MINING NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1277, 2 September 1872, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

THE INANGAHUA DISTRICT. [from our own correspondent.] Reefton, August 30. To say that business was dull in Reef toil would convey scarcely the faintest shadow of the truth ; to say that trade, was dead and money unknown would express verj' faintly indeed the actual condition of things in this lively city of the reefs. The reaction to be anticipated from the insane rmh of business men to an undeveloped district has fairly set in, and at the present time the town is really in a state of collapse. Cash i 3 almost as absent as in the good old days of barter, and before coinage had been resorted to ; the only mystery is how tradesmen meet their inevitable weekly or monthly bills. The explanation is easy, and is conveyed in the words hasty trading and speculation. It must be evident to any one who has taken care in ascertaining the reBourcesof the district that they are almost incalculable, .and- that in the course of time they will be unfolded; but at the same time it is simply preposterous for a multitude of people to pitch themselves headlong into business in a locality that could not be expected to support them for a year to two hence. Thus all the trouble, and because people have been rashly absurd, they blame the_ district for "it. To tell the truth, anything much more forlorn than the aspect of the main thoroughfares could scarcely be imagined. There are dozens on dozens of houses sparsely inhabited, and the days of : jovial share-selling are altogether at an end. The whole 'delusions in short that only a Se&r., months ago clothed the fabulously wealiny Reefton have been dispelled before the unpleasant light of facts, though the probability is that the community; as a whole, will be far better for the some- , what bitter ordeal that they are now and have been for some time undergoing. The astonishing part of the matter is that whilst stagnation and impecuniosity-are so painfully apparent, rents keep up in all parts, and for the commonest shelter, not to say shanty, extravagant terms are demanded. At present I refrain front inflicting on your readers anything like a description of the streets. They are pathless mud-holes ; but on a future occasion I will venture to give you details in reference to them.

It may not be out of place to mention that though the inhabitants fully recognise the value of their late telegraphic connection, they would have been much better pleased if the station had not been placed at the end of the town in a street that is knee-deep in mud. If the boon was intended to be appreciated, it should be located in a position a little less like a mud lagoon. This is the less excusable on the part, of the • authorities, inasmuch as the building af; present used for a telegraph oflice ii only rented from a private person, and is not Government property.

In connection with the Government buildings, I may inform your readers that a Court House in the same street as the Telegraph Office is being rapidly erected and will soon be con.pleted. Other necessary buildings in connection with the Gaol department will shortly be constructed, we are told, not before th'ey~were' required, No doubt you have seen the report .of proceedings at the ' ' indignation mee'tihg" on Saturday last, in which aome very strong language in repudiation of Mr Cnrtis'a allegations in the Houae of Representatives was used. Whether the same . meaning could not have been ■ couched in somewhat different terms may be a matter of taste, .but that the public here are unanimous in reference to desiring release from Nelson sway there can be no doubt whatever. Indeel, the feeling that is abroad amongst the mining community especially is one of personal detestation to the Superintendent, and a consciousness that no remedy is at haud. The consequence is that the moat romantic schemes are promulgated amongst the more hot-headed to put au end to the difficulty. One of the latest that I heard was gravely suggested by a most respectable miner to the effect that the best thing to do would be to march a body of some couple of thousand armed miners to Nelson, who should quarter themselves on .the inhabitants of that peaceful city till justice shpuld bp done. Other equally feasible plans for obtaining redress have been mooted, but however people may laugh at them, they indicate at least the deep sense of wrong all residents feel, and also point out the troubles in the future should the existing state of affairs be much longer maintained. It is not an ephemeral whim ; it is the convictiou of a people that may at no distant date bear unlooked-for-fruit.

Whilst you Greymouth people have been busily dreaming, or, at moat, chuckling, over the seven miles of road recently completed between here and Square Town, as adding tl)e lqst link between here and Ahaura, the Nelson Government, thanks to the aid of the General Government, have been quietly outwitting you. The newly-made road is. simply an infamous sham, And it is not to be wondered at that Mr Mirfin should have wished to preset ve such a precious toy from the rude contact of pack-horse hoofs or waggon wheels. It has not, at the time of writing, been traversed for a i }* r eek, yet it is in a disgraceful state, and in placeß hardly passable, Jn another week or two it will, in case of rain, be shut up altogether. Parts of it, it may however be said, are in excellent condition, through having been properly made, but other portions have been " scamped," I think that is the phrase, in such an abominable manner as to render them absolutely useless. Time will tell as to whether lam correct or not. On the other hand, the road from here to Christy's', on the Buller river, and aoout 28 miles from Westport, is nearly finished, only about a couple of miles at each end incompleted, and these being in a very advanced state. From here to the Aluuira is a succession of bad roads and boarholes; from here to Christy's the road will be like a bowling-green, well made, wide, and excellently constructed. From Christy's to Westport the river traffic is

easy, boats carrying up to eight ton 3 waking? the passage up and loaded too in a little orer a day. I scarcely need dilate on these facts. It is quite certain if Greyr^otTtn wishes to retain her Reef ton trade sho must make some exertion to do bo, for in a few weeks the opposition road no conjuror tortelL There .is nffXJourtjttßws^^/lell, Mr Warden Broad and Mr Surveyor Woolley having beett^gbfgnJjj^jjj^s^gg^BSS days '^t^ljy^\Tue consequence has beun the adjournment* SE^ny cases wising, but these have been of but trivial moment, and no publid-ine'onyenience has arisen wratever./^!v ? . '^ A)>ropM<^om§t#d\, it need not astonish you iT at some very early date this district takes a very' TeSd£dg|n&itiou as one of the West 1 Coast 'goJaLffields. There is already " something moving in the straw," and several ' plirJ^eS" 'Tiave already wended their way ittjthnt direction. Years ago the Lyell was a well-known auriferous localityj but" it-was never developed fully through want -of population. Recently other discoveries, h^ave-; taken place, and stone got out a very few days ago is equal in richness to any ever got from the earth in New Zealand. "This is a big word to say, but it is the fact notwithstanding, and the 'picked specimens will run as high as the highest of the" farfamed Victorian. That tie Lyell wiil yet be one of the best gold fields on the Coast is the opinion of wiser persons myself in mining matters. '■'/.?'< The want of a bank in this, tqw^baa been greatly felt, and it has been specially a matter that haj.conceraed, number of business meji of late, owing to a large number off jctiequeß* floating about of doubtful ; Value. Amongst them were several of a mining company "wh^ie'affairs have been too lately the sab'jeet^df^onsiderabltt discussion, and many traders in the town have . been in a^pjgjj uncomfortable position,' through having hastily changed them. There is ample business for one bank, though* tlrree are not- required,* and though H would have to depend On the legitimate a great degree for -a few monthg^ as* goldbuy ing could hardly be calculated -on. A woman named JDe Loree died very suddenly on Wjdnagifey night last. Her husband isi mjffibwn man on the Coast, and &wii&ia&wixiy a professor of the small awozd, &c.. , In connec^WgK'ith this death we may add thai the cenjttery has been iemoved from the late very inappropriate site, which, was merely a shingle bed in the immediate yicinjty of the town, new 8^ though' riiore distant, is in' evevy way mojpe suitable for the purpose, and will bo used in future. What the intentions of the authorities in reference to the. bodies already deposited are does not appear, but it does seem scandalous that they should be left to be washed away at the next flood] or be washed up and desecrated as may be. A very few pounds wjxuld defray 'the costs of decent removal, and for the credit of the community, not to stay of thfr Government, surely this will be done without delay. If it is not, disgrace will attend all who fail to urse it. ' v "

In mining matters there is not much to be told, but what is is encouraging in the highest degree. The fact that business men crowd too closely together and become cataleptic in consequence, must not be regarded as in any way affecting the dwtri&tfs mining prpspegt^ qfa fJba &a& place it may be paid that a nn'mDe^ ot small alluvial rushes are progressing round the district— that at Devil's Creek being the most conspicuous. There is nothing, however, special to say of them beyond the fact that in a small way they are now giving "tucker" to a few, and offer tolerable certain proof that, if circumstances were favorable, other and more extensive ground of a sim jlar must be djs* covered. " " ' '

In quartz great activity has recently been displayed, and the results may thus be summarised .—At Murray Creek the North Star, the Inglewood, the Gold.en Ledge, and the Victoria have been getting out good stone. On Shiels's the Ajax'is crushing stone expected confidently to yield far better than the last return. Their coal tramway is nearly finished, and is a most creditable piece of work. The carriage of the United Band of Hope rn.aoh.ine,ry js oontraeted for, and.it .is' expected up shortly. The work in the Energetic Company's claim has-been prosecuted in a manner characteristic ofr the company's title. In the Wealth of Nations tho works have been prosecuted most vigorously. Prom Rainy Creek nothing cf note has come to hand. At l*arry's great activity i 3 displayed in preparing for expected machinery. At Boatman's things are tolerably flourishing, the Just in Time claim showing particularly well at present, and some specimens obtained from the claim indicating very clearly a future fortune to the Iftcky proprietors. Thpre are many other items of some interest, b' ut I hold them oy,er tity hety issue, as this communication has already assumed tolerably large and possibly tiresome dimensions.