COLLINGWOOD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1254, 6 August 1872, Page 2

COLLINGWOOD.

Those who visit Oollingwbod and would wish to see what the persevering energy of one man can do, should pay a visit to Mr Hopwood's claim, near Golden Gully. It is necessary that it should be Been to be believed, as no description can give an adequate idea of the immense works and the prodigious labor neoessary to : complete these works as they are performed singlehanded. The gentleman, to look at, gives one the impression of a man of not more than ordinary strength, if so much. His house is situate on a small ilat about three parts of the way up the side of the ravine where his works are.' The house is worthy of description as a type of the man. Dimensions about 12ft by Bft, with % workshop at the back. In the Workshop ;s a forge with bellows of his own making, a garpenter stench with all tb.ei necessary tools^ with a place forevery-f thing, and everything in its place. In the dwelling-house are two- comfortable beds oh stretchers, with a remarkably neat cheffonier or cupboard, also an arm-chair, table, and stoolsj all of his own making; and the. room, itself so clean that you could safely eat off the floor without any fear of swallowing one's allotted peck of dust. His other little contrivances 'are too numerous to mention. On the top of his chimney is an old-fashioned cow], also of his Own make. At one end of the house is a garden with fruit trees, vegetables, &c. Not a weed is to ,be seen, and all the beds are in good order. On this little piece of ground; he grows black currants; which he makes into excellent jam,and red cabbage into capital pickles,; and I can vouch for all other vegetables necessary to supply his hospitable table. We will now degcend to |;he works, but how to begin I am fairly puzzled, and- am. certain it is beyond my power to convey anything but a very faint idea of them, There is.a long tail-race with tunnels, outer section with shafts. The immense uprights and cross beams which support; the roof of ) the tunnels, the immense rocks and stones which form the walls of the race look more ; like the work of giants than of an ordinary man. The walls are in some places 20ft high, built all of stone, and some of them as much as 15 and 20 tons in weight. One stone alone took him three whole weeks to move into its place. Then t there are other tunnels higher up towardfe his dam ,or.: reservoir (which is in. itself: a small lake), substantial buijt through loose treacherous earth, and all thig h%. been done in spite of continued obstructions, such as earthquakes shaking down large pieces of his walls, large landslips filling up months of work, the caving in of limestone caverns which ; run through his ground, the falls of the giants of the forest across his work, causing great damage, heavy floods doing more or/fess, injury, the bursting of his dam, or the sudden subsidence of the water ? it having fotind a way through some jcrack pr othep into an underground passage which runs parallel with his race all the way from the reservoir. In spite of all these obstacles and the immense labor attached; to clearing .burning the dense timber, he still perseveres with the patience of Job, and, .like" him^.'l' say he iB one 'man' out ot thousands. If any of your 'readers doubt it, let them come and see for themselves,