MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 269, 25 November 1865, Page 2

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

We are happy to state that mining features are most re assuring, as regards two classes quartz-reefing and sluicing. In the former branch the greatest success we have to report is the crushing of the Scandinavian Company, Skipper's, whose machinery, though rough, is hard at work. It may be styled a most primitive affair, in many respects, and consists of four heads worked by water-power. Since the last crushing, reported the other day in our columns, over 100 ounces of amalgam have been lifted, without stopping the machine or clearing the stamp-boxes, plates, &c. The monthly yield, by order of the Warden's Court, will be made known on 7th December ensuing, and is expected to amount to about 400 ounces. The stone is crushed as it comes to hand Other quartz claims are active, but not crushing, owing to want of machinery. In another direction, towards the Shotover, we hear the Vulcan and Ballarat claims are about to proceed to work vigorously. The latter go to Ballarat, we believe, with their scheme. The Vulcan are awaiting their lease. Adjoining ground has been applied for and is surveyed. The reef a-head of this for a mile is yet to be seen cropping out. A road for transporting machinery is much required. The sluicing claims are vigorous, and on all hands satisfactory accounts reach us. We cannot close this short review without stating that raining interests are fast resolving themselves in the Wakatip district into a systematic method of working, and, as a consequence, reports of individual yields become much fewer. R. M. COURT, QUEENSTOWN. Thursday, 23rd November. (Before Richmond Beetham. Esq., R.M.) Ricketts v Bowes—£ll 2s; a claim for cash lent, and livery of horses £1 lis. A set-off for £5 14s was put in, and a general plea of non-iudebtedness made. Mr Manders for plaintiff. This case occupied the attention of the Court for a very long period. The items of cash lent were acknowledged as correct, but the defendant (a mining agent) averred he had paid £9 15s of this amount back in cash, and had further put in the bill (£5 14s) for legal advice, against the plaintiff. Of this bill the sum of £2 12s 6d was disputed, and an item of £1 Is was not sound. To complicate matters still further, a third and fourth account were imported into the case. One was a bill of £l4 5s for refreshments supplied by plaintiff (who had been landlord of the Nag's Head Hotel); the other was for clerical services for copying documents, but was not pressed, as no dates could be given, though plaintiff swore that the legal charges were to have been acquitted by this work A good deal of strong cross-swearing took place. Mr Beetham said he thought the complicated difficulties of the case had been at last thoroughly explained. These difficulties were sometimes insuperable where the parties, as in this case seem to have been on such friendly terms, and had what were called ''running accounts" between them. His Worship commented on the cross-swearing. As regarded the set-off, he would allow the amount of £4 2s 6d. The difficulty would then remain as to the £8 15s, cash repaid. Looking at the fact that a bill for nobblers could not be recovered, and that the transaction was therefore of an illegal, though of a colonial nature; and as dates of the repayment were wanting, he should place that amount against the cash lent, and order the case to be dismissed. November 24th, Wilson v M'Dougall—£6 lis, balance of wages. For plaintiff, Mr Manders; for defendant, Mr Bowes. The result of this case depended upon whether the plaintiff had neglected his work for a week or not. Several witnesses were examined, and amongst other# an hotelkeeper, who deposed to having seen plaintiff for a week unable to attend to business. Wages for four weeks' work (£10) had been paid, which the Court ruled was sufficient, and dismissed the case. In the case of Hall v. Kirby a new trial, upon the affidavit of a new witness, was applied for. + The 1 Southland News' reports" A coroner's inquest was held by Dr Deck on Thursday at the Golden Fleece Hotel, on the body of Mrs Farrar, or Armstrong, as reported in our last, who was found dead in a |whare situated in the upper end of Spey-street on Wednesday morning. The inquest was adjourned until Monday next. The facts elicited by the police and brought out on the inquiry before the Coroner, connected with the death of the female, the name of Mr D. B. M'Connell, Registrar of the Supreme Court here, his hat and stick being found on the premises. The post mortem examination pointed to the conclusion that death resulted from violence. Mr M'Connell had been taken into custody, and was yesterday brought before the Resident Magistrate charged with wilful murder. On the application of the Commissioner of Police, the accused was remanded for eight days. At present the case ean only be regarded as one of suspicion, the accused admitting having been in the whare on the night of Tuesday, and accounting for his hat and stick being left there. Under all the circumstances, we deem it best to leave the matter as it now stands until the result of the inquest is known."