CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 142, 14 January 1868, Page 3

CHARLESTON NEWS.

The inconvenience arising from there being only one Magistrate for the Nelson South West Goldfields, empowered to adjudicate in cases of extended, has been removed by Mr «T. It. Button, R.M., receiving full authority, as also, we believe, Dr Giles, R.M., and Mr Broad, E.M. Mining business is gathering headway again after the long spell of holiday making. On visiting Argyle Terrace a day or two ago, we found all the claims in work, and doing as well as ever. This locality, from its positign, has been almost unaffected by the late heavy rains, except in the Star claim, where the surface of the back hill has slipt a little, and damaged their tunnel. Thompson's steam engine is on the ground and in course of erection, and will soon be ready to add its share to the noise and bustle around. The shareholders of the new machine—- " The Maid of Charleston" were hard k at work with barrow, pick, and shovel, feeding and tending their bantling, inspired, no doubt, by the speech of the fair damsel who officiated at its christening. The Shamrock had a splendid show of amalgam on their plates, estimated at 40 to 50 ounces for the day's work. The next claim, belonging to the amateurs, is said to be, taking the average of their work, nearly, if not quite, as good. On Ballarat Hill, situated between Argyle and Sardine Terraces, Nixon and party have got their machine in full work, and doing well; and the other party adjoining are cutting through the high edge of the terrace to form a tramway and shoot to convey the cement to the batfery, driven by water-wheel, in process of construction in the valley below. A little lower down on the same spur is a peculiarly made handcrushing machine on the lever principle, the builder of which expects to work a set of stamps and pump water at the same time with one man's labor.