WAITAHUNA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 207, 18 January 1872, Page 6

WAITAHUNA.

(From our Own Correspondent.)

The annual public meeting for the election of school committee was held in the schoolhouse here on Monday, the Bth inst. Mr. Turnbull occupied the chair. The minutes of the last public meeting having been read and •confirmed, the chairman called on the secretary* to read the- report of the retiring committee. On the motion- of Mr. Browne, seconded by Mr. Heath, the report was received and adopted. The following geufclemen were elected to act a's a committee for the year 1872, viz :^sMc j .ssrs. Turnbull, Browne, Carr. Winning, Heath, Barr, Ward, Moggatb, amlßushe. In my last communication I stated that two tons of stone from the prospecting claim, Junction Reef, bad been taken over to tho Table Hill 'Quartz Mining Company's machine to be tested. I have now to inform you that the crushing took place on Saturday last, the result being 10 dwts. of poLl, o-i u.o- *W_rate_x>£.s_dwts. to the ton. I have heard it stated that in trial crushings of this kind, in order to fairly test the stone, the quicksilver should be retorted both before and after beinjj used. In this instance, 1 understand, it was not done, hence the result has uot given satisfaction, T hear, to some of those concerned. The yield, though small, is much better than was obtained from the first crushiiig from the Ocean View Reef, which reef now pays handsomely. It is the intention of the prospectors, whose names are Mersrs. M. Higgins, J. Higgins. Weiss, Garden, Hansen, and

Towndrow, to sink a shaft to the depth of fifty feet, and try the reef at that depth, as there is a probability, as in the case of the Ocean View, of its improving in richness. About a mile of the supposed course of the reef has been marked off in claims from six to twelve hundred feet each. On Saturday and Monday quite a crowd of horsemen could be seen on the hills, all on quartz reefs intent. I had almost forgotten to state that I had the pleasure of seeing some very finp specimens which were brought into Waitahuna on Monday last, taken from the prospecting claim. I have heard that Mr. G. F. C. Browne, M.P.C., has been in commu-

nieation with the Secretary for Land

and Works on the subject of a motion. *s brought forward by him during the last session of the Provincial Council, to, the effect that £200 be placed on the Estimates for the construction of the road in Main Gully, Waitahuna from the Camp Reserve to DufFs store ; payment to be made, under the olst clause of the Otago Waste Lands Act, in land ; tenderers to be the

holders of agricultural leases in the district. The surveyor has ''been instructed to forward copy of

specifications to Waitahuna for inspection of intending tenderers. Tt is to

be hoped that some of our settlers will tender for the work, as if this opportunity of having tie road formed is not taken advantage of, we shall have no cause to complain at any future time, nu matter how unfit for traffic it might become. The means of havinir the work performed are within our reach, and we shall be to blame if we do not use these means.