SOUTH BEACH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1286, 12 September 1872, Page 2

SOUTH BEACH.

[from our own correspondent.] September 11. The North Star claim continues to yield a fabulous quantity of gold, and the last washing was something enormous for these times. This is something like a claim, and mining is carried on in.a systematic principle, a' steam engine being used to draw up the trucks. It seems as if fortune had deposited a treble share of gold here, for there is something like 18ft of wash ; in fact, it may be truly said to be the best claim ever opened on the' South: Beach. In consequence of the washbeing so deep, it is impossible to make the same headway as where it is shallow. There are two more "large-sized paddocks to be worked before the original north boundary js reached, but the company have taken up another acre further north, so that they have a large extent of ground to go over if they find 'sufficient inducements. In • addition to this ground they have a strip on their eastern boundary to work, and in opening; their claim they took the precaution-. to wheel their shippings' fully s.oft back, so that they have work here that will take some time ; besides this, they have all the ground to Jgo over that they first worked prior to their commencing the deep ground, and have much more that was left by Stanaell

and Company, owing to the want of suitable machinery, is yet to be seen. Of course work of so much magnitude cannot be got over very soon, and eventually it will be interesting to watch how the lead originally ran, for their first acre comes up to the Greymouth Goldminers 10 acre lease, over which so much labor and capital were expended. There are no hopes of this being of r any value to any one else than the North Star Company and those shareholders who have held their interest from the beginning cannot be otherwise than pleased at the results. If a claim like this was at the Roper there might be cause for excitement, and might make parties wish they were there. . The Perseverance claim, at the Lagoon Lead, is another of those claims that are an exception to the general rule. /"Whilst every other, excepting Dreykluf t's, is now abandoned, this (the : Perseverance) is turning out well. The last washing. up gave a very handsome dividend. This is very cheering, as the news - from the Lagoon has been very discouraging of late, but it is to b« hoped that this turn in the fortune of the lead may continue. The road, that has , lately been constructed by the Road Board, has been most creditably completed by. Campbell and Co. Considerable dissatisfaction exists amongst the residents of the. Beach through the whole of the ground being leased as a run, thus preventing any of them from keeping a cow without paying an exorbitant charge for |doing go; It is a matter of great importance, and deserves more comment than can be done justice '. to in a mining letter. Our County Government are doing their utmost to make people • dissatisfied. Would the Government of Victoria have ignoredjthe petition ; of 150 people ? The residents of the Beach { want a commonage to turn their cattle on, and must have it. Let the Waste Lands ■ Board re-consider this subject, and re--5 member the motto, " The greatest go«d ' to the greatest number." L There is one other subject connected v with, the waste lands. The .General i Assembly, anxious, no doubt, to encourage ' parties to, take up land, to " amend the Waste Lands Act. One par--1 ticular clause was that, any party, leasing r land, the rent paid should go towards the purchase of it. Now, if therje was no 5 other good to be got from the amendment * of the Act, it ought to have been pro- !> ceeded with, but pur wise County Coun- [ cillors forbade the authorities in the ' Assembly from proceeding with it. It ia 3 enough : we want reform.