QUEENSTOWN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1273, 22 April 1876, Page 6

QUEENSTOWN.

Although the season is getting late, there are still a few tourists lingering about the shores of Lake Wakatip, and there appears to prevail one general opinion that, for a pleasant summer's holiday, thiß father of New Zealand inland waters has no rival. la matters commercial, dulne*s seems to prevail almost everywhere, money having become quite a scarce article amongst the business people j however, there exists more conndenoe than ever in the prosperity v>f the future, the Upper Shetover not having looked more prosperous for years past. The New Channel Company are said to have struck first-rate gold, which news must prove very acceptable to shareholders, who have experienced a long, weary season of paying up calls, and no return whatever. Tiie Hibernia Company are also reported to have come upon it heavy, and there appears every promise that the Shotover will continue to remain low enough to enable them to continue operations profitably. This company possess some first-rate machinery, and it will be no ordinary difficulties which they are not able to surmount. At Butchers' Gully, Skipper's Creek, Mr J. Aspinall has opened some very good ground, and is down upon very heavy gold. In the same gully a very promising quartz reef has been opened by Messrs Edgar and Grace and party, both of whose claims promise to prove payable. The stone really looks very well, and the reef should yield handsomely when once crushing machinery is erecteJ. At Skipper's Reefs, the Phoenix Tributors and Southberg and Co. are both upon very excellent stone, and wore it not for the shortness of water preventing crushing operations beiug carried on, there would have been several cakes of gold already from this quarter. In agricultural matters these is exceedingly little doing, grain being quite unsaleable. The enly cheering news for the farmers is tho splendid prospects from the reefs at Macetown, which will necessitate a large demand for horse feed. In a great measure this is already behig experienced, although tha beneficial effeots of the change hive not reached this locality bb yet. Notwithstanding that in both lines of road betwetm this and Dunedin railway carriage is available for considerable distances, the time in which travellers can reach their reapeotive destinations has not been aooele. rated m the least, Steamers leave Queens, town at 7 a.m. in time for the ooaohes to meet the train to Invercargill the same evening, but this dots not appear to suic the coach proprietors, who drag their passGngors on at ft euail's galop, so that they ara compelled to remain ftD .» toW ft)l night when, $hey sfeous

be slumbering comfortably in Invereargi'l. Upon the return journey the steamboat owners are equally in fault. Passengers arrive at Kingston on Monday and Thursday evenings, and aie compelled to remain until the following evenings ere they can bo conveyed to Queenstown. In a measure there is some palliation for this evil, is the down steamer is compelled to lose a considerable amount of tiirfe in unloading and re-loading again, and an increase of traffic appears to be the only remedy for this inconvenience. Upon the coach road direct to Dunedin things are even worse, three days being the time occupied over this weary journey, and when Sunday intervenes, which is the case with Friday's coach from either terminus, four days is the time occupied in travelling, so that praotically Melbourne is as far removed from Dunedin as Queenstown. The great fault flf all these unnecessary delays and losses to the travelling public is caused by the Post-office authorities, who should, as in Australia, insist upon a certain rato of speed being kept up as well as that when once the mails are on board, coaches should continue on until their utmost destination is finally reached. Coach-travelling in New Zealand is 25 years behind Victoria, and it would really appear that the travelling public are made to suit the convenience of coach proprietors and hotelkeepers instead of vice versa. A very great deal has beon said about typhoid fever lately, but really there does not exist any real or apparent cause foralarm. There has been a case or two in the Waka tip Hospital, but only one of them came from Queenstown, and then we have to ask ourselves the question, was it really typhoid at all ? Anybody taking ill now is said to be afflicted with the fever. Typhoid on the brain is evidently afflicting some of our medical men and would-be alarmists. There really cannot possibly be a mere healthy town than Queenstown in this world. Cool mountain breezes are never wanting, there is ample natural drainage, including a most unlimited supply of never failing running water. A number of tourists, whom I have spoken to appear to be quite amused at the idea oE typhoid in such a place, and treat the rumours with the contempt such absurdities deserve. A fine aeaxn of sandstone, which has existence on the shores of the Lake near the Twelve-Mile, is now being applied, through the enterprise of a Mr M'Caffery, an accomplished stone-cutter, to highly ornamental purposes. The etone takes a beautiful polish, and for mantelpieces, tombstones, &c, nothing could be better. It is much harder than Oamaru atone, while it will stand the test of fire without splintering. Mr M'Caffery's handiwork appears to meet with very liberal patronage both in the Wakatip and surrounding districts. With railway communication, this stone would doubtless be much sought after in Dunedin, it possessing qualities different to any other description of sand or freestone found in Otago. A new idea in the developing of the Macetown quartz reefs, and which should answer admirably well, has been introduced. The Bystem is said to have had its origin in Inglewood, Victoria, and many of the rich reefs there were oponed up under it, while it posthe very great recommendation of obviating the necessity for large scrip^/jonv panics until success is thoroughly assured, when it remains optional to work the mine either by a small or large company. The' former is, however, the favourite, and, I think, will be the system pursued, the Mace town reefs up to the present being all in the possession of those who understand thoir practical working, and who are engaged doing so accordingly. The system of development is this : When a reef or claim showing gold is found, the finders, after satisfying themselves that the prospects are sufficient to induce them to further exertions, - make up a company of f r om twelve to twenty, ' and charge a amdl fee for admission, with the conditions that, when the mine is proved to be a payable one, a further sum is to be paid, and, until this question is settled, each shareholder is ooly called upon to contribute his actual share of the exposes, which only amount to a few shillings weekly.