LYELI

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 30, 25 March 1878, Page 2

LYELI

(PROM OUR OWN CORRKSrONDBNT.) Dultiess roigns supremo up hero. Most of the quartz olaim holdors aro losing confidence in quartz mining nt prosont owing to tho non*stic6oas attending their efforts during tho last two yoars to devclopo the long oxpeotod roefs whioh woro •xpoctod in tho low lovel workings. In tho Alpino thero aro four men ongaged in tho low lovel tunnol driving for be reef whioh is daily expeotod to bo •ut through as tho buck, or barren reef has boon orossod, and Ihis lode runs parallel with tho gold-bearing roof in tho upper lovel. Tho supposod distanoo now to bo driven is tlio spaco which separates tbo two lodos, allowing for the underlay of tho reef which dips oust. Tho Albion havo two men employed prospecting. Tbo valuo of this cUim will -greatly depend upon tho success of tho Alpine, it being tbe next claim to it.

The Break, O'Day nro drivinu on a loader in tholow level tunnel, tho last rich lender having run out. Sovoral of tho obiimholdoi's are busily cmployod in prospecting,

Tho dray road between the Junction and Lyell was opened last Friday week, tho contractors having (hushed clearing off the slips, but owing to tho overseer not coming up to pass tbe work tho mon aro put to thoinoonvoiiionco of waiting nearly a fortnight for their work to ho pnssod, besides having to clear away sovcrnl slips whioh havo sinco occurred, and which it is hoped the Buller Council will allow for for a largo slip occurred near tho Ohiki rivor, backing up tho rivor. That portion of tho road known as Courtney's contract has been seriously injured by tbe last rain, sovoral slips haying taken place on it. Ono large slip occurred near Lino's totally blocking up tho road, tho eonlructor has four mon working on it, and cjcpoots to temporarily open it for wheel traffio on Tuesday. This picco^ of road is about tho most oxponsivo portion of tho wholo routo botwoon Roofton and Westport to keep in repairs owing to it boing mado along a series of sido cuttings wliich slip away overy ft iod. If the Inangahua County Council/ who, by Hie bye, are a mocUl Local Government ior tlio energy they display in looking aftor lhe roads within their boundary, if thoy do not adopt somo means of kcoping up the sideling, cither by logging or building a stono wall at certain points, it will bo impossible to keep tbo road open for wheel trattio duriug the wintor months. A lire occurred at «bo Inangahua Junolion Inst woek- whioh resulted in tho destruction of a bnrti owned by Mf' Frank Courtney. The building eonta'ned nearly three tons of oaten hay, and a valuablo lot of road tools. The iiro occurred at 11 p.m., and from cortain suspicious eirHumstunees thoro is not tho slightest doubt but it was tbo work of an incendiary. Courtney, somo timo ago, had two valuablo horses wounded, and a ennoo cut adrift. Theso eiraum-tnnees; would seem not to maho tho Junction tho most dosirablo place to live at.* I am informed that n petition has been presented lo your Council asking for protection for a ferry at tho junction of tho Inangahua snd Buller Rivers. Granting ferry protections is highly obj otionMe, motto especially when thero is no necessity for such grants, as in this instance, as thero aro already four protected ferfics within an area of ton miles of Iho Junolion. Of courso the applicant in this instanco has tho petition duly signed, although nono of tho inhabitants about tho ./unci ion havo signed it. Tho system of levying for ry ago on tho travelling public bus becomo n heavy tax, and ought to be done away with as soon as tho Counoil has money enough to build bridges, and whero bridging is not prao' ticablo, lot tlio ferries by tondornnd make thorn a sourco of rovenuo to tho county. Sinoo penning tho abovo tho Alpine Company have hud the underground work ■ ings surveyed by Mr Thompson, who states that; tbo tunnel now being worked is 15.0 foot off tho supposed lino of roof, wbich will entail putting in a cross drivo thnt distance llutton and party, who started dredging in tho Buller River nenr tho Flax Bush Falls hnve removed lowor down tho rivor near tho White Cliffs whoro gold in pay able quantity is known to exist.