THE GREAT NORTH LEAD.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 588, 2 December 1869, Page 2

THE GREAT NORTH LEAD.

GILES TERRACE. (feom an occasional cobrespoxdent.) Orawaiti, Nov. 29. Giles Terrace may be said to still continue gaining popularity for its richness and gold-bearing nature. Perhaps I am not out of place when I say that it is the most prosperous and flourishing little place on the Nelson South-West Goldfields, according to its population. There are now no fewer than fifteen claims all on payable gold—eight men in each claim, and all employing wages men, more or less, while some of the claims may be termed, in these times, " pilers." Commencing at the north end of the terrace, Dodd and party, who have been laboriously struggling for the last eighteen or twenty months in rocks and pug, have at last got through the boulders, so in a few days I expect to hear of them striking the metal. Coatsworth and party or Tennant and party will commence washing on Monday, and, if it turns out as well as they expect, they intend to swell the escort considerably before Christmas. Eoss and party and M'Masters and party are working steadily away, envying no one on the south end of the terrace of their rich claims, but quite satisfied with their own. Next in rotation comes Braithwaite and party. A share in this company changed hands last week for something over £6O, George "Wey being the purchaser. Burns's claim still continues to return good dividends.

"Wilson and party are working some good ground now, their last dividends being £l7 per week per man. Sutherland and party's claim, though little is said about it, has been and is still paying second to few on Giles's. Barker and party's claim still continues to pay handsomely, their last smelting being 730z. for the fortnight's work. Cowen and party, which I shall henceforth desiguate as the Plutus Company, is in keeping with its presuming name, as it offers to rival anything; in richness hitherto discovered on Giles Terrace, their daily washing being from thirty-five to forty ounces of amalgam. Shares in this claim are held at £250. Watson and party will finish their claim in <i few more days. Last, though not least, comes " The Long 'un," again, that is, Hewitt and party, or, as I hear some calling it, the Lady Giles Gold Mining Company. They are making rapid progress in putting in their tunnel. They are something over fifteen hundred feet in, and have other four hundred more to go before they reach their section. Shares in this company are valued at something over £ LOO.

The busy little township of Orawaiti was thrown into a state of ecstasy the other night through a royal personage, the sable King, whom you mentioned in one of your former issues, loweriug the price of nobblers to sixpence. Recently an anti-shouting society was formed at the Orawaiti for the purpose of getting the nobblers lowered. The rules of the society were simply these: —that no member of the antishouting society should shout for anyone nor accept of a drink from anyone ; that if any member of the society wanted a drink he would take one at his own expense, but any member known to accept of a drink at anv other one's expense, or to shout for anyone while the drinks were a shilling should be expelled from the society as a "slubberdegullion" and a reputed toper. And as some of its leading members took an active part in advocating its cause, the Anti-shout-ing Society was rapidly becoming strong. This naturally caused a jealousy among the business people in the tranquil little town of Orawaiti as to who should be first to lower the nobblers to a " tanner." It happened that the aforesaid King had been gulled by some of his business neighbours to have a grand ball and to try the strength of the Anti-shouting Society, on which occasion all the feminine beauty and exquisitene3s of the vicinity was to be present, and a grand display of fireworks was to take place. This last part of the programme was carried out to the letter. Rockets and crackere were seen flitting across the the Flat like so many November meteors. Yet, notwithstanding all this, the Society stood true to its cause and the ball was not an ' : unmitigated success." Although it was by special request, those who had promised their patronage kept aloof. Naturally incensed at being made a victim to his adversary's schemes, Mr King next morning intimated his intention of lowering the price of drinks, which caused a little controversy between him and one of his opposition neighbors, who threatened to imprint on Mr King's memory, <&c, a strong impression with the toe of his boot if be attempted to undermine his business. It is scarcely necessary to add that this touched Mr King's diguity and the royal blood which flows in bis veins. Revenge was then his motto, and he at once put up a notice that a meeting would be held at the Royal Hotel that evening for the purpose" of lowering drinks to sixpence. At eight o'clock the bell was rung, and in a few minutes the Royal Hotel was crowded to excess. Mr King mounted on a table and addressed the audience to this effect:—Gentlemen, I have called you together for the purpose of informing you that all drinks at the Royal Hotel are sixpence from this time, and also to solicit your patronage for being the first to lower the price of nobblers. Gentlemen, this morning when I spoke to Mr about lowering the price of grog, he threatened to kick me off the Flat if I attempted such a thing. Gentlemen, I have lowered the drinks, and see whether he kicks me off the Flat or not. If it will do nothing else it will satisfy my revenge. My adversaries decoyed me into the ball; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, cooled my friends, aud heated my enemies, and what are their reasons ? Because lam a sable King. Have I not eyes ; have I not hands, organs, senses, affections, passions ; am I not fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by' the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as my adversaries. If they prick me do I not bleed ; if they tickle me do I not laugh—(Yes, and laugh he did, when the place was full of customers and the first shout was for a score) —if they wrong me shall I not revenge ? If lam unlike them in the rest, I will resemble them in that; the villany they teach me I will execute, and I will have my revenue and lower the drinks to sixpence.—Mr King concluded amidst loud applause and cheering and shouts of "Long live the King."