ALEXANDRA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 149, 15 December 1870, Page 6

ALEXANDRA.

(From our oion Correspondent.)

Mining matters in this district on the whole are looking healthy, although very few claims have been washing up lately. It is the way amongst miners generally to clean up about Christmas time. There are several claims in Butchers Gully that are doing remarkably well, with every prospect of continue. This gully has been in work for over seven years, and I believe some are doing quite as well now as when it was lirst rushed, but, as a matter of course, it does not carry the same population. At present this gully is a continuation of tail races for eight miles, commencing from its junction with the Molyneux and continuing about four miles above the crossing of the Teviot road ; and the claims the whole length are payable, the ground in some instances being turned over the fourth time with payable results. I should imagine the miners at Coal Creek, some five miles further on towards the Teviot, are doing well — that is if being continually in the Warden's Court disputing about their right is an indication of prosperity. The tail races in Conroj's Gully are in full work, with results similar to those in Butchers, but with about one-half the population. iSomo years since a party of Cornish men drove a tunnel through a made hill at the foot of Conroys Gully, and worked the same for about two years by means of cross tunnels, and considering they had worked the hill out, or all they considered payable, made up their minds to leave, which one fine night they did, but forgot to call on the tradesmen \vho had been supplying them, and h.ive not been heard of since. About six weeks since another party thought ifc would pay to wash the whole hill away, and, having made arrangements for a head of water, started to work, and although the hill is riddled it is paying better than it did when the bottom stuff alone was worked. They have several years work before them, and I hope it will continue to pay them as well as they deserve. At Blackmans G-ully there is but one claim at woi?k, but that one is paying well. No doubt other claims would have been taken up, but it is very expensive to construct a tail race, there being so little fall. The tail race owned by the party working there cost them fifteen months labour to construct, and they deserve to be rewarded for their pet severance. The owners of the bank claims on the Molyneux are busy washing oii' the top stall' in readiness for next season. I believe it is intended to work all the large claims next season by the means of trucks and ti am ways, which will be a great saving of labour. The Ovens and iManuherikia Water Races are in full work, with a plentiful supply of water ; but lam sorry to say the Manuherikia Company had to suspend the working of their claim near the coalpit, having been flooded out with water. They had five heads of water on their wheel, which i.s twenty feet in height, working two large California pumps, and could not keep their paddock dry. They intend to start again as soon as the river is anything near winter level, when I hope they will be successful in reaching the bottom and find payable gold. Since my last, Iverson and party have resumed work at their quartz reef at Conroys, but instead of going into either of their deep shafts they commenced trenching on the surface, and succeeded in discovering a body of stone about two feet in thickness, some of which is certainly very rich. They have driven along the line of stone a considerable distance, and taken the stone out the whole way to a depth of twelve feet, the whole of which contains payable gold with some very good patches. They arc now sinking, taking out the stone as they go, and up to the present time are getting payable gold. It is their intention to erect a battery of st.unps without delay to test the value of their discovery, and I trust their sanguine expectations will be realised. The shareholders of the Butchers • Gully Reef as \et have not made a start this season — that is in working the reef, but have made a start to get pumping machinery to drain the reef. It is their intention to go into the old shaft that the stuff was taken from that they got crushed at the Ida Valley Quartz Mining Company's Mill last year, which yielded over one and a-half ounces per ton. The stone of this place was three feet thick which should give good returns after paying expenses.

On the afternoon of Monday, the 2Sth November, this place was thrown into a great slate of excitement owing to a stray copy of the report of the Retrenchment Commission finding its way here, in one portion of which it was recommended to do away with the services of the Goldfield's Officer stationed here. A public meeting was called immediately, and at 8 o'clock the same evening about as large a meeting as I have seen for a very long time met at the public library, or to speak more correctly about the library, for there was not room for one-half the number to get_ inside. The chair was occupied by Mr Theyers, who opened the proceedings by sayiug that this was the third time public meetings had to be called respecting the removal of the G-old-field's Officer. He also considered that should the officer be removed, and this place worked from Clyde, as was

recommended by said report, that the revenue would suffer to a much larger extent than the salary paid the officer stationed here. He thought it was a great shame to try and raise the importance of one place at the expense of another, and that the Goldfield's Officers should be compelled to live in the centres of the mining population, which certainly would not be the case if worked from Clyde. Resolutions were passed by the meeting condemning the report as a whole, more particularly that part affecting Alexandra ; and considered this said Commission would have been better employed in attending to their respective business than sitting such a length of time in solemu conclave taking evidence, &c, which ended in recommending the saving to the whole province the paltry sum of £4800 per annum. It is the general opinion here that the proper place for the said report is the waste paper basket, and I have no doubt it will find its way there. There is no doubt Alexandra is an important station as regards the revenue collected, and it would be much larger were it not for the wish in some quarters to make a great centre of Clyde, which, in my opinion, will never be done, as it has no mining population to back it. A memorial has been the round for signature. The same has been forwarded to the Superintendent, on the above subject, with upwards of 300 signatures attached.

As Christmas draws near, each township is bestirring itself to cater for the public amusement, and from the different programmes issued, we shall have a pleasant time of it. As a rule, everyone complains of tho dulness of the times, but we can always raise money for charitable purposes and amusemeuts, and I am strongly of opinion that ifc docs not mutter how well the tradesman is doing, he must grumble, and does it as a part of his daily business.

Some time since the newspapers were teeming with supposed candidates for tho office of Superintendent, but lately nob a word on the subject ; but, I suppose, at the rising of the Council it will revive. Some time since it was believed that one of our local men intended to contest the election, but I find from a letter in the "Daily Times " he prefers to " cultivate his own cabbage " to again taking to politics. lam of opinion that if this same gentleman were at the head of the Government, he would do more for retrenchment in five minutes than this Retrenchment Commission has recommended to be done after about two months work, which must turn) cost the province, a considerable amount of moucy, and nothing to come of it after

I see you are not behind in candidates for tho now Council, and trust the goldfields constituents will put the right men in the right place. We had a few names mentioned for this district, but as yet we have not an eligible one in the field. I have been informed that Mr. Mervyn would like to be asked to come forward, but I am quite sure no one will take that trouble ; if so, I am at a loss to know who he is, and I thiuk I know almost everyone in the district. It was confidently expected that our local auctioneer (Mr. Chappie) would allow himself to bo nominated, but that gentleman has possitivoly refused tho honour oil the grounds that it would materially interfere with his business, and he considers he makes a better auctioneer than he would a politician. There is one tiling certain, it as good in politics as he is " k night of the hammer," he would be a good one.

The crops in this district have been much in want of rain, which, I am pleased to say, wo have had plenty of for the last few days, and all are anticipating a good crop, and in the hope that horse feed will bo more reasonable next year as regards price.