TEVIOT.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 662, 19 July 1871, Page 3

TEVIOT.

1 ar oocasioitu. couasrospm.) July 12,1871. The" greatest hindrance to the progress of the Otago Goldfields is unquestionably their complete isolation from one another. Tuapeka has nothing in common with Mount Ida; Motlnt Benger and the Lakes are practically as far aplft asjthough. half the globe intervened between them. .As a natural consequence the claim* of the miners to recognition by Government are usually treated as the querulous agitation of some unimportant district. It is in the hopes that the interchange of ideas, and a better acquaintance with one another's sorrows, hopes and fears will tend to create a stronger feeling of union that lam induced to trouble you with these fewjottings. Everything in this country up to the present time,—including the very newspaper —has been too local Suppose, therefore Senor Editor, we begin to reform this altogether. I cannot pr6inise you any very startling chronicle of events from this quarter. We are, to tell the truth, rather a drowsy-headed race, only to be stirred up to a show of activity by the potent charming of some political storekeeper, in whose books our respectable cognomina occur with unpleasant frequency. Nature evidently, intended that two classes should prosper in oar midst, the miners and the floekowners. Unfortunately, some wiseacres eonaider themselves more sagacious than the allfeeding mother, and have begun to grow cereals on old lake bottoms, and generally to practice the ruinous art of cultivating grapes from thistles. Such vagaries are, however, certain to brinig their own punishment and encite nothing mote than !»*!• Mining I am glad to say is in a more prosperous condition. The Molyneux is, and has been, at a tolerably low level, and in consequence the beach claims are being worked day and night, and with excellent results. One claim has a gross yield of about four pounds of gold per week, and others pay at the rate of from £1 to £5 per diem. Dredging is not quite so «ucoessful a speculation down here as it appears to be in your quarter; but I think your capitalists might learn a wrinkle from the lately re-built water-power dredge " Moa." This craft, constructed I believe from a design by the late Mr Balfour, isunquestionably an enormous improvement on the old-fashioned spoon. It can be worked night and day by three men, and will put through easily 250 to 300 tons of wash; as a consequence .very poor ground will yield an excellent return. I do not know in what estimation schoolmasters may be held about the Lakes. In the barbarous country not far from our township they appear ojf slight account, as the latest instance of successful treatment includes first the horse-whipping of a poor pedagogue, and then his dismissal with contumely. So quiet is " our village " that the noble art of self-defence actually finds its only exponent in an " auburn" tressed member of the fair sex At present she holds the belt against all comers. Have you no amazons thirsting for glory, to lay claim to the magnificent trophy P Adieu for the present.

And so, after all, the ratepayers are not likely to be tricked out of the money spent on the breakwater at the back of Reea and Beach streets, as we notice by a report of the last Waste Lands Board meeting, that it was discovered that body had no power to sell the land to the petitioners applying, it having been set aside by the Provincial Council as a reserve — which it still remains. Bat we would like to ask why does not the Municipal Council adopt certain portions of the 13th Schedule of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, whereby it would be taking the first and necessary step towards having control over these reserves, and certain waste lands of the Crown P Had it not been through the locket of previous Town Clerics and Councillors—for it was the duty of the latter to see that the thing was done—the matter might have been settled long ago. However, we hope it will be made (me of the first duties of the Council after the pending elections. Whoever would have believed that the evolutions of the skater would be witnessed on a rapid rugged mountain river like the Shotover P And yet we have it on the testimony of an undoubted eye-witness that such an occurrence took plaee near the Sandhills for a few days during the seven hard frost about three weeks since. Our informant states that at the time referred to the Ophir Quarts Mining Company had washed a large slip into the river, which backing it up, rendered the stream comparatively smooth, and thus allowed time for its congelation for some distance upwards. During the gale in which the Jane Williams foundered the Victoria screw steamer from the Saw Mills had a very narrow escape. She was caught all at once; had no time to take in wood; cast off her moorings, and ran and steamed for it She was not properly loaded and was down at the nose, and sne constantly shipped heavy seas. The struggle was a severe one. At the Five-mile she lost the gale, but had a heavv rolling sea and no wood for the furnace, as tnat on board was useless for steam purposes. By great difficulty did she bring up at Messrs Mackav, Boult and Co s timber jetty. Queenstown. All on board declared that they escaped shipwreck by a miracle." In the Tuapeka district earnest meetings are being held to establish a county or shire system upon the basis of the Stafford measure. The people there recognise the value of that measure ere the land estate is swept away. The Works Committee of the Corporation met to-day, and accepted a contract for the drainage of Rees-street; repairs to footpaths, and improvements to approaches of Ballarat-street bridge. This is not a moment before it was wanted. No business of consequence was transacted at the general meeting of the Town Council, last evening. The Msyor mentioned that he had received a telegram from Mr J. W. Robertson, M.P.C., stating that £2OOO had been placed on the Supplementary Estimates for erecting a bridge at Arthur's Point; and £750 for forming the road to the latter place. The adjourned trial of T. Miller, for sheep stealing, took place to-day, before B. Hallenstein and C. C. Boyes, Esqrs. The case occupied leveral hours, and finally prisoner was acquitted.