TAIRUA.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3044, 16 November 1878, Page 2

TAIRUA.

(IKOM X COEBESPONBENT). . Nevesvilib, Nov. 16. the ooldfieid;

Since my last I am sorry to state that no change as taken place as far the mines are concerned. I hoped ere this to be able to report the reopening of the Arrow and Alma batteries once more. ,1 really cannot understand the reason why the' proprietors of these fine plants do not take some steps towards resuming operations. No doubt there is some excuse for the proprietor of the Arrow, he being otherwise engaged, and has failed so far in inducing men to take up the adjacent ground on tribute; and yet there are men in our midst who say, " Oh, we will go in if a party is made up! " but each one seems waiting for the other to begin. Not so the Alma. This property belongs to a party of gentlemen who can well afford to prospect to further develop the wealth that is known to exist in some portions of this mine. More than this, I am cognisant of offers being made within the last month by two parties of practical men to again work this mine on tribute under the old conditions, and which paid the company handsomely. It would be well to call the attention of the Sub-Inspector of Mines to the fact that not one man is at present employed in this vast mining district.

THE BOMANTIO MABBUOB.

Great excitement prevailed here during last week, in consequence of the long absence of a well-known storekeeper, who had proceeded to Grahamstown for the purpose of ge'tiog married to a young and handsome waitress employed, at one of your fashionable hotels. His return "on Thursday was anxiously looked for; horses at Furiri were waiting to convey the bride to her new home; the breakfast provided was kept intact—with the greatest possible difficulty—the whole day; the patience of the invited guests, was sorely triedi some of whom were known to have fasted for some considerable time on purpose to do justice to the great spread. Friday came, but no bride or bridegroom. The guests could no longer i control their appetites, and obtaining ' some information that something had gone I wrong, were determined the good things I provided for the breakfast should not, and ! despite the opposition displayed by the | foreman of the establishment, fell to and made such havoc among the viands, that one hapless goose only was 'eft for consumption by the happy pair, should they put in an appearance. Saturday came, and so did the missing man, but the bride had fled. Where she is we do not know, and dare not ask. <

THE Mill DISTRICT.

Daring the past week I hare visited the Tairua Saw Mill and its surrounding magnificent bush. Not having been this way for nearly twelve months, I was astonished to see the change effected during that period. The upper, or Cleaver's, landing and its vicinity contains now quite a small township, and sports a hotel and restaurant second to none on the Thames, the proprietors — Messrs Wilson and Cleaver—having spared no expense in the erection of their newpremises for the comfort of their patrons, and their respective establishments are replete with every necessary. I noticed the hotel was stocked from the wellknown house of Ehrenfried Bros., consequently the brands of wines and spirits are the choicest procurable, and the malt liquor not to be excelled. There are also two gum stores owned by Messrs Banks and Munro, who seem to be doing a very fair business, particularly the former gentleman. I ascertained that his ship* ment of gum was both the largest and most frequent. In\ visiting the Hikuwai Creek I found about 40 men employed by Mr W. Birch, one of the contractors for the Union Sash und Door Company, felling, cross-cutting and rolling timber into the Hikuwai and its branch creeks. About four miles farther to the east I found a new portion of the creek opened called Green Point, the contractors for which are Messrs Adamson Bros, with a staff of twentyfour men, and another large number of men employed by the company, under the supervision of their bush manager, Mr Bobert Webb, clearing the creek and > building an enormous dam, which seems to be a very critical piece of work to accomplish, and requires a man with superior 'ability, which Mr Webb evidently pos- : sesses, to successfully carry out such an undertaking. On reaching the lower landing, or Tairua proper, a much greater change still had taken place, a large addition to the dwelling-houses having been made; but the most conspicuous on entering the township, particularly to a stranger, is the new saw mill recently erected by the company at a cost of fiteen thousand pounds. Mr James Harden, the company's mill manager, very kindly showed me over both the new and the old saw mills, explaining the various branches of machinery and their capabilities, and apparently almost everything that can be shaped from kauri timber will be eventually turned out at these mills. The machinery seems to be of the most substantial character, and under the manipulation of such an experienced mill hand as Mr Harden must, when fully supplied with logs, be a source of enormous profit to the proprietors. I heard from the moat reliable authority that the quantity of timber awaiting, removal by freshes from the various creeks and main river considerably exceeds twenty million feet. The largest contract "now in operation is up the main river, Mr Fagan being the contractor, with a staff, a week since, of sixty men, but he .has subsequently been obliged to dismiss the greater portion of them, in oonsquence of a jam occurring with the logs in the largest branch creek, and which is sup-

posed to contain upwards of three thousand in one gigantic mass. A word here about a - bushman's life would not be amiss. The majority of townspeople are under the impression that a bushmaa'a life is a very hard one, that he lives on salt junk, hard biscuit and soda bread; that he never enjoys himself in any way except when he has an opportunity of going to town; in fact, that he has no means whatever of passing his time only by hard work and harder living. Now, lamin a position to state that it is quite the contrary : bushmen's lives are the happiest of any laboring class—they have no care, no trouble. A bush whare is the scene of 1 any amount of amusement, such as,music, dancing, reading, draughts, chess, and a variety of other means of diverting themselves in the most, pleasant manner. Alcoholic liquors of any description are unheard and unthought of, hence their happy state* The cook is a most important personage, and as a rule is a professional man. He is provided by the contractor with everything necessary to produce the best of food, and when meal times arrive the table is found recherche" with the substantial fare; contentment and happinesß beam on every countenance as they take their seats and help themselves ad lib. to the steaming joints of roast beef, meat puddings, plum puddings, and even apple and rhuburb tarts. I would rather dine at a bush wh<tre than at the best hotel in Grahamstown. In fact your humble servant has become so infatuated with the mode of bush living generally that he has serious thoughts of becoming one of their number providing they will undertake to initiate him into the mysteries of using the inevitable jack. Accidents are of frequent occurrence in the bush, several having happened within the. last month, but I am glad to say none of a fatal nature. A young man named Mathews inadvertently threw a small bag of gunpowder down near the scene of a recent camp fire, and it happened to fall on a stray ember. The result was an immediate explosion, burning and disfiguring the young fellow's face and arms in a most shocking manner, in which state he had to walk seven miles. Fortunately Mrs Cleaver heard, of the accident, and hastened at once with appropriate remedies to alleviate the poor fellow 8 excruciating pain. Another man named Wilson, in the employment of the company, whilst carrying a saw on his shoulder through the bush, slipped, causing the saw to fall teeth downwards on his arm, cutting the flesh almost into the bone from shoulder to elbow, and disclosing the sinews. Several others of a minor character have recently taken place, and show the necessity of the company taking some immediate steps towards procuring the services of a .medical man to reside in the district. The inhabitants all express their willingness to contribute handsomely towards a fund for such purpose to be inaugurated by the mill authorities, and the people's contributions to be charged to their accounts, which which would amount to from four to five pounds a week, accept* ing their own proposal of sixpence per week each, and I have no doubt that if the company petitioned the Government in reference to the matter that they would subsidise such fund sufficiently. That, together with his private practice, would soon induce some duly qualified person to settle there. I notice there are two policemen stationed in the township, and lock-up established, which seems almost ridiculous in such a quiet orderly place, when the most necessitous requirement is neglected. I hope, in my next, to be able to report the, establishment of a weekly mail service between the Thames and the sawmills. A petition to this effect to the Government is now in course of signature.