SOUTH BEACH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1479, 1 May 1873, Page 2

SOUTH BEACH.

(from our own correspondent.) April 39. Everything is extremely dull on the fleaoh, and although it may naturally be expeoted to grow quiet as. time rolls on, yet the exceptionally dry season has made it worse than it otherwise would have been. Unfortunately there are'no hopes for a revival of the former days of prosperity by any new ground being opened, all nowwill have to depend mainly on the sluicers, and the supply of water they can ° bta , m ' The. rich claims of the Stony Jjeaa, that were once the theme of con-

versation, may now be numbered with the past. The last, and it may be confidently stated to be the best, that was ever worked on it, the North Star, is or soon will be finished, as it was reported that the company were only waiting for the last rain to bring their work to a termination. It will indeed be well if it should prove otherwise. The Hit, or Miss Wheel claim, is in full working order, and the alterations they have been making during the past week, show clearly that they anticipate a long period of work. It will be remembered that the Co-operative Company had a very large wheel and machinery to correspond, and that the heavy flood that occurred some few weeksprior toChristmas, flooded them out, which was primarily the cause of their lease beingabandoned. This plant haslately been purchased by the Hit or Miss Company, and as the wheel is so much larger than the one they have been using, it will, no doubt, be found a great acquisition, and enable them more effectually to keep down the water. The sluicers on the Beach have not had a golien time of it since Christmas, as there has been little water to enable them to follow their avocation of sluicing, nevertheless they have mostly all been employed in preparing for the jjood time, when there may be abundance. Although this may not be work that brings present payment, yet it will produce its reward in due course of time. The Leviathan Company, who are now working again, instead of letting the whole of their water, have been repairing their race. The Great Extended have been doing the same, and in some places cutting a fresh one. It is surprising how soon the weeds and ferns grow along the sides of a race, and where it is of any great length it is a work of some labor to keep these down, and the Great Extended Company must have found this to be the case in clearing their race. They have, however, overlooked the' necessity of erecting something over or across their Huntings, to prevent them from being used as bridges. This was unnecessary, formerly when there was no traffic that way, but now, as the road is likely to be near to them, it will be to the interest of the company to erect a barrier, and so prevent parties crossing on them whilst it is being made. Colton and Company, Barker and Company, and Dowling and Company have all found some useful work when they had no water, and it is to be hoped that there will now be a long ■^interval before there is any necessity for to again abstain from sluicing. There is a report that the moiety due to theParoaßoad Board under the Public Works Act has at last been paid for work performed last yoar in making some portions of the road between Paroa and Greymouth. Certainly better late than never, but how about the present moiety and the work necessary to be done ? People are anxiously waiting to know what the Road Board intends to do or is doing, for the 30th of June is drawing near, and unless the work necessary to be dona is contracted for prior to that time the money will be lost. It is to be hoped the Road Board will not permit such an injury to fall on the district through any oversight of their own.