THE DUNSTAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 617, 9 December 1863, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE DUNSTAN.

(from otik own correspondent.)

Dunstan, 4th December.

The T?ace Committee held a meeting on Monday evening last at the Dunstan Hotel; .Mr F. B. Edwards in the^ chair. A large majority of the stewards were present.

Captain Anderson, who only arrivei the same after noon, gave a mo3t favorable account of ;the result of his mission to town and his canvass for subscriptions among tlie neighboring srttlers. The support he had received from all quarters when he had applied for subscriptions was most unprecedented, and took those present quite by surprise at the way the public in general had responded to the endeavors of the stewards in placing before them such a bill of fare as tha* se* forth in the programme for the 29th and 80th proximo. Prom the well-known standing aed Bportsman-iike character of the..stewards, -there is not the slightest doubt but that the days -sports will be carriel out in a 1 their integrity as set forth in t be advertisement. Of the abilities of Judge and Starter we have yet to learn, as we believe them both new to their, office^ but of the Clerk of the course, on whom main'.y depends the good order apd well-being of the day, there*can be no hesitation in saying that lie has the unanimous approval, of every individual eijher interested or disinterested. From the weli-known sportsman-like qualities of Mr K. W. Eicke, who fulfilled with such honor to himself and satisfaction to the public the onerous duties of Clerk of the Course at Omoaka, and who upon several occasions hias'peforme'l the like office at some of the principal races in Victoria, -we have every guarantee that as far as may come un<ler his supervision or his advice the arrangements of the course will be all that could be desired.

.The amount to be contested for on the two first days is something over LBOO, let alone what sums will be made up for the third day (it' being distinctly understood that we are to have a third day's sport) is really something considerable for a small place like the Dunstan—evidently showing that with all our sordid groveliings after gain ws have not forgotten ourselves so fa as to ignore the spotts of the land of our birth. The only ci; cutnstance calculated to throw a shade of gloom over the whole affiir is-the. retirement of Capf. Anderson froni amongst us, who stated at the last committee meeting his intention of at once removing to the adjoining Province of Can-, terbury, where in the bosom of his family it is his intention to settle. 4s Captain Anderson has been a long resident on this township and precicus'y known to many of us before the gold discoveries in Olago were thought of, he carries with him the goodwill of all those who have the pleasure of his acquaintance with the uoiver.-ai wish of" God speed" to hisfuture earner.

The Proems Committee had a very noisy meeting among themselves at the Dunstan Hotel, on Tuesday evening-. The subjact of consideration on that evening was the unauthorised interference on behalf .of a private individual by one of its m mbers. The late "jumping"or rather "taking possession" case of Ryan v. Cox, has been food for much comment of late. From what I can learn of the aff.iir it Js as follows: -At the corner of Ferrystreet arid immerli;ite'>y alongsila ths Port Phillip Hotel, there was a small piece of spare ground which, from almost the first survey of the street has been, in dispute. Mr Cox, the proprietor of the hotel when he first purchased the right of the site for his premises was charged the sutnof.LlOO for tha ground whi :li he now occupies, iuchi ling the.pioe which has been taken posse-sion of by Air ,E.yan. The'conrtitif ns of the purchase were thus—as it was supposed that the Government would not allow Mr Cox to build upon t.br, who'e of the ground of which he purchased the. right, it being an undecidei fact ids to whether it stood on a road or not -he was only to pay naif the money uni.il he should have obtained possession of the entire hlock o'fland, which he never has done, the Government forbidding: h's building upon it, stating that the said p:ece of ground i< part of a public road It is now shosn that they have been mistaken as to the original survey inade.bya surveyor named Connell, and thar the piece of ground is no portion of a road whatever Upon learning tins fact. Mr Ryan calls the asfisfcnce of a Burvevor, his the ground measured, procures a business license, and takes possession. He immediately afterwards erect? an iron bu;lding therern, completely spoiling one o fi the frontages tvMr Cox's premises, who, of course naturally enough, objects to such an unwarrantable intrusion upon his rights, it amounting to nothing les* than totally spoiling hi* business frontage and preventing free ingress and f gre^ to his hotel. Uvon the cas-; coming before the Wardan he 'Tiered th* in runt rpraoval of fhe ob noxioiu building. Pior to thed cisionof the Warden .being known. Mr Skin.-or, one of the members of the Progress'Commitree, wrote a note to the Warden, asking to be inf >rmed of the nature o* his deei-ion in the case; "nd recpived areply to the envcS that the removal of the buil'ii.':g was ordered. Upon th 3 Dublic being acquainted that tiie Progrcs; Committee wre acting for the interests or individuals, instead of those of the public generally, munh indignation was manifest; which was hot allayed till the culprit confessed he merely wrote to- the War Jen on his own account, without p'edging the committee. As might be ex pected, the executive members called. Mr Skinnsr .over the roals at the epscial meeting held for the purp'S?, when he got a severe jacketing by some of them for his pains, with threats of expuls on should anything of the like occur aarain. Wow. A3 the Prc= Sc§3 Commie stands so well with the public of the un3tan, s.uch an inconsiderate piece of me idling on the "part «f one of its membe s, is calculated as likely, to mar'the present goo.l understanding between the puMic and ihe committee, who have hitherto always acted in -the inrs,t - isinterested manner. i\o chtrge of interested motives could ever be imputed to aiiy of its members. Not that pe>p!p di>p r ute the risjhtof any of the c •muuitfe <;o ask a question of ihe tyardrn as a priyate indivulual, but it ceitainly ought, to concern none else but themselves: on behalf of another party, it is ijecidally impolitic, and caleuJated to bring its membirs ivito conieinpt. Tha course taken by Ihe Progress Committee in bringing Wfi delinquent to j ustice. has met with the approval of everyone ; a., d had ihr-y gone further, and recorded^ vote of exc^minuui arion, no o-e would have grumbled, but would have considered the punishjneat< deserved. As matters remain, it is to be

j^op^d tha^ Mv Sk^pes y\i\ \§asu iV tap Hture, Rtjd caase fco yabble fii fhitigs which do not concern, him. If he wishes to bring anything before the notice of the authorities, or obtain information from them; it is ao\-asy matter to biing the affair before his colleagues, who, if it should be of sufficient public importance, will enquire iato ihe case in a proper business-like manner.

With re erwi'-e to the sa'e of towu allotments to ba held on the 14oh instMit the Progress Committee have received the following communication from the froviucial Secretary :— " Provincial Secretary's Office, ■ " Bunedin, 26th Nov., 1863. '■'Sik—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th iastant, enclosing a list and estimate of the value of buildings erected on the unsurveyed side of the inaia street, Clyde, anJ mnkin* enquiries relative to the sections which are shortly to bu offered for sale.

" With reference to the sections, the upset price fixed by the Waste Latds Board is twelve pounds ten shillings, and thay wi'l be sold to the ocjupisr without b in-r submitted to auction, at a price to be fiied by ihe Waste Lands Board, who have determined in this instance to depute the Chief Commissioner to fix the piice when he visits the town, which he will do at the time of sale.

; "The question as to the survpy and sale of the west side of tne street will receive the consideration which the impoi tmce of Uie subject demands. " I hava the honor .to be, &c., "(Signed) Thomas Diok" Provincial Secretary. " To T. Munro, Esq., Secretary." MANfJHERIKIA.. ■A very good rush has lately taken place at Drunken Woman's Gully, about twelve nii'es from the Biack Ball Store, on the Dun din Road. It U designated " German Jack's rush." There are about £00 peopie on the p.ound, most of them are from here and the Teviot; the sinking'is very shallow, and all ara represented as obtaining wag- s. A German who left this township about ten days ago, ha; returaei for his mates, aad reports that by. working with a cradle as a hatter, he can obtain ten pennyweights per day.

Another rush is also reported near the head of Lake VVanaka, at the foot of the dividing ranges, distance about seventy miles from tha Dv stan. About forty people aie said to be on the ground, all getticg payable golj, but very badly otf for provision-.

During the latter part of last w?ek a party of miners, or rather some amalgamated parties of miners, collected the vary banrsame sum of ten pounds five shillings on behalf of the Dunstau Hospital, under the following circumstances:—lt having beea lately proved that a large portion of the Monor burn Plat was highly payable, it became necessary to cut a tail race for its drainage prior to its beiug taken up in block claims. To do this it became ne- essaty to deepen an old race, and add some 500 yards more to its length, making it in all about 2000 yards long. As it was a work which concerned everybody, of course the services of everybody were enlisted, and a sort of a jo:nt stock company, consisting of all the minrs who intended taking up claims on the piece of land was formed to perform the work. A meeting was held, and a scale of fines and forfeitures, for non attendance and bei"g late, was agreed upon, which being, carried strictly into effect, the amount handed over to the hospital was the resul".

The Minuherikia Mining Company are pushing forward operations with great vigor, as their claim in the bed of the rivJr is well ni h exhausted. They are now turniog t'jeir attention to ttie banks, and like a great many more parties find tiiat the hitherto despised banks of the river are uot quite so despicable aftiT all, but yield in a number of instances almost as well as the bed of the stream They have now two races, each about one and-ahalf miles in length, which being carried along some distance up the bank, the stream is allowed to find its own way down iuto the r.ver, which it does, conveying the thick laypr of silt and silicious sandaong it, leaving the wash dirt ready for the sluice boxes. This eomnany ".ohsists ol flve men, employing three others. The average yield perwtek, after paying expenses, is from seven to eight pounds per man. Tiie claim has been opened fifteen months, and the proprietors calculate they have ground that will last eighteen more. Three other a joining parties are also doiDg equally as well.

A number of claims are now being taken up aloog the Manorburn and Manuherikia rivers, by parties returning from the Taieri.. On the Mmiorburn there is a conaiderab'e extent of ground known to be payable yet unworked. A large population in this quarter is fully anticipated during the present summer.