THE LYELL.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 16 August 1880, Page 2

THE LYELL.

Fbom Ova Own CoßUsrovranT. Lykll, August lOtb, 1880. The even tenor of our every-day life, together with a deficiency necessary for manufacturing the orthodox intellectual bricks, is the cause of my not communicating with you more frequently. However, a radical ciiange for the belter is ' taking place in the mining industry. Tbe Alpine Company sent down to Westport on Tuesday, 12th instant, per Mr John | Fennel!, chairman of directors, -583o« of gold, being the, product;, of a month's crushing. The reef is 2sft wide, and the company reckon they have ten years' work with the present show of reef. A shilling dividend is declared: Shares, which oould be got for a few shilling some months ago, are now quoted at l3a, and < sellers at that price; One jjentleman 1 connected with the mine had £200 left : with him to purchase scrip with, bul 1 owicg to there being none for sale, could not get any, '

Things are livening op at-, the New Creek. The two original claims, now know as the Victory Company, is about to be registered under the Limited Liability Act, and as the ground has been well prospected, it is, according to general opinion, the safest venture in the dts* triet, as the stone taken out in prospect* ing the reef is likely to go 80s to the ton* The Tichborne and Maiden City claims lower down the Creek, are again about to be prospected, by some of your Beefton and Greymouth capitalists, in whose bands the claims are. We wish them success, as Lyell wants a few more like them to develop its hidden wealth. The alluvial miners located up and down the Buller Biver are' working with varying success. Amongst the most for* tunate are those of Smith and party, wbo sent down 12Oos of gold by Mr Fennell, for their first wsshing up. This party* claim is situate on the Newton Flat, about 13 miles from Lyell. They have about 60ft of wash*dirt: tho party work the ground by hydraulic hose,hav« ing brought in a water«race at considerable expense. There are several claims on the Flat, which will soon be in work* ing order, when some large parcels of gold will come to hand, which ought to augment the Gold Bevenue of your County, if looked after. Comment is freely made upon the apparently suietdal|polioy of the Government in with* drawing the subsidies from an inland County Ukd the Inangahua, whose inhabitants have to draw tbe actual necessaries of life from the sea-board, over 60 miles distant. If the road maintenance contracts cease, we will be as effectually blockaded as if a foreign enemy had laid si|ge to us, as those sideling roads, if neglected, will not be passable in a month. If the Government do not assist you I would suggest tbe only mild remedy, get up a local revolution, march on West* port, seise the Custom House, and keep roads open with tbe impost duty col» leeted. With regard to the charges made in a letter which appeared in your eontenpor* aryover a week ago, M Batepsyer." the writer, accuses your Council of extravagance in expenditure, in paying fornn> authorised works, giving doueenrs, &o. Well, I am not going to champion the Council, bat lean with most right* thinking residents in tbe district, state the present Council seem to have gov« erned in a fair and impartial manner, judiciously laying out Ibe County revenue by improving roads, building bridges, and making by-tracks to every claim and macLioeasite likely to turn out payable in the district. It is easy to make sweeping charges against a public body, as they are targets for the abuse of such as " Ratepayer," without a paper shield to step behind, like him. Tha teamsters are wrath with the main* tenanee contractors re the dispute about wide tiers, one of them, discussing his imaginary grievances in your contemporary, wrath fully inquires who I am. that I should swoop down and report question* able events, and fabulous things. I have always tried to abide by a truthful and impartial report of the few events occur* ring in the district. If they are some* ! times a little late, it is owing to the aba sence of a telegraph station from that part of the Lyell district in which I re* tide. I will further inform my roqu'w •itive carrier I am the person who heard of bis manly action 00 last Sunday night The landlady of one of the road«sid» houses at Inangahua Junction, accom* panicd by a girl named Annie Walker, both being possessed of that innate curiosity transmitted to the sex by Mother Eve, they started up the mountain side to get a view from ono of tho trig, stations, lately erected. The hill is about 1000 ft bigb. After getting to the top, and satisfying their curiosity, they mistook the direction, and night coming j on, they got bushed, yet continued struggling on through the dense jungle of fallen timber, lawyers, snppleojaek and other New Zealand bush luxuries. The unfortunates were lightly clad, and the night intensely cold, the frost crackling beneath their weary feet. To heighten their terror the country where they ware is full of caves, and one step in the dark might prove fatal. The usual remedy of the sex in distress was adopted, via., to shriek loudly, which resulted in their cries being heard at Waite's Hotel. Although a late hour of tbe night, Mr Waite, accompanied by a man named Fred., alias Happy Moments, proceeded up the mountain to searoh for tho unfortunate wanderers, while Mr Cox, the carrier, wbo was staying at Waite'*, gallantly turned into the blankets, within hearing of the heartrending shrieks of two bslf-frosen women; out, with the thermometer below aero; Now, my little inquisitive friend, yon know who I am. Thanks to the gallantry of Messrs Waite, Taylor, and Duret, the unfortunates were found in a half frozen state, and conducted home, at about 3 am* Ono of them says she will psy more ata tention to^bjects nearer home in future.