OHINBMURI.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1961, 17 April 1875, Page 2

OHINBMURI.

(FBOH A CO-RESPONDENT.)

Mackai-town, April 16. Socialities.

| Tliis place has a very deserted appearance just now. 'Jhere is scarcely any person to be seen in tho streets from the time the roadmen go to work in the rnornine; until they return in the evening I heard a publican remark that the only " frhoutinjj" during, these hours was done by Gerrish the bellman, when he announces the departure of the steamers; and Gerrish says if tiling don't improve he will very soon have 1o announce his own departure-bell and all. Notwitb-, standing the apparent dulness there are not wanting signs of'material progress. Largo quantities;pf timber are arriving by drays, and more substantial buildings are going up .in place of the frail structures which have hitherto done duty for " stores" and " hotels." A large public house, to comprise a billiard "saloon and other conveniences not before attempted here, has been commenced. One of the. Government Officials is-getting a garden' fenced-in, and hts already put in some cabbages. These ,ajid other t trifling matters indicate a Relief in the permanency of the place on theparfc of some, of our-population. Measie'tffs still making its way, and one or two persons. Wave lett for Shortland, this week; ,' I

Ferii f Plat.—Sluicing. Fern FJat is on the read to Tauranga. I visited the spot the. other day and found ■a' few parfciesr at work. " Prom Messrslfatch, King and party I received the small parcel of alluvial gold which I sentto your office. It.was- obtainedjby three men in.twQ.daysi.I am informed..:.Messrs Claylcson.'Cobley and party have stripped . tfieir reef in two plaeesy *anil they think the alluvial gold gci^flM atch and King must have come from $ns -reef, although they have ngt. been, able to,, see any.gold in the stone. They*' "have comer upon a quantity of, black stuff;-almost like coal, containing much, base metal. I send you a sample of this stuff for the benefit of ;the savans.,-There'aW about forty men working in this locality, and I aift glad ,to report that they aR hopeful of |jpming on something goea. . "*'

The Rotbkdhu (Bisin). SinijK my lasjpjisit't& the" Basin I have heard' good reports/of the lqqality. A most satisfactory trill crushing lias .taken place, and other finds are, jreported,.but I cannot speak from tsrioriil'observation.

The W&itekauri.

The trick tb'fSVaifcelcauri is «6arly finished, aad it ir'creditable to the engineeis Mr McCarthy. ■ I wenWbrer v the other day,"and can> therefore speak fifem experience. On^irriyjng at Waifekauri, Mr Leahy tlxowlS. roe and other visitors over and arouutl the cj«ims,and I was surprised afe tjhifc amount of'- work done 4 foi.. ths short time they have been at it." *Thi» is especially noticeable in Leahy's claim. They have, on what is called the forty feet level, a drive in 120 feet, cutting through five leaders atfil reefs varying in thickness from a few inches to twelve feet, and a little gold can be seen in all of them. I saw an excellent prospect washed ou'. They are now putting in a tunnel from the westerly side of the 'spurjto prpspect the ground., Next to Leahy's is Quin ? Bain and party's claim. They have not cut the reef yet, but expect to do so in a week's time. Foley's party have cut the reef and got payable prospects. A claim called fthe '■'Queen of .Beauty is also on gold, and so far as appearances go, I look upon Waitekauri as the most likely locality in the district of Ohinemuri. , vBirths and "Deaths*. The 1 proprietress of a hostelry has lately sustained a severe loss. She is well known for her business qualities, and for her love of pets—beasts and birds. She had a flying, fox known as Jack, wh,ich showed that he (or she) waji wrongly named by "giving birth, to four young ones. There was joy in the, house for a~scason, as the young nondescripts were said to be worth' £5 a piece. But Jack overlaid "her young, one night, and f then died of grief. Misfortunes never come singly. Another pet died—the canary. The mortal remains hare been sent to Mr Madden, local-taxidermist, for stuffing, and the- proprietress expresses her-inten-tion of putting the stuffed specimens in a gla-£ case, with a musical box at the other eiiu^tst expressly to play that touching melody, " "When J«hnny Comes Marching Home." These several losses have been more serious than an attack of would have been, as the latter is seldom fatal, and, it is said, can be safely combatted by imbibing good gin ad lib.