OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Pairoa,Tuesday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2139, 25 March 1886, Page 3

OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Pairoa,Tuesday.

Stuan<;klt varied indeerl are the chronicles of tho fwst w«ok. Fi'im the background of tlic iace meeting and its contingent ball .md general joviality thero stands out in son.bre lelief a tragical catastrophe. On Saturday afternoon, Mrs Richards, the wife of a boardinK-hou'-c keeeper at Karnngahake, having occasion to visit the local store, locked her two young children, aged six ,md four and a-half in a small cookhouso adjoining the boarding-house, for safety, the river being but a few yards from the residence. During her absence the children aio supposed to have disc ivorcd the match-box, and to have made a tire of some inungainungci that lay m the house to diy. In a few minutes the dry kitchen was abla/e, the alarm was given by the children* sci earns, and an attempt was made to enter tho place, \ainly however, and a few minutes after the departure of the poor woman, the outhouse was a he.ip of smouldering cindei.s wherein Lay the burnt remains of tho two poor children, charred almost beyond recognition. Ar may be expected, the broken-hearted mother was frenzied with despnir, rushing hither and thither, clasping her hands, for the time-being insane. Much sympathy is felt by all classes with the poor woman and her husband. This is the third hre which has taken placn here during the last three month* including the burning of the Owharoa township. A peculiar accident happened to Constable A. J. Mitchell a day or two ago while he and another constable were escorting a prisoner to the lock-up. Mitchell was riding at a walking paco and the horse swevered slightly, whereupon he fell on the broken metal, which was strewn on the road, cutting his face frightfully, and sustaining severe injuries to his hand and arm. The O.J.C. meeting i.s now numbered with the things that woro and are not. In all lights, it was an unqualified success. Those who lost growled, of course, and" several protests were put in, which were deemed, to use the racing term, " frivolous " by the stewards, although theie was certainly ground for one or two of them. However, the dead have buried their dead and de mortuis, &c. It is extremely probable that a race meeting will be held at Paeroa on Easter Monday next. i A cricket match between th<* Ohinemuri Cricket Club and Baznall'a Mill (Turua) C. C took place on Saturday last, which resulted in a victory tor the invading team. Both sides played remarkably well, and the scores were tall. MrG. T. Wilkinson, the well-known native politician, who deals usually with Maori matters a« the pottpr deals with the clay, will possibly have some trouble in dealing with the refusal of the Ngatihakos to let the Thames-Waikato railway .suney run through their land, which has been tapued for this occasion only. The engineer in charge, Mr Witherly, informs me that in order to meet the native Oliver with a pakeha Roland they will triangnlate through the tapued block and start operations on the other side, leau'ng the tapu to be dealt \vith by the Public Works Department, which will probably make extremely ahort work of the obstructionists by taking whatever ground they want for railway purposes. The childlike and bland Tawhiao is said to be the Deus ex Machina in the matter.

Karangahake. Mr John Chambers, of the firm of Mornn and Co., Auckland, who ia one of the trustees in Mr R. K. Davis estate, haa been visiting us in order to make arrangements for the start of the La Monte furnace at Karangahake. The flux has arrived per Rose from Whangarei, and is pronounced by experts to be of tip. top quality, equal to any iron ore in the world. The first week in Apiil should start the furnace. Crown. — Good quartz is coming from the stopes, and a lot of work is being done. Dubbo. — A parcel from this mine is beincr experimented upon by Mr Riley, an expert in these matters, by means of the new Mackay pan and t-ettler process. Should these experiments prove successful, money is not wanting to erect a plant of pans and stone breakers on a large scale at Karangahake. Sir Walter Scott.— Meisrs McWilliams are bringing stone to grass which will prubably crush an ounce and a-half or two ■mnces to the ton. About seven tons are to hand.

Waihi. Silveiiton. — The manager reports : " Winze down 54ft. Run of gold apparently downwards. Specimens continually forthcoming worth ozs. to the pound." Seven tons first class smelting dirt is en route for the Thames La Monte furnace. Yellow Jacket. — Mr Lock wood is at work on a reef which, although not in a direct line with the Silvrrton reef, is yet thought to be identical with it. The quartz to hand looks A 1. Mr Lockwood has driven into the reef about 10ft., and there are no signs of the other wall. Union.— The reef has not yet appeared in the low level workings, but on the surface there are grand prospect. Work is proceeding in the Martha, Nil Desperaridum, and Rosemont claims.