CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 192, 16 August 1870, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

NARRATIVE OF A TKIP TO COLLINGWOOD. To the Editor of tiik Nelson Evening- Maj/,. Sir — llaving,after careful eonsideration,deeided upon taking a look at Collingwood with a view of trying my fortune among the quartz reefs, I took my passage by the Lady Barkly, which provides, for so small a vessel, every comfort for her passengers. Upon reaching Waitapu, in Golden Bay, I was strongly impressed with the feeling that this steamer is assisting to develop a very considerable produce trade between the two districts of Takaka and Collingwood; the first-named place being one in which the bulk of the population are producers, while those of the I litter are almost as entirely consumers, engaged in mining pursuits. The value of this trade was clearly sh iwn by the large quantities of goods waiting for the boat at the Waitapu wharf for shipment to Collingwood, consisting of hay, potatoes, apples, fowls, bacon, &c, &c, for which this vessel affords the only means of transit. While I was at Takaka, the member for this district in the Provincial Council (Mr. Gibbs) was there to give an account of his stewardship, but although he seemed to wish to suit the convenience of his constituents by proposing to meet them at several different pi 'Ces, he got very few hearers, one rvason for this being that the weather was bad, and I was also told that they were all satisfied with Mr. Gibbs' conduct and did not want any explanation, but I thought if I was their member I would sooner have a scolding, than so much apathy, and I came to the conclusion that people were as well governed as they deserved. lam into politics and may as well finish that part of my subject, hs it really coinos in the course of my travels, for upon proceeding by the steamer to Collingwood, I found the same gentleman, who also represents the mining community of Collingwood, about to address ths people there, and ot course upon the same subje-c:. I was present at this meeting, and after a chairman had been duly appointed, Mr. Gibbs began by requesting his hearers as a favor to let him know if he hud, in their opinion, in any way fallen short of his duty to them, or if i.i anything, during the late session, his conduct had been at variance with their wishes. After speaking for a short time of what had been done in their particular interest, he was proceeding to give a general account of the business of the sessiou when he was interrupted b}' an individual present who began by sa>ing that as Mr. Gibbs had. ill re uly spoken for two hours (really about '20 minutes) it was time some one else had a turn, but after repeating the s.ime thing several times in rather a husky voice, and gettiMj no further,tho chairman interfered, and Mr. Gibbs attempted to proceed, but the same interruption was so frequently repeated, that the meeting was at length, obliged to adjourn, after passing by acclamation a vote of thanks to Mr. Gibbs, who managed, amidst those interruptions, to express his regrets that on this particular occasion, when strangers were present, there should be a departure from the usual quiet and orderly character of their meetings at Collingwood. The person who created the disturbance seemed to be in a veryexcited state, for after the meeting was over he violently assaulted Mr. Gibb<, but was removed by the people present. It was perhaps as well that the district constable had just left, or he would have had a night's lodging in the lock-up. Two wet days! and n> chance of going t> look at the quartz reefs. I narted at last by the road to Slatei'ord, along which the increasing traffic is begming to tell, and in some parts I thought it impassable, but when I afterwards walked along the road from there to the working of the Perseverance Company, in Bedsteal Gully, all other roads seemed good, as compared with th.it. When I tell you that it takes eight bullocks to haul a dray with 250 feet of timber in it along this road, I imagine I have said enough to make you conclude that this road seriously wants seeing to. There are other machine works about starting, and the cost of getting such machinery on the ground will be greatly enhanced by the fact of the road being in such an impassable state. I should think the Government would soon take this matter seriously in hand. The first thing which struck ms on my arrival in Bedstead Gully, was that there am three grog shops there already. I attempted a- calculation as to how many of such places of entertainment there would be if all the Quartz claims were in full work, buc I broke down in the attempt. Although it takes three establishments to supply the grog, the place at present only boasts of one baker, who makes excellent bread baked in au oven hewn out of the solid rock. I ought further to say that each of the grog establishments are also restaurants.

The drives of the Perseverance are turning out some very promising stuff, and from all appearance this work is likely to be a success, _at_ any rate, it seems that people here have faith in it, as lam informed that the proprietors of the adjoining leasehold (Collingwood people) are about procuring machinery to start working it. The Hydraulic Sluicing Company in G-olden Gully sire laying down more iron pipes to rise their water to a higer level, which they anticipate will enable them to work a large area of rich ground. This water question,— although you can walk but a short distance without crossing some stream— is one of the great questions in this, as well as other mining districts, both for working machinery and for sluicing purposes, and I am informed that there are large tracts of country in this district which can be profitably worked if water could be obtained at a moderate cost. I suppose Mr. Vogel's £300,000 loan for such purposes will remove all difficulties', and we shall hereafter have nothing but "pile" chums on our Goldfields, certainly a very large amount of lime and money has been spent in this place in flumes and races, and one ot the localities which I sun informed offers a good investment for such expenditure is the Quar'z Ranges, about 20 miles from Collingwood, spoken of so highly by Dr. Hochitettor in his celebrated work on New Zealand, and 1 have no doubt that during the coming season many such works will be undertaken on this GoldSeld. The works of the Collingwood Coal Company who will by this time have sent you their first cargo of coal are now in working condition ; everybody who sees this work and the energy that has been displayed in carrying it out, must, feel that this little Company deserves every encouragement to inture their complete success, and I am happy to say that their prospects appear exceedingly good. There arc a number of seams of coal recently explored, of a qualify superior to those at present in work, coiwqufiitly, the public may conclude that however g'.od the first shipment may be, the quality will improve as they get more fairly into work. I 'nave made my letter already so lonr* that I must defer to some other epportunity the giving you a more full account of my success as A Reefkii. For remainder of JYews see Fourth page.

A Miserable Sinner. — One Sunday, the Ma<ialeine, at Paris, was as usual thronged with persons attending mass. One young woman was particularly remarkable for the energy with which she struck her breast while acknowledging her manifold sins and wickedness in the usual words, " Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! " As this edifying young lady w as leaving the church her foot caujrht in the skirt of her dress, and she had a fall. At the same moment a dozen portemonnaies fell from her pocket. "Hallo!" said a police officer who was standing near, and who ran to help her as she fell, "I have heard of the miraculous multiplication of loaves, but not of purses. Have the kindnes3 to accompany me to the commissaire of police, in order lo explain the ioteristing phenomenon." On the way to the police station, the pious woman threw a handful of suuff into the eye 3 of the officer, with the remark. " Remember that you are only dust," Having given this unpleasant illustration of the propriety of casting " dust to dust," she bolted round the nearest corner, and has not since been heard of. Notice to Burglars. — The Hon. Mrs. Norton has denied that a burglary has bpen committed at her house. Mrs. Norton is auxious, however, " not only for the reassurance of friends, but for the information of those gentlemen who get their living by these irregular ad ventures, to declare that the most moderateminded burglar would be disappointed in the result unless he were able to avail himself of manuscript papers in verse and prose, and deal for them with some liberal publisher, there being nothing else in her house worth taking." The Americans, ever on the look-out for novelties, have invented a new machine which they call a pedespeed. It is a compromise between a bycicle and the roller skate, and is thus described : — By fixing to each ancle a wheel of about twelve inches diameter, you have what is called the Pedespeed, and its chief merits appears to be that it admits of even more gymnastic display than either of its predecessors. A Dutiful Chilix — "My son haven't I told you three times to go and shut that gate ?" said a father to a three-year-old. " Yes," said young New Zealand, " and haven't I told you three times that I wouldn't do it? you must be stupid." The March of Intellect. — " Ah ! Charley," said one little fellow to another, "we are going to have a cupola on our house." "Pooh! that's nothing," rejoined the other, " we're going to have a mortgage on ours." When Mrs. Macaulay published a pamphlet called. " Loose thoughts," several ladies who happened to be in company with Foote, reprobated the title as improper for a woman, "Not at all, ladies ; the sooner a woman gets rid of such thoughts the better." Schoolmaster:— How many kinds of axes are there ? " Little Boy ; Broad axe, narrow axe, iron axe, steel axe, axe of the Apostles, and ax my Father.'' — Schoolmaster ; " Good — go to the top of the class. The following sentiment was given at a recent railroad festival at Cleveland, Ohio: "Our mothers — ihe only faithful tenders, who never misplaced a switch." " What is the best attitude for self defence? "asked a pupil of a well kuown pugilist. "Keep a civil tongue iv your head " was the reply. "Aint it wicked to rob dis chicken roost, George ? "Dats a great moral question Quinn ; we ain't fimi j 10 argue it now ; hand down another pullet." Dangerous. — A youmr la'ly broke her neck while resisting the att'tnpt of a young man to kiss her. Youii»- laiii^s should be very careful not to resist such attempts. It is extremely dangerous. Something like a Bonnet. — Wo read in thufc delightful organ of feminine fashion, Le Follet, that the spring bonnets will have ' fronts, crowns, and curtains.' Le Follet may well call bonnets with so many features of the bonnet about them elegant novelties. Did we W?gislate a little more for the cradle, might we not be spared pome pains for the hulks. — Douglas Jerrold.