The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 253, 24 October 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1872.

'•^©Xenjinj^ handed over to ■" this*--fetiia:ri^vtKe-iiett'. pro?>-.

ceede of the amateur dramatic entertainment given on Monday evening last. St. Mart's Art Union. —-The drawing for Ili9 prizes was continued last night and created considerable interest, although the room was not so crowded ns on the previous evening. Out of the 220 prizes offered, there are still sixty unappropriated, and the drawing will be terminated on Friday night. j~*jk. Eeefton correspondent writes:—"Things are' very dull in town, but the reefs are looking up amazingly, The Lyell stone is extraordinary. I saw a specimeu froni the Alpine claim yesterday, with more gold than stone in it. " ■ . Mortality and sickness have been unusually" prevalent among children during the past* few days, scarcely a family but has some of its younger branches suffering from hoopiogjcough and bronchitfs? and two deaths from ;this latter form of on consecutive days is. an alarming; deathrate,, considering our very scant popula-j tion. — Inangahua Herald. _ r I Tfr-REEFTON.— We have -been: permittecLio make a few extracts from i a letter : lately received from Reefton, which; may prove! of r interest, to our readers. „ The writer says:—" I think Reefton is looking up a little, as the late crushings from. the Ajax,; Inglewood, and Victoria claims have been: very satisfactory.' The last two are in the vicinity' of the Westland Corapariy's; battery, so that it is a favorable result in! more fh an one respect, for ' the failure 2 -of the Westlaad or: Rhody J Ryan's claim had done rnuchJDJury in that part of .the district. * * * Occasionally there are some fine parcels of gold sold here, but i as yet there is very little prospecting ;\ for creek gold, the cause -being the want;of funds, and the storekeepers are notable to stand to a party of prospectors.; I believe that it has "been avery hard v/ inter ; for many. A great drawback .here :ia. the ; want of a branch Bank, as all the business ; is done by'cheques, so many of\yhich have •. be^en returned, dishonored that' it makes [ business. quite at a standstill. v*|* * We shall soon boast of a church and a chapel, so that we are beginning to get civilised ; but the busiest people as yet are the lawyers, which can scarcely be looked upon as a healthy sign. A gaol will soon : be wanted, as I notice a gathering in, of bad character*, the usual concomitants of a diggings town, but I fancy they have not : much of a field here to work upon."-