COUNTRY NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11505, 18 August 1899, Page 7

COUNTRY NEWS.

(From Our Own CoiuiEsroxDEM&i

THE WAIAU DISTRICT,

Settlement is rapidly taking place everywhere about the Waiau, and at Clifden a largo suspension bridge has been erected during the past year, being opened for traffic in March. It cost the Government over .£SOOO, but its benefit to the district is greater than can be estimated at the present day. , . Clifclen residents have a school in their midst, and an increased mail service is to be established at ar. early date. The member has lately obtained several Government grants for loads in the locality, and a telephone line that will connect Waiau and Orepuki, and the opening of it is looked forward to with great interest. But this is not all. A railway was sought by the people here, and gallantly fought for by the member, with the result that a promise has been given by the Government, and all that is required now is the money. Committees have been formed throughout the. district, and if nothing unforeseen happens, the coming year will see the line in course of construction. Tho timber is of first-class quality, and if there were.a means of transport sawmills would soon bo erected, as the industry in these parts would be decidedly lucrative. The survey of aawmilling areas has already been made, and these will be thrown open by-and-bye. A' hotel with livery stables is a necessity in tho district, and everything should bo done to attract the tourist, speculator, miner, farmer, and, in the shooting season, the merciless sportsman.

WAIKOUAITI.

Racing Club.—A meeting of the Racing Club was held last week to consider a proposal to amalgamate with the Palmerston Club. The vice-president (Mr B. Bray) occupied the chair, and the matter was fully discussed, and delegates appointed to meet the Palinerston Club and discuss the matter with them.

Borough Balance Sheet.—l see that the council has published the balance sheet at last for tho year ending March 31, 1899, and I am glad to see that they have a credit balance of £58 Gs 4d. I should like to suggest, in a very respectful manner, that if the council could see its way to get a few trucks of gravel from the Shag River to gravel .the main streets of the borough they would be spending their surplus in a very satisfactory way. During tho recent wet weather the main streets here wero ankle deep in heavy, black mud, while at Palmerston, the streets of which arc dressed •with Shag River gravel, the cleanliness of the streets was an object lesson, i I trust our council will take the hint. • . .

LAKE WANAKA.

Evangelistic.—Mr Murdoch M'Lennan, jun., ■who has been doing evangelistic work in the district, in the intervals of working on his father's farm on the Hawea, has left to take evangelistic charge of the district of Owaka. Mr M'Lennan was the recipient of a very enjoyable farewell tea meeting at Hawea before leaving. Wo all- wish him well, and predict a prosperous future for him, as he -is possessed of considerable eloquence, and has the gift of making himself agreeable with people, ■which is indispensable to teachers and clergy-i

•School Matters.—Mr Frank Foote, 8.A., who lias had charge of the Cardrona School for the past year or two, is now second master in the Invercargill High School.' All his friends are pleased at Mr Foote's promotion', especially as he is a very unassuming young man. His fai ther, who is stationma3ter at Pelichet Bay, used to be a Clyde resident in the early sixties, and sometimes visited the Wanaka. Miss Cameron, of Invercargill, has now temporary charge.' Obituary.—lt is with the most profound regret •that I have to record the death of Mrs Timothy Cotter, at The Neck, Lake Hnwea. The late Mrs Cotter, who was 45 years of age, came from tho States when a little girl, in the sixties, and lived with her uncle, the late Mr William Shanley, who was a storekeeper in Cromwell for some years, till she married Mr Cotter, in 1875, he at that time being a. storekeeper at Cardrona. Deceased had 12 children altogether, the eldest of whom are grown up, while the youngest is only three years old.

OREPUKI.

August 14.—Tho tvinter that wo have just experienced haa, with the exception of a week or so in July, when we had.a light.fall of snow and some severe frosts, been a remarkably fine one, sufficient rain falling at intervals to keep up the water supply for sluicing purposes. Tho Undaunted washed up the other day, the result being 39Joz, which was considered satisfactory for the amount of dirt washed. Tho company are carrying on extensive works. They have two sluicing claims, and tho claim known as the Klondyke is being ■worked by driving. The prospects of tho company, who lately purchased the water race and claims belonging to M'Lean Bros., and also the holding of Yong Wall, are considered good.

• At a meeting, of the Miners' Association it •wa-s decided .that a block. of,.land, of 30 acres, adjoining Hirstfield should, bos recommended •to the warden as a suitable place for residence sites in .lieu of the usual method of granting lesidenco areas of one acre wherever applied for._ The reason of the. association taking this action is owing to the very limited extent of the goldficid, the miners fearing that should the expected influx of population apply and obtain an acre eacli, they would so dot over the field that it would be very difficult to carry on mining operations. New comers consider the miners here selfish in trying 'to prevent them from getting what they have got themselves—that is, an acre to build and settle upon. But that is not the cafe. It is not selfishness, it is merely trying to protect their rights, they having already in many cases found how difficult and expensive it was to remove dwellings from these areas.

Shale.—The Coal and Shale Company are pushing .on all worka as' speedily as possible, they having nearly finished their excavations for their plant and buildings. They put off pick and shovel men the other day, not having work for them. It is tradesmen that are wanted at the present time—fitters and builders. They will be at a drawback if the Waika.to does not turn up, as she contains a quantity of tools which they require to place the machinery they have on the ground. . ,

ROXBURGH.

'August 14.—The days arc sunshiny at pre-. sent, but at nights wo are having very hard fro3t. We have not experienced 6O lengthy a tirno of hard frost for 16 years. The gum trees are quito blasted, owing, no doubt, to the snow continuing in a frozen state- on the leaves for so long a time. Skating has been the chief out-of-door amusement this winter, but we are now full up of it.

Mining.—Matters are very quiet, the claimß being mostly stopped on account of the frost. This explains the small wash-up of the Amalgamated Company. However, we expect a thaw shortly, when things will again hum. . Nothing much can eventuate in regard to the dredging boom for some time yet. Never! mmd, it is coming, arid will stop with us for a considerable time, I prophesy. -. : O.bituary.—Death has not forgotten us, dur-. ing the past few weeks; Two much-respected residents passed away a few weeks ago, in the persons of Mr James Woodhouse and his wife. Then a promising young man met wilh^ a fatal accident whilst working in the Amalgamated Company's claim, slipping and injuring himself so seriously that he died after a short illness.—On Friday, 11th inst., Mr Henry Toms, of Coal Creek (a fruit-grower by occupation), aged 62 years, passed away, .after' ii long, protracted, and-painful illness. " Much sympathy is felt by all who knew him for his. bereaved family. Mr Toms arrived in the district with his wife and two children 32 years ngo. The funeral took place to-day; and'was a very representative one, showing the esteem in Vrhicli he was held.

UPPER MOLYNEUX,

. August 14.—The weekly returns from the diflerent dredges working in this locality continue at a fairly high average, and doubtless ■will continue so until the river lises above it 3 normal level. But what is normal level? Kany ask, but few can answer. Last week I noticed that the local paper stated that the river at the Clyde bridge was 20in above norlnal. How the term normal as applied to the rise or fall of the river is a most misleading one, and should not be used in the way it is. As understood by the few in this district, the term normal means the lowest level of the river in 1893. Any fall of the river beW the marked level would mean below normal, and any rise above this level means above normal. No doubt the term " normal" appeared most appropriate to the one who first used it in this connection. It was euphonious, and looked learned, but the majority ol people, who simply consider the one meaning of the word, according to rule, fail to see its application in connection with the risings and fallings of the river. I have inquired from a number of intelligent persons what meaning they attach to the word as so used, and invariably the answer is tc this effect: "The word means to my mind the mean of the ordinary summer and winter level." This is the meaning Dial the word " normal " should have in connection with the irregular risings and fallings of a river, and no doubt the majority of your readers so understand it. The Golden Beach managed to put up 360z for the week. This dredge had the mis-fortune to lose her boat on Saturday morning. By some means the painter became unloosed, and, unknown to the men on board, the boat drifted out of the paddock into the stream and was Wst.

The llolyncux Hydrsuilii; resumed work last Tuesday, and washed up on Saturday fos Moz. I had a look over the pontoo/is of the New Alexandra dredge and claim a few days ago. The tumbler fmmin;; of the dredge is finished, anil all that remains for the carpenters to do is the caulking of the deck. This work will hfc completed by the end of the week, and there being a large portion of tJIo machinery t6 hand, its erection may be gone on with immediately. The pontoons are 05ft in length and Sift in width at the stern, and 28ft at

CiLKANTiINKKS IS NRXTTO GODLINESS Hut at wli.il coal is this cleanliness procured liy many people? Often at the cost of a !)aJ and nimoiiifoi-talilj skin.'the result of the una of inferior noapK. To ensure a good, healthful skin Peaks' Sow should always mo ueed.

the bows. The depth of the hull is 7ft, thus allowing ample freeboard. Tlio timbers are of bluegum throughout, and massively strong. The cross beams are 4x7, and the angular ties 4 x 6, .but abaft the well several of the cross beams are massive blucgum logs 12 x 12, thus securing strength rigidity. Further, to secure rigidity the pontoons arc sheathed longitudinally with kauri planks 4in in thickness. The planking is of first-class kauri, and so also, is the docking. To carry the elevator there are four log's s<ift in length raised perpendicularly, and strongly braced to the tumbler framing. Much credit is due to the Messrs Knewstubb Brothers for the faithful way in which they have carried out their part of the contract. There can be no question that what theso tradesmen contract to do they do well. The more I see of this company's claim the more I like it. To my mind it will be another Matau.

Stock Exchange—You have your Stock Exchange in Dunedin, and there can be no reason why wo should not have one in Alexandra, at least such is tho opinion of many who deal in dredging stock. To meet the demand one of our leading brokers, who is also an auctioneer, has arranged for daily sales of dredging stock, and no doubt, being "a pushing fellow, he will make a market.

Tho flotation of companies still goes on merrily. Tho latest in this district are the Manuherikia, United Molyneux, and the Conroys. As I have something to say of cr.ch cf these I will take them in order.

The Manuherikia Company's claim is located about three-quarters of a mile below the confluenco of the Manuherikia River with the Molyneux, and extending down the river for 80 chains, or one mile. Here the river has a straight reach, carrying immense quantities^ of silt during the spring and summer months, especially is this so during a fresh. On both sides the claim is bounded, by steep, rocky banks, practically undredgable. There are no beaches; but the average width of the river I estimate to bo two chains, consequently you will note that this estimate gives the claim an area of only, ,16 acres. It is very strange that the promoters' do not give any area in their published prospectus. They simply state that the company is projected to work mining areas and in particular this one of 16 acres, for which they charge themselves the moderate sum of £8000 in 8000 paid-up shares. The company is one with; a capital of £12,000, and the 4000 subscribing shares the promoters have taken up among' themselves. With the £4000 cash they purpose putting on an up-to-date dredge, which will-cost at the lowest estimate £7000. Thus, when the dredge starts, the company will ■be, saddled with a debt of £3000. Now, the company was a private one, and they paid, themselves £8000 for the claim, and subscribed among themselves the, remainder of the capital. Why.in the name of! common sense did they ever make it a public company? The only reasonable conclusion to which one can come is that.they.want their shares,to have a- market.value placed on them so that they can dispose of them in open market if they deem it expedient to do so. No doubt the claim is a good one, but after giving all due consideration to the excellent returns got by the current wheeler, some two years ago, it is very much over-rated.

With regard to the United Molyneu*, I have but little to say. I neither commend nor condemn it, but in my opinion it should not lie on the market just yet, for its time has not come. The claim is located inside of the Matau West and the Unity, and lies on the flat about six or seven chains from the river. '

The Conroys, to my mind, is a legitimate investment as a dredging venture, and is worth nioro than mere passing mention.1 The claim lies at the lower end of the Earnscleugh Flat, extending up the Conroy's Creek, taking in Conroy's Basin, to within a short distance of Conroy's reef, and comprises an area of 103 acres, 77 of which is freehold land. The claim has also a frontage to the Fraser River, and as the Conroy's Creek runs through tho claim, there will bo an amply supply of water available to sluice off the top stuff so as to give the dredge freedom in operating on the wash. I understand the vendors pay cash for the land, for which they receive vendors' shares. This clearly evidences their faith in the Conroys as a mining venture, more especially is this so as they purpose taking up a large number of contributing shares among themselves. I do not know how the investing public look upon my notes, but as jthoy are the honest conclusions given from personal observation, I give them for what they are worth. Now there is one matter I desire to warn 'he public against, and that is investing in flat claims that have not been prospected. . No matter what dredging expert's name be on zhc provisional directorate or what dredging expert reports favourably of. its prospects; no matter what famous gold-producing claim It lies near—have nothing to,do with it if it has not been prospected before being placed on the market. No doubt there are seams of gold throughout the whole of the Earuacleugh and Dunstan Flats, but it would be absurd to assumo that the seams of wash are. of uniform thickness or of uniform richness by simply surveying the surface configuration or because of the nearness of one claim to another, and yet we know this has been done, and will be done again. . ' . '