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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 65, 29 April 1870, Page 2

A cobbespondent "writing from the Maerewhenua reef informs us it is expected tliat the machinery at. present being made by Mr. Ogilvie, at Oamaru, will be completed in about three months, and that the cutting of the race has been commenced, If the weather keeps anything like favorable, endeavors will be made to complete the race, w.ieh is to cost for cutting, independently of the fluming, £3OO —in about two months.

Late telegraphic news from Greymouth, under date April 20th. reports the discovery of a rich quartz reef in Murray's Creek, Little Grey. A reef baa been struck further up the hill. The news from the Moonlight is very satisfactory. The miners there are confident that when the machinery is improved the return will be over two ounces to.the ton. Gold is seen plainly in the stone with the naked eye, and must ultimately give a good return. A small rush is going on to alluvial workings at the gorge of the Moonlight Creek. Five parties are now on gold ; one sample of gold resembled almonds or eardrops in shape. One party got a 360z. nugget this week—a splendid sample of gold. The other quartz claims at the Moonlight are at a standstill until the Moonlight Company find out the cau3e why their return is so small out of so much good stone. We understand that last week an accident occurred to the machinery at the Rough Ridge Quartz Mining Company's works, Rough Ridge, As the shaft has to be sent to Dunedin to be repaired, all work in consequence' is suspended in the me. in time. A cobbespondent writing from Mount Burster says:—"Tl:eve has been any amountof water, and affairs on the Burster are in a most prosperous condition. "We washed down one race, and it has exceeded our most sanguine expectations." In reply to a deputation which waited on him, the Premier, Mr. Fox, expressed his willingness to address the Dunedin public. Wednesday evening last was selected for the occasion. ~.

A cobbespondent of a Wanganui paper estimates the number of lawyers in that town at one to every hundred of the adult population. In our notice, last week, of Thatcher's entertainment, we omitted to mention the name of Mr. Sykes, the accompanyist, His playing on the harmonium was much admired, and contributed in no small degree to the success of the entertainment.

'.-.-■■ A. foot race took place at the South Recreation Ground, Dunedin, on Saturday • lart, be-

tween Hudson and W. H. Money (late of thi ß district) for £lO aside, distance—loo yardsHudson won by a foot, but as Money had been jostled by a spectator the race was run over again, when Hudson won by a yard. We believe that Money has since challenged Hudson to run same distance for £lO aside.

Since our leader was in type, a public meeting on the same subject was held at the Victoria Hall on Wednesday evening last, a report of which will be found in another column. It will te seen that the meeting stands adjourned till to-morrow (Saturday).

The absence of sufficient accommodation at the Court-house is a theme of very constant and general complaint, and frequent are the remarks we hear upon the subject. In the first place, the building itself is far too small for the business to done, while the absence of seats renders attendance at Court absolute misery. Considering the revenue which the Q-overnment derives from the public of this district, they are injustice bound to attend in some small degree to the convenience and com* fort of the public. Theke have, during the past week, been several considerable washings up with, we believe in all cases, very satisfactory results. f The winter may, we fear, be fully looked upon as thoroughly set in, and though there has been but little snow at present, bitxeriy cold and piercing winds have lately prevailed during the days, with severe frosts at night, in consequence of which mining operations on Surface Hill are entirely suspended. Shooting continues to be a favorite pastime of some of the good people of Naseby, wlio seldom return without bringing evidence of the abundance of game, and of their own skill in gunning. The usual field of operations is, prehear, near the Kyeburn Hotel, where ducka and rabbits are still reported to abound. The usual bi-monthly sitting of Mr. Wilson Gray's Court will take place on Wednesday, the 11th of May next. The sitting will, we presume, be simply a pro forma one, as there are, we understand, no cases to be tried. * Some six or eight weeks back a few small flags were erected in the direction supposed to indicate the intended line of telegraph to Clyde, and rumor slated that in two months from thence the line would be completed and open to the public. Not only has nothing been done excepting the placing of the flags referred to, but no tenders have been called for for the erection of the necessary building for telegraph and post-office. Surely it is time that Bome little stir were made in the matter. The winter is fast creeping upon us, when the necessary wire and material can only be brought up at a very enhanced r.ite of carriage, k Complaints continue daily to reach us of the danger from fire to wliich the town is liable, in consequence of the extremely repre- • hensible practice of carelessly throwing hot ar live ashes into back premises. One informant assures us that, within the last few days, his property has more than once escaped destruction almost by a miracle. Surely common, sense should point out to all the necessity-of acting with caution, and doing everything possible to keep from our midst the dread monster fire. There is no spying, from the extremely combustible materials of which the town is; built, where, if one starts, a conflagration might end. We trust our gentle hint upon so important a matter will receive the attentiia its importance deserves. A cobbesponitest writing from Macraes, under date 25th instant, informs us that the steam was got up and the quartz crushing machinery of the Duke of Edinburgh Company was put in motion for the firet time on Saturday last. It worked well and smoothly. and reflects great credit on the mechanical skill of Mr. Imerie. It is expected that crushing will be commenced at the latter end of the week. The reef is opened up at both ends, and the stone looks well, both for quantity acd quality. A Chinese miner near Lawrence has discovered a pure nugget of gold weighing lloz.j it is to be the largest ever discovered in the district. The Chinese are very reticent upon the point, but Bungtown is supposed to be the spot. About l'X>" Celestials have left j Lawrence for Cromwell. i

A Tokomaimho settler who recently re-| turned from a tour round tlie interior Goldfields districts of the Province, informs the ' Bruce Herald' that within three miles of the Serpentine several new quartz leads have just been struck, -which promise exceedingly wed. Thirteen ounces of the stone crushed with a hammer yielded £gr. to the ounce, and would probably liave goue lgr. to the ounce, if properly tested. . ' • A has been issued by the Governor, further proroguing the meeting of the General Assembly from the 30th ins't. to the 14th of June next.

The 'Westport Times' says that fifty passengers arrived from Auckland by the -steamer John Penn. Thirty others, who had also shipped at. Onehunga" proceeded by the vessel to Greymoutli and Hokitika. Ti.ey may be s.xid to form the first numerous instalment <£ what promises to be a return rush from Auckland, where the state of affairs is described as deplorable. Among the fifty who have n Westport their destination, there are vei «[ old West Coast men, but the number includes. also some Califomians who only recently ar-' rived in Auckland, and who ha- o not been on the Coast hefore. On arrival, men of both classes betook themselves to the new rush on the south side of the river, and have already resolved to set in. The statement of some, from the prospects they have already had, i» that, while they could with difficulty earn 30s. or 35a. a-weck in Auckland, they can average from £5 to £6 a-week here, after very Ut-t.e, loss of time. Other diggers have come up to the same ground from the southward during the past few days, and yesterday there were some cases of "jumping" which required the presence of the Warden.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before W. H. Robinson, Esq., R.M., the case of Roberts and Cooper v. Moeller was heard. Sergeant-Major Moore conduct-ed the prosecution. It will be remembered tha|> Moeller, a short time since, suffered & month'*

imprisonment for stealing two pieces of timber, the property of tlie above informants. This was a charge of a similar nature, and, after a lengthy examination, a portion of the timber having been identified, the prisoner was again sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment—the Magistrate remarking that the two charges ought to have been one, and tliat he would not receive any further information on the same «narg ß . -With the consent of the Court Mr. -Boss watched the • case for the prisoner.— Morgan v, Simpson : Claim for goods sold and delivered to defendant and party. Claim ad/Kmitted, so far as one-fourth of the amount (which was a partnership concern) was affected. Judgment for full amount and costs, to be pud by weekly instalments of £l.—ln the Warden's Court, the case of J. Creighton v. Campbell and party, for encroachment on his «laim on Cemetery Hill, was heard. The Warden visited the ground, and after a lengthy argument the case was dismissed. Mr. Hertslet for plaintiff, Mr. Ross for defendants. _The laying of the pipes of the jSTaseby Water Works Company is being satisfactorily proceeded with, and if the weather keeps favorable it is expected that the work will be completed in a fortnight. We understand that the total amount rea-. Used at the Reading and Concert entertainment held in the Masonic Hall.on Thursday evening, 21st instant,.in aid of the funds of the School Committee, was £8 195.; expenses, £2 155.; leaving a nett balance of £G 4s. The following advertisement appeared in a Hawke's Bay paper : —" The wife of Frederick Ulph, not having heard any tidings of him for nearly four years, and having been, informed that his friends do not know where he is, intends, if she does not hear from him at the ■expiration of two months from the date, to get married again."