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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1917, 24 February 1875, Page 2

(fbom another cobbespondent.)

j l^uesday.

Things are not very brisk here just now. Everyone is.waiting for the next event on the programme—the opening. Meantime; roadmaking ond building operations are actively proceeding. 'Mr Mackay has itarted the road 3 froniCreagh's farm to. the Gorge. Yesterday he put on fifty men, and would have given employment to more, but many old miners declared 7s a day at road work was infradig. ■ Perhaps some of them may be glad to get that in a ftw weeks, for if the field comes up "to the most sanguine expectations some will be sure to meet with disappointment^ and seven bob a day is i,ot to be/sneezed .at when fellows get short of tucker, This is likely .to be a .regnlar/poor man's diggings as regards the price'of provisions, thanks to the communication with -Shortland and Grahamstown. : You can get a glass of beer now for threepence, and other drinks at town t prices ; but the quality—well a' public . analyst might make some curious disclosures.

- There was some grumbling amongst people coming up the other day. The cause, I hear, was the breaking down of one steamer, in the river, and another steamboat proprietor "taking the passengers off and charging ten, shillings a head. -Of course'he had a perfect right to charge what he liked, but iit may not have been altogether good policy on his part. One of the steamers is now charging only four shillings to Creagh's landing. A few more boats on the river, and the competition will stilllfurther Bring ddwn; the fares. 1

: Somei of/the fortunate shareholders in the old Shotoyer claim are showing up, and. nobody will begtudgeijthem if their former luck returns. Cobley, Clarkson, and some others, have, I hear, formed a party and gone up .the river in the direction of the Archa with provisions for a stay. A place called the Basin I hear favorably spoken of by men who'have done a little prospecting. Some miners I have spoken to expressed .themselves satisfied with what they got there; and these menare not of the class known as old hands up here. The township "at the Gorge — very circumscribed in extent—has been rushed, the miners having pegged out. on the chance of making a rise out of their sites, but until the proclamation is issued they cannot claim any title. TPho Police Camp is to be moved to the Gorge to-morrow, and the Warden's Court and other offices will be located there for the present, although it is believed another township will yet be laid off, commanding a better site for the field generally. Akers is running a coach from Creagh's landing to Austin's Paeroa Hotel, and' several drajs have been brought up from the Thames, and are already fully, employed. The timber for building anew hotel for Cagirell and Bennett, noar Austin's, has' arrived—2s,ooo feet. This new house is' to be & commodious place, and will afford

decent accommodation, which is more than can be said to exist at present, the houses already open being limited in extent and primitive in their capabilites. From hat I can gather I believe that about fifteen applications for prospecting claims have been lodged.. What the fate of them will be I cannot say, but disappointment will await some of the applicants —perhaps all —if the' > Government adhere to the determination previously expressed by Ministers. Arnold, formerly a boatman at the Thames, is said to have 5a good " show," and the Messrs Thorpe I are " in " with him.

We have a regular and duly qualified medical practitioner in,our midst, Dr. Forbes having com© up a few days ago with the intention of establishing himself. There is not much in his line at present, the infallible Holloway and Perry Paris* being obtainable, on the spot, and being favorite remedies with miners It is reported that Mr C. F. Mitchell is to remain in undisturbed possession^ his-land. It is a fine choice, and 'should be good for a pile if this place ever developes into a goldfield, which' does seem probable.

Another claimant to tliie coal discbrery has, turneji up. :, Sereral ; gum diggers hiate come in to tlie WSaitefiauri, a repoirt hftying^nt about that gum exists in large quantities.

The miners, generally agree with the' decision of the Government not to grant a prospecting claim to any. party. It appears rather hard on some of the poor devils who. have shepherded the district for years, but it would seem that the difficulties to be overcome would, be greater'if r the principle were once recognised than if .ignored altogether, so that of the two evils staring them in the face the Government.chose, what they believe to be the least. Mr James Mackay, I hear, is to have, the local management o£ the field/acting under instructions from Dr Pollen, holding) the; delegated powers. Mr Mackay will, no doubt, be as popular in ; his new capacity ;as ; he; has been through the-recent difficult and delicate negotiations for acquiring'the country.