EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26540, 15 August 1947, Page 4

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

FROM THE FILES OF THE ©tago ©ail? Himes DUNEDIN, AUGUST 15, 1862. Says the Tuapeka correspondent of the Daily Times:—“The miners at the head of Gabriel's still continue to do well. From old ground, partially worked by the first-comers, some firstrate yields have lately been obtained. Last week a party of four had over 20oz for one day’s work, and the yield for the week previous from the same ground was close on 500 z.” The Daily Times reports that the work of endeavouring to remove the stranded Victory from the beach at Wickliffe Bay was being retarded by heavy weather. Says the Times:— “Though the .present strong wind from the north-east sets up a considerable surf on the beach, there is nothing like the heavy swell which rolls into the bay after a spell of southerly weather.” The paper adds that those on the spot continue to have confident expectations. “On Wednesday, the 13th, the Brethren of the Otago Lodge of Freemasons, to the number of upwards of eighty, assembled in their lodgeroom at the Shamrock Hotel to witness the installation of Brother Charles Webb to the chair of W.M.„,to which he had been elected by the unanimous vote, of the Brethren." The Daily Times states that though not advancing at the same rate as Dunedin, Port Chalmers “is giving signs of considerable extension and improvement.” The paper enumerates several of the new buildings being erected and to be built, and says: “ Large stores are now occupied by Messrs Malloch and Kennedy, Mr Elfenbein, Mr Levi, and others. . . . Beyond the lengthening of the jetty and the construction of a slip at Carey’s Bay, few . improvements have been effected in connection with shipping, but it is hoped that with an increase of the business of the place some better wharfage will be afforded.” At the meeting held to concert measures for the formation of a fire brigade for the city the following were appointed a committee for the purpose of procuring subscriptions and otherwise carrying out the object of the meeting:—Messrs Rattray, Martin, F. Moss, H. Cooke, Reeves. McLeod, H. E. Nathan, Casper, McLandress, D. Murphy, C. Rees. S. E. Jones, J. Cargill, Switzer. Kilgour, Wright, Tickle, and Hart. The Daily Times concludes its report of the meeting as follows: — “ There was then a perfect rush of persons desirous of being enrolled in the Volunteer Fire Brigade. We can state, that 40 members gave in their names.”

“ It is not long since we drew attention to the fact that a party of men had been prospecting in the neighbourhood of the Mataura River. We then alluded to the. fact that gold had been found in the Mataura years ago, but we did not indicate the exact locality. “Our attention has since been called to the fact that Mr Ligar, in an official report, which was made public as long ago as December, 1836, had stated that gold was very generally distributed in the gravel and sand of the Mataura River at Tuturau.” The Times adds “ that it might be worthwhile for some of the restless spirits to give the locality a trial.”

“The formation of paved crossings will be very generally recognised as a great improvement in the streets of Dunedin, but we would suggest to the Town Board that the crossings might be much improved if they were laid with more care and with more regard to the principles that should regulate such a work. In the first place, the stones should be made to stand a little above the level of the road, by which means the footway would be lifted above the road; secondly, they should be laid with a slight convexity, so as to allow of the wet draining off, and, lastly, care should be taken when laying the stones that the earth is solid beneath them.”