Cromwell Letter.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 503, 10 January 1906, Page 5

Cromwell Letter.

(Own Correspondent).

The commencement of the New Year has not favored us with very good weather, as the past week has been a succession of cold southerly winds, which must be greatly against the sundry crops which are now near ripening. The Upper Clutha Valley looks well all the way up, with its numerous crops of oats and wheat, some of the latter looking very well in the Hawea and Mt. Barker districts. After a lengthy and observant tour up the Valley, the traveller cannot but be impressed with the capabilities of the district, when easy access to the large coastal towns is provided by means of the railway. The boring operations for coal which are being carried out in the south west corner of what is known as the Lower Flat, on the Clutha, have so far proved as favorable as could be expected. On a recent visit a seam of coal had been struck at a depth of about 20ft below river level. The seam had at that time been tested to a depth of 3ft, and the rods were still working in it without being through. Should the owners receive enough enaouragement to open the seam out properly, it should prove a boom to the dredging companies on the Clutha, as several of the dredges are within a few hundred yards of the seam, and some five or six miles of cartage at least would be saved, and that in itself would be a big item. The Dredgemen's Union, after lying dormant up this way for some time, has at last sustained a sort of a revival, A large meeting was held on Saturday evening last, when a branch was formed for Cromwell district, with Mr E. Simpson as branch sectetaty Some 35 to 40 members were enrolled, and no doubt a large number more will follow.

Messrs John Bruce, of the Electric No. 2 dredge, and V. Morris, of the Hartley and Riley, left here last week for Terra del Fuego, having both received appointments on the dredges about to commence operations there. Another old and respected resident of the district, in the person of Mr John Werner, also leaves here during the coming week en route for the Argentine, having been engaged by a big syndicate to prospect a large area of dredging country there. He has been engaged for 12 months at a salary of £y ios a week, and, being a man of considerable mining experience, the company has made a good appointment, and will be able to put every confidence in his reports of the prospecting operations. It is also Mr Werner's intention to make a trip to Sweden and England after the termination of his agreement.