Gold in the Wairarapa

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2792, 7 January 1888, Page 2

Gold in the Wairarapa

A correspondent, of the Wairarapa Standard, under the heading of a trip to the ranges,'writes as follows Having had an attack of gold fever through reading the Standard a fortnight ago I put'on a blue jumper, a pair of moleskins, .a billycock., and a strong -pair of laceups. I then borrowed a pick and shovel, and got other necessaries for the journey. I made up my mind to do the thing properly in order that I might deserve success, even if I did not command it. I set out with a good, swag about 4o'clock on Saturday, 24th I'ecember, and got past Matarawa without even being discovered by a . soul. Everybody appeared to be sleeping, while I : was dreaming of veins of gold and reefs. I got albng well until I • crossed the Waiohine. two or three times. The walking over those confounded stones was hard work, and I began to get a little low spirited when I found that it was scarcely anything elso but gettiug over boulders and crossing and recrossing the river times without number. Well, without being tedious to your readers I will say that I clambered up steep hills, crossed spur after spur, dived into gullies, fought my way through the bush, cooled inyseltin the river, and—proapecting for gold all the time. I found all kinds of stone and examined them with the oye of an eagle for the color, but not a color could I get. The only prospect that. was worth anything' wa3 when I sat upon a high spur and looked over the Wairarapa. The scene was a delightful 01113, and I shall never forget it. As for a prospect in the dish or in the stone it was conspicuous by its absence. But it must not bethought that I was disappointed altogether. Because I went out and came back without seeing the color of gold, I do not say the gold is not there. I believe it is. I believe that when money is forthcoming to thoroughly test the country; when experienced men go out and live there for a while and follow up the indications, that, reefs will be uncovered which will'give good yields. I was surprised as I plodded up the river bed, to find stone which, looked so promising and so abundant. Though I broke up the stone in several places and could not detect the right kind of yellow, it is quite possible the stone. may be good for crushing. On Sunday I came across three persons who were exploring a gully, and '• chummed in " with each other. I was shown two pieces of red and white quartz with gold well marked in them. It did not need a microscope to detect it, These had been picked up.in the river bed, and one piece was not water worn at all. We paired off to search for the reef, but the country was -so rough, so densely and heavily timbered, that we could only confine ourselves to the banks of the stream'. Then it came on to rain before we could get'shelter, and we got wet through. We worked on to keep, ourselves warm, but the water rose upon us and we' were obliged to give up. Having farm work to attend to I resolved to return home that night, bo I bid toy friends a merry Christmas and farewell. My trip was merely a holiday one to see the country, and help, if I could, in the work of exploration. Let us hope that others will be able to spend more time and to put in labor that will result in permanent prosperity totliemselves and the district."

■Wo hear that the origihal prospec* tmgparty aresfciU on the ranges, Mr

MASTERTON TOWN LANDB ■TRUST. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Masterton Town Lands Trust'was held in the Council Chamborfujast night. Present.—Measrs • (Chairman), Lowes, K. W. Perry, and E. E. Chamberlain.;;-/., The previous' meeting's minutes: were read and contained. The finance 'book showed a credit balance of £2617s Od. Copies of the new Bill were laid on the' table, and, were the subject of some conversation. Itwas'reportedthat.a contract had been let to 'John Rose at £Bolss for repairs to the cottage in Dixori-street. The Secretary was instructed to request the Salvation Army to complete their lease; It was resolved to revise ' the reserve-rentals oftown acre No! 2atthecorner ofJ Hall and Ohapel-str'eets, and if necfciJ s'ary to alter the size of the sectiorJH with a view to again offering' them t(1 public competition.,, ' The meeting then adjourned.

THE OALIFORNIAN TH.lSTLE(Canterbury Times.; None of the pests which have made : or are making the lot of the Nqsk-Zea-•land, faruierso hard, have roywitb such, prompt attention from the .Legislature as the .Califoraian.Thistle.,, The alarm which was sounded as v to the dire effects of allowing this thistle to become rooted in our fertile soil, did not tall upon deaf ears, and within; a few months of the time that public notice was first called to its presence among us, this niost dangerous of weeds has been considered 'by Farliaraent, and sought to be ranked with Rabbits and Scab as a plague, to be put down by law if necessary.. Mr T Mackenzie's California Thistle Bill, which has, unfortunately, not; passed into law, makes it compulsory upon the occupier of any land upon which thistles shall be growing, to effectively cut them down so as to prevent their blossoming. Borough Councils, Town Boards,, and Road" r Boards must do the same on streetfMj' and roads under their jurisdiction; the Minister of Lands is directed to clear the unoccupied Crown lands, Thus the Bill is more complete than soui e of the enactments dealji with nuisances, in that it. allows Wlandholder to menace the property of his neighbour, by permitting the blossoraimg and consequent spread of the pest, The administration of the Act is entrusted to the Inspectors of Sheep—a substantial addition to, the duties of those gentlemen which they will, probably not relish, as the work entailed will be tedious and often unpleasant. We bear already o f the existence of the weed iu surburban gardens, and it is evident that a thorough inspection of the whole country will be necessary. The penalties under the Act are limited to the maximum of £2O which considering the interests involved'is a very trifling sum • but as power is conferred upon inspectors to have the thistles cut down, at the expense of the persons responsible for the conditien of the land, this will be a safeguard against (he thistles being allowed to go to seed and spread • The Bilkmet the a ppioval of those in the hilftiosi/ifflr * to judge of the. necessities of the occasion, and if Government be not deaf to the cries of those, who know the nature of this thistle, and blind to the danger which it threatens to the farminz interests of the colony, they must deal with the matter promptly, and on the lines qf Mr Mackenzie's Bill. It is perhaps necessary-to point out to those upon whose, land the thistle has already taken root, that' the mere cutting down of the plants before flowering will not prevent the loats from spreading Constant care in cutting down every leaf or shoot that shows i'self above ground may in a few years kill tlie weed; but prompt measures, of eradication will lie more generally sought for by those who wish to resume the profitable use of their land . as quickly as possible. The late Director of the Department of Agriculture reported satisfactorily of chloride of lime as an exterminator; and salt has been used successfully in some cases. That legislative action was taken in the matter is in a measure due to the importance ran which it has been treated hy the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Associmon, and so strongly does that body, and especially the secretary, Mr Murphy, feel the necessity of stamping out the pest that there is no donbt they will supply the void left by the abolition of the Government Department of Agri« culture, and collect and disseminate information as to the best methods of eradication.

ROMANTIC ELOPEMENT IN HIGH LIFE. - A romantic elopement* has just occurred, says the Birmingham Daily Post, in connection with one of the oldest and most aristocratic families in the kingdom. The chief actor is a highspirited youth, whose age is given at not more than seventeen, and who is the only son and heir of one of the county families of East Jfcrcestershire, and whose name oc«3i in the Domesday Book. The father of the youth is a retired captain of Dragoons, and his mother is of a distinguished Scotch family, a member of wMch,' for his services iu the Indian Mitty, was raised to the- House of Peers. Three months ago, the young heir was introduced, at the close of % boating excursion, by the' Private Secretary of his father, to a barm®, aged between twenty-one and twwity.two, at a wine and spirit vault-in Stourbridge, ' whom the Secretary pronounced " the prettiest girl in Eng. land." It was an affair of '' loveat first sight," and the young fellow declared he would never marry anyone else, A friendship sprang up, and family entreaties and threats were alike in vain. The young man declared 1 that' ■if his wish were thwarted lie would end his life with a revoldß Atthis • time he. was on a .vacatioPlrora his college at Cirencester., The family communicated with the detective police of Birmingham, and for weeks past private ■ detectives have Watched •/: the " barmaid's movements almost night and day. Slie is. the daughter'

ton. Deteotivos, solioitora, and clergymen lmve also visited the girl's home, on behalf of the family, to try and obtain information of the heir's whereabouts, for-it was discovered that he Jttd run away from college, Very wle information was, however, forthcipiiig, and, though one interview was scVed at the hotel between the young man and his mother, the only result was his ; declaration that if he were taken by force he would be taken home on a stretcher. Authentic news was received that the couplo had eloped, and been married at, it is believed, a country church near Liverpool. The bride has herself communicated this information and has asked for forgiveness The young heir's family aro naturally greatly concern;d. The young fellow has during the latter part of. thq proceedings backed up his independence by putting forward,' his solicitor' when lie has been threatened by the family. An attempt to secure a Bpecial license only a few days before the successful elopoment was frustrated by the Registrar happening to possess private information of how the matter stood. In his second attempt, however, he seems to have been more fortunate. Some doubt at present exists as to' whether the ceremony took place at a «gistrar's office or at a churcli. The pement is being much discussed in hunting circles, the heir's family being acoustomed frequently to figure at meets."

THE RABBIT QUESTION PROM A RELIGIOUS ASPECT.

The New South Wales Government having offered a reward of £20,000 for the best effectual plan of destroying rabbits, has received no less than 888 methods. The Presbyterian has , its say on the subject. It starts with the assumption that the Creator's original distribution of animals was the best, and proceeds:-" Man shows ' his unwisdom when he begins to tinker with this arrangement, and presumes to supply what lie calls its defects. Had he introduced the rabbit as a domestic animal, keeping it under control in virtue of that right which lie exercises over all creatures, he would have enjoyed his private benefit t no harm would have been dona, in this case he stepped beyond his proper sphore, and let the rabbit loose, with the ostensible purpose of supplying an imagined deficiency in the Australian fauna, and mending the Creator's work in the distribution of animals. The Divine Distributor makes no mistakes, but man, in presuming to mend, has only succeeded in marriug and muddling to a degree that threatens wide spread ruin."