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Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 275, 29 May 1886, Page 2

The men employed n the Tyr Connell are stoping out similar stone to last. The leader is keeping uniform in size, and contains good show of gold.

Driving in No. 6 level in the Alpine for north block has now passed the survey point 15 feet, and the manager decided in the early part of the week to return 80 feet and cross cut at a point where pug was showing. Stone is coming freely from the other portions of the mine. At the battery the usual weekly scraping was not gone through yesterday, but will be deferred until Wednesday next, when the monthly cleaning up takes place. The contract for clearing and levelling tailing site is now completed, and the contractors for the head race are making good headway.

Up to the end of last month the Lyell Creek Low Level Tunnel had attained a distance of 1501 feet, having driveu for that month a distance of 57 feet. The country lately has shown considerable change, now being in moderately soft slate. It is expected that the present contractors, who have about 100 feet to drive, will complete their undertaking about the end of June.

The Manuka Flat Gold Mining Company's tunnel is now in between four and live hundred feet. There is a little change in the country since our last report; boulders in the gravel being larger, and a greater quantity of black sand. The gravel has not dipped much since striking it in the roof; sometimes it shows three feet, and sometimes only one, and is going in the same grade as the tunnel. Prospecting has not yet found any gold, but, as the country is changing, it is likely to be met with any day. Judging by the ups and de wn; in the bed-rock there cannot be any doubt that the men are now on a river bed formation, and the distance now pierced show that they are well in under the Flat. It is well known that deep leads on big flats carry the gold nearer to the centre than on the edge, and if this theory proves correct they have a long distance yet to drive before striking anything payab e. The rock now being worked is all blasting ground, and, considering that only two men are employed, good headway is being made. The Buller County Council iuvite tenders in this issue for sections 1 and 2 of the Specimen Creek road, Mokihinui, and for maintenance of the Westport and Charleston road.

The accident to the Nelson coach last Saturday has been considerably exaggerated by some of our contemporaries, the principal inconvenience which resulted was delay in the'mails, and a few slight scratches sustained by passengers; in fact, with drivers like the Newmans and Mick Coster, together with excellence of the horses used, accident is reduced to a a minimum on this line.

Should sufficient encouragement be offered it is intended to hold an amateur entertainment shortly, for the purpose of raising funds for supplying Lyell with a hose for fire purposes. The reservoir is now completed, and remains permanently full, supplying a splendid pressure of water, and the inhabitants will only have themselves to blame should a fire sweep the entire township for the want of sufficient hose appliances to check it at the start.

The Annual Licensing Meeting for the district of Lyell, will take place at the Court House, Lyell, on Thursday next, 3rd June, at the hour of 12 o'clock, noon.

The tender of J. Devine, £390, for section 5, and that of G. Clapton, i*s2o, for section 6—Rough and Tumble-Kan.-mearoad—have been accepted. Letters of naturalisation have been issued to Antonio Bonetti, Charles Williams Groenewold, and Charles Christenson, all residing at Lyell.

We direct attention to the following new W'jstport business notices appearing on third page in this impression:— Thomas Field and Co., ironmongers; F. W. Hagedorn's furniture warehouse; G. Ferguson, tailoring emporium ; Thomas Lawrie, importer of hardware; Miss Kennedy, milliner; A. Richardson, chemist; P. Kelly, engineering blacksmith ; and W. and J. Harris, saw mills.

Alteration in Cilmer's advertisement setting out dimensions of theatre will appear in next issue. The Princess Theatre, Westport, is a handsome building 70ft x 30ft iuside, containing stage 30ft x 21ft, with complete sets of scenery and large dressing rooms. The height of walls is 20ft, and the room is capable of seating 600 people. The substitution of new advertisement for S. Bolton, nurseryman and seedsman, Nelson, came to hand too late for insertion in this issue, but will receive attention m next. The advertiser is prepared to supply any quantity of fruit and flowering trees, shrubs, quicks, &c, and every description of vegetable and farm seeds.

Among the proposals made by Mr Larnach ior the benefit of the mining industry will be one for the reduction ot the fee for miner's rights from the present rate of £1 to five shillings, and another reduction in the rent per acre for mining* leases to ten shillings per annum for the first three years, fifteen shillings per annum for the next two years, and afterwards twenty shillings as at present. Mr Larnach is also stated to be preparing two new Bills relating to mining, one entitled the Mining Companies Bill, to remodel the laws relating to Mining Companies. It provides for the publication of the balance sheets in such a manner as to place the position of Companies in a clearer light than heretofore before investors and shareholders. The second Bill is said to be one dealing separately with eoal miners, and provides for the granting of leases and better regulations for the working and inspection of coal mines.