THE HALF-OUNCE DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 926, 15 July 1871, Page 2

THE HALF-OUNCE DISTRICT.

[FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT] The following are the impressions made on a stranger during a first yisittd Half-;: 1 Ounce and the surrounding district : — * A trip to this district in wet weather is something to shudder at. I heard a Nelson Government official, not long since, ;; express an opinion that the roads in the Grey Valley were very good, and he wondered vhy the people found fault with, them. Well, with all due deference tolas? j opinion, I beg to differ with him, and"* " would point out that to call the bed of a creek a road is a slight stretch of the imagination. The scenery is picturesque the creek, when low, bears a strong resemblance to pea-soup, and is most atrociously crowded. There is a healthy look about it, however. What strikes a stranger - is the very large number of comfortable" weather-board cottages, which are a sufficient evidence of the confidence the miners/ / have in the district. The machinery /in * use is really most creditable to the constructors, being substantial, ingenious, and admirably adapted to the purpose for which it is intended. ■ v ; / . The absurd arrangement which the Go* vernment has made respecting the townBhip is very detrimental to the interests of , Half-Ounce. The old township is situated *- in quite as good a position as the new Sv "" one. Business men have settled and invested their capital there, and their vested ' interests were surely deserving of some consideration at the hands of the Government j but for some inscrutable reason Granville is selected as the Government town, and that will probably be bolstered up to the detriment of the existing town- I Bhip. The people in business are the best ' judges of the locality which will suit „ them, and why, then, not leave them alone 1 It may seem very liberal in the minds of the Executive to grant sites for townships, with an eye, no doubt, to tnu business-license fees j but if the track on the.creek had a few pounds expended on it, it would be a much more sensible pro*

ceeding, asd give satisfaction. But they are wise in taeir generation, and, as they don't live up the creek, they don't feel the situation. - Socially speaking, Half-ounce is composed of a great variety of ingredients. There is a representative of nearly every; nation in Europe here, and I Bhould not be at all surprised if ■ at some fnture date a sort of language" peculiar to this place should be spoken, the composition of which will contain words culled from the various tongues now spoken there, but which by amalgamation will form a most elaborate and extensive dictionary. I offer the suggestion gratis, and some local lexicographer will have an 'opportunity of compiling the work, in anticipation, and the township should be christened Babel. Duffer's ia not so densely populated now as it was some years ago, but those who are working there appear to be satisfied with their lot, and the creek has a very wholesome look about it. There is a very confident feeling amongst the miners that the lead from the junction of the tw«> creeks wUI eventually be traced right through to the Totara Flat, and if this supposition is proved to be correct we may expect to see at some future date a second Ballarat in that direction. The lead is being gradually traced, and every week some party is making further discoveries. On the whole the Half-ounce is a promising locality, and a few weeks will see an immense stride taken there. The miner seems disposed to become a settler there too. Matrimony is becoming fashionable, and I think that a consignment of marketable young ladies would be a good speculation from some part where the petticoat is a drug in the market ; they could be moved off at a profit. The farmers on Totara Flat are now engaged in ploughing, and last season's crop of chaff is being moved off to the consumers. The agricultural show is to come off on the 16th August, and it is expected to be a great success this year ; in addition to the ploughing match, there will be a cattle show, and the Farmer's Club are making preparations which will doubtless secure a success for them. At the Little Grey Junction the country looks well. Mr James M'lnroe is erecting a large two-storied hotel, which promises to be an. acquisition to the district.