KYEBURN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 128, 11 August 1871, Page 3

KYEBURN.

(From our own Correspondent.) I perceive by your last issue that it is your wish to re-open the water question. Mv letter which went astray was principally upon that subject. The only work of any importance, as [ take it, that the Commissioner (Mr. liaughton) has recomrr.ended f.,r the benefit ot iVaseby, is the construction of an aqueduct from Little Kyeburn to the workings in your neighborhood—said aqueduct to be used for flushing purposes. It would not belong to my province to write on this subject, were it not that the water supply is to be derived from the Little Kyeburn. As it happens, there is evidently some grave mistake somewhere, and unluckily it is an irreparable mistake. I will explain how the matter stands, iri order that the public should uo longer be deluded with the hope of a fresh water supply from this quarter. At the altitude at which water would have to be taken from the Little Kyeburn to reach ynur township, the supply would be nil! The cause of this is not the dryness of the creek, but that the supply of water is already impounded. The Twelve Mile Race, the property of Messrs. Samson and Co., has a ri*;lit to nine heads of water (this I have from one of the proprietors), and these nine heads are more than the stream carries at this elevation. In fact, the stream carries nothing like nine heads. The consequence is, that the Government or a private party wishing to bring in a race from this stream would first have to buy out this water right, and I

am given to understand the purchase money would be no inconsiderable item in the bill.—l read Mr. Stratford's report with much pleasure, and must express a wish that a f«w more, as well qualified, will tackle this subject on behalf of this portion of the district. Owing to the loss of my last letter I must say a few words about a meeting which took place in the church on Wednesday, the 26th ult. The meeting was called by Mr. Charles Kay, one of the Presbyterian Committee. Mr. Kay was called to the chair. This gentleman explained that the object of the meeting was to give a Call to the Uev. M'Cosh Smith, and that if the meeting considered Mr. Smith would be an acquisition to the district, it would be their duly to put their names down as subscribers to the Call, which he would read to them. —Mr. Adam Craig then proposed that a Call be given to the rev. gentleman. Seconded by Mr. Kohert Slorach, and carried.Proposed by Mr. Forgie, 14 That the Secretary communicate with the Hogburn Committee." Carried. The Chairman then read the Call, and several gentlemen appended their names, with a very fair prospect of many more doing the same.—Mr Forgie then requested the Chairman (Mr. Kay) to read a petition addressed to the Speaker and members of the General iVssembly, and published in your issue of a former date. The petition was one which you will remember, and was on the subject of denominational education.—When the petition had been read it was suggested by some person in the assembly that it was a petition from guardians and parents of children attending school, and as no such people existed on the Kyeburn, it would scarcely be advisable to have the petition signed at that meeting. This advice was overruled, and the petition was signed by several who perhaps never had a child. This document, if signed in the same manner in your town, can certainly not be of much value.—Mr. M'firregor pro- , posed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and after some gentleman had proposed that Mr. Morgan should shout for the assembled multitude (which vvas carried unanimously) th© meeting closed. You must excuse my mentioning private matters, but as, in the present instance, they indirectly affect the public welfare, and further illustrate the state of society in this neighborhood, I cannot retrain from describing a small incident which occurred to me the other evening. 1 must explain that not many yards from my door is an enormous haystack, which has been a constant cause of terror to me for fear it should catch fire, as it would probably burn me out of house and home. On thr evening in question, being disturbed by the barking of the dog outside, I proceeded to investigate the matter in company with a friend who was spending the evening with me;. I proceeded to the haystack, and hearing a rustling amongst the straw I challenged, but received no answer. Three times did L repeat the challenge without receiving any answer, when I ran up against a man planted in the stack. He asked me if I did not know him. I knew him by his voice and by his dog. I replied that 1 did, and requested to know what he was doing there. He | could not for a time give any satisfactory account of himself, but eventually stated that he had come to *ee if there were any cattle at the stack. There were two gentlemen (?) waiting for this gentleman (?) outside. We recognised them by their voices, which were used in whispers, but the gentleman whom wo found at the stack refrained from making use of bad language until he got outside the fence, when he informed ine that i made my living by thieving. Ido not give this in a malicious manner, but simply as a warning to those who are similarly situated in this neighborhood. I have, myself not decided yet whether I shall prosecute or not in the matter, and therefore refrain from saying more. You mu<t remember that we are living in isolated positions, and that we are without police protection. The man alluded to threatened to come back, but did riot. Had he done no, he would have received a rather waruj r&r ception.