THE LAKE DISTRICT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 215, 8 June 1866, Page 2

THE LAKE DISTRICT.

(from our own correspondent.) Queenstown, June 5. Thursday, the 31st of May, was a wet day, and it happened to be the last day of the month and the first wet day for a long period, as we have for months past been basking in sunshine j but as far as this especial day is concerned, your readers may ask why I dwell upon that fact, It was important because Sonthberg and Co., of the Otago Quartz Mining Company, had appointed the following day to put into operation and christen their new crushing machinery. A large number of the townspeople had accepted invitations, and the disappointment was widely felt. Thursday morning was gloomy, and few cared to risk the journey and the danger attending the crossing of the Shotover at Maori Point. The particulars will, no doubt, be furnished me in time for a postscrmt. lur. Fuller, who is superintending the carnage of the machinery for the Scandinavian and Skipper's Quartz Alining Companies, had a very narrow escape on Wednesday night, while crossing the Shotover in the ferry-boat at Maori Point. One of the ropes broke, and for fully fifteen minutes the boat was suspended by the nose to the remaining rope. To have moved forward wo; Id at ouce have the effect of swamping the boat. People on shore endeavored to render assistance, but the river had swollen too much to allow of any horse venturing out. Mr. Duguard, the Officer in Charge, several times ventured on horseback into the river with a rope, but was beaten back, and unable to render any assistance. M r. Fuller loudly discountenanced these dangerous attempts to render assistance. The three persons on board the boat divested themselves of their upper clothing, and prepared for the worst. It was certainly not a cheering position, for it was raining very hard and the river increasing in volume and turbulence ; but to the latter fact the parties owe tieir Ims, for a sudden freshet washed the boat towards the shore, and assistance by throwing a rope was now practicable. Mr. Fuller's horse had also providentially broke away, and crossed the river by himself, and though he rolled he filially landed safe some distance down the river, much exhausted. Speaking of the Shotover, I may mention that Mr. Fuller has hit upon a very simple plan for crossing machinery over this river in the absence of a bridge. By means of a cradle and suspension ropes (n an incline the machinery is rapidly transported over, and as this" is done opposite Skipper's Point the dreaded and deep gulches of Stoney, Peasant, and Londonderry Creeks are escaped. The thing is so simple and so valuable that it is a wonder the other companies did not think of it before. The saving in the wear and tear of horseflesh is something enormous. Business in the Police Courts has lately been almost nil. However, we have had an affair in which the services of the Court were called into play. Locally it has been named the " The Battle of the Bantams," and the Court was crowded while the case was being heard. For some time past considerable rivalry has existed between Mr. Falck, the postmaster, and Mr. Fracr, the newspaper and letter agent, consequent, Fraer says, upon Mr. Falek not handing him letters for which he had orders. On Sunday morning last Falek seems to have assaulted Fracr, after an angry dispute, in his shop, and got the best of the encounter. Later on the same day Fraer assaulted Falck in the public street, and this time turned the scales. The description of the several '• sets to" by the parties implicated was very amusing. Fraer, however, was the most boastful, for he confessed to a challenge given to the postmaster to go on to the convincing ground usually selected, viz., one of the terraces, so that he might give him a •' chance to warm the snob of a postmaster." Falck declined the ofler, and rushed to the arena of the Court to fight it out. The charge of assault in the shop was dismissed, for the one in the street Fraer was fined 20s. and .costs. The dispute shows what bitter feelings have been engendered by the closing of the post-oiliee by Mr. Stafford. The postmaster now refuses to deliver newspapers of an evening, and so the whole community suffer. It is a nice little kettle of fish as it now exists, and it has become a proverbial saying, "Will you buy a cigarf alluding to the interest the postmaster feels in selling bis* wares to inquirers after letters or postage stamps, We can only blame Mr. Stafford for all this unpleasantness and inconvenience, for country postmasters will not keep stamps, unless for their customers, when no commission is allowed. The farmers are doing very well out of their crops. Oats are difficult to purchnso at 7s. 6d. per bushel, and potatoes, unsaleable last year at 30p. per ton, arc worth £l6 to £2O per ton. A good deal of

"wheat, for 'seed purpo es, is being pur 'chased, and altogether the agricultural in terest is very prosperous. The Government are again trying how not to do it. They have got, it is stated, two men and a boy engaged cutting away some thousands of tons of cliff that has been so long left standing blocking up the way. The Arrow people have applied for the sale of their township and are going in for a municipality. The township has been surveyed, bnt it was withdrawn, as the ground is auriferous, and another township was marked out; but the people do not like moving the buildings they have erected on the present site.