NOTES ON A TRIP TO KAITANGATA.

Clutha Leader, Volume XVII, Issue 883, 19 June 1891, Page 6

NOTES ON A TRIP TO KAITANGATA.

4b (B> r Our Own itepovLer. ) "Even ;i cursoiy visit to what is commonly called the Newcastle of the south, and more particularly to that part where the Castle Bill Company is carrying on operations, cannot fail to be of .interest. It is only a comparatively short time since this company — which is a private one— -was formed, and. since it took over the Castle j Hill -mines. Yet, the. nfiw company has made a wonderful difference in Kaitangata ; such an ..indeed can only be made by the introduction and expenditure j of a large amount of fresh capital in a place. Houses are going up by the halfdozen, new streets and tramway lines are | being formed, and boring operations are going on. And ail this in addirion to. the workings ac the Kaitangita company's mine, which is being kept . exceedingly busy at the present time, is giving the place a busy aspect indeed. The. widen-, ing and levelling of Eddystone street, preparatory to the laying of the rails to the Gas tie Hill mine, is well advanced. The work is being done by day labour, some 20 men and eight drays being nx, present employed. Of course this part of the work could be pushed on much more rapidly, but it is calculated that the tramway will be ready .quite as soon, as the boring and other operations at the mine are completed and it is ready for the output of coal. About a; iniie fr::m the point where the new line will join the.'. K-iitangata company's line, it wheels ! off j Eddystone street to .the right, across a j swamp, through a cutting, and about 10 | or 12 chains up is the new mine, where, the .sinking of the shaft is being proceeded with.. Here the sight is a .most interesting one. The shaft is at present down some 320 ft or 330ffc, and, strange, to say, there is as yet . no appearance, of coal, though the amount of gas that is met; with now is taken as indicating that coal ■is not very fa,r\ off. Tho shaft passes

through a marine bod, upwards of 300 ft from the surface, and here a great variety of fossils — such as sheila of all kinds, what appears to have been bones, fishes, tooth, etc. — are to be met with. To a gool< g'st, an examination of this material should prove most valuable, and to h;i,ve his i'k'ji us to the formation of this bed at, such <*i rlcpi.li would undoubtedly prove of very great interest indeed. The shaft is bricked as the boring proceeds tho actua 1 inside diameter bein / lift. Abouo 20 more men were employed here. They are divided into three shifts, and the work was kept ( going night and d t,y v itil withi < a few days ago, when operations had to be temporarily suspended owing; to the quantity of water coming in. But it is intended to get a pumping apparatus fiK.'d up so soon as it arrives from the other side, and this will keep the working at the bottom comparatively diy and greatly -facilitate- operations. Air is . foi'ced down through a box flue running down the inside of the shaft, and the material excavated at the bottom is brought up by steiim power. The shaft is said to be perfectly safe, and ho doubt it is, but to even look down a perpendicular shaft of over 300 ft is as much as most amateurs care about. Of course no idea can be formed as to when coal may be struck, though 'appearance, as already state I, indicate that it is not far off. An opinion was expressed that the shaft, had struck what is known as a " wart " — that is, a break in the seani of coal. Coal lias been struck at a much higher level in the vicinity, so some explanation of. this kind seems within the bound of possibility. - ; Let us hope, however, that, success may soon attend the company's efforts, and that the Castle Hill coal mine may have a-success-ful future . before it. There will undoubtedly be plenty of demand for as j much coal as both companies can put out, and the -friendly feelings which exist between the two companies should augur well for the future success and prosperity of what is not without reason termed the Newcastle or the south. But there are other improvements besides the workings in ".ouuecrion with the oal that force themselves under the notice of the visitor. There is the formation of Salome sireet, a somewhat heavy undertaking. This street runs parallel with TC ddystone street, nearer the foot of ! the hill, and its formation will prove of ; immense benefit t.6 the residents along ! that part of the town, where a consideri able number of new houses have recently sprung into existe-ice. Conspicuous among thehous.'s in course .of erection is one for. Dr Fitzgerald. This ' is in a central part of the town not far from the residence of his worship the i mayor, Mr W. M. Shore, who, by the i way, I regret to say is not in the b,/st of I health at the present time. There are ; quite a number of large Ikjus.-s already ' erected in this part of the town, and some I distance further along and not far fio:n i the C;istle Hill Company's mine is a large ■ and commodious looking building, the [residence of Mr Hay us, the resident , engineer of that e;otnp;Miy. I Coming back to the town proper we find that there have been one or two I changes of late. The first- that strikes the I visitor is in connection with Mr W. T. I -Smith's stove. Mr Smith has disposed of ' 'hi si business to Messrs W. Auld and Sons iof Wauuhuna, the well-known biscuit ; manufacturers, who have opened with a j -very large and evidently veli-suUcted : stock. Messrs Avid intend conducting i their business on cash principles, being ' cc.ntent with smalll profits, and looking 4 to j tho .l.artre turnover to yield them a jtootl I return. Then we notice that Mr Thos. i Hitchon has entered into partnership with ; his brother Henry.- Opposite Mr W. H. : Mackenzie's store there are several new I places of business and others in con- | templation, which immensely improve the | appearance of the place. Altogether the town presents a healthy i commercial appearance, and gives evidence I that those in whose hands the destiny oi thy borough is placed, both civically and otherwise, are men of the right stamp and I have the welfare of the place at heart.