The Aroha News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 83, 3 January 1885, Page 2

The Aroha News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

♦This above all— to thine own self be true, Ami ii must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.' Shakespeare.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1885.

The present h perhaps a fitting time to take a retrospective glance at the history of our goldfield, and to sum up the results that have been arrived at by the operations of the past year. It is a custom with people engage.! in commerce to have periodical balances, in order that they may exactly ascertain their position in business, and be able to calculate with some degree of certainty what their chances are of future success, and the period between the close of the pas' and the commencement of the coming twelvemonths' operations, affords a fitting opportunity to take stock, as it were, of our mines, and to gather from past experience the knowledge and wisdom that are necessary to #vide us through the difficulties that still beset our path to prosperity. Although the bygone year has not been so fruitful of good as many persons anticipated, we have still the consolation of knowing that the field has not retrograded. It is true some of the claims which at one time held out high hopt'S have now almost dropped out of sight, but their places have been j taken by others, ami in respect of the i actual number of gold producing mines ! it cannot be said there has been any decrease. From one point of view the present prospects of the field are very much brighter then they were twelve months ago. At that time grave doubts were entertained regarding the permanence of the mines. It was a very general opinion that the gold was confined to within a sL rt depth from the surface, and that the payable portion of the reefs would be quickly exhausted. The experience of the year has shown this theory to be fallacious. In the New Find, Colonist, and other mines the lodes have, at the lowest levels yet attained, been proved to contain the precious metal in remunerative quantity, and neither at these depths do they show any signs of giving out. In this aspect the present outlook is a great deal more pleasing then it was at this time last year, and the question of permanence may now be regarded as satisfactorily settled. From the Battery returns for the last twelve months it will be seen that the average yield of the quartz crushed during iJecember 'was about equal to that obtained from any similar quantity treated in the course of the year, aifd from the present prospects in the New Find, Diamond Gully, and other mines this excollent average is likely to be sustained. The returns of quartz crushed and gold obtained during the different periods may be of interest to some of our readers, and are as follows :—: —

This is within a fraction of IBdwts per ton for the stuff crushed throughout the year. The yield' is an excellent one, and we doubt whether it can be equalled ! by any other quartz field in the colony. Ho far, therefore, as the richness of our reefs is concerned, we have fair reason to ! be satisfied, and we are justified in lookj ing forward to a time when they will I command the attention which they deserve from the outside public. Unfortunately, however, for this district it is at present so circumstanced that the advantage .it possesses in the wealth of its resources is almost neutralised by conditions which would ruin any field, unless it were of more ,than average richness. Until the gold can bo won at a very much lower rate than it now costs, it is useless to expect «that Ahc attractions which the mines present to investors and speculators will be t apy predated, and without the assistance of outside capital it. is just as vain 'to hope that the field will quickly prosper.- „ A s has been so frequently urged, the chief wont is cheap <stu.su ing poVpw»'Anj|/iQHtil

this is available we must not expect to see very rapid progress made. As an example of the* present unsatisfactory state of matters in this respect, it is only necessary to refer to the Now Find mine, which, oh any other goldfield would be considered a magnificent property, and wonld have paid handsome monthly .dividends. This Company crushed during the past year over five thousand tons of quartz, at an average i cost, we believe for carriage and treatment of about twenty three sjiillinirs per ton, amounting in all to some £5750. The Colonist Co. has for the same period crushed over 8700 tons at a c^st perhaps of £1 per ton. These two companies have, therefore, jviid during tiie twelvemonths for tramway anil crashing charge the large sum of £9450, the whole of which, with the exception of three shillings per ton on say 8700 tons, amounting to £1805, hns been paid to the Battery Co. With such a drag upon it as this no field, unless of extraordinary richness, could be expected to prosper Had the money paid last year alone for crnshing ami for carriage by these two companies been expended in the erection of batteries convenient to their mines, they would eacli now own a plant sufficient for all their requirements, and three-fourths of the amount I'koly to be paid for crushing during the year now entered upon, would be available for distribution among the shareholders. This matter deserves the attention of the directors of both companies, and it should also serve as a guide to others who mny now contemplate making arrangements For procuring crushing power for their mines. No one now entertains any doubt that, apart From the claims alieady proved to be payable, there are others scattered over a fide area of country, containing reefs winch, were the meins at hand, for treating them at a cheap rate, would pay well For working. The new battery, now in course of erection, will help to supply this want, but there »is ample room For others, and an abundance of water power still remains unutilised. Before another year expires we hope to 3ee crushing machi'iery in progress or at work on every available site. With these aids to the development of the field, its goldprnducing capabilities will be proved by very much larger returns than those of the last twelve months. As yet it is only in its infancy. Before another holiday season ccmes round wo venture to predict it will have made a long stride towards a more robust state of existance

Owing to no telegrams coining to hand from Auckland hist night, weregr.'t being unable to record the result of yesterday's Auckland Race-*. The best thanks of the community arc due to the postal authorities for establishing a daily mail service via M>rrinsville dating from the Ist inst. A daily mail I should have commenced with the opening of the line to Morrin^ville, but it will bo none the less welcome at the present time. We trust the postal authorities will givt the other matters complained of in our leader of the 13th ult., their early attention, so tiiat the boon of a daily , quick mail to and from Auckland may be availed of to the fullest extent, and correspondents have an opportunity of replying by return of post. Mining has been quite at a standstill during the week, and but for a few men who are employed filling in at the New Find, the hill would present the appearance of a deserted diggings. The holidays, however, expire to day, and the miners are finding their way back to the scene of their labours. On Monday we may expect to see the finld again assume its wonted aspect. Visitors to the Baths this week :•— Mr and Mrs A. D. Bennett, Messrs W. H. Skinner. C. Baker, H. Cnlverwell, Geo. Fraser, Ren., Geo. Fraser, jun., John S Leslie, Alf, Bailey, T. Wiokham, D.ivid Whytock, Arthur Smith, E. S. Norrie, PPercivnl, J. Owen Daley, John L. Kelly, R.iW. Reals, A. Boodwm, W. Frater, J. D. Pond.. A. W. O'Neill, W. Hodge, Mr and Mrs D. F. Evans, Miss Macfurlnne, Mrs Walpole, Miss Martyn, Auckland ; Miss Kelly, Ponsonby ; Messrs Geo. Broad - foot, B. J. Stoate, Onehunga ; Mr and Mrs John F/ater, Messrs Jas Kimlin, H. G. Brodie, A. Burns, Thames ; Messrs A. J. Forrest, J. T. Steel, H. W. Moore, Cambridge ; Mr Jas. Hartley, Ttirua, Mrs Gorman, Nelson ; Mr Heriot Currie, Edinburgh, N.8. ; Mr J. R. Gibbons, Wellington ; Mesßrs Robt. Scdion, Lewis O'Neill, Waikato. A rather serious accident happened last night to J. O'Conner, a well-known resident here. In descending the back stairs at Walker's Hotel he missed his footing and fell to the bottom, sustaining a severe fracture of the left leg. Dr Cooper was shortly in attendance, and did what he could for the unfortunate man, who will be -sent down by the steamer this morning to the Thames Hospital. As will be seen by advertisement Mr D. J. Frazer has now'on sale, both at his Te Aroha and Quartzville stores, a supply of Bickford's best fuse. This brand of fuse is the best in the market, and thoroughly reliable. D. J. F. has aIRO on sale Nobel's / extra quality detonators specially made to us? with Bickford's double tape fuse, 'are much larger and more powerful, than the old make. ' ,' "the Chief ' Postmaster haa just pleted arrangements with Messrs Bradley and-Goi for -the maintenance-oil ; a dailycoach? service between ', Te :Arph,a ,and^

Thames for a term of two yen re, for rtT subsidy of £350 annually, The new con" tract dates from the Ist inst M a4«honie ooaoh leaving the Thames every morning at eight o'clock sharp, jnnotioning 1 at Paeroa with the coach from this end, enabling passengers to proceed direct to Te Aroha. From Aroha the coach will start at 9 a.in, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, in order to meet tneTauranga mail atP.teroa, the hour of starting will 11 o'clock 'i. in. The Richmond block, Rome 750 C acres of which has been recently purchased by Mr Glassford, of Gippsland, has; many thriving settlers resident upon it It is about twelve miles from Morrinsville to Mr Glassford'a new estate. , Mr John Hunt, whose farm adjoins the estate, has taken temporary charge for Mr Glasaford^ and the contract for putting in 200 acres of turnips this season has already been let. Of the 7500 acres fully three-fourths is suitable for agricultural purposes, and any part of it can be surfafo-spwn with grass ut a cost of burning and seed of 10s per acre, with the most splendid result as shown by the grass (surL'ace-sown) which now covers the large area above-mentioned, ft is satisfactory to find Australia capitalists making suoh excellent selections for the success of each ohe means the advent of many others to New Zealand. Mr (ilassford h.is a grown-up family. English and European mails via San Francisco close at the loc.il post office at 8 p.m. to day. An interesting paper waa laid before the Hou.su of iiepresentitives by the Hon. Mr Mitchelson, containing particulars of railway sleepers removed during three years ending 31st March, 1884. The follow ing is the result : — Bl.iCiv pine (matai), 18.3 per cent. ; totara, 8.4 per cent. ; birch, 8.1 per cent. ; blue gum, 34.8 per cent. ; jarrah, 0.5 per cent. ; kauri, 4.2 par cent. ; Oregan, 51.0 per cent. ; redwood, 3.2 per cent. ; manuka, 75.3 per cent. ; puriri, nil ; iron b.irk, 0.2 per cent. The plague of rats in the North. — The plague of rats in the Nelson Province, says a Wellington contemporary, does not seem to abate, and some queer stories are tolu in connection witu tlie rodents. In the Waimea district they penetrate to the bed rooms, hide in tea-kettles, get locked in boxes, drown themselves in wells and allow themselves to be caught by boys, small and large, cats, dogs, and evon swine« They climb trees, and afford amusements tn the happy possessors of catapults. One writer says that it is quite within the mark to affirm that one-half the number of wells contain \v;iler unfit for drinking purposes, heing rendered offensive, if n)t postively injurious, by the presence of these noxious little creatures. A neighbour, not satisfied with the extraordinaryjsavour or flavour of water, on looking j,in H m\v the well was teeming with ruts — as many as half-a ozen then in the act of .swimming for duar life on the -urfaco of the water. He naturally procurred a long stick to expedite their despatch, when some of them, tr< his immense a.stonishrnent, smartly effected their escupejby using the pole as a ladder.

Tons. February— From 1081£ Ma-ch „ 1019 April „ 1050 May „ 834 June „ 819 July „ 1194§ August „ 1175 September „ 1098 October „ 1126 November „ 828 December „ 1394 Jtetorted gold. ozs. dwts, ... 1115 1 ... 1113 9 ... 705 17 ... 836 13 ... 921 14 ... 876 2 ... 963 1 ... 843 18 ... 885 3 ... 650 12 ... 1417 0 Total ... 11,619 ... 10.328 10