TAIRUA.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2604, 14 May 1877, Page 3

TAIRUA.

(PEOM A COBIiESPONDEJST.)

Nevesvili/e, Saturday

The weather during the last week or so has been a continuation of scorms, the rain pouring down in torrents. The roads are dangerous to travel owing to the flooded state of the creeks. In spite of wind and weather there has been a great increase to our population; there seems to be a much greater confidence amongst the working miners respecting the future prospects of some of the mines at work. Ajax.—Campbell and party had four days' crushing. Considering that only 10 stampers was kept going a portion of the time, I think 129 ounces of atnaU-am, which was obtained, a fair show. The manager has put 12 wages men on, so that shortly crushing will be resumed. Golden Abrotv. —The number of men employed is about 25. Mr Daykin has not allowed the grass to grow under his feet since commencing the ground tramway. It's surprising the amount of work

accomplished in so short a space of time. The Lovteb Township is taking the lead arid there the principal trade is done. There is a^good number of gum diggers, «tf seem to have made their miads up Settle here for the winter months, ey appear to me to be the. most law abiding class of: men I have come across for a long time ; as a general rule, weather permitting, they .make fair wages. Mr rClptworthy has made great improvements in his" establishment by building a large addition to his store. He has also built

a stable for the accommodation of travellers' horses, as it is situated on the main road from Shortland to the Tairua Saw Mills ; it therefore commands the whole of the traffic. Meals are always ready at any moment of the day. I will give him this credit—no. man ever went past George Clotworthy, hungry, money or not." A few met together to give this township a name. After several names had been put.it lays between two, that is, whether it shall be called Fraserville, in honor of our respected Warden, or Charlestown. I think the Charlesites will give in for the first-mentioned name. : The Uppeb Township, or what was formerly called the Prospectors, but which title has been extinguished, bears an appearance of dullness. Here we have ■two places of accommodation, Mr Gillet, formerly of Sully and Gillet. At one time this place was so dismal and no trade doing that it would not have surprised me to have seen the establishment closed, but I am pleased to see an improvement', and hope ere long to witness the scene of bustle as of old.

Hale's Restaueant. —This establishment, having been closed for several months, is beine refitted in a manner that shows that the proprietor has confidence in the stability of the field. Already several miners have taken advantage of the restaurant. The sum charged is one pound, per week, which is reasonable considering the expense of getting goods to this place. Some few weeks back appeared in your contemporary's columns a report headed •' A trip to the Tairua," in which the writer referred to a well-known character, a sort of MarkTapley in mining matters, and other personal remarks. As lam personally acquainted with the individual referred to, and know what he has suffered the last year or two in prospecting the country, and considering for one he has to pay for the writer's cigars, and doing the morepork business, I think the dirt flung by the said writer might have beenllet alone.

In the report of the County Council I see it is reported that two men have been kept at work on the Puriri road. It is incorrect; the two men were there only for a few days.