ALEXANDRA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 108, 5 March 1870, Page 6

ALEXANDRA.

(From our Own Correspondent.) Since my last communication mining in this district has progressed satisfactorily. The tail-races, dams, &c. , damaged by the late floods, are again in working order, and the owners in full work. Messrs. Kett & Co., of the Half Mile Beach, are running off top stuff to be in readiness for lifting the bottom through the winter months. This company have, at a great expense, erected two large dams for storing water, which they will find of great assistance in working their claim, as the running off process requires a large body of water. I trust they will reap a rich harvest — they certainly will require it, as before they obtain an ounce of gold they will have expended something like £4000 ; that is, cost of claim, erection of dams, plant, &c. The two large water-races from Chaleo Creek are both in full work again, after repairing damages and cleaning their races from end to end. Both companies are doing well, sluicing the banks of the Molyneux close to the township. The shaft on the Butcher's Gully Reef is being sunk but slowly, on account of the quantity of water thfiy have to contend with. The prospecting shaft is down 70 feet, and they have started to drive for the reef which they expect to reach in about from Bto 10 feet. I hope in my next to be able to give you a good account of this reef. The other reefs in the district are in full work, but I have nothing worthy of note to say about them as yet. No doubt you hear a great deal about the reef at Bendigo Gully. Last week a friend of mine, from Victoria, an experienced quartz miner, started for the Bendigo reefs. He writes stating his opinion that as yet no quartz reef has been found, but that some very good patches of gold have been got in a sort of rubble that will go to pieces in your hand. He is also of opinion that those patches are got very near the surface, and as they sink the gold becomes less, and from the appearance of the country the main reef, if ever found, will be at a great depth. There is one thing very certain, that all the gold got from the reefs, up to the present time, is harmless, with the exception of what is got by Goodger and party. There are a great number of claims there supposed to be good, but they have no means of testing it, and the great Public Quartz Crushing Company has proved to be nothing more than a bubble which has sorely dissappointod the Bendigo shareholders. The Dunstan Races came off on Thursday and Friday last, and as the winning horses are well-known to your readers, I will not trouble you with an account of them here. On Thursday the weather was everything that could be wished for, so was the racing ; but the Stewards (or some of them) after the District Handicap was over, betook themselves to the refreshment booth, where they regaled themselves with the good things of this world for about two hours, consequently racing was suspended for something a little over two hours. The complaints (by the ladies in particular) against the Stewards were long and loud for the delay mentioned above. Even the half hour that generally elapses between each race is considered to be very tedious where there is no other amusement. However, everything must have an end, and so had the first race day — the last race being run some length of time after the sun was down. On Friday the weather was again fine, the ' racing first-class, and the Stewards retrieved their lost laurels by every race being run without any unnecessary delay. The Grand Stand and booths were purchased this year by a Mr. Hensley, who is not the holder of a publican's license, but one of the Clyde publicans lent his name for the occasion, and I should think he is very sorry for having done so, for a worse conducted bar I never saw. I should think next year the Stewards would make some provision against that sort of thing — it is the first time since the Dunstan Races in 1863 that a non-publican was allowed to purchase the booths, and I hope for the credit of the district it will be the last.