be partially relieved, at least, if surgical assistance could be obtained within a reasonable time. A meeting will be held this evening for the purpose of appointing a District Improvement Committee to watch over the interests of the place, and it is likely we will soon be thinking about a Municipal Council. I have seen a pattern of a headdress, which is to be worn as a cap of office by our first Mayor, and I musty to use a Sam Wellerism, say that it is "a hartistical work of hart." The road to the Totara Flat is now opened for dray traffic, and the road to Napoleon has progressed so far that the timber and scrub is all removed for nearly the whole distance, and the formation of the fairway has been begun on some of the sections. The rush to Garden Creek, or as yon misprinted it " Gander" Creek, at Moonlight, which caused so much excitement when it took place, has turned out scf far to be a wild goose chase. In only one claim, besides the prospectors, has payable gold been found, and a shaft next the prospectors was bottomed, a duffer, on Saturday evening by Hunter, O'Brien, and party. This shaft went nearly the proper depth — 42 feet. Several new buildings are in course of erection in the town, and old ones are being improved, among the latter an additional storey is being built to Messrs Hamilton Gilmer'a Hotel, or rather to that portion of it which is over the billiard room. NAPOLEON.. The great wind and snow storm which took place since my last visit did a large amotmt of damage, and several narrow escapes of life have occurred. . The wind blew down a large tree on the shop of Mr Grant, bootmaker, in the itown. Fortunately the arms of the largest fork happened to fall clear of the building on each side, but the roof was smashed by the branches. Mr Grant was in be^rt the time, and he had a miraculous escape/ A large tree fell on the tent in which a man named Dick Forest was in bed, : but he heard it coming and made his escape. Another tree fell on Charles Fee arid party's hut, on Coffey's terrace, but the owners happened to be at work on the night shift. An accident occurred last week to a miner named Billy Scott, on this terrace. He was falling a tree, and when it was coming down instead of/filing clear of the stump it recoiled, and the butt of it jammed Scott against another tree and injured him seriously. A meeting has been held by the admirers of the Rev. Father Larkins, for the purpose of sympathising with that gentleman in his present position; the result was that it has been decided to send; a deputation to the Vicar-General at Wellington, who has charge of the diocese during the absence of Bishop Viard at Rome— to lay the wbole facts of the rev. gentleman's case before him to endeavor to obtain redress for him.