THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1871.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 117, 26 May 1871, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1871.

In consequence of an unusual-pressure on our column* of local and ot ;er matter, we are reluctantly compelled to hold over our usual leader.

AO4IV lias Surface 1 iill added another to its already too long list of victims Iron earthfall. The tufferer in the present case in a mh.er, i bile arrival in the district, brother to Mr. George Provan of this town, bakt-r. It appear* that while undermining a fall on a cliii-n on Surface Hill, on the morning of Wednesday last, Provan was unable to escape from a fall of earth which tout place unexpectedly. Dr. M'Cambridge informs us that the coutusi us a' out the pectoral muscle and the region of the heart are severe, but not sufficiently so to giro any great cause of anxiety at present. Wk have been r quested to call attention to the present unsatisfactory, dangerous, and all but impassable state of the crossing at the lloundburn Creek. Tne creek, tiiougn still, is a deep one, tak'ng the coach over the forewheel in crossing. Wti.it inakes the matter wor«*e is that the bottom is perfectly solt from the constant tratiic, and when the coach has to pass early in the mornings when the frosts, as at present, are -evere, it is almost impossible

for the horses to retain their footing while having to break the ice to get across. Mr. Nettlefold, the driver, pointed out to us a fewr days since t he extreme danger to horses and passengers at the above creek., from the reasons assigned, which he said could be easily remedied by shooting in sufficient stones to render the footing at the bottom of the crossing hard and firm. We trust that the attention of the proper authorities will be given to this matter ere the occurrence ol' some serious accident. In consequence of the absence of the Warden at Hamilton, Hyde, and Macraes, no business has been transacted this week either in the Kesident Magistrate's or Warden's Courts. Thk Rev. Father Norris will deliver his farewell sermon and address at the Catholic Chapel, on the evening of Sunday next. Considering the high estinution in which the rev. gentleman is held in this place there ia every reason to anticipate a large congregation, not only of his own dock, but of the general public upon the occasion, Wk regret to report an accident of a severe nature which occurred on the afternoon of Monday last, to a miner ol the name of Macevoy. The unfortunate man, by some means or other which remain unexplained, got his arm entangled in the cog-wheel oi the sausage machine in the establishment of Mr. de Lautour, and received divers and serious lacerations of the limb, no bone, however, fortunately, being broken. lie was removed to Collet t's Ai cient fin ton Hotel, where he is being atteuded by Dr. M'Cambnde, who reports the wounds »» being of a very " ugly " character. Tub Provinci d Government are, we undo, stand, willing so far to meet the application of the School Committee as to promise the sum of £IOO towards the enlargement and removal of the scho 1 building. This sum is far too small lor the contemplated works, and earl only be boked upon in the light of an instalment, seeing that the works proposed by the Committee are absolutely and imperatively d mandeu for the couvenieuee, coiuiori, and health of the scholars, and should be accepted by the Committee only upo.i such an understanding. Thk quartz crushing battery at the Otekaike reefs, Maerewhenua, is now m fid working order, and about ten or twelve tons wf stone are crushed in the twenty-lour hours—only one battery being able to be kept going in consequence of the continued want ot quicksilver, which it js expected will arrive in about a fortnight. The reef is looking well, and large quantities of stone are being taken out tvhiou show very nice prospects. seven men are employed raising stone, but as they are busily engaged putting in undertimes, not much of the go >d stone has been lifted, tuid that being crushed is mostly the surface stuii', which is not near so rich in metal as that found deeper. The result of the crushing is anxiously looked forward to, and the shareholders are sanguine as to the ultimate success of the ! undertaking.—The ' Qajnaru Times ' says;-**

So far the results promise well, the tables being covered with gold, while there are also indications of platinum. The first washing up will be oa ih<e 29th inst., and we shall then be able to give more definite information

A political dinner of some magnitude and importance took place at. Lawrence oir the 181 h instant, at which were pre.-ent many M H K..'s, M.F.O.'s, and other celebrities. The publicoi Tuapeka appear to be both on the alert and alive to their own interest, and determined to secure as.many of the loaves and fishes as possible for their district. Among other thi-igsi they are moving the spheres to obtain, if possible, an extension of the Southern Trunk Railway to Lawrence. We find no fault wit h them fur their attempt to ©em-fir their district or advance its interests ; on the contrary, we highly commend their earnestness and exertion, and only wish we eould see a similar spirit of unanimity and go-aheadism iniused into our own community. Believe it or not, as we please, unless we ourselves make a move. Mount Ida will cer remain wh.-.-t it has hitherto been, an isolated, neglected, and ignored district and for it w; shall . have none to blame but ourselves.

The telegraph line is, we are glad to be able to report, fast approaching its terminus, the first pole withi;i sight of th<e township, which is on the top of the cutting, having been

raised yesterday morning. • A few more poles and the terminus will be reached, and, as the wire is already on the ground, we trust in our next issue to be able to congratulate our readers upon the completion of a most necessary and important work, and one which we feel confident cannot fail to have a beneficial tendency in advancing the welfare of the district.

Wk hear from an authority which we consider reliable that the deep lead at Blacks is likely to answer fully, and even more than fulU, the most sanguine expectations of the

company. ' The last report which has reached us is that, on a late occasion, o e machined ill of Bi uff produced 3oozs. of gold. This would seem to speak well for the future prospects of the .company, and act as a stimulus to the residents and miners here to form a company to test the main bottom in this locality. In another column will be found a letter signed by a large number of the inhabitants cf Naseby, addressed to the Provincial Secretary, on the subject of an application for a eoal mining lease at Kden Creek lately made, by • Messrs. Howard and Hill, to the Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board. In connection with this application the following further particulars have reached us:—The run .upon which the coal seam discovered by Messrs Howard and Hill is situate isth" E len Creek run. which, at tiie time of the dis overy, was under the management of Mr. K. Scol-ui, whose recent, loss by t>>e destruction of his

house and furniture by fire our readers will, no doubt, remember. With the full knowledge and consent of Mr. Seolan, and with an assurance from that gentleman that, if they succeeded in striking coal he would obtain for the„m the consent of the runholder (Mr. Allen) to the granting of a lease, Messrs. Howard and Hill proceeded to prospect, and eventually hit upon the seam in question Meantime, Mr. Scolan, after his 10.-s by fire, leaves the district. Such being r.he ca-e, Messrs. Howard and Hill make formal application to Mr. Katfray, of the firm of Dalgety, Nicol, and Co., who are either licensees of the run or agents for the licensee. This gentlnman declines to take any action in the way of assisting the prospectors in, obtaining a lease without the approval of the new manager, who, uppn application being made to hira. demands the modest sum of £4 > for recommending the granting of a h-ase to Messrs. Howard and Hill. Thus matters at present Btand. The mining communty of Naseby require this coal for their use for reasons shown in the letter to the Government, and the consent of the runholder cannot be obtained excepting at the cost of £4O to the pr >speetora. A more monstrous demand we do not remember to have heard, nor could there, we think, have been a better or more palpable illustration of the utter,fallacy of the Taunted identity or community of interest between the squatter and the miner than this 'little episode affords. Should the runholders continue to adhere to their preposterous demand there can be no doubt of the power of the Superintendent, under the G-oldfields Act, to cancel the license of the necessary area required for the working of the coal, a power which we trust his Honor will not, for the interest of the mining community, hesitate to exercise.

A 3ENTLEIUN from Dunedin informs us upon the authority of an on, dit in circulation in that city, that this district is likely soon to lose the serviced of one of its oldest and most efficient officials. The repon to which we allude is that Mr. E. H. Oarew, who has f«»r some years past held, and still continues to hold the joint offices of Mining Registrar, Gold Receiver, Clerk tj the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, as also Clerk to the District Court and Court of Petty Sections, it about to be appointed to the new office of Warden at Blacks. Mr. Carew'a fitness for such an office no one who knows hi in and his qualifications will attempt to gainsay, nor will anyone (should the report prove correct) readily forget the thoroughly satisfactory and efficient manner in which that, gentleman dincharged the iuulifirioud and onerous duties of his position, nor the kin Inoss nor readiness with which assistance was always given t j the public. We chronicle the report as we receive.l it, and we do so with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret—of pleasure that Mr. Carew* abilities and services are likely to be recognised by the Government, and himself removed to a high«r and more extended and, we trust, much more remunerative sphere of Uiefulness ; of regret, that the district will, in

all probability, lose the services of a gentleman who, by Ins conduct both in public and private life, has justly merited and obtained the esteem, respect, and good-will of the iesidents of the district anion" who;u he has ;or so many year* resided. We sincerely wish Mr. Carew the realisation of tlie prospect before him, and cordially wish him success in the new career which is, we trust, before him. We beg to call the attention of our readers ta the sale by auction, by Messrs Tnder and G-eorge, of thai valuable "freehold properly in Leveii street, known as the New Orleans Dm ing Kooms, on fuesday afternoon, the,6th proximo; aso, on the evening of Thursday next, in the Victoria Hall sale rooms, one snare in the Undaunted Water Kaee Company.

• Though Wednesday last was the anniver*»iry of the Queen's Birthday, it certainly was not " Queen's weather." The day was ushered in with rain and sleet, accomp tnied by a col I and boisterous wind. With the exception of the closing of the banks and public offices there was littl« during the ay to distinguish it from any other. In the evening, however, a banquet was given at Hunter's Umpire Hotel in honor of the occasion, which we should have been glad to have seen better attended. The dinner was got up ii\ a first-class style, and the usual loy.d toasts were proposed and respouded to with due honors. :Vlr. W. Inder occupied the ehair, Mr. H Wilson acting as croupier. Later in the evening the Oddfellows' third mnivei-sary ball took phueat the M isonic Hall, which was tastefully and elaborately decorated for the occasion. ' The bail was* well attended by the brotherhood and the general public. An excellent bind was in attendance, and the supply of creature comforts was abundant Dancing was kept up until an early hour yesterday morning We we were somewhat surprised at the fortitude of the fair sex in facing so boisterous a night as that in question.