GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1974, 3 December 1874, Page 2

GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

[prom our own" correspondent.] MINING AND GENERAL. The news from the several new rushes, continues satisfactory, the new find at Blackball Creek engrossing most atten-. £ion. The prospejtors' claim is well spoken of, and a share was sold in it last week at a good figure. The gutter, which is some twenty feet wide, is heading in the direction of Moonlight, and, from present appearances, promises to open out in bo a well-defined lead. There is a new discovery .reported at Aberdeen Terrace, No Town, but the detailed particulars are not to hand. In the sluicing districts general preparations are being made for the grand Christmas cleaving-up, and, as is usual at this time of the year, business i 3 not very brisk, everybody being lying bye for the New Years' festivities; A memorial is being very extensively signed in the mining districts praying the Superintendent of Nelson to convene a conference of delegates from the different mining centres to revise the Gold-fields Regulations, or rather to make suggestions with a view to a revision. From the earnest manner in which the miners have taken this matter up, there is a likelihood that his Honor will accede to the wishes of the memorialists. Great care and judgment will be necessary in selecting delegates possessing the requisite qualification for the work, for it is of deep interest to the future of the gold-field, that it should be well done. Copies of the memorial are also forwarded to Charleston and Westport for signature. The reduced scale of registration and other fees is to come into force on Ist January next By a proclamation made by the Superintendent, on 17th November, that certain of the present rules are to be worked, and that the fees payable for registration of extended claims and prospecting claims shall be 5s ; residence areas, special sites and protection, 2s 6d; and all other registration Is.. The fees to include payment for copies of notices, but not for survey or any other expenses. New regulations with reference to transfers or assignments of gold-mining leases are also issued. At a meeting held on' Tuesday of those interested in getting up sports and games at Ahaura at the Christmas holidays, it was decided to offer good prizes for wrestling, and other games. It was also mentioned that, it was probable, there would be one day's horse-racing. • Mr Foy's exploring party will make a new start on Friday. • The^ direction to be taken this time is to the Haupari and the Amuri. At a meeting of the Grey Valley Road Board, held on Tuesday, at Ahaura, the desirability of levying a sixpenny rate was affirmed, and the. Chairman was requested to advertise for tenders from pertons willing to become Valuators to the Board. The remuneration to be paid the Assessor is to be fixed at so much p9r ceiit. on the amount collected, instead of on the amount as settled by the Revision Court. The contractors for keeping the main road in repair have been paid the arrears coming to them, and they have received notice that the road must be put into a state of efficient repair within two weeks, or the penalty for non-compliance I will be strictly enforced. There is, it is said, to be a meeting held at Nelson Creek on Saturday evening, to take steps to urge upon the Government the necessity of pushing forward more rapidly the works in connection with the Hochstetter and Nelson Creek : Water-race. Messrs Roche and Co., the contractors, are blamed by some parties for not putting on a greater number of t men, but it is more, than likely they i will have their portion of the work ; done by the time the Government has i

its share ready. It is not generally known that the most lengthy and expensive tunnel on the race is not included in Messrs Roche's contract. This tunnel, j which will be nearly three-quarters af a raile ' in length, is the result of the detour made to avoid the expense' of putting in iron pipes, is not yet contracted for, and there is also a considerable distance bei tween the second and third sections, which is not tendered iov. Then there is the dam to be bnilt at the head of the race, and until the Government make some stir to get on. with these works there is very little use trying to rush the rest of the operations. : A horse accident took place qn Tuesday, which resulted in the death by drowning of a valuable horse, the property of Mr William Cochrane; of Totara Flat. The animal was being driven through a swamp at the lower patt of Mr Cochrane's farm, when it got into deeper water than; was suspected existed in the locality, and before it could be extricated it was smothered in the naud. .