ADDISON'S FLAT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 349, 12 September 1868, Page 4

ADDISON'S FLAT.

Sep. 11, 1868. We are suffering here from the exodus taking place to Auckland. One of our most respectable hotel keepers, Mr William Mahony, although doing a very good business, has declined to renew his license, the prospects held out elsewhere being of too glowing a kind to induce him to remain. Three of our hotelkeepera near the town have also quietly closed, and Mrs Maria Pox's, alias " Dirty Mary's" at the Creek, has also gone to smithereens, timber and all having been carried away. Nevertheless Addison's is not going to the wall, only the froth is being blown off, leaving the solid material behind, and a much healthier state of things for those who remain. A very remarkable proof of this occurred on Thursday when the bailiff put up a share in " Belfast Jack's" claim, which reabses fully seven pounds per man a week, and on which there is nearly a year's work yet still. There was no competition, and it was knocked down to the lucky buyer for the ridiculously low sum of ten pounds, proving that it is not being hard up that is making any one leave Addison's.

We had rather a heavy Court day on Thursday, Tounghusband and party v. Marshall, for occupation and use of their tunnel for drainage purposes taking up nearly the whole of the day. Tounghusband permitted the party to use it for a long time without any charge, wishing to give Marshall's party, as they said a helping hand, and now they require them either to pay or abandon its use. After a most patient and painstaking hearing of both sides, Dr GKles reserved his decision until Tuesday next, in "Westport. The last mining case heard, was that of Cooney and party, against Brown and party, for a considerable encroachment on their claim. Brown went on the plea, that the ground having fallen in, it was not possible to make out that there was an encroachment, but Cooney quietly maintained his position. After the case was heard at great length on both sides, the assessors were very lucidly addressed by the Warden, Dr Giles, and adjourned, with Mr B. H. Coe, mining surveyor, to view the ground, when the assessors unanimously voted the sum of £4O damages and costs. This so annoyed Mr Brown, that he was betrayed into language for which the Warden promised committal for contempt of Court, if not restrained. The usual steady activity is going on, on both Addison's and the Shamrock, the claims fully maintaining their remunerative returns, in fact a wages claim will now hardly be worked, so eager are our mining population for " pastures new." No doubt many will again return, as like Brighton, which was thought by every one to have been used up, many new fields will be opened in the neighbourhood, for with

the exception of the ground actually working, it is still almost unprospected Mickey French and his party are hard at work at the old fellmougery, near the junction of the Addison's and Nelson road, in constructing a canoe, having discovered good payable ground up the Bulle?, which they are vigorously preparing to work.

Mr James GHass has also struck upon fine payable ground about a mile above the Lyell, and has just gone up from the Buller, where he has been getting water-races, &c, &c, registered at the Warden's office. The road to Addison's is now in good working order, and is being well maintained so by the contractors. I see that Mr Lowe, C.E., has just been gazetted as District Engineer for the West Coast, and all public works are placed under his charge.