ALEXANDRA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 392, 19 September 1874, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

(From a Correspondent.) September 14th. Mining news lias been very scarce of late, owing to the very severe winter we have experienced. In fact, King Frost has reigned supreme for nearly thirteen weeks, and little or nothing has been done in mining all that time. The only claim that this will not apply to is the Golden Gully Claim, owned by Mr. Kitt, who has been engaged the whole of the winter and previously in constructing a tunnel night and day. This claim has, up to the present time, been worked with an open tailrace, but the rock through which it was constructed was so thick that it was thought advisable to put a tunnel through the spur, so as to strike the wash on the opposite side. This tunnel has already been constructed 200 feet through very hard rock, at a cost of £800 ofcg., and it is estimated that it will take a monfcL to get tlrrougt. I heartily wish Mr. Kitl success in his undertaking. The claim hitherto has proved a good one, and it would need to continue good to pay Mr. Kitt for his outlay. All the large claims at Butchers and Conroys are in full work with plenty of water j but there will be no returns for some time yet. I see the machinery of Conroys Quartz Eeef Co. ia being taken down by Messrs. , Drummey and Paget, who have the contract for removing the same to Carricto. It is a great pity that this machinery should be removed from the district ; and I feel confident had the shareholders gone the right way to work they could have floated a Company. Look, for instance, at the very same time "as they were endeavoring to float their Company, the Pneumatic Company was floated before their eyes ; and several of the original reef shareholders actually took shares in the venture, thoroughly believing they would never see either interest nor principal again. They have to thank their own bungling for their failure ; but at the same time the district has sustained a loss that it will take years to repair. The claims on the west bank are in full work. M'Uroy and Co. are working away with good prospects. Noble and party, who purchased Conroy and Blackman's water races from Mr. Thomas Oliver, have started two claims on the bank of the river. This party has worked in this locality for years, always paying rent for water, but sometimes would, be idle for months together, owing to some disagreement between the water squatter and therasolres. For the future this will be avoided. Patterson and party, who have leased the Earnscleogh water races from Mr. Oliver are working at Poverty Beach, with very good prospects. On the east side, the lessees of the Corporation race are working on the east bank of the | river with very good results. The Manuherikia water race is running full, and the upper party — Medcalf and Proud — are washing away a large extent of ground by means of hydraulic hose, near the Balmoral Hotel. The wash shows a good prospect) and they are expecting a good wash np.

The lower party, working near the brewery, are making good wages. Messrs. Theyers and Beck, who own the fee simple of Beveral acres, are allowing this party to sluice away the ground without compensation j but as the ground is quite as valuable after the surface is sluiced away, they will be no losers, and at same time doing a good turn to this party of miners. Some time since, a concert and ball took place in the Library Hall for the benefit of the Clyde Brass Band, who have always been ready and ■willing to give their services in every good cause, and the Alexandraites thought they could not do less than give them a benefit. It must have been very gratifying to the Band to see the large numbers that assembled to do them honor. The room was much too small to allow standing room for the number who presented themselves for admission. One or two enthusiastic individuals have, on different occasions, generally after a concert or ball, promised to build a large hall that would be an ornament to Alexandra. After the last concert, it was given out that a public meeting was to be called to devise means to build this longtalked of hall ; but as on former occasions it all ended in smoke. In my opinion the Alexandraites will not pull together in any one thing for the benefit of the place, and would refer your readers back to a correspondence from " your own " some months Bince for the cause. On the 18th instant, we are to have races. The stakes offered are certainly creditable for a spring meeting, but the entries are small, and it is very much feared it will be a failure. I trust that I shall prove a false prophet in this instance. At a meeting of the Club some ten days since, it was resolved to let the privileges, &c, by tender, as they did not want to encroach on their funds to pay commission to an auctioneer. They need not have been alarmed on that score, as when the time arrived to open the tenders, the Secretary informed the Club that no tender was sent in. I suppose none of the pubs, wished to go to any expense in erecting booths, &c. I hear a great many complaints that a distance of two miles is too much at a spring meeting, and this may account for the few entries. I see by advertisement that on the 25th instant the Clyde spring meeting takes place, and on the 2nd proximo the Cromwell spring meeting. lam inclined to think that our hor^^, men will be in the same street aa last yt. when almost every meeting was a failure; but I am quite sure it is no use tryiag to get these small places to unite and have one good meet every year. Take for instance the leading article in the " Dunstan Times " of the 11th instant. I would not have referred to this article were it not for the direct insult offered to this place by the editor of that paper ; and I would challenge that gentleman to explain how " impetus would be given to the trade of Clyde, such as will make a new era in its history," by this so mucli talked of new road between Clyde and Butchers Gully being opened to receive the traffic, &c; and I would further ask him to explain whether it is possible to divert the traffic from. Tuapeka to the Lakes via Clyde from that important city, although the traffic should, as at present, go through Alexandra ; and further, is not the action taken at Clyde in trying to divert the traffic from Lawrence to Clyde via Butchers and Conroja Crullie3 likely to damage Alexandra, and do Clyde no good in any manner, Jor shape, further than what she may gain by the injury done to her neignbors. I find in this leading article the word "bridge" is made use of four times, '\Clyde " seven times, and " the route from Tuapeka to Clyde" six times, and poor Alexandra does not appear on the scene at all. Surely the editQr must be suffering from Clyi'e bridge on the brain. This road from Butchers G-ully to Clyde wo ild certainly shorten the road by two miles ; but the road would be nothing like so good & road as via Alexandra, even after a great many thousand pounds have been expended on it ; and if the Q-overnment is so shortsighted as to throw away the public money in this way, the soouer Mr. Yogel abolishes Provincialism in the South as well as the North, and gives us road boards, county system, or some other system that will do away with this log-rolling, the better for the country. The editor of the " Dunstan Times " cannot plead ignorance that he did not know there was such a place as Alexandra, and that it is an incorporated town, for I find in his issue of 28th August the minutes of tb« Alexandra Town Council (which, by-the-bye, is composed of a Mayor, three ex-Mayors,' and one would-be Mayor, and if they are not a strong body, they ought to be), a portion of which was a letter from the Provincial Government asking the Council to contribute towards the maintenance of a Eevenue Officer for the province, when Or. Finlay moved and Cr. Rivers seconded, " That this Council is of opinion that the expenses of such an officer should be borne by the Government." (Notkj^ I am of opinion that the Government made a mistake in applying to the different Councils for support in this matter ; these bodies being generally composed of storekeepers and publicans, it does not suit their book. Had the Government applied to the outside public, they -would* haTe been supported in the move* ment. No doubt the Government were justified in the action they took, Beeing that they had given up all the revenues to the different Corporations ; but as to giving any portion of it for the purpose of paying revenue officers, to see that we are not poisoned with adulterated food, drink, &c, is a horse of another color.) Again, in his issue of the 4th inst., are other minutes of the doings of the Alexandra Town Council, in which Cr. Finlay gave notice that he would more at the next meeting, " That the Council petition the Government; for a grant of" £150, to make tho road from the ferry into the town j and £200 for roads between Alexandra and Clyde, and the Dunedin road via Insley's." lam certainly of opinion that Cr. Finlay has any amount of assurance in bringing such a motion forward directly after the one on the 28th August, in which he refuses to give a small sum to defray the expenses of a Eevenue Officer. lam of opinion that the road from the punt into the town should be, constructed either by the owner of the punt or the Town Council, it being within the municipal boundary. The owner of the punt will not do it I am certain, as he does not care whether the traffic goes the whole length of the Alexandra Main-street, or whether, as at present, it strikes the Main-street at the Geelong Hotel. The road to Dunedin via Insley's is in good repair, and the road from Alexandra to Clyde ditto, barring the sand, which it may be Cr. Finlay wishes carted away. I would suggest that Cr. Finlay should go the length of asking for money sufficient to build a bridge over the Molyneux, and by so doing would not only deserve, but would enjoy, the good will of the whole district. Once more, to show the importance of Alexandra, and no doubt the editor of the " Dunstan Times " knows something about the matter, the ratepayers of this place are taxed between two and three pounds per head per year to pay the salaries of the Town Clerk and scavenger; and if we are not of some importance, I think we ought to be. Mow, if the said editor if ignorant that there is Buch a place as Alexandra and its importance, I can only account for tho same by supposing that it is a bore for him to read his own paper to inform hinKelf on that subject.