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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 53, 4 February 1870, Page 2

Kyeburncorrespondent's letter did'not reach us until the eve of going to pres3. It is, : therefore,- unavoidably held over-until our next issue. " J List of unclaimed letters* received in September and October, 1869,. at the post-office, Naseby, and remaining unclaimed on January r3lst, 1870:—David.Budge, Wm, Burns, Matthew Hill, C- A. Livingston, Stephen Murphy, William Reed, Alfred Scarlet, John Varcoe. , : Wis understand that the prospectors (Messri. Robertson, Shubottom, and Lauder)\ of the newly-discovered quartz reef at. the Maerewhenua Diggings have lodged an application for a prospecting claim with the "Warden, at Naseby, for a quartz reef • on the Otekaike range, and opposite the Otekaike station. . • The case in the Warden's Court —Extended Water Race ai»d Sluicing Company v. Harper and Party—which had been, for some time past, occupying a considerable amount of attention among the mining community, came on for hearing on Tuesday lastj sand was settled out of Court. We understand-that arrangements have been made by which the Extended Company are to buy out Harper, and Party. Repobt states that the self-same question which is now distracting this district—the high price of water —is likely to produce a similar : Btrike' at St. Eathans. Truly glad ihould we be to see this dispute, which is paralysing the energies of the district, and destroying its best interests, brought to a speedy and satisfactory settlement. Thb miners' strike still continues, nor dp we yet hear of any sign of an accommodation. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed for the receipt of a reply to the memorial forwarded last week to his Honor the Superintendent, on the subject of protecting claims, pending a settlement of the present dispute. We were not present when an attempt was made last weele>tb-test the success of the boxfluming of .the Hit or. Miss Company. We are sorry to Team from the report of an eyewitness, that the success was not so complete as could have been desired, and that the boxes were found not to be sufficiently strong to bear -the heavy pressure. We trust that some means may be .found to strengthen the box, so as to ' render the success of so useful and expensive an experiment certain. •'*"--'. '•," There was considerable excitement in town on Sunday last', in, of a report which seemed to be too well founded, that Mr. Harper, a well-known storekeeper and highly respected citizen of this town, had been lost on the mountains between the Maerewhenua and this place. It appeared that Mr. Frater, another' well-known settler, had parted with Mr.. Harper . on the previous.. Wednesday at Maerewhenua, the latter gentleman being , about'tbßtairt : for : Naseby/ *a& : telling him

I (J rater) that he -should be at the Xyeburn that evening. Mr. Frater arrived here oa 'Saturday, and was naturally surprised and alarmed when he found that Mr. Harper had not been seen or heard of. On Sunday a large number of gentlemen turned out on horseback to scour the country between this place and the Maerewhenua, until they should find some traces of their missing townsman. There were not wanting many who thought the case bore a very blank aspect, as several nights had elapsed since Mr. Harper, who was known to have no provisions with him, waß last seen. Fortunately, Mr. Harper was soon met by Sergeant M'Nally, on the range above the Kyeburn, and at ouce proceeded to George'a Hotel, -fc-yeburn. Mr. Harper's aceount is, that not very long after leaving the Maerewhenua, he became lost in a fog on the mountains, and mistook his road. After wandering about for a considerable time, he made up his. mind for a " night out," —and a dark, miserable, dreary night it must have been —on the> top of the mountains, without food, without shelter, and the rain falling in torrents, and enveloped in an almost impenetrable fog—with the knowledge that he was lost, and uncertain, as to what his ultimate fate might be, or what even the neit day might produce. Fortunately", Mr. Harper found his way back to the Maerewhenua on Friday, and made a fair start, with same one in com;, any, on Suada , .m which d;ty he arrived safely, as stated, at the Kyeburn. The winter will now soon be upon us —thetoaffic between this place and the Maerewhenua is daily becoming greater and more fre,quent —the" Government cannot but be aware that many persons have lost their way in crossing these ranges, and that on one occasion death ensued from a lost wayfarer, while in a state almost of starvation, eating tutu heme's. We say that with these facts before them, if the Government take no steps either to construct a bridle track, or at least to erect guide posts ere the winter sets in, they—and they alone —will be guilty of and responsible for the deaths which will inevitably ensue. A paltry fraction of some of the sums lavishly and uselessly expended in and about Dunedin would do all that is required. "We trust the Government will not allow this subject to rest, but will take immediate and energetic action in thto matter.

Qua frie-nds at Queenstown are fortunate in having influential and energetic friends at head quarters. The ' Wakatip Mail' states that the court-hjuse there is about to be enlarged. We know not if such enlargement be necessary, but this we do know, that tie courthouse here is ridiculously small, and quite insufficient for the requirements of the place ? and further, that the absence of seats 'or-form* for witnesses, who are frequently compelled to attend day after day (and to which we have on more than one occasion alluded), is a great annoyance and a heavy grievance; If Sfaseby is fortunate in having friends at Court, it is a pity they do not stir themselves in her favor in the same manner as the friends of bur Queenstown neighbors appear to be now doing. Mr. Main, when her* some time back, saw and admitted the grievances complained of, and promised to seek their redress: It-is to be hoped that more important matters h*ve not driven the subject from the honorable gentleman'smind We would particularly remind Mr. Main of his own observation as to the absence of a secure place for the custody of the record* of the Court, as well as of the District Court. T.ie eanie state of insecurity which, at the tim'V appeared somewhat to startle the honorablegentleman still exists, and unless some effort be made by those lia>ing power to remedy the evil, is likely still to exist. , Monday last being the Chinese New Year,, there was a considerable stir among them, an I a large amount of their crackers was much to the fun and enjoyment of the young; folks of Naseby. However careful or even penurious John Chinaman may be on occasions with regard to creature comforts, bi*| heart on this particular day would, appear to! expand, and he seems to be careless if not reck- j less in his expenditure to obtain those delica-; cies in viands which he holis most in repute. It is perhaps a misfortune for the European tradesmen and storekeepers that the recurrence of John's New Year's Day is not>more frequent. The weather during the present week ha* been fair and bright. The evenings' a'nd mornings' chills begin, however, to bring to our recollection that midsummer has passed and the autumn and winter are approaching. The harvesting of the small amount of crops in the district ib being fast proceeded with. A deputation of miners waited upon MrWarden Robinson on Friday last, with a memorial to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting the suspension of the clause in the G-oldfields Rules and Regulations relative to the abandonment of claims, until the present dispute ghould be settled. The Warden promised to forward the memorial to his Honor the Superintendent-, which was, we understand, done by the same day's post.