THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MAY 29, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1093, 29 May 1882, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MAY 29, 1882.

Although, so far, the alluvial mining of the district has really amounted to very little, and though it may be that that branch of industry may never l»e developed through natural causes, still it is a pity that hitherto so little attenhas been paid to it, and that greater prospecting in this direction has not taken place. It is unquestionable that on the l^anges search for the precious metal, in any other than that contained in quartz, is not likely to be successful, but the hills descend into flats, and some of these are of- great extent, containing pwrihaps, wealth untold that has never yet been even searched for. At the Lyell the country is even more preck pitous than it is in the Reefton neighborhood, but still years ago some of the largest nuggets ever found in New Zealand were obtained. If our memory serves us rightly, there was more than one of more than one hundred ounces, and many others ranging from the maximum, to an, .pAlnce^ . 'in weight. Gold was go|^^l|hi|^-S/pf the river, and, though' -the j'd^cuKies^bf: access and obtaining provisoes were sd great, the pioneers of the district, on tlie whole, did well. . When/ quartz was struck of special richness the search for alluvial gold was cbmpara.tively discontinued, though to the present day there are^umbe'rs who are^ and ha ve been . for years, doing well at';it>. With the exception of ; Soldiers', and perhaps one or two bthe^mallllkcesiit^this neigh:b6ri^d,; Ititiiai pr^|^c.ting has never" 1 been vigorouw^ferollScirfced. Ttie con : formation^ot?|the country,* is nearly; of the t Lyell, with this exception" in<it3''favor, that the flat land is far greater, ' the river reaches more accessible, and that there is, geologically speaking, a far greater chance ■ of a large alluvial field being disco veredi Still enterprise in this direction seems never to have taken hold of the population, and yet every one who has lived ori a goldfield at all know what a vast benefit the discovery of a few alluvial •patches would be to the district, even if a thorough search did not . disclose rich gullies or flat?. They would supply the sinews of war to working mates whilst struggling to unearth the more enduring quartz mines, would bring ready money from gold got week by week, and would incalculably enhance the prosperity of the district, even if only on a small seal?. At present nearly all the alluvial mining in the district is in the hands of the Chinamen, and it is only reasonable to presume that the Mongolians find it profitable, otherwise they would not continue it. It is simply absurd to suppose that an adjoining district which has proved itself rich- in dumps, has had, all the alluvial gold fo itself, or that in the same class of flat ground, or beaches, abutting on proved auriferous ranges in the Reefton district, the same results may not be looked for if proper search be made. The County Council has for many years very properly encouraged mining companies in their quartz woi'kings, and no doubt the district will reap the benefit some day, I but surely the alluvial question is well worthy of their consideration also and it should be a question with the local governing body to see how the most advantageous results can be brought about. Though as, a rule Prospecting Associations have hot ended very successfully, and the discoveries arising from their opti'ations have not been of high value, still in this district, where, as far as illuvial workings are concerned, there may be said to be almost a virgin district, the experiment might at least be tried, and, though it ended in failure, it would be satisfactory to know that all had been done that could be. If the Council inaugurated such a system without doubt the public would gladly contsibute liberally to the cost, and by these means the real resources of the district would he ascertained. The cost of a few men. {working under scientir^ij direction -.would be small, -whilst &h\puld:je*^en stnsp spots be proved to be payable, the results wonlcl be great. There must be some body or some persons to take take , the lead, and we regret /to say that there-a re in the Reefton district fe\y possessed of public spirit. The duty..',pf developing its resources must therefore, perfore, fall on the local governing body, at least as far as its initiation goes, and we trust that they will not shirk the task. The greatest credit is due to them for the past in this respect, they would do quite equal service by taking steps in the direction indicated in future, The Council will hold an adjourned meeting to-day for the sake of their constituents throughout the County, it is to be hoped that the subject of alluvial mining, and how best to encourage and promote it by prospecting in any way tjiat may be deemed most advisable' may be favorably entertained.

At a recent meeting, Mr W. Hincltnarsh was appointed minister's clnirch* ■warden for the Episcopalian Church of Jteefton, and Mr Sampson was elected a3 churbhwarden for the parishioners, We remind those interested that there will be a lueeting of the Low Level Tunnel Company this clay at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, It is most important that all shareholders should attend, as business of material importance will be brought forward, The meeting wijl be hold at Mr Wise's office. A hat, supposed to have belongod to James Paul, was found on one of the reaches of the river, on Saturday, near the brewery, and has boon identified as that of the rhissing man by some who know him. Though many are most wij- '

ling to contribute to the proposed reward fund for the recovery of the body, nothing has as yet been definitely offered. Should a specific amouut be proposed we think that the search would be more systematically, and probably more successful pushed. If poor Paul's fate has been what is supposed, it is likely th^t his body has not gone far, and a minute search will probably bring it to light. We are sorry to report that Mrs Lowe, an old resident of Reefton, carrying on business in Broadway, met with an accident on Saturday last. She was going out at the back of her house when she slipped on a wet board, and fractured one of 'the bones of the. left l,eg. The injury was serious to a woman of her years, but we are glad to state that she is vow going oil; well. 'Reefton was fairly agape on Saturday last with the exciting intelligence which came to hand froni-thgKeep-it-Dark mine and the brokers wer^t once galvanised into extraordinary acljyity. During the afternoon th^&ufcky. shareholders began to gather in town; and little else was talked or thought of for the remainder of the day. The price of shares went almost at a bound from 30a.- to' 425., and up to a late hour 455. was demanded, and only very small parcels could be commanded^ The Dunedin pejjple, who are large holders in the, ■/nine, 3^ta^;6videntl^ received a timelyj hint of tftfeprgood fortune, as they held on firmlyi'lseing reluctant even to qtfote,a. selling price. The company's return'p^amalg^m for the past week is the largest parcel ojß* turned out ;in the Inangahua. 'fp^ppiNitt Desperandum, which «,djoins the : -.yai*kji V and next again the .Sunnyside,-Jiav^fe^,turally , been brough into sudden prominence by the discovery, which beyond all doubt ranks as one of the very highest importance ; to the whole , of the Murray Oreek'idistrict. Niwsplached to^wi on Saturday evening tllafc a §g?y t rironn/sing make of stone had beenfirietf.with in hthe Golden Arch inine^^matnjan'Sj and a sample of the >:iiiaiirtz^^jp.ght in showed gold freely. f||^ur, J^Kaura correspondent writes as follower— -I have been waiting anxiously for the report (which was promised) of the Ahaura correspondent of the Grey River Argus on the new rush in this district, but it does not appear to be forthcoming. The said correspondent appears to be nettled at my report in your valuable paper, and endeavours to throw discredit on it, but I fully endorse my report, and challenge him to deny any one statement in it. He also refers us to his original report in your respected contemporary as the correct one. N ow, in one of his first telegrams to the Grey River Argus, he says: "The new rush reported in this district is premature, and without foundation." — Mr Gordon, 0.E., has been making a flying survey of a water-race from the Hockstetter race to command all the # countr/ about Black Sand and RivervieAV on the south bank of the Ahaurairaver, about four miles above the Ahaura town? ship^ It will be a great boon to this district if the race is brought in, as there is payable ground for large numbers of miners if there was water available.' Mr Weston, M.H.R., has promised to move in the matter, and Mr Gordon speaks very favourably of it, so there is every probability that eventually it will be brought in. Telegraph stations are now opened at Hinds, Ashburton County, aud at Kaeo, Mongonui County. An accident happened to the Lyell up coach last Thursday. The coach wag heavily loaded with passengers and luggage, yet notwithstanding this, after crossing the Lyell punt, Mr Ryan of Lyell, who came down to meet his wife, brought five children down with him, all of whom together with Ryan, got on the coach, which was proceeding around a rocky sidling, when the axle broke. Mr Ryan was jerked of the box seat, and received some bruises, and one of the children would probably have been trampled to death beneath the horses hoofs, but for the maternal energy of Mrs Ryan, who seeinffi her child's danger seized it by the shoulcfer • and rescued it from instant death.. As the horses, owing to becoming ejitjangled in the traces, were violently .plugging, they would have dragged the eoadh down over the precipice, but for the -p^Ssence of mind displayed by Tommy Pigvver, the driver, and a passenger named Nejcion, who held their heads until they weie released. The sufferers were attended to by Dr. Bruen. Despite the depression in mining circles that a., few weeks past sqt in, notice 'jijh. /^ri^en 'of;.- ...tw0 new leasos being applied ,'jor durrfig.-the past week, and more are likely to come in shortly. We regret to say that Mr Trennery, manager of the Golde.n Fleece Extended Company, met with* a rather serious accident, Whilst sup : erintendfhg^the conveyance of the diamond drill machinery on Friday last. A rope that was being used to haul up a heavy portion broke, and one of the parted ends struck Mr Trennery on the shoulder, throwing him violently to the ground, and dislocating the shoulder in addition to bruising him severety. We are glad to say, however, that under the care of Dr. Thorpe? he is progressing favorably, and no serious consequences are likely to ensue. .; Reuben Waite, residing at the June-, tion, was in the act of killing a bullock, wheif/the animal rolled over on him jaming -his leg, and causing dislocation of the ankle joint. He was conveyed to Westport to receive medical assistance. There has been a great desire on the part of a number of persons, recently, throughout the Colony to emigrate to the Cape Colony, and a large number have left to try their fortunes in that part of her Majesty's dominions. Amongst them was Mr Atkinson, formerly well known as a mining surveyor in Reefton, who hasj recently written to a friend here detailing his experiences, The letter is not at all a hopeful one, and says that white labor of all kinds there is greatly overdone. At Kimberley, there were hundreds of men walking about, and at other places the same dearth of employment prevails. He strongly recommends miners of every decree to stay in New Zealand, and not try their fortunes in that part of the world. He himself has been lucky enough to got a position in one of the Goyern-

ment offices, but the pay is poor- and the work hare 1 , An accident occurred to a waggoner named George White on Tuesday last, | on the Lyell road near the Dee Creek. I Whilst descending a cutting a portion of the crib-logging gave way, precipitating a loaded dray and four horses down a distance of about' twelve feet. The horses escaped with some ugly bruises, the driver, fortunately, was more astonished than hurt, when he felt the road give way beneath his team. The accident will put a stop to traffic between the Junction and the Lyell for some daysCourtney, the mail contractor, has overcome the difficulty by placing a conveyance on each side of the chasm, so as to keep uninterrupted mail communication between Reefton and Nelson. The owner of the team has placed the matter in Mr Lynch, the solicitor's, hands, so that the Buller County Council will have a lively time of it, as they are being sued for special damages by four different contractors. It would be cheaper for them to put their roads in repair. We are glad to' say that Mr Weston, M.H.R., has been busily engaged in endeavoring to facilitate communication with the West Coast and Nelson, and in trying to makjjL recent, arrangements in ( the Nelson, mails dovetail in to ttiat effect. His efforts so far have been very successful, and in a few mouths at furthest a complete chain of regular intercourse will be. established. - : An accident occurred to 'a miner named Henry Irvine. It seems the man was working in a tail-race at Welchman's Creek, when a lai'ge stone polled down the sideling striking him on the head and inflicting an ugly wound. Upon regaining consciousness the poor fellow, though weak from loss of blood, managed to crawl over a mile to where a man named Brown resides, who conveyed him to the Inangahua Junction, where his injuries were attended to. In a Gazette of the 18th inst, it is notified that the Hon. Richard Oliver has been- sworn in as a member of the Exective Council. Up to the 13th of May, 190,252 sacks of grain have been received at Timaru, by railway this season. The Christchurch Prt&s" relates the following singular accident : — On Monday night as the coach to Sumner was passing under the cliffs just beyond Shag Rock, several pieces of stone became detached from the cliff, and one of them fell on the top of the coach, hitting Mr Milner, of the Sumner Hotel, on the leg. The stone was of considerable size, and falling from a height, the blow was a most severe one, and has confined Mr Milner to his bed. Respecting the use of false labels, the Argus says : — "lt seems that it is a common practice not only to sell crude spirits of local manufacture as imported liquor of superior quality, but to palm off inferior Victorian wine as the best French On Friday laak. a ■■■* wine aijd tobacco merchant namedUldam Holbihg carrying on business at Stawell, waa charged at the Ballarat City Police Court with having caused to be counterfeited and forged the trade marks employed to distinguish the wines known as V.D., or Vergniaud, claret, and Bordeaux claret No. 0. Evidence was given to prove that the defendant had placed upon bottles containing inferior colonial wine, colorable imitations of the labels in question. The wine, according to one of the witnesses, was hardly fit to drink, whereas the beverage it was represented to be is of a choice quality, and is worth in the market from 80s to 90s per dozen. A more audacious fraud could scarcely be imagined, and the police magistrate who heard the case marked his sense of gravity of the offence by fining the defendant £50, with £21 costs ;in default, three months' imprisonment. The infliction of a few more penalties like this would have a salutary effect, and from the vigor with which the excise officers are going to work, we may expect shortly to hear of successful prosecutions in other parts of the colony. " The Bruce Herald says : — The venture of Mr F. Singer in the direction of establishing an oil factory in Dunedin gives promise of being brought to a successful issue. The response to his request to farmers to lay down a few acres in linseed wa3 not so general as it might have been, but Mr Singer understands that several hundred acres of land in Ota<*o and Canterbury, were so set aside. Ho has received about 25 tons from the Mataura, and 20 tons from South Canterbury, and considers the seed of first class quality. Next season in all probability, a considerable area will be devoted to this crop, as it will be shown that the market is sure, and the prices remunerative. Mr Singer has procured a brick building in Moray Place Dunedin, which is now being fitted up with the necessary machinery for the manufacture of oil, and oil cake. The machinery is of an entirely novel character, and is the invention of Mr Singer himself. A certain greengrocer carrying not a hundred miles from Nelson imported a case of choice bananas from Fiji the other day, and on opening the case for the purpose of displaying the fruit in his window, he was greatly scared by a number of full grown rats leaping out one after another out into the street. After recovering from the sudden fright, he gave chase, armed with the hammer • which he used to open the case, and on reaching the middle of the street he was joined by four or five dogs, and a number of small boys who were pla) 7 ing at hockey in close proximity came to the rescue, and in a short space of time the street was strewn with the bodies of dead rats, some of them buing horribly mutilated by the bludgeons of the hockey players. After the battle the greengrocer retired with a light of satisfaction on his countenance, and as -ho stepped into his shop he wa3 heard to mutter "Revenge is sweet. " For '• grossly unprofessional behaviour "

Mr Justice Richmond has made absolute a rule to have the name of W. S. Staite, a solicitor practising in the Wellington District, struck off the rolls. Some time I ago an order was made against him, not striking him off the rolls, but for the payment of the costs of the application, amounting to £21 5s 2d. The amount mentioned was small, but the principle involved was important, and His Honour said Mr Staite had either been utterly reckless or stupidly ignorant. The whole of the circumstances are to be investigated by the Court of Appeal. Miners in the Cromwell district have requested Mr Ferguson, M.H.R., to use his influence to obtain the abolition of the gold duty ; also the reduction of the price of miner's rights ; further, to take means to compel mining leaseholders to work leases or suffer forfeiture. An enterprising draper (says a Northern contemporary) very recently distributed through the Post Office copies of a circular drawing attention to his goods. So that his customers might not be mistaken for a letter, he wrote, in a "big round hand," on each envelope the words " Book Post." And this had a singular result. The tradesman in question informs us that he has just received a remnant of his circular returned with the remark, written on the comer — "Thanks for this, but I have not yet received the book that was posted." Our friend the draper calls it "crass ignorance." So it is. But there is a dry humour pervades the affair when one is told that the returned circular bore no postage stamp, and was made " collect " at the draper's shop. In reference to the ascent and altitude of Mount Cook, Dr. Hector writes to a Wellington paper : — "The Rev. Mr Green who made the ascent of Mount Cook in March last, informs me that the reading of his barometer in the highest elevatior he attaiued was 19'05in. This, corrected for temperature, and compared with the barometer reduced to the sea level fron the same date and position, indicates the altitude to have been 11,962 ft. Ac cording to a recent measurement by M: G. J. Roberts, of the Trigonometrica Survey Staff, the altitude of Mount Cool is 12,349 ft., so that Mr Green's highes 1 point was within 387 ft. of the summit assuming that both measurements refer t< the same peak."