THE DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 507, 5 August 1863, Page 5

THE DUNSTAN.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Dunstan, 3rd August. In mining matters there is nothing of importance. The Prospecting Committee have called for tenders for driving in the proposed tunnel from the banks of the river. From the upper part of the Molyneux a great many are leaving for Fox's, with the intention of trying the ranges and terraces in thafc quarter. Some few parties are returning from the rush at the head ofthe Lake, but do nofc return a very favorable account from thafc locality. The leasing of the Punts on the Molyneux to MiHill, his produced a perfect storm of indignation So premature and unexpected au occurrence took everybody by surprise, as on the morning of Friday last, Avhen numbers of men had assembled on the banks of the river, with the intention of crossing over to their u-uai day's work, thay found "Notices" posted up at the several Ferries, informing tbem that the fare was risen from sixpence to a shilling, by order of his Honor the Superintendent, J. H. Harris, Esq Of course I need not state the conversation that ensued, ifc may easi'y be guessed, was decidedly not over complimentary to the Government. The injury that this piece of "uoparallded imposition" and hasty legislation will entail on the miners and the mining interests in general, let alone the check it wid give to the prospecting of the country, will very soon be made apparent by diminishing escorts, consequent upon tha abandonment of claims t«at will not admit of the owners paying the sum of twelve shillings per week, and perhaps more, in reaching the scene of their daily labors.. It was the rule of the boatmen thafc parties working on the opposite banks of the river from that wliich they lived, and who regularly crossed over night and morning, to be ferried across at half fares, but now there is au end of that aud one shilling must be paid either way, and sixpence extra after dark. Surely the miners have suffered losses enough already by the floods without being mulcted in this shameful manner. That it will be tamely submitted to there is great doubt. The lessee of the punts i=t extremely unpopulai oa the river; and the affray" at the Kawarau bridge I fear is only the beginning of evil at the lowc:r Ferriev including those of east and west Taieri, the fare 13 only sixpence for each foot passenger; and why in the name of all that is reasonable, should we, because inhabitants of the gold fi Ids, be charged double, because we are gold diggers, that is no reason we can afford to pay twice as much as other people ; taking the average earnings of the miners, they are far below that of other kinds of labor let alone the discomforts and risk of life in the calling. Previously to lettiug such an important thing as ; the whole water traffic of the gold fields to one party for a merely nominal sum (I believe something like Lsoo> the wishes of the inhabitants should have been taken, as well aa the op;----nion of the various Wardens of the gold fields who could very soon baye giyen an option as to the amount of traffic on the riv^r, also the rate of toll it would have been judicious to enforce. It certainly wasadvertisedintheGomronen*Gazette, but who ever ] reads ifc ] Notices tbat such a monstrosity was about to be perpetrated might just as well have been stuck up among the snow on the top of "Mount Benger." If-a "bomb shell" had suddenly fallen into every dwelbng on the gold fields the people could not have been more taken by surprise. It certainly is tantamount to nothing else than depriving a large number of hard-working persevering men of the means of ttetfcins their living. Mr Hill, the fortunate lessee certainly has to build proper pants for the conveyance of loaded vehicles as well as foot passengers, but that will not be attended with so "Vast an expense, plenty of suitable timber can be floated down the river for that purpose, and the necessary expenses incurred in establishing a ferry will not be so much above what it has been in other places certainly nothing like that which should justify the imposition of such an exorbitant rate of toll. And considering that the number of people crossing the river in this distriot is, at the very least, five times greater than over any other ferries in the province clearly demonstrates that the charges should be proportionately lower. Numbers "of the boatmen, in the face of a very keen competition, have realised little fortunes, and have sold out to others and left the province with their gains, realised from 3d and 6d fares, leaving out the numbers of hard up diggers they have put across for nothing, ought to be a convincing proof that when competition is by a legal enactment removed and the whole of the traffic secured to one parfcy, the lower rate of the boatmen would be immensely remunerative. As it is we can do no more than reluctantly congratulate Mr Hill on being the most fortunate man in Otago. The next subject I have to treat upon i* that of a bridge, which, in the opinion of every sensible man is the only means by which the large traffic across the river at the Dunstan caa be safely and economically conducted. A punt may be very well in a sluggish stream, but no tin such a rapid current as in the upper portion of the Molyneux. The late floods ought to be sufficiently demonstrative of that fact. We have had enough of loss of life and property already by the inscrutable decrees of Providence; we don't want more by Act of Couucil. It was impossible to escape the one, the other can he avoided. Situate as the Dunstan is, the natural centre of an immense auriferous area, its position fairly entitles it to be one of the great leading centres of traffic for the goldfields. Its population and escort returns fairly show that ifc is entitled to some consideration let alone that when a passable road.is made to the Lake district (a thing easily accomplished) the main traffic from Dunedin to that quarter: musb all pass through here, and which must be made, or we can never successfully compete with Southland, and the sooner you Dunedites make astir in;'the matter the better for your own interests.^Tiie question is e/ifcirely ; yourSj as it is immaterial, to"us on the.diggings wher^we^bbfain our stophes from so long as we do so. Ah-" other-thing, the bridge, even should it cost something' like five or six thou'saad pounds, would soon pay for itself at the fares hithertoVcharged. by the boatmen the amount of money spent daily in crossing and reeros'sing cannot bi reckoned at less thau LSO and with a bridge it would be considerably more • besides accidents would be prevented, and the mining interests of the province benefitted, it being a wellknown fact that in the vicinity of a lar°-e and prosperous town, gold Mining is pushed witb" more energy thau in places where the business "coinmuiiifcv are much scattered, the prosperity of the one being identical with that ofthe other. 6 :' .The labour ofthe miner, supplemented by the capital of,the. storekeeper, has been the means of opening several ofthe richest quartz mining districts in other countries; which, had not a large town beeu in exinstance, con d never have been done; by this means employment has been given to thousands of hands • iZ n?h tbrmnf Papulations exiet, where otherwise the country would have been as when nature first termed lb. Gold mining in this province is but in its infancyyet and withal the opinion of the learned pundits in. Dunedin to the opposite, Quartz Mining will yet be a successful reality in Ota<*o. MANUHEHIKIA. 0 Here, like the Dunstan, the punt-lefcting business has risen a perfect storm. On Friday morning, when the miners had assembled at the ferry on the Manuherikia river, for the purpose of crossing to their claims, greit was their indignation oa reading the government notice posted up at at the landing. The two little punts were hauled up on the opposite bank to the township, or short work would soon have been made of them. It was really pitiable to observe the countenances of many of the poor fellows who. after being compelled to remain idle tKrough the late floods, were again obliged to do so through this im-

becile proceeding. As to the business people, they are exasperated beyond measure at such a pice; of folly, it having virtually deprived the township of half its trade. It is the intention of the inhabitants to call upon the Warden, H. Hickson, Esq., to convene a pubiic meeting on the subject, and lay theexict state of affairs bafore the Provincial Government. In the meantime it is the intention of the storekeepers and other traders to place a boat on the river, and convey the people across free—ju9t imagine the injustice of the thin*, people to be charged ono shilling for crossing: a little stream not over fifty yards in width, when for months previous it was only threepence, and confess d by the boatmen to be one of the best speculations on the gold fields. Ths inhabitants of the upper street have sal scribed together and made a capital roadway; the centre has been raised and metailecl where required ; a good pilhway has been firmed, as well as channels dug each side to carry off the water, so thafc what was previously a perf-ct quagmire is now passable to the most fastidious individual. A new rush took place on Saturday about eight miles clown the river, near the Gorge. The sinking is dry and shallow. The prospectors obtained one ounce and some few pennyweights from some buckets of dirt. A crowded indignation meeting was held afc ths Shamrock Hotel on Saturday evening, Dr Anderson in the chair, for the purpose of protesting against the late Femes Contract business. The meeting was a very animated one, and the various speakers were ! loud in their denunciation of the conduct" of the Government. Funds have been collected, and a deputation, consisting of Messrs Wolfe and Chappell, will leave by Wednesday's coach for Dunedin, to lay the case before his Honor the Sunerintendent. Mr Wolfe, who represents ths firm of Wolfe ancl Hart, of the laglewood Store, made a capital speech, which drew rapturous applause from his hearears for the eloquent manner in which he advocated the cause of the mining and business community: several voices called for Mr Brodie, the " goldfields member," but that gentleman did not make his appearance. The meeting separated at rather a late hour, after giving three times three groans for the Government. HOGBURN; The news from the Hogburn is of a very cheering nature. In consequence of water being tolerably plentiful for cradling purposes, a large quantity of gold is being obtained. The want of ca9h to purchase gold is severely felt, and is productive of much inconvenience. There ia plenty offering, but no money to buy The Enterprise Company are making very slow progress with their race. Shares in the company are fetching L3O each. Eight haye already been sold. The Hogburn has Iren proclaimed a gold field, and Mr Hardcastle is dciv« duty as Warden. At pres3iit the police camp only consists of one tent. Petty robberies are very numerous. A regular gane of scoundrels infest the place. Robinson's store'was • stuck up" on the night of the 29t,h inst. <A box of tobacco, together with one of cigar*, were stolen. The empty boxes were found at the rear of the premises the following morning. Business is reported as being pretty brisk; some things are very cheap, while others are correspondingly scarce and dear. Stocks of butter, candle" tobacco, cigars, pepper, rice, soap, *c, being veiy low. Horse feed is also very scarce. Oats, selling four ls per lb; bread, 2-s ths four pound loaf. A hotel is being "ereetel. The street is in a deplorable condition, the upper end being almost im, I passable. Quick's coach, from Dunedin, which should have arrived on Tuesday, had nofc made its appearance on Thursday ..afternoon. The Bank ot New South Wales are about opening a branch here, the want of one being very severely felt hy both miners and t:-aiers.

At Black's, mining matters are satisfactory, all the diggers are working away very steadily and appear satisfied with the results of tfieir labors.' One party has made application for leave to out a race, her i Ike the Hogburn, water being rather scarce. The weather at both places has beeu very favorable fern mmg operations, wliich has given quite an impetus to tr.:de.