COROMANDEL. STRIKE OF THE MINERS AT COROMANDEL. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) December 2.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2305, 9 December 1864, Page 5

COROMANDEL. STRIKE OF THE MINERS AT COROMANDEL. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) December 2.

O.VB can hardly take up an English newspaper nowadays without reading of a "sttike" amongst operatives, and now we have the veiy same thing iv our midst. The news which was veiy recently received from town, that an immediate reductiou of wages was intended throughout the goldfield, had the effect, appatcutly, o£ determining the diggers, and those who would be affected by such alteration, to resist any hiioh change. So soon as proof positive arrived that this was not one of the idle rumours with, which the place is filled occasionally, the diggers, almost uull voce, refused to work under existing circumstances ; and those whose minds, it •would appear, were not so speedily made tip, felt themselves by no ineaus proof against the allpowerml vox populi, and therefore did likewise. So that, altogether, these diggings do not present so lively a scene as m'ght be. An exodus is expected, whilst the influx (^population 13 what is required. The only claims at piesent in work aie the Kapanga Company's claim and that of Murphy's Reef Gold Mining Company. The former of these struck gold "heavy" some few days since iv the Albion Claim (one of the claims of tbe Amalgamation), and also m No. 4 ; so that gold'has been htruck in t.vo places on thi* company's ground Ou the 28th ultimo I saw about lOlbs.'weight of splendid specimens, which would contain about one-third gold ; and ere long I will forward you an account of the crushing which is nowgoin.', and for which about 15 or 20 tous are ready at the hopper, and also about 10 ton-, down below, which can bd got out when occasion requite*. It would hardly bo fair to look upon this crushing as ah e'jtim,itepf the real worfcli of the claim, as everything, WSt as is comes, will be submitted to the buttery;- and therefore obviously the ani"Uiit of gold per toa will appear lew, for <>f course theie will be a laigo quantity, of worthless- stuff crushed; and early crushing i-i what is pai ticularly wanted. Some, nqvertkeleii, (ire UMigiuue enough to hope, that; the

ICapangn Company's claim 5 will prove as rich as over No. 4 has done; which claim, amalgamated with two others, now forms the Kapanga Company's Claim. With lcgucl to the Murphy s "Reef "Gold Mining Corap'iMjr 1 can at present say but little Thoy arc at present d living noith »nd south in tho drive at the bottom of Mtufts in Mlcock's C'l.vim. This company have oily been some two or three week* at work. I will not send this until I can l«am tlio full extent of tho strike j for advices might bo received from town at any time which would cause theso twowoilting claims to cease opeintiono. December G Well 1 the advices havo the Murphy Reef Company ha\o discontinued their Lvhouia, and the mining operations in No 4 aie ataycl. The stampers, * however, aie stdl doing their wo.-k. Woid L believe Ins been received that new hands have been o igag-vl at the reduced r.ito (Ss. per day), and it is rumouicd that some of tlicso have already coino down. Never did a stiikc Ulrc place in a more awkward period: the Union claim was about to have its trial crmhinc;, ,uid the Murphy tteef Company jusb roinmencod their labours. Tho Kaxauga Company shuck poll iqain, and No. 5 gotliu<» oub, T understand, at nny late whit pays cqimibo* AHhongli this icdnutioii has Heon talked of for some lengih of t.me, thf siuldennc>«i with which action was take in tlm duett on at the last hns taknn the miners by surpiise ; they appear to have thought that the olil r.vto of wages would have hoen continue 1 ut any rate while breadsst.iffs, itc , were at these fictitious piices, increased as these (nice 1 ! are by fiei<rht lntherwards ; however tho repot t of a meeting wliich 1 am sending you by this oppoitunity will explain to you fully their views on tho point.