TE AROHA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1380, 7 May 1881, Page 2

TE AROHA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The Rev. Mr Pinfold, Wesleyan Minister brought a gratifying piece of news with him last Sunday, to the effeot that the Education Board had agreed to the constitution of blocks 11 and 12, Te Aroha District, into a school district, in the manner indicated by sections 60 and 61 of the Act. A public meeting for the election of a school committee is fixed for Saturday week. This will be the commencement of the work of education, and it is hoped Mr Kenrick will bring some definite information of a like character regarding the erection of Te Aroha into a separate school district. With the erection of places of worship, this will have the effect of making a real township of the place ; one that will grow more enlightened as it grows more prosperous. The claims in the Omahuhu district and the neighbourhood of the Ruakaka Creek have been highly spoken of by many from the first opening of the diggings, and of these the Tui has, perhaps, done most steady work, and hai yielded as good prospects as any. The situation is one that enables the stuff to be got down to the battery at as low a cost as that from any other claim. The ground is easily worked ; the original reef is practically inexhaustible, being from 16 to 18 feet in breadth. The result of the first crushing from material taken at haphazard, and not expected to return anything ; only sent down to start the machinery, was a decided proof that there is payable gold to be got from the poorest part of the ground. There is a drive of about 40ft in upon this reef, well timbered, and 1000 tons of quartz can be got out at any time with a few days' work. A new drive of 66 feet has been made upon the reef, of flowing black quartz, showing very fair prospects. There is a third drive of 70ft, well timbered, and there is also another proposed to be opened in a lower level. This claim alone could afford enough to keep our battery going The five tous already crushed, were hoisted by a block and tiickle about 80ft up the bide of the gully, and carried down on the mens shoulders in three days. Iv a very short time, as the working gear improves, the stuff will be sent down a shoot of 148 ft to the crack, and an easy diay road made on the level. The Goldfields is another claim in the neighborhood that is in a great measure worked by natives, who are getting about 20 tons of quartz ready for crushing at the battery by next Friday. I saw a prospect taken from tlio reef, which looked as well as could be desired. There 1 is a well- timbered drive of 42 feet upon a reef of 5 feet, and another upon a 6-feefc j reef, with a good leader of 8 inches in. | another place, all of a very good-looking stone. Ihe reef on the higher level haa affoided some very good prospects, and from 20 to 30 tons a day could be got out. A shoot will be made down to the creek, about 120 feet. Great complaints are made of the want of assistance from the Thames County Council in the formation of tracks or roads, however rough, to enable diggers to open up these claims and promote the advance of the place. Ifat the slightest assistance has been given to these hardworking men whose exertions will be of inestimable value to the future of the district. The Native claim is another in this locality, of which J. Eedman is manager and part proprietor. There is a drive of about 40 feet through a hard rock, to a reef of about 2 fpet in breadth, dynamite having to be used, but first rate prospects h tve been gi<t out of the stuff, and 10 1 tons are ready for the battery. There is * second drive iv the upper level of this claim showing fine rich gold. The Maoris have a prospecting claim across the creek, which is, I believe, known as the Ruakaka. It is called the New Zealand claim, and is worked under the management of one of the local chiefs of some prptensions known as Grace. He' had some of the loose gold washed for my inspection, which showed a fair sample of gold The^e creeks look likely apots for the discovery of rich "finds," and I am told that this particular one has been. ! tested successfully with the sluice. I saw a block out of the big reef of the Goldfields claim showing gold all through. They will have five tons of this stuff ready for the battery in a fortnight. A fresh prospect has been found aboufc a quarter of a mile further up the 'creek. I am told the reef is about Bix feet of loo«e quartz in easily worked ground. The shareholders of the Shotover report that they have fire tons of stuff bagafed ready for the battery ; they are working on three different levels. Last Friday the manager picked up a piece of stone out of the reef, and had it pounded up. The stone weighed 2ozs., and the gold yielded 2 grains. The late showers have supplied them with plenty of water for the next week.

Amebican and Canadian Food Imports.—The arrivals of live stock from the United States and Canada for one week, landed at Liverpool show a large decrease in cattle, aud were the smallest landed for many months prior and as regards sheep there were none landed. The quantity of fresh meat was also smaller than that of the previous week. The steamers with live cattle were as follows :— Egypt with 42 cattle, and the Bulgarian with 20 cattle. The steamers which conveyed fresh meat were as follows .-—The Winconsin.with 2004 quarters of beef and 700 carcasses of mutton pJhe Bulgarian with 1904 quarters of bfc^-; the Sardinian with 1175 quarters of beef; the City of Montreal, with 1204 qttiriers of beef, 200j oarcasses of mutton, and 641 pigs ; the: j Ohio, with 805 quarters of beef, 280 carcas?es of mutton, and 54 pigs; the Britannic, with 060 quarters of bee! and 225 carcasses of mutton ; and the Egypt with 233, quarters of beef and 368 carcasses of mutton— making a total of 7981, quarters of beef, 1773 carcas.es of mutton, and 695 J carcasses of pigs ; against a total of 2008 " cattle, 112 sheep, 11,767 quarters of. beef. 1448 carcaf^df mutton, an^ 1125 pig* 'on the piooeedjnig imk.