TOKOMAIRIRO AND THE WOOLSHED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 34, 24 December 1861, Page 4

TOKOMAIRIRO AND THE WOOLSHED.

NOTES BY A MINING REPORTER

Since my epistle of last week, our settlement is gradually achieving for itself a degree of notoriety, and bids fair to become, in a sbort time, a flourishing mining district. Many new arrivals from Victoria, and the mines of Waitahuna and Gabriel's, have taken up claims on the river bank, and have obtained payable prospects, and ere long all the available Government ground adjoining the private property, is likely to be in the occupation of the greatest wealth creators this country has yet seen—Victoria's stalwart miners. There are many signs of permanancy visible ; sod huts have been erected, long and expensive races cut, rude machinery superseding manual labour, and altogether, the conclusion is, that men do not mean to indulge in a mere ephemeral stay in the place. To show into what good repute we have been raised, I may tell you, too, that some "rabid jumpers " have already visited us, but they have been foiled, and rightly so, for it is a great shame that a set of great hulking fellows should attempt to avail themselves of the fruits of other men's labour, that too, at a time when any quantity of ground could be obtained along the creek. The case stands thus : a party of men envied the prospecting party the possession of a frontage claim for four men, on the river, notwithstanding the warden having assented to its occupancy. The jumpers wished to cut them off to only fforty-eight feet frontage, which, I believe, is the largest size claim the regulations allow for sluicing, or any other kind of mining. Unanimity on the part of the diggers soon cleared the " jumpers," out, and a peaceable demonstration was made by the residents, to show that they would not permit an area of forty feet frontage per man to be encroached on, as that was only barely enough for river claims.

The warden (Capt. Baldwin) was down at the time of the "jumping," but he had no case for adjudication, the jumpers being non est, having made tracks. A memorial was handed to him, signed by.upwards of eighty legally authorised miners, requesting him to permit them to hold a frontage of forty feet per man along the stream, until his Honor had been written to.in reference to larger claims. He most courteously assented to the reasonableness of the request and promised we should not be interfered with till the question was definitely set at rest; he also said he had corresponded with the Government on the same matter, as he thought the claims allowed were too small, and the regulations by no means so liberal as those existing in the Victorian mining districts. His urbanity, good common sense, and ready desire to meet the fair wishes of the miners, are very conspicuous. When he has' acquired a little more experience of the practical working of mining legislation, the Government will have amongst gold field officials, a valuable and efficient officer.

A line of road has been lately surveyed in this neighbourhood, the surveyor considers that by a trifling expenditure,, a good dray road that would lessen the distance to Waitahuna by five miles, might easily be made. When any money will be devoted to make it easy of transit, is yet in the future. However, during the summer, some preparation should be made for wintry weather ; that is, if the Government have the welfare of the diggers at heart ; we are mainly dependant on good roads for cheap provisions, tilings highly necessary to the working man here ; let not then " fierce wintry winds/ find our ways encroaching on our "means" to extensrvely, and we shall have something to be grateful for. Now is the time for liberal and utilitarian measures —good land laws to secure the population and bind them to the soil— remember Victoria's bad legislation in this respect.

We are getting on cosily and quietly in this picturesque valley, but the weather lias been very unfavourable for mining operations, rain falling heavily during the week, and after a few showers the river rises very rapidly. There is anew galvinized iron public-house going on at Camerons, near Murrays's home station ; Dickson and another have applied for a license. I think some better accommodation than is customarily seen, should be insisted on ere a license be granted. We languish for a po.\'t office. There mny be a

large population here soon. A Presbyterian minister calls occasionally ; I have heard of a new rush about six miles away in a north-easterly direction, amongst some timber near the short road from Dunedin to Gabriels's. I shall ascertain further particulars bye and bye, their accuracy may be relied on. There is plenty of likely country round about for the energetic man to try his hand on. Fearing to encroach further on your space, I shall, in Victorain vernacular, dry up.

From an advertisement in another column, we observe that Mrs. Foley and her celebrated corps dramatique have arrived, and are to perform on Boxing Night, in the Masonic Hall, Provincial Hotel. The programme is a most attractive one, and includes Sir E. Bulwer Lytton's magnificent play '-The Lady of Lyons," the part of the heroine Pauline being sustained by Mrs. Foley. From the character which this lady has earned, and the success which she has achieved during the last few years in the other provinces, as well as from the fact that this is the first dramatic performance which has taken place in Otago, we anticipate for her a most brilliant success.

Wednesday being Christmas Day, we believe that the Custom House and all the other public offices will be closed.