LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We are requested to state that the Athenaeum Readings, which should have come off on Friday evening last, were postponed till tomorrow, on account of several of those persons who had promised to take a prominent part in the entertaiment suffering from colds. A fair programme has been prepared for to-morrow evening. The people of Lawrence are going to show their loyalty on Monday next, by completely suspending business. The banks and places of business will all be closed. On Monday morning last, the rains of the previous night had swollen the Wetherstones and Gabriels creeks to something approaching a flood. Every heavy rainfall demonstrates the pressing necessity that exists for the inhabitants of Lawrence taking some steps in preventing the further silting up of the creek. The Town Council have communicated with the Bine Spur miners on the subject, but with what result we have not heard, "We have been asked by several of our agricultural frends/if there is to be a district ploughing match this season, but this matter reßts entirely with them, and not with us, Our last year's experiences were far from encouraging. If those who follow after agricultural pursuits do not themselves show some signs of animation on the subject, they cannot expect outsiders to evince much interest in what does not immediately concern them. The subject comes within the scope of the Polycultural Society, and we have no doubt but that body would gladly give the matter their countenance and support it, if some of our leading farmers took it in hand. A PIGEON match will be held at the Dumbarton Rock Hotel, Moa Flat, on Wednesday next, the same day as the ploughing match is to be held. THE Private Quadrille party commenced on Monday evening last, what promises to be as heretofore a most successful term. The turn ont, considering the cold and inclement weather, exceeded the anticipations of many. Mrs. Hansen has been engaged to preside at the piano,

THE contractor for the Beaumont bridge is losing no time. He has already got men at work on the ground. The Weatherstones readings tcok place on Thursday last. There waa a fair programme, but the attendance was not laige. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the new Goldfields BilL It is a ponderous document, consisting of 217 clauses. "We hope the Government have furnished a copy of the bill to each of the Miners' Associations, so that its provisions may be thoroughly discussed before the General Assembly meets. A memorial has been forwarded to the Superintendent by Mn Squires, bearing the names of all the Blue Spur companies, asking for a survey of Gabriels Gully showing the levels and accumulation of tailings from the present workings on to Tuapeka Flat. The object in view is to ascertain whether any practical scheme can be devised for the working of the vast accumulation of tailings deposited in the gully. We hope the Government will accede to the request made, as the result would test the practicability of the tunnel scheme from Gabriels to Evans Flat. OOR Dunedin correspondent, writing on the 19th inst., says :— " The large cake of amalgam from the Gabriels Gully Co.'s claim, which was exhibited in one of our shop windows for a couple of days, has attracted many an admiring glance, and I am afraid the bible injunction about not coveting the goods of our neighbors lias been rather a difficult one to keep, judging from the frequent exclamations conveying & wish to possess the precious lump which hare dropped from the lips of those who have stopped to admire it. It is very satisfactory to note that some of our reefing claims are doing well amid the failure that has latterly characterised many of them. Shares in the majority of ■Tthe claims in the principal reefing district in the province are now quite a drug in the market, and investments in connection with quarts mining are looked upon with anything but favor." Ook Blue Spur mining correspondent reports as follows :— Mining matter* on the Spur are more satisfactory at present than they have been for some time past. All the claims are in full work, with plenty of water. It was rumored that the Perseverance Co. had put another injunction on Morrison and Co.'s workings. As yet no stoppage has taken place, possibly considering the very great hardship to the working men through loss of employment. The Perseverance Co. have taken a more charitable view of the question this time, which is very commendable on their part. The contractors for the Otago Co.'s dam, and also Morrison and Co.'s dam, are getting ou well with their work. Owing to the decreased supply of tail water in Munros Gully, only two claims being at work on that side of the Spur, Varcoe and Co. intend to out a race from the head of the Tuapeka Creek capable of conveying 400 iucb.es of water. By this addition they expect to be able to ground sluice the top stuff, which will be a great saving of time and expense compared with the present method of carting it away. Much regret was felt by our business people the other week at the abrupt departure of a bright specimen of a new chum from the North of Ireland named iM 'Dowel], He had been working on the Spur for some time on wages, and contrived to stick up something like £100, bestowing his patronage, with great impartiality, all over the district. Great indeed was the surprise of his credulous creditors to find one morning that he had skedaddled, bag and baggage, no one knew where. As mostly everyone was interested, great diversity of opinion was expressed. Some were for presenting a testimonial , others were for putting him into a joint stock company and selling shares ; whilst others were considering the advisability of asking his Honor for a subMf sidy to assist in catching such a slippery fish, believing he would cut up as well as a whale. At all events, as yet, he has got clear, to open the eyes of some other credit giving community. The Mount Benger Ploughing Match takes place on Wednesday, the 28th. We are informed that it is certain to prove a success if the weather is at all favorable. A communication has been sent to the General Government pointing out the advantages that might accrue from a geological sarvey being made of the Tuapeka district, especially of the localities around Gabriels and Wetherstones. In places such as these, where so much gold has been found, it is matter of surprise that so little attention has been given to them by the Geological Department. Government papers innumerable have been issued, with descriptions of surveys of the Northern goldfields of this province, and of the West Coast and Thames goldfields, but of the Tuapeka district, which has proved so rich in alluvial deposits, nothing whatever has been said. As a geological survey might be of very great assistance to the practical and successful working of the gold bearing reefs, which have been discovered in and about Gabriels Gully, we trust the Government will send one or more of the geological staff to make the survey referred to. We are glad to learn that some of our local speculators have had sufficient enterprise to tender for the railway contract from Tokomairiro to Lawrence. If Messrs. Cormack & <70. are the successful tenderers, we may rest satisfied that no delay will take place, so far as they are concerned, in carryingout the work with energy and success. On Friday last, a concert, followed by a dance, was given in Waipori for the benefit of the school funds of that town. There was a fair attendance, and the result, we are informed, was satisfactory. When may, we expect a new post-office ? The scene presented outside the building as the mail is being sorted every evening, is, indeed, a sorry one. About a dozen adults, and doable the number of youngsters, cooped up in a small dilapidated porch, scrambling for letters, it anything but creditable for the leading city of ihe interior ©f Oiagn.

This seems to be a season of monster potatoes. Every part of the district appears to be well suited for the cultivation of this invaluable vegetable -both hill and plain have yielded good crops this season, and monster potatoes are now the rule and not the exception, Mr. Hill, this week, showed us one from his garden weighing 2slbs., to all appearances sound and good. It is not very long since one of our runholders gave his evidence before a commission, that the climate of Tuapeka was too severe for the cultivation of potatoes. The fat stock in Tuapeka must be improving, when such specimens are to be found as Mr. Draper had in his shop the other day, in the form of a carcass weighing 10121bs. The cutting of the Beaumont and Tuapeka Water Eace is being rapidly proceeded with. There are 17 men at present engaged in the work. Mr. Nicholi, has finished his contract for gravelling Peel-street. The gravel looks firstclass, and will make a durable road ; the same may be said of the gravel used by Mr. M'Rae in his contract for Ross Place, which has progressed steadily although the weather has been anything but favorable. These streets, we may remark, are being made at the expense of Wethcrstones road, which is getting cut up frightfully by the heavy dray loads of gravel which have been carted on it during the last three weeks. This road is now almost impassable in many places, and by the time the municipitl contracts are finished, communication between Lawrence and Wetherstones will iequire to be performed by way of the reservoir hill, or by the use of a flat-bottomed boat.