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Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 125, 21 July 1871, Page 5

After over a month of the nicst unprecedented hard frost, the weather was broken up on Sunday morning early by a tolerably heavy fall of snow, which lay to some depth on the mountains but all appearance of which soon left the low ground. From that to the present time the weather during the day has been quite warm, balmy, and spring-like, and though there have been slight frosts at night, they have not been sufficient to impede mining operations, and the water supply has been abundant, all the races being well filled. Some new claims have been taken up in the vicinity of the town, with fair prospects, upon ground hitherto untried, or at least, unworked, and as the area is almost unlimited in amount, there will be ample occupation for a large population should the expectations of the prospectors, which we sincerely trust they may be, be realised.

There will be a meeting of the Mount Ida Jockey Club, at the Victoria Hotel, on Monday, 31st July. Mb. Warden Robinson having been absent during the week on his usual official tour to Hamilton, Hyde, and Macraes, there has been nothing done in the Resident Magistrate's or Warden's Courts excepting business of an absolutely routine character. Next week will, in all probability, however be a heavy one, as numerous cades affecting mining properties and rights have to be heard, and in several instances we believe assessors have been called for.

The 'Cromwell Argus' believes that our late respected Mining Registrar, Mr. Carew, is to be sent as Warden to Cromwell. This will, we presume, necessitate the restoration of St. Bathans to the charge of Mr. Warden Robineon, the return of Blacks to the old Dunstan district, and a general return —barring the creation of an additional Wardenship—to the status quo ante. Mr. Warden Robinson's district, we can only say—extending, as it does, from Maerevvhenua to Serpentine (a distance of nearly one hundred miles), each of which places necessitates a monthly visit, occupying each from three to four days, including also fortnightly visits to St. Bathans, of an average of from two to three days each, and to Hamilton, Hyde, and Macraes monthly, occupying at least four days each visit—is far too large to be handled by one officer without doing injustice to some part of it. Were Serpentine and Maerewhenua taken from it, the district might, as heretofore, be worked by one energetic and careful Warden, but we cannot think that an extension of the district to its present limits can operate otherwise than prejudicially, as ■well upon the miners of the district as upon the constitution of the Warden himself. Surely some better ai.d more reasonable constitution of districts and distribution of Warden and Magisterial work must be possible.

There have, during the week, been several

concerts given by Mons. and Madame Schultz, and Madame Koch. Though both the music and singing were of a superior order the entertainments appeared to have lacked that sensational character which would render them popular on a diggings. The concerts, therefore, we presume, and at the same time regret to say, were not so well attended as they deserved to be.

It will be within the recollection of our readers that some twelve months back—we believe in May, last year —the bag containing the mail from Kyeburn Diggings was lost upon the ranges when being conveyed to Naseby. Every possible search was made at the time, but without effect, and a fine of £5 was inflicted upon Mr. W. J. Millar, the contractor, for breach of contract. We are informed that the missing mail was discovered on Friday last, on the ranges, by a digger living at Spec G-ully, and forwarded the following morning by the postmaster, Mr. Wilkie, to ihe Chief Postmaster in Dunedin. As might have been expected, the bag was in a most rotten condition ; the letters and papers were also, with one or two exceptions, in an equally unserviceable state. The way bill was not decipherable.

We understand that the Sev. Mr. Flamank (who was announced to preach here on the 9th instant, but who was detained through illness) will conduct Divine service in the Union Church on Sunday next, 23rd instant. forenoon and evening, at 11 and 6.30. The Eev. Mr. M'Cobh Smith will preach at the Kyeburn Church on Sunday, 23rd instant, at the usual hour, and in the Masonic Hall, iNaseby, same evening, at 6.30. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Wra. GruroiU, Esq., J.P., Mark

Fox was brought up, charge I with having attempted to force an entrance into the Carriers' Arms Hotel on the morning of Thursday, and with having behaved in a violent manner, breaking a door, doing other damage, and assaulting Mrs. Keenan, the landlady, by throwing a stone at her. Fined 20s. (the amount of damage done) with 6s. costs, or three days' imprisonment with hard labor.

The following characteristic advertisement appeared in the 'Dunstan Times' of last week :—" For sale, by private contract, a firstclass buggy and saddle horse. Only cause of sale—reduction of salary by Provincial G-o----vernment. Apply to the undersigned.— Vincent Pike."

In the Provincial Council the following motions affecting this district were agreed to: By Mr. Haughton—-Head race from the Little Kyehurn to the workings about Naseby, to be used as flushing water. By Mr. Bradshaw— That an area of two roods, being section three, block v., Kyeburn survey district, be set apart for a public cemetery. The motion, by Mr. M'Kenzie, that the sum of £l5O be placed on the Supplementary Estimates to enable Mr. William Imerie to further prospect the reefs in the neighborhood of Macraes Flat, was lost.