THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1872.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 157, 8 March 1872, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1872.

."Since last we wrote we have received two telegrams of very considerable importance as affecting this district. The first is dated Uimedin, Monday the 4th, and is as follows " The General " Government have agreed to construct " a sludge channel in Naseby, and " head race from the Little live bar..." The news was the more unexpected from the fact that we had it from undoubted authority that there was no probability, under any circumstances, of any portion of the Water Supply Loan being diverted to the purposes of Sludge Channels or other pub ic works. Upon the receipt of the above-quoted telegram, therefore, we immediately telegraphed to our Dunedin correspondent for " full particulars," and in reply received the following message: —" Dunedin, December s.—Nothing " further tliau the authoritative state- " ment in the 'Star ' that 4 We nave " v good authority for stating that the " * General Government have deter " ' mined to construct the Sludge Chan- ' nel at Naseby, with a head race " 4 from the Little Kyeburn for flush ' ' ing water ; and we understand that " ' surveys arid estimates have been or- •* 4 dered to be prepared immediately It matters little to the district from what peculiar loan or part of a loan the money is to come, so long as these essential works are proceeded with forthwith. There is no doubt that the money can be taken from the vote to be devoted, in special eases, on reproductive works, and we are glad to find that the Government seem disposed to deal with the Channel here us one of those special cases public w<Tks upon winch it was contemplated that the vote should be expended. Tin; great thing is to iniow our own mind—what we wish the Government to do. and what, in our opinion, is the best and the chea pest way in which the work can be carried out. None of us can have .forgotten the legion of surveyors, engineers, and others who have reported upon the subject of the Sludge Channel and flushing water; neither can" any of us have forgotten how utterly useless and unworkable all the plans turned out, resulting in their being placed in a pigeon-hole, carefully, no doubt, tied up with red-tape, aiid protected with the usual amount ©f the other adjuncts of officialism. Though rejoicing, as we sincerely do, at • the good news which the telegrams above published appear to portend—the construction of a work, or works, which will place Naseby second to none in the list of : goid-producing fields—we dread the bare idea of. again going through, the same formulas, the same surveys ; with the 44 inevitable." reports, all of which have. up. to the present time, terminated in nothing but doubt and disappointment—rmaking confusion worse confounded. ,

»Ve; are great]y in favor of practical as well as theoretical knowledge being' brought to bear in matters like the" ,present. : The miners take the levels of their own races, head and tail, along the steepest sides of lofty.- mountains, and without, to our know ledge, a single ease of failure. The / JN T aseby miner knows better- than any engineer can know what the country was, how and by- what process the.tailings have accumulated until they haye become a nuisance whichj if not overcome, will, ere long,, choke the vitality of the place,' and drive, him topoth-er fields iii "toe search after uround which they;will be able to work to fair advantage. There are among, us many able and practical mines quite competent and, we believe, willing; to make suggestions for the removal of the great and crying eviltailings. We think, therefore, before any survey be made for the. construction of the work, that the Government should ascertain what .the work required actually is, and obtain the opinion of practical miners; as to the best and -cheapest mode of its construction. We are of opinion that if a premium

were offerefl by- the Government for the. best plan, lor getting rid :of our tailings, the money would not only be well spent, but they would find themselves in the long run a large sum in pocket. Should ..the Government decline to make any offer .of a- premium lor the best and cheapest way of disposing of the tailings nuisance, then, as we said,on.a former occasion, let us find the sum ourselves and advertise for suggestions. Among so many, the individual subscription or donation would bo but small, while the result would show the Government that we were in, earnest and knew well what we were about—what we required, and how it should.be doiie." '

In connection with the present attitude of the Government in this matter we cannot fait to see the great good which is likely to result from the recent vi.sit ot Mr. \V arden uobmson to Dunedin. •

The Home mail, via Sau Francisco, will 1 close at the post office here on Monday next, at two o'clock p.m. . ... . We desire to remind our readers and all persons interested, that a sitting of his Honor Judge Wilson Gray's Court will be held at t,lie Court House here,, on Wednesday next, the L3t.h inst. ■ ■ • .

Wt: have received a poetical effort entitled "■Ready Money John's." Failing to see the point, while acknowledging the courtesy, we do not feel disposed to give'it insertion! Il v will interest some of our readers to hear that Mr. John S. Hickson, li.M., late Warden at the Teviot, has been appointed Secretary to the .Benevolent Institution.

The following cases are set down for Jiearing in the Jjistrict Court, on the 13th inst. In original .jurisdiction': Michael Sylvester Duffy v. Connolly ; the same v. •Ross'.;''Barber v, Edmunds. In appeal : .M'Griath v. Grogarty aiid.Grn ei'; Urcer- v. M'Grratli. MEEi'iis'GS ot" the School Committee took place on the evenings of Monday and Tuesday last, when the usual monthly 'school business was. transacted. .■■ ■ ■

Ik consequence of the very small attendance at .the sale, -l>y Mt'Sors. Imler and G-eorge, of t.iie Ben Lomondrace, on the evening of Saturday, the properly was withdrawn from sale. Another and a very palpable evidence of the dull times prtnaiiinij; here. Wk have been requested to intimate to those who hnve not yet signed, but desire to sign the petition against the Moa Flat siile, that they must, do SO:without delay, as it is intended to forward the memorial to its destination by MondaT's mail. . .

>..vy E sincerely congrntulato, our readers oil the probability, and, .-we trust, something more thaii the probability, of action being taken in connection .\yitl 1 the construction of a kludge Channel'.; Telegrams having reference-to this subject will be found' .introduced into our leader in f,o : day's issue. • . ■ ; ' . The newSchojl House is on the eve" of com-' pletion, and vill be ready lor school purposes in a few days. Ihe site is a far better one than the last, and altogether the building as improved presents a very respectable appearance. When funds permit we trust to see the appearance still iurther improved by the erection of a light and tasteful fence. It is notified in the 1 Provincial Government Gazette' of the 28th: February, that sec. 22 regulation 12, of the: recently published Kules and Regulations, whereby the charge of ss. a head lor water "was re-imposedjias been repealed—the charge for rent of water will be no longer made. We wonder, however, whether -the. Government will refund the rents which have been pa:d since , the issue : of the last rules.. As the blunder was evidently one of their owii they should most certainly do so in common honesty. ; ■ '

It will be seen, by reference elsewhere that we are speedily to receive a visit (for two nights only) from 'the.Star .C'omique Troupe: Their performances at. other places are exceedingly highly spokeh of. The programme submitted is doubtlessly an attractive one. We tear, however, that all the talent and ability of the Troupe will fail to make their visit aremunerative one, and this from no other cause than the long-continued drought with Tvjiich this 5 place has been and continues still to be visited/ Still, we sincerely wish this Troupe success. ,■ i; '

•When writing pur last weather paragraph we were enjoying i lie pleasure of the first rain, and at .the'same tiuie the aiiticipation of the great gbocl which would result' to the district t.)irt-erroiii. ; : few hours onlj, and the rain ceased to fail, the weather settling itself down once more into, that '-: same old- drought 1 "' which .has been .this season the bane of the ; district, and that, too, with no apparent prospect of a change. We need therefore hardly s;iy that mining operations are almost- entirely at a standstill. , ;

As will be seen by reference to our advertising 'columns, the Mount Ida Glee Club will on the 20th instant, give a concert. This iswe believe, .the fir si occasion-upon which the Club have made an appearance before the public. -The;object for which the entertain-, merit is given is one well worthy of public support, and we. trust that tlie 'Club will succeed in seeur ng a bumper house and obtaining (which Ave doubt not they will; a. hearty and. enthusiastic receplion. : It was the intention of the Club to have given a concert and ball on the 18tli, but at the request of the St. Patrick's Sports^Committee,* they consented to forego the bail and postpone the concert until the 20th.

We regret to have to record another accident fporn earthfall, which occurred on Mondaylast to a miner named Sachsen on a claim in Milkman's Gully, on the east, side of the notorious Surface Hill, by which contusions of a very serious nature were received. It appears from what we have been able.to learn that' Lachsen is.known as "hatting" that is, working alone in his claim—and while undermining on a face of some fourteen feet the ground gave way, striking Sachsen on the left side with great force and partially burying him in the debris. Fortunately a man mining at some little distance heard the fall, and fearing something wrong went to the spot, and succeeded in rescuing the unfortunate man from his perilous position. What the result might, have been had no one heard the fall is tearful to contempate. Lachsen is now at Collett's Ancient Briton Hotel, attended by Dr.McCambridge, and is reported as progressing as favorably as possible; There are at present no lewer than four accidents from. broken limbs in this town, three of which are being attended in public houses,, the third in a private residence. The sooner that the Hospital is completed and in working order the better, as this kind of accident is with us of but too frequent recurrence. At the Kesident Magistrate's Court, Blacks, before ]i. ri. Carew, E sq ., R.M., the case of the Police v. i rederick Morgan, for doing grievous bodily harm to. Ah Look, was-heard and-- the, accused was committed to take his trial at the Supreme Court.—Ah fbr an assault and battery upon Frederick "Morgan was fined the maximum penalty, of £lo^ineluding costs; in default, two months' imprisonment m her Majesty's Gaol, ijunedin.—Ah Cneong, on the charge-of unlawfully and maliciously cutting, and wounding Robert -Scott was lit to trial at the Supreme Court.T—The charge, by -Frederick Morgan, against AhXock of assault wish intent to do grievous bodily harm, was dismissed, no evidence being offered for the prosecution.—The enquiry into these charges, occupied the Court,: at Blacks for twelve hours on the 28th ultimo, and Messrs. Wilson and Brough were.engaged in them all. The evidence -tendered was lengthy aiid contradictory. '•• • 1 • We understand that the Chinese population °f the r Mount Ida District amounts to about ulO, subdivided as nearly as possible -as fol=—Macraes district, 170; Clark's, 40; Serpentine, Ha,niil(on,"ahd' ; Naseby,-10p. The givater number of these are'now holders of miners' rights, consequent of the constant raids of the police upoil them. AiiOis'G . the numerous accidents ;wliich have recently occurred .in ..this place, we regret to record that which happened on Saturday last - to r.he daughter of Mr. William Kirby, a child of some two or three years of age: The poor child pulled from the stove a pot or billy of v boiling water, . which, falling, upon her* bodyj scalded her in a ■..fearful, and dangerous manner. The burns are no doubt of a most serious character,: and.tho'ugh tlie child's present state is • uncertain and precarious, vwe have' heard nothing widen should induce the-belief that ultimate recove yj. is .impossible: > The case is one" in which a reliable opinion as to thereisiilt~ia " impossible. ■ _ „ ~ «/• ~ ; FUo3r;ilaerewh"enua we liear that the same scarcity of so complained of here exists in that locality in an equal degree, so that we are not alone in our misfortune in this respect. Notwithstanding the dull times, however, we are informed that no little stir lias been occasioned 1 in consequence of the putting on of some twenty men -to,complete the bringing in of the Mosquito race. . ■.. "

We . understand that Mr. Wsrden Carew took charge of the Clyde district on the first of March. By the arrangement which places the Clyde district under tlie supervision of Mr. Carew, the St. district: will revert to Mr. Warden Robinson, and reference" to our notes of coming Courts it will be seen that that will hold Courts- at St. Bathans on tiie 12th and 26th of the present month. A meeting of gentlemen anxious to do honor to the memory of St. Patrick on the 13th iinst,, was held in Costello's Mount 1:1 a Hotel evening. Mr. P. M. Morony in the chair! Iji ere "was a good attendance, and a, commit tee of twelve was appointed to carry out the arrangements.