The Evening Mail. MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1876. THE OLD STORY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 152, 16 October 1876, Page 2

The Evening Mail.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1876. THE OLD STORY.

" Wnpi-t are Chins"*.. anet a drop oi ink fr»lltnjr itp'>n a thought may j>roiiu«f tlvic v.-hidi makes thoiiaanJ;' tliinlc-"

The latest intelligence from the Kumara. both through published telegrams and from ; private source, contirms previously received statements that the Rush has been a comparative faiir.re, and although some few have been fortunate, to the majority it tintst be added to the sad catalogue of I i ter disappointments experienced again and a;,'Ti£Fi by the mining community. The g'o.ving account.t »f the yields and the extent of the lead have sadly dwindled down, and in the face of assertions that there was room and work f»>r some thousands for at Last a half-dozen years, within three months of its discovery men are almost aa eager to get away from, as they had hewn to reach, the gold-fit hi. In our iaatte of i&itHrtfa;* we pubiwlisd a tek-grsm fi'txtt a welM.ri..wn merchant of Dunedin, to which it was stated ikt the divings were overdone : gloomy facts wire to he »oen everywhere, and gold Si*Mnm, and thi* £a the refrain which has been with hut few exceptions. Digger J, are a class of men w.u*w ardt>r i» not ea-vly damped, and the free and independent Hie which is experienced on i'w guld-'ields possesses a charm which outweighs many of the drawbacks with which they have to contend, and the good fortune of a day counterbalances a month of ill-luck. Notwithstanding many

bitter lessons \v!:icli have received.

we have no doubt t/.crc are numbers at the rush regretting now the step they have taken in throwing up a certainty for an uncertainty, who have gone through the same sad experience before. But so it will be to the end of .the chapter. The lnre of the golden treasure possesses a magnetic influence, and obtains a mastery over resolutions against which some are powerl'.'.-:-; to successfully battle. They r..'titni from the scene of their disappointment, broken in spirit, empty in pocket, but nt'iuud with resolutions which are again put to flight at the ir.-xt outbreak of tlic golden fever. Luckily, however, for those who have now been disappointed, the time is near at hand when their labor will be in demand. Already preparations are being made for mustering, and in another fortnight or three weeks the shearing season will have set in, and that will carry them pretty well over to the harvest. Had the Kuniara turned out what it was reported to have been, it would have proved a great boon to tiie Colony in the pits lit depressed state of the labor market : but even as it is, it is a matter for congratulation that it has provided v.mp!nyment for a good number, whilst those who have been disappointed may rest assured that ere long their services will be in roouest.

Tjee " Hcatlun Chinee" give:; evidence now r.nd thcii that he is " up to a thing or two." Some time since, one of the Celestials was guilty of a piece of biting sarcasm, in affixing t>> a tender the patronymic of Macpherson to r.hv orthodox " John." instead of the appelbrought from the "Flowery Laud.'' Whether t!ic nationality conveyed in the etigitnmcii had anything to do w:th the matter, it is impossible to say, but The Mac[>j'ii the Puccfssiul tem'erer. When ashed the reason of tha substitution, .:t admitted that he had been of opinion at atiyoii'.' ha:ii«;; from £!»•; Land o'Calic*.-? an iiiiiniwiy better chance than his rival.- 4 . : and t!.c rc'iuU proved the correctness f.: th : Mip- • :.i >n. 'i'h above re-cal!ed :•> ' til 4 mind by the shrewd forethought of anc-thcr ?d»ng..lb:i. named Ah Wcng. who on hi- 4 trial at tV: OLirict <.V;!rfc of Ilohial*?. a f-w davs :*i Before the case i;, d been c»!vclu« ied. the v-I'.-r, who had evid- ;:i'v a rc-:ro;t of the evidence, r:;d a::.np in li:; <>-.vn ;uh;d adversely t<> hiu !\ fearing the might l>e sent l :•> a term of ye.:rs. made the proposal . !■' hv.-f i!> : 4 u:-.i h 4 .e:.i tt::.de a hi::.l of i iav - t v!; To put it in tin c-xacc v..-;.' - the ;■:= d A'i W«:;:g " Suppose t jfc; iv . yc.-sr-s I divid.; i'rj time 1;eLvoeii ti-.y.-.lt and tw;-:i 4 ;v or thirty other Ch:ii.".:;u n. who would do a few weeks each ' l o'.'t':;;:.!-'!".'. however, for t'.i-- proposer, he v.?. uo: .:blru 4 ;-l i-> !.: i : ;sb.- iitut..-. : s into r_'t;;i ita: 4 :! {•;-_• Wort's, '"Aot l-iiili;;," i j him i > the companionship tar\- ; who v/ory so willing to share his <.:v>ttvlty. Had the little; game proposed by tiie thoughtful John been allowed to be played urn, what a new industry would be opened out I Imagine Kitzpoodlc, of tlie I loyal Chartered Bank, getting live years for as many th 4 >;nands o! pounds embezzled, and calling for mtbsiitu te> by tender for the '' doing of the allotted term,"' by tile year or in nlobo.