MOUNT IDA.

Otago Witness, Issue 928, 11 September 1869, Page 3

MOUNT IDA.

(prom our own correspondent.) Naseby, September 3rd. Times here have for some time been extremely dull. Never, perhaps, in the memory of the " oldest resident" has the Hogburn been more depressed, both in a mining and a commercial point of view, than it has been during the last month or Bix weeks, and it is feared that until the winter is over the present state of stagnation wijl continue. Taking the winter as | a whole, it has been, I believe, an unusually fine one, with leas snow and frost than generally fall to the lot of diggings situate in similar high localities. For several days, I might almost say weeks, past, winter and spring have been fighting for the ascendancy, and, though the snow has occasionally fallen and slight frosts have occurred at night, each has been in its turn compelled to give way. You will have remarked that in the last two or three escorts Mount Ida has forfeited the proud position which it for some time held at thehead of the poll — a position which I doubt not it will speedily reoccupy. The golden treasure is here in abundance, as a few weeks' fine weather ■will abundantly prove. Clarks was last summer one of the best yielding workings in this district, but the holders of claims there have been literally "frozen out" for many weeks. I hear, however, that Bonie of them have returned to their old haunts this week.

You will recollect that some six months back a memorial was got up and signed by some 350 persons, praying the Post-master-General to alter the mail route to the Dunstan from Dunedin as to cause the mail to pass through this town. The prayer was a just and reasonable one, seeing that the distance is little, if at all, greater than by the route at present traversed, and that a town containing a population of over 600 would be thereby brought into direct communication both with Dunedin and the up country towns, from which it is at present virtually cut off. The Postmaster-General, in replying to the memorial in question, based, in a great measure, his non-compliance with its prayer upon the fact that the portion of the road through which it was desired to run the coach was impassable. The letter, however, contained a promise that when the present mail contract terminated, tenders should be called for to convey the mails from Dunedin to Dunstan, via Naseby. With this promise, the people here were compelled to remain content, though at the same time they took such steps in tho matter as were in their power. They, through their member in tho Provincial Council, succeeded in getting the sum of LSOO placed upon the Estimates for the formation of the piece of road complained of, so that thero should be no further hitch on that account when the tenders should be called for for the now contract. |,This was in April — four months since— -and from that to the present timo no action has been taken by the Government towards putting tho road between Kyeburn and Eden Creek, via Naseby, in a fit condition. The tender for the entire Mail Service of the Colony will be called for this month, and should the inhabitants of Naseby fail to obtain the desired alteration in the route from Palmerston to the Dunstan, they will know to whom to attribute their failure