CROMWELL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 25 December 1869, Page 3

CROMWELL.

(From our own Correspondent),

The reefs continue to monopolise a full share of public attention. Within "the last week or so a great deal more work has been accomplished towards their development than has been done since they were first opened. At the original prospector's claim crushing is going on by shifts, night and day, with a head of five stamps. At this rate they are putting through an average of sixty tous per week. The greatest secrecy is maintained with respect to results. The average yield is believed to be from three to live ounces to the ton. The machine is capable of working double the number of stamps, and other five are on the ground ready to be fitted up. Certain water rights lately applied for by this company has given rise to an opposition movement on the alleged ground that the requisite notice had not been given. The subject was discussed at a public meeting held in Logan to wu last week, and a deputation appointed to confer with the Warden on the subject. The matter certainly has a right to be ventilated ; still, the whole aflair has the appearance of one of those petty jealousies to which unfortunately the mining community are a good deal addicted. The Warden refused to receive the deputation, but decided upon hearing the objections in open court. The second line of reef, known as the Aurora, will shortly be brought to the test. The construction of a machine has been on hand for the last few weeks, find will be set agoing the end of the year. They have got a large quantity of stone on the ground, and the first crushing is looked forward to with a good deal of interest. Should it turn out good it will give an impulse to qnartz miniug at the Bendigo which will completely eclipse previous progress ; on the other hand, should it turn out bad, it will cast a damper on the exertions that are now being made. The stone, however, looks well. It is goldbearing, as seen by the naked eye, and everything indicates that there is nothing whatever to fear from the test. The next important movement is the erection of a public battery. Mr. George Murray, of Dunedin, acting on behalf of a private company, made application a few weeks ago for certain water rights. These were granted at the last meeting of tho Warden's Court, and steps have been taken for erecting a machine with thirty head of stamps. This work, when accomplished, will exercise a powerful effect upon the future of the place. Without a crushing machine reefing never can be made an accomplished fact, and it follows that the action taken by Mr. Murray has afforded considerable satisfaction. Taking the claimholders as a whole, the disposition to open up their ground has become apparent on every side. Contracts for sinking have been taken up to a large extent, and in not a few cases the reef has been found. Iv not a single instance has these efforts been attended with disappointment, at the same time it would be folly to suppose that all the claims are gold-bearing alike. Putting the one against the other, it would appear that the stone east from the prospector's claim is richer than on the west. The claims Nos. 8, 9, and 10, east from Goodyer's, on the same line, show a prospect twice as rich as anything yet found on that line, while those on the west side look not by any means as rich. This, of course, is little more than a mere hypothesis, at the same time it is favoured by the indications so far as they have yet gone. For the next two or three weeks things at the reef.3 are likely to be very quiet, consequent upon the Christmas holidays.

In alluvial digging the district seems in a fair way of being brought to' a standstill. The water supply is completely exhausted, and as for rain ii is almost unknown in the place. What the race owners here have got to depend upon is the snow-fall. Now, that of last winter was not only light, but warm dry weather set in much before the usual time, and the consequence is that what little did fall melted rapidly away. This affords a very gloomy prospect for the aluicar ; on the other hand it shows the urgent necessity that exists for no time beiug hrn in promoting the goldfielda water sohome. Pardon your correspondent ft>r making a suggestion, but this really is a subject you ought to urge. Shearing along the adjacent ooimtry seems to h^vs become pretty general. Within the last week or two a number of loaded drays havo passed through Cniui\vn)l en route for Dunedin. The clip is snoken of as looking renin,T\al)ly well. The treatment of the woo) differs materially. In some instances it is cut in tb*> grease, and in others the hot and old

water processes are adopted. Hands are scarce, and it is supposed that even at last year's figure, 17s. 6d , there will be some difficulty in filling the shed 3.

As regards the weather and crops, it would be impossible to say a good word of ihoin. Wo had a shower or two during the e;ir)y part of the week accompanied by a i'o .v peals of thunder, but what wasthat to a burning sun which frizzles up everything it comes in contact with. The crops are looking miserable, unless where the process of irrigation has been adopted. Tin's affords another argument in favour of. the adoption of the water scheme. Without water, and water in abundance, the Cromwell flats can neither be made to produce grain nor gold, so that the resources of the district are practically speaking bound up until this very important movement has been carried out.

Whetter, the acting-mayor of Cromwell, has been called upon by the Supreme Court to show cause why he should not be called upon to defend his right to In. ld office. The question is rather a complicated one. If Whetter holds office wrongfully, then the acts of the council duvijig Ms tenure of office are null and void.