SHAG VALLEY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 249, 7 November 1872, Page 8

SHAG VALLEY.

(From our own Correspondent.)

, -The inducement of writing, this week is not that 1 have anything fresh of importance; to communicate- things remaining pretty near the same as in my last — but rather to point- out an important eripr that has somehow crept .into my lasi report, which, If not corrected, might appear as an intention to* mislead •the publ : G ! allude to the part referring to the crushing of the Shag ! Valley Co. , the report stating that the width of the reef was 19ft. ; whereas, it 'should read 9ft. only. This company is now about •to commence excavations for site ■of machine, &c., I' also see that they have out plans and specifications for a large reservoir, and have called for tenders for the same. I hear the machine is to be. erected before Christmas. The manager is also putting up a permanent dwelling house, so it appears that they, mean it this time in earnest. The manager is "busily engaged endeavouring: to trace the reef where, it crosses the 90-acre gully. But the- ground here, being very broken, being the scene of former landslips, the work is a matter of no small difficulty.

The Perseverance Co. are still driving ahead with prospects still the same. They are busily engaged crushing, the late rainfall having given them a plentiful supply of water. The battery I mentioned in my last that they had just purchased, is the one erected by Mr. Dvincan, and at which they are now crushing before ifcs - removal to Long Gully. lam aorry to heai* tha+- Mr. Duncan has disposed of it, it looking very much like hia not contemplating making a fresh start, as, l stated in my previous letter. , I am afraid that he has in colonial parlance funked on it, unless, as some people hero remark,, something heavy is struck. I bel'eve most communities have grievances <>l" their own ; therefore, no one can grumble at imv having one, and that one w.inh'i'g immediate redress. lam .snr.ry to si>y that Iho t) nek system is parried on hero in all iis deformity. I -see in a late issue of the " Otago Witness," a letter from one Mr\ condemning it, as carried on at Green Island. I would earnestly recommend its r.erusal to the notice of the board of directors of the companies here, and advise them to look nearer home, especially after adopting a rule whereby no shareholder was to be allowed to work in their (the Co.'s) claims, that rule evidently applying to two poor working men, 'which means in their case; that if they cannot get employment and pay, up tlieir calls, out they must go. But yet, on" the other hand, the said, directors apparently wink at one of -the large shareholders, not only being the working manager, but he is allowed to erect a store and supply the workmen with provisions j the result .pf wliieli is £oo well-known for me to repeat here. I think it will speak for itself. It was only the other day that the same person discharged his carter for bringing up a small parcel -in his dray for one of the men here. But some will say, Why discharge him for that? and echo answers, Why ? The secret must come out ; the said parcel was an order from another storekeeper. I would certainly advise the aforesaid directors to pxit their house in order, and, when adopting rules, to bear in mind the old adage, "What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander." am not aware if the Acclimatisation Society liberated any partridges in this neighbourhood, , but whilst crossing one of the ,spurs here the other day, I rose five of those *ljirds. They did not appear at all-wild, as they only flew a, short distance. lam informed that parties liave on several occasions seen numbers of pheasants. .

The weather during the past week has , been for the time of year unusually severe, heavy gales of wind accompa'iiie.d with '.rain, being the order of the day, with some sharp frosts at night, which' will,' I am afraid, somewhat retard- the ,ear)y ; sown' orops.' We experienced a heavy d>?snfa]! of rain on Saturday last, accompanied with << thunder .and lightning. * I have just seen a resident ihat was at. Macraes the same day, he informs me that snow fell at that place to the depth of six inches.

-If the' following statement, which appeared -in tho "Age" of .2nd October, be true, - the Tichborne romance assumes quite another phrase. Tt is stated that a woman living in the Western district* claims to be the widow, of the claimant. She has, it is alleged, in her possession a photograph of Roger Tichborne, and also those of other members =of the'family. ..This is confirmed by the " Warrnambool Advertiser," which states that in the year 1859, at Kilmary station. Spring Creelc, near Windsor, there was married by a Wesleyan Minister one Kobert Millsto Isabella M'Rae, the same- Mills having been previously married, to N Catherine Curtis, by whom he had ?6ven children, .six being" alive at the

time -of his' second marriage. Although, a man of dissolute babits, and sho.w!ji)g .a preference for, low .company, in .hi* -sober moments he gave evidence of -having -moved in <i'different.sphere of society. He was a goodhoi'Sevnan, enuld spe.il? French fluently, and was' skilfuWn various' mechanical arts.",,^ One day after, his in image, when about leaving home,' he told his wife if- any one as.ked for Tom Castro to state ( 'she knew nothing about any one of, that' name ; and on another occasion he said he had- been married under an assumed name. He further asserted that he had been wrecked when -coming' in the Bella from Valparaiso, w.as two, .or. three days on a .barren island- .-without food, and ,\vas saved by tying a red shirt to an oar, and giving I this as his reason for always wearing a shiri of that color./ Once -he casually mentioned bis.acquaintantfe' with Lord B&llew,, -■ -MMIsl was tafetoed, ''o'n'W^a'rm' with *the; emblems -of faith, Wp#V wd[ ''chayity,"" and th"^ *, letters.>B. ,0.. T... / JKa body lies, at Spring 'C^eel?, tifatf Windsofr. beside' his first wife

« '.. <. <i> '.'i £*:;>->■