TE AROHA.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3749, 3 January 1881, Page 3

TE AROHA.

ExTBACTS FROM Sa.7TTSDA.Y'3 MISfEB.

On Friday a most pppmiirig thunder storm passed over the.'Aroha, the lightning flashes being exceedingly vivid, while the crashes of thunder boomed *vilh most startling distinctness, ihe echoes of the mountain repeating,/the claps -'ill they resembled the Monatiou o f parks of artillery. Dor*:;;; the storm an intensely brilliantfla^h utruc.k theground apparently in thp vicinity ->" Stafford's slaughterhouse.

Tup Maori ' . iV.iarc-A this office a few mornings ago, and created such a sensation was a tali, v.dl proportioned, masculine specimen of the native race, with a smattering of English, and apparently a prominent desire to become aware of a few of the secrets of the 11 mystery and art of printing." After the preliminary " tena koe's," my new-made acquaintance seated himself on a press, and when he arose a couple of seconds later to examine the ink roller, I noticed he had an excellently printed copy of the current day's Miner on the seat of his hitherto spotless moleskins. Having satisfied himself that the- roller was a safe thing to handle, before he could be prevented, he "pied" abont a column of good matter, sor.dinpr tbe wliole staff into a state of temporary insanity. The native's size only saved his life—at least so the foremen says--ami I bslieve him. Fearing that my cftjorpd. '.vcrdor might still further act the pslvt of the bull in the china shop, I enticed itirn out to have a whiskey, and for .the present'l have had enough of aborigines of un enquiring turn of mind.

Just before the holidays, Mr H. Whitaker, Mr G. Lips-ey and other gentlemen interested themselves in raising funds for the/purpose of erecting a public hall here, and in an hour or two, £70 was promised, Mr' Lipsey alone munificently tendering £20 towards-the object. "While on this subject, we may mention that a few days ago we were informed by a Thames gentleman, that he proposed erecting a public hall here if the Warden would grant him a license for one year for a bar on the premises. I know you'll be anxious for me to tell you. what the Thames people generally think about us. I was surprised to find that there is a *cry bad impression regarding the Aroha there. They say that no gold has been got anywhere but in the Prospectors'.and if you venture to contradict it, they impugn your veracity. They seem to take everything written about it cum grand, and won't be. convinced that we are anything else but a nest of deceivers. The fact of the matter is, that a lot of fellows came here with a pick on their shoulder, and a few shillings in their pockets, got drunk the first day,* eaten up by mosquitos the next, went prospecting the third, and cleared out on the fourth, breathing curses both loud and j deep against the field and all connected with it. I hope our sturdy miners will be able to cause the' scales to fall from their eyes and that very shortly to.