DRYBREAD.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 169, 4 May 1871, Page 6

DRYBREAD.

From a Correspondent,

Seeing that copies of 3 r our paper reach this place, it may be you will not object to a few jottings on mining matters, &c. ; anyhow I will give you few, and you can please yourself about giving t'.iem a place in your paper. The water races are in full work, and at present there is no scarcity of water, bat it will require an occasional shower to keep up the supply. The Drybread Water Race (registered) is" in the hands of Mr. Greenbank, as lessee ; several shares in the Perseverance Water Race also belong to the same gentleman, and on Thursday last he bought a one-eighth share in the last mentioned race for the sum of L2lO. There are several other races here but of less pretensions than those named above. I may inform you that this part of the country is about the best sluicing ground in Otago, and I believe 80 heads additional water could be let at remunerative prices ; but I suppose we shall have to wait until Mr. Yogel has borrowed the six million.

I see by the local journal that Alexandra and Clyde have held meetings anent water supply to the goldfields, and they appear to be unanimous that to lift water from the Manuherikia river above the White Horse Hotel, and to pass through Drybread, Tinkers, Devonshire, &c, on to the Dunstan Flat, is the correct idea. lam also of the same opinion, but at the same time am aware that it will be expensive work to start with, but will not have to travel many miles before the water can be let. I believe that a race to carry from 50 to 100 heads of water as stated at Alexandra and Clyde to be impracticable, from the nature of the ground it will have to pass over. We have lost two of ou.r oldest iu-

habitants within this last month. Mr. Cairnes the baker, and Mr. Samuel Heincliffe, blacksmith and hotelkeeper. Neithor of them was rware that their time was so short on earth, bcif»7 taken off after a few days illness. Both indulged freely in spirits, which, no doubt, hastened their death.

At Tinkers Gully, Holmes and party have just finished a washing up, Avhich proved to be very good, having obtained j 500 ozs. of the precious metal. The Blue Mountain Eaee Co., are in the act of washing up. One of the shareholders in this race made application to the Warden for a dissolution of partnership which was agreed to by the other parties. It is generally supposed they will wash up a large amount of gold. There are no other parties washing up at this place just now, but in about three weeks four other parties will commence. At Devonshire Gully things are very brisk. M'Clusky Bros, and party are doing well; they own a four-acre claim and water race ; they work the shallow portion of the claim with water, and drive out the deep ground, which pays them well, although it is expensive work purchasing timber for props up here. Lloyd and Middleton, Scott and party, and Day are all doing well. At Blacks ~No. 1 things are not so brisk owing to the Suspension Water Race having been out of repair. The shareholders got their water home again last week, consequently they are in full work again. The Golden Gate and Lawder Creek Races are running full of water, the whole of which is m use. The Government some time last year expended a large sum of money in constructing a sludge and drainage channel, the (irst of which has never been in use as yet owing, it is reported, to Messrs. Campbell and Low refusing j to allow a flushing channel to be constructed through their pre-emp:ive right. It is a great pity those gentlemen should have ib in their power to put a stop to any mining enterprise. I believe the real object is to drive the Government to exchange this preemptive right for other ground pointed out by themselves. At Blacks No. 3 quite a township is springing up. The Deep Lead is turning out very well, and shares are now selling at from £50 to £60 — the shares i were <£15 each at the starting of the I—* i company. mere are several new cLims taken up lately, and I hope they will be so successful as their neighbours. The depth of sinking is about 200 feet, and the gold is confined by two nearly perpendicular reefs, being at some places eight feet wide, and at others only two feet. The depth of wash dirt varies from three to five feet, which yields from 2 to 2J ounces to the load. Fins portion of f. ; ie Dunstan district i* worked by Mr. Pyke as Warden and R.M., but that gentleman holds court once a fort mi ;iit, and sometimes only once a inonlii, which is very unsatisfactory ; but I believe Mr. Pyke has no time to attend oftener; and t'len by the time that gentleman has driven 40 miles be can have but little time to atteud to the wants of the district, more particularly in winter. It is the general opinion here that the Governmpnt should relieve the Warden at Clyde frmn visiting Blacks, as the other portion of his district will take up the whole of his time. But now comes the question, Ivnv is this portion to be worked? I am of opinion that there is not work for a goldfields officer at St. Bathans, where there are only some 35 miners, and if that is the case, it would be no extra expense to the Government to appoint some gentleman to work Ht. Bathans, Drybread, I and Blacks, and to be stationed centerally. It would be a great boon to the community should some such arrangement be arrived at, not that wo would to loose Mr. Pyke's services, but most certainly would like some one living in our midst who would devote his whole time to the working of the places mentioned. There would be another saving— the officer at Alexandra has also to travel 40 miles on Court d^ys and intermediate days named by the Warden, the whole of which could be saved as indicated above. The farmers here are busy thrashing and taking their grain to market. The crops on the whole are | about the average. As yet we cannot grow sufficien; oats to supply the i market all the year round, although the area under crop increases every year. Potatoes will be but a very middling crop, being cut off by the frost, and the breadth is not anything equal to that of last year, consequently I expect in spring the price will rate high.