MININ NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1091, 25 January 1872, Page 2

MININ NEWS.

GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS. " v [FROM OUR OWJS CORRESPONDENT.] The want of. rain is ( beginning to be felt in the mining districts, especially about Nelson and Noble's Creeks, where the sluicers % "af eneMy a'ridlerf There are rumors of a probable- riett .fusftinitheHal&Ounce or Brandy Jack's localities, but it has not transpired which. There areWpOrtslfpr some time that the Teviot will before long be the scene of a large, gathering, and it is also said that the upper branches of Brandy Jack's Creek will soon be heard of, but to which of the places the rush wSU first take place" is at present kept dark. At Half-Ounce at attempt is being made to trace the lead in Colreary's claim at the lower end. The works are not; far enough advanced ; yet to call for -any special remark. ; At the upper part of the lead, Gin ty's claim, better known as Belfast Jack's, has been, abandoned after nearly two years' constant and profitless work. . The members of this party have heretofore been up to /their eyes in water, and now they are likely to be up to their eyes in law, for notice of action for heavy damages has been given them by the owners of the adjoining claim. On making inquiries of the future defendants as to the' cause of the action, they say at once it must be because, they have knocked "off work, for they say they are not aware of any other reason, except, it be that the complainants have, cast covetous eyes on their fine water-wheel, and want to get possession of it by hook or by crook, |and an action for damages is the handiest way of coming at iti Oustram and party, just Above Mabille's, have finished the erection of their new winding gear. It will be the most complete on, the lead, as it should be, because the constructors have everything good in the other companies' works •to guide them. ; The beat-improvements in all the other machines have been copied and the faults of the old machinery avoided, Mr Thomas .Fjnlayson is the maker of Oustram's winding gear, and he has turned out a creditable piece of work. The Duffer-Sullivan Lead is still looking well, and some of. the claims are paying large dividends. There are several tunnels going . in at the Rowdy ' Creek end of the lead in search of it, but nothing has been found yet. The Union. Company^ below Granville, are. said', to be on good gold, and it is now generally believed that they are on the Duffer lead, instead pf the Half-Ounce. There are good ace ;iuiits coming from Mosquito, and several, of : .. the claimholders 'there are making their way back again. Litigation has again commenced at Moonlight. The plague has, broken out afresh at Jerry's Gully, and an action for LI 00 damages is to.be tried, at the, next Warden's. Court. The money spent in fees and costs/ not to speak of the expense of going backwards and forwards to the Court) by some of the litigants • from- this locality,- would give a poor family a good start jn life. A petition was prepared and forwarded to the Nelson Executive some time since, from Ahaura, praying that a small sum of money might be expended in cutting away alii 11 near Pothan's Hotel, just outside the town. A road was made years ago up this hill, but it is at such a steep gradient that it is practically useless as a dray road. If this road were made it would materially benefit the town, by opening: up a direct communication for loaded drays to Totara Flat and the 'Murray Creek road. This memorial has never been heard of,, but no doubt his Honor and his Ministers are "considering" it. They can 1 beat the world hollow at Nelson for " consideration. " There is a legend- about here that in ancient times, when the Ahaura lock-up was better filled with prisoners than it has been of late, or since^ the ; times got bad^ the officer in "cliarge~wf6te s to "Nel3on" and "ask~ecTif he could employ some of <the long-sentenced men to do some road work, .which was urgently required, and.he received fin answer to the effect that his Honor wbuld " consider the matter," &c. After " mature consideration," an' order came down that the prisoners might be ■ employed on the urgently necessary work, but unfortunately there Were rip prisoners left. They had "done their time," 'and, had been released lp'ngbef ore, and the authorities here have never, been able to' round up so many offenders at one time since, so that the opportunity, of utilising- cheap labor at Ahaura is lost to his Honor fior ever. ; ... . ■-..-: ..■■-.- , : ,-■ .- ; : . ; „'"■' Anyone whose business it is to frequently visit the law courts in those parts cannot help noticing the frightful amount of false swearing, not to say deliberate perjury, continually being committed. ; This, is -especially observable during- the - hearing of interpleader cause's^ Brought to try the ownership of- property seized to satisfy ■judgments obtained in the Resident Magistrates' Courts. It is not an unusual thing to hear ' : persons who are for years the reputed owners and undisputed possessors of ; certain property, deny on oath all title or right to it, when they find it convenient to do so. These people will "buy with you, sell with ycu, talk \yith you" concerning this property, particularly if it be of the nature of live slock, and there is a chance of a sale or a swapp being made, but sue one of them for a just debt, and you will at once discover, on their own showing, that they have not the least claimto the goods or chattels, hbr.had they ever. . They will deliberately swear that they do not . possess any interest of proprietorship in, the property seized, and, if asked the question, they will swear they never 'did/ If pressed ■upon the latter point, the answer ; is qualified, and it.is admitted that they were one time the owners, but they have alienated their right by virtue of a bill; of sale; or some equally convenient contrivance, which, in nine cases out of ten, is a transparent'sham. The authorities are greatly to bWme in these cases. '-I?he fact 'of the ownership is keenly enough contested by the bailiff, because Of : the fees arid costs which go with the .Magistrate's .decision, but le^. the feckless swearing; and fake testimony be never, so glaring, there is no notice taken of it after the conclusion of the case. If the police made an example, which they could do at any time, these free and easy witnesses would not be so scandalously numerous. One of the collateral results of th : s lax state of r fairs' is the undermining of confidence, and the consequent llsk of giving credit. The moral obligation accompanying an oath would appear to : have ceased to have an influence or to be a chock on a number of these litigants, but if the authorities would take stringent measures to have the legal punishment inflietef, if only in one in- 1

stance, these exhibitions of false and reckless swearing would not be of suoh glaringly frequent occurrence. The new track to Reefton from the Grey side, recently discovered by Messrs James O'Mally and Jenkins, is well -spokenv.of- by expeiienced- travellew.— lt is quite the distance shorter which the discoverers - say; it • is, and } there t erV no swamps or creeks of any consequence along "itS'-courseV -Two or three- small- culverts' are all that is required, .and at the pait of the range where the track 'crosses it there is a much lower saddle than, that, crossed by the present route. A. gentleman of great practical knowledge in such matters who has examined the new route, gives it as his opinion that a good dray roatTcould be made at a trifling expense, and he went as far as to say that he would make the road himself . . : - T ;rr ;*.'■' S. : A small rush has set in to- Maoil Gully No. 2, near No Town. . The, appears to be the probability of catching the Candlelight lead, which is supposed to be coming along in that direction; • This place was rushed before, in the beginning of last December, in consequence of a rereport that John Greig's party had, struck gold, but the rumor was. premature. Mr Warden Whitefbord, and the Government Surveyor, Mr H., Lewis, paid an, official visit to the No Town disnlct on, Tuesday. During a conversation between the Warden and some of the Committee • oi . the ■ local Miners' Benefit -Society, Mr "Whitefoord suggested the formation of ] a library in connection, with the association. The proposition was favorably. . entertained, especially as there is a considerable sum of money in"ithe"treasurer l s^hantls;-<or which there does not- se'etn to be any immediate use. There would not be much difficulty in obtaining a small grarit-in-aid from the Nelson Government towards carrying out this project, because, no matter what the faults of our rulers at " Sleepy Hollow" may be, the placing .of obstacles in the way of the people educating themselves cannot be reckoned among them. ■■■'■■■■ - ■■•:• ■•••"■- •'-■ •■• :■:■:■ -i