ST. BATHANS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 146, 15 December 1871, Page 5

ST. BATHANS.

Two, weeks more and. Christmas will be. fie re. The races, which are. to. follow oii the 2Gth and 27th. are much spokeii Of. The prizes are not so large as those of past years, and, therefore, there is.not the same inducement for crack horses to come here. The general impression, however, is, that if we have less " blood " we will have more than on previous occasions ; that there will be more entries, and ( hat the races in general will be closer and better contested than ; ever they were before. There are dozr ns of excellent hacks in the locality, and from what I can learn they will all put in an appeariince. The purely local men, miners,, and others, are , interesting .themselves more actively, with regard io the approaching annual races than they ever did before in the matter of &nf race meeting in this place■h The Messrs. Hallyare about lifting

ten heads of water from the Manuherikia river, to bo delivered on Smoker's ITlat. The length of the race. to be constructed for conveyiug this body of water is supposed-to be at least tea miles. The surveyor is expected soon on the ground, and then of course the exact .length of the proposed line of race will be ascertained. The undertaking is not a light one, but when completed it is believed that the work will prove to be highly " remunerative, and the well know t industry and perseverance of the Messrs. Kally deserve that it should turn out so.

Mining in general goes on in the usual quiet way here. 1 A good deal of rain fell on Sunday evening, which was of great benefit to the young crops. There was a heavy shower of hailstones about ten <;ays ago, which did considerable damage to the more advanced plots of potatoes and other vegetables. The interest felt by the people here in Ewing's ease, instead of, abating,, is growing stronger, and no doubt will continue to do so until after the trial. The miners arid others residing here do not intend to let pass unrecognised the capture of the Chinaman by Leonard, but tar the present they do not intend to mix matters. In connection with the races X forgot to say that Mr. P. Hanrahan Has got the grand stand and saddling- paddock.—A.B.C.