LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 201, 7 December 1871, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The School Committee notify through our advertising columns that they will gladly receive donations up to Thursday, the 20th iuhtant, for prizes to the scholars at the annual e.\'innuatK>nIn our report of the annual nwtinij of the Phoenix Water Company, tho r.en.lrr of Mr. AY"m. Gascoigne should havr> been slated as £f>7G for three years, payable half yearly hi advance, instead of £470 for tho sauif term. The Town Clerk requests us to stati^ that hfi lias recovered from the i.-ffeet of the pleasure which was brought to boar upon him List week by Councillor Mears. We have received a letter from Mr. John Dewc, in leply to "Secularist," but nnittt hold it over till next issue. This bush on Mt. Renger is being vapid' v dv stroyed by the runholdeis burning gi>im. As this is the only place in the district where' wood c:in be obtained, some check who'ild be put on this wanton destination. We are informed that a flour mill is at last about to be established on Benger Burn, it company including some of the leading residents of the district being in course of formation. Two sections in Ettrick have been seen red for a site, and the water power will be su pplied by Mr. JJilva's race. Babbtts are largely increasing in numbers on Ovens Hills Station, and threaten at no distant date to become a nuisance to the district. Shearing has been completed :tt the stations of Mesßis. Cargill and Anderson, Grant and Rutherford, and W. Miller {Ovens Hills). At Moa Flat Station considerable diffimilty was experienced in procuring shearers ; but now that operations are finished on the three stations above mentioned, the required number will probably be easily obtained. In the Coal Crock district the cattle belonging to the settlers are reported to !>e dying of starvation. Tho cause of this unfortunate state of affairs is the stocking o? the land upon which they are running with sheep. On Wednesday, the 29th uk., Mr. Elislop examined the children attending the Moa Flat School. The examination was something more than a mere parade, the capabilities of the youngsters being taxed l>y a Variety of searching questions. The result was highly gratifying to the teacher, Mr. M'Neale, who was complimented by Mr. Hislop for the- efficiency of his management. "We are informed that the schoolhouse is shortly to be removed to the newlysurveyed township of Ettrick. Mr. Dewb conducted Church of England service in the schoolhouse, Roxburgh, on Sunday evening last. There was a very lartje congregation. We understand that Mr. Dewe proposes conducting service every Sunday evening I until further notice. j The Teviot people are rather behindhand thia j year in racing matters. Tho cause of this ap- \ pears to be want of unanimity as to wheie the ! meet ought to be held. Coal Crock and Moa j Flat and the east side of the river aie talked I i about, but no committee has been formed. Mr. I Ayling is, however, trying to get up a local j meet on the Coal Creek course. Several subscriptions have been received, and should the v quisite amount be mado up, r thcre is no rloubt < that there will be plenty of entries nnd good ! sport. The Hercules Water Race, heading from the Teviot river, is within three weeks of comple- j tion. When brought to its destination, opposite I the the town of Roxburgh, it will be two miles ! in length, one mile of which distance is fluming. } It is constructed to carry ten heads of waW. ! The opening of the race is fixed for New Year's I Dft yThe agriculturists in the Coal Creek district are very anxious to know when their leases will J be issued. It ia three years since theii appli- ! cations were granted, yet they have re- i ceived no title to their holdings. Many of them I contemplate extensive improvements^ such as ' building new houses, "planting trees, &c, but are afraid to do so until they receive their leases. '' ' i

The Government gale of sections in the township of Roxburgh took place on the 27th ult., Mr, J. C. Chappie being the auctioneer. About j 32 sections were sold, the prices realised being I couaidered high. VTe understood that this it , the concluding sale of the section* surveyed ia • the township of Roxburgh. During the last session of the Pumncial ' Council, a resolution whs passed to the effect that 300 acres around the township of KoxI burgh should be surveyed as a public reserve. j Up to the present time, however, the Executive j have take!) no steps in the matter. AYe should • like to know whether they intend to curry out ; the resolution of the Council, and if they do when. Immediately after the salt) of the sections in Roxburgh, on Monday, the '27th ult., sections in the township of Ettrick (Benger Burn) were offered for sale. The competition in some instances, was exceedingly spirited- one of the | sections realising £20, the fortunate purchaser , being Mr. R. P. Cocker. The fact of auch 1 prices being realised may be accounted for by the hopes entortained that the General Govern* tnent will prevent the accomplishment of the ! mad freak of tho Provincial Executive in sell- , ing SO, OOO acres of land to Mr. Clarke— the I township of Efctrick being situated in the middle of that celebrated block. I Mr. HlSLnp examined the children attending the Teviot school on Tuesday the 2Bth nit. The j pupils acquitted themselves in a highly -satisi factory manner, and I\lr. Uislop expressed himi self much gratified with the progress made by | the children, and complimented tho teacher i thereon. He also intimated his intention of recommending the Government to have the Teviot school declared a main school, mid a)no promised to use his iullueueo to secure a grant of £50 towards fencing in the ground, and providing necessaries for the school. AT Obelisk Creek, Alexandra district, there are 6ve parties of» Europeans and one Celestial at work. I Thr i:rop» in the Wakatip district are rp* l>oi tod to he looking well. Tho barley is looking .-iplendid. ..Messes Robertson & Hallensteiu's flour mill, Frnnkton, b topped work lately, having no more wheat to grind ; and Gihner's mill, Lake j Hayes, is vepoitsd to be on the eve of suspend* ' ing opoiatioas from the same cause. " Between the Morven and Nevis Ferries there are about 50 men at work sluicing the banks of the Kuwarau with generally -satisfactory re* illlts. ' Quken&tows is buffering a reaction from its recent liveliness. The c^uae of the "spurt "it enjoyed during the winter mouths in said to bo th.it the prolonged frost preventing mining ; opeiatumß caused many up-river residents tv j pay lengthened visits to town, and sn the gre^t | majority of them were owners of good claims, | trade was. greatly benefited thereby. Nearly i all the visitors returned to their claims some I time since, bit t tho broken weather prevented 1 them working, consequently there is a- tightness in thp money market. Good weather will, however, cause it revival of trade. ! Ik the Lake district the f'luiieie have almosi ceased purchasing claims. Tboir last important purchase w.is of two claims on the Big Beach, Shotover, for i'3oo. This virtually places the ; whole Big Bench at their disposal, a* they hava j the whole frontage on both sides of the river. One thousand acres of good aurifetous land am commanded by these frontages. i The Wakatip people seem determined to ' maintain their Hospital, and also to have it ! economically managed. j "Mtt. Fkkaud, of Montr Christo Farm, ia ©renting a largo building capable of holding 200 hhds, and intends therein to commence tho manufacture of 'colonial wine, French liqueurs, i and cordials. Mr. Feraud says he has alreadyreceived numerous orders, which shows that his manufactures are appreciated. The Clyde Temperance Society seems to b« progressing favourably. Its numbers are. steadily on the increase. A "kettle dium," to oslebrate its initiation, was given at Clyde ou I Friday la&t. Mk. John Alloo's recent raid on the Chinese in the Lake district added £300 to the revenue. ! Bcndigo is very dull. With the exception of at Logan's and the Golden Link, nothing worth speaking about is being done. A share in Mintoa's claim, Butcher's Gully, was recently bought by Mr. Rivers for the sum j of £108. j The Earnscleugh Grand Junction and Hit or ! Miss Companies, west bank of the Molyueux in j the Alexandra district, have amalgamated. i The plant of the latter ia now employed in the I former claim. The united party has beon at ! work about eight weeks, and bottom has been reached. Excellent prospeots have been obtained, and there i-> little doubt that the | plucky shareholders will be well remunerated for their labour and enterprise. Messbs. Williamson and Co. have abandoned their claim on the "west bank of the Molyneux. (between Clyde and Alexandra), and are now prospecting at the foot of the Dunstan Range. They ha vestruckpayablegold nearly everywhere, and if water were obtainable, they state they bivvo found ground that would afford lemunera. tive employment for a large number of miner for many years to come. Another accident has occurred at the Devil's Elbow, near Roxbnrgh. On this occasion a bullock dray fell over the hill, and by a miracle the team escaped destruction. Last session the Provincial Council voted the munificent sum of £75 for the repair of this portion of the road, Vint it has not as yet been expended. The state of the Elbqw is. really a scandal to the province, and if something is not Bpeedily done to improve its condition the occurrence of aerioas ffdtfidents is inevitable^

Xaangngntiotmlrnitiiiogoiihe members of the Presbyterian Church, Lawrence, will be held this evening, in the Church, for the purpose ■ of moderating in a ca11.... The dredge Yorkshire Lass it at work on Silva's Beach, and is reported to be yielding good returns. The miners on the Lower PomahakA are doing exceedingly well. One party obtained 60oe. of the precious metal in six weeks, and their ground is increasing in lichness. Favourable accounts continue to be received from the Whitecomb Creek, and the population ii reported to be on the increase. The water-power dredge Moa, which operates near the township of Ettrick, Banger Burn, knocked off lately for a week, to renew the pins of the buckets. It has now resumed work, find its fortunate owners are reported to be making from £12 to £15 per week per man. MESSRS. Eady and party are erecting a large dam, the wall of which, when completed, will be fifteen chains in length, and twenty-five feet in thickness. Their race, three miles in length, and carrying five heads of water, is nearly finished. They intend to wpvk the banks of the Molyneux, near Miller's punt. The Butchers Gully shaft has been pumped out, and work has fairly commenced. The reef lias been, as we have before stated, proved to exist, and at a trial crushing proved payable. "Water seems to be Uia chief obstacle, and now the means are nfc cum mam I to overcome it, we anticipate the shareholders will not have to wait long for a. return of the money they j have invested. At Conroys Gully, we are informed that Bennett and Ford are obtaining excellent returns from their claim, the result- of one fortnight's j ■work being ten or twelve ounces. FoxweH and party are working night and dty, and have constructed a branch bub-ace to work the flat. Scott and party are also working night shifts. The other claims are going on as usual. THE Cambrian Company have for two years Mid five months been engaged in the construction of their water race, which he.ids from Doolans Creek, and will ttnninate on the flat below the Nevis Bluff, on the Kawarau river (about fifteen miles from Cromwell). In about four months more it is expected that the work will be completed. Tho cost incurred up to the ■present time is £3,500, and before the race is brought ou to the claim it is expected that an tipeuditiire of £300 more will be required. The race will be fourteen miles in length, and will carry twenty heads ot water. Operations have been suspended at Holladay and party's claim, Conroys Gully. This claim was taken up some time ago, with the view of working the line of reef which Iveison and Co. proved payable. AT the Kawarau Gorge about forty men are employed sluicing. Their returns are said to he fairly payable. We are sorry to learn that Bennett and party's persevering efforts to find a reef supposed to exist in the range dividing Conroys and Butchers Gullies have proved unsuccessful, j They put in two long tunnels and sunk a nuin- J her of shafts, one to a depth of eighty feet ; in I fact, sunk and drove iv every direction. Many~j specimens of excellent quality were obtained, but no signs of the proximity of a reef were found. We must certainly say that if Messrs. Bennett and Co. did not attain biiouess they deserved it, and we wish them better luck next time. QoEENSTOWW ta in the throes of a municipal revolution, caused by the sale and projected removal of the town hall, and the granting of the site on which that building stands to a limited liability company, which has been formed for the purpose of erecting an atheneeum. It appears that the sale of the town hall was resolved upon at a meeting of citizens, which the " Reds "— the name bestowed on those objecting to that transaction— aver was not properly convened and too thinly attended for its resolutions to have any weight. The " Reds " f urther maintain that the consent of two-thirds df the ratepayers ought to have been obtained before the sale was effected. Some agitation j has occurred, and litigation is threatened. j The last crushing of Iversen's Reef, Conroy's j Gully, yielded 116 02s. of gold foi|24,dHy's ci u.-h-ing. The machineiy still keeps in excellent working order. The company is at present en- i gflged in vutting * n a new tunnel al>ove the old one. Where the reef has been strack, gold is \ plainly visible throughout the stone. The next cleaning up will be at Christmas, when we hope a rich- cake will be presented to the shareholdeis. The company well deserve the success they have met with, as in spite of many discouragements and obstacles, they pluckily pejv severed in their attempts to open this reef. They have shown that payable reefs exists in district^ and we are sure that money invented in developing them would yield a- large return. The people of Alexandra have never been backward in assisting mining venture* -. many heavy undertakings having been cariied out solely by themselves— and they well deserve to have mine foieign capital introduced to the : r district. If as much as has been expended in some localities were invested in the Alexandra district, we | feel confident that the prejudice imterLi'wed , Against mining speculations would not be so general. ! Compelling Chinese miners to take out miner's rights does not seem to be unattended jvith danger to the luterpieter. On his recent I raid in the Cardrona district, Mr. Alloo, Chinese Interpreter in Queenstown, accomparied by a constable, came across a party of eight Celestials. On inquiring for their miuev's rights, the •" boss" made the usual answer, "new chum," *nd refused to understand any thing further. Expostulation proving of no avail, Mr. Alloo | directed the constable to arrest and handcuff ! the man. Seeing the result obduracy was j likely to biing about, the remaining Chinese in the party came up and took out righU. and also paid for the man who hail been arrested, who was tbereupou released. A few days after•wardo, when Jfr. Altou was passing this claim alone, the whole party made at him armed with shovels and pick-handles, evidently bent on mischief. Mr. Alloo, however, put spurs to his horse, and managed to get beyond danger. Had he been on foot, there is no doubt that he would have been seriously maltreated. The result, of Mr. Alloo's trip to the Gardrona was the taking out of 147 fresh minor's right? by the Chinese. Mesr»s. M'Kenna and party aie prospecting for a quartz reef on a spur of the Old Man Bange, between Bald Hill E'lat and Butchers. Where they aro prospecting was sluiced some time ago, and abandoned on account of the run having been losk On the old sluicing face they got a good prospect and found indications of « the existence of a reef in the vicinity. There have been a good many slips about the place, and it is probable that the reef, should it be discovered, will be found "* jumbled up/ Not many specimens have been unearthed as yet, but some very good gold h:is been got. Messrs. M-Kenna and Co. are sanguine of striking a good reef* and we hope that they will not" bo disappointed,

We have been shown the plans of a ' new building about to be erected for Mr. Sproule for the accommodation of his boarding pupiLs. Want of space prevents us from describing it this week, but in our next issiie we will do so. Ijt Mr. Pressly's window a few days ago we observed some splendid strawberries. They were of large size and excellent flavour, and will no doubt command a ready sale. In a letter which appears in another column, attention is drawn' to the wanton destruction of firewood on Smith's run by the shepherds. It is rather too bad that men who pay the Government for a license to cut timber should have the labour of weeks, and in some instances of months, thrown away by the carelessness, or worse, of the parties who tired the grass. | A Miners' Protection Association has been formed in the Dunstan district. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Roxburgh, on Tuesday, the 28fch ult., before J. B. Borton, Esq., R.M., John Boyle was brought up on remand, charged with committing an assault with intent upon Mrs. Cost-rove, at the Whuecomb Creek. Mr. M'Coy appeared for the prisoner. The evidence of Mr. Mafcheson was to the effect that he left prosecutrix's house in company with her and prisoner, but that in coming to a short cut in the bush, he left them. He had not been gone many minutes before he heard prosecutrix crying out for him, and on going | to the spot from whence the cries pro- i eeeded, lie saw the two disputing together. Several witnesses for the defence were called, and their evidence certainly disclosed a state of morality not very creditable to the parties concerned. The Magistrate dismissed the case. Boyle was then charged with committing a common assault, and pleading guilty, was lined L 5 and costs. We are informed that, a Hour miii will shortly be ereetedin the Blacks District. The recent rains have had a most beneficial effect on the crops all over the country. Although previous to the rainfalls they were in a healthy state, in some districts they were v ather backward, but now there is every prospect of a pretty early harvest. Tire Ida Valley Deep Lead is stated to be very nearly a failure. The Associated Press of Afcrili a. has agreed to pay Mr. Router £'1000 per annum, for the supply of telegraphic intelligence from Europe. At Castleuiaine, Che-a-tuk, the first Chinese missionary who ever visited "Victoria, has gone bank to the faith of hi 3 fathers, which he says is " quite good enough for t> Chinaman;" and, accompanied by his little son, is making a sort of triumphal procession through the district, and receiving valuable presents from his countrymen. The story is I that the death of all his relatives and I children was taken by him as a hint that he { )>ad clone wr.>ng in forsaking tlie tenets of j Confucius.