MANIOTOTO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT )

Otago Witness, Issue 1596, 24 June 1882, Page 13

MANIOTOTO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT )

Hamilton, June 17th,

A miner hailing from the l»nd famous for its shamrocks and shillelaghs once shrewdly remarked to me, in the course of a friendly " ciMck " on the mining resources of this district, that Hamilton, as agoldflcld, wast '" not to bo shnazed at." How I was to take his expression in a literal sense somewhat puzzled me on the spur of the moment, and not wishing to ask any questions of a personal nature, I did not inquire of my companion whether ho was a habitual '•sniffer," for shortly after he convinced me of my supposition by placing his forefinger and thumb into the extremity of his vostpocket an I extracting a " cartridge " mlti ciont for miv bree h-loader, he zealously applied the chargo to his ruby nasil organ, and with a teirilie snort, loud enough for the calibre of the wild boar species, the report being soon followed by a choruu* of "shnazes ' that fully confirmed any future doubts relative to the "snuffing" business. By tho the time my companion's propensities had been satisfied pro tompore, 1 had como to my own delinito conclusions of the auriferous meaning of tho " shnazlng " term, the truth of which has lately boon illustrated from a mining point ot view, for all our Hamilton miners aro iudefatij-alile in their enterprising, industrious, and independent calling. The Cornish Company _have lately discovered, to iheir own credit, that Hamilton, as my friend romarked, is, indeed, "not to be sneezed at," for I hear, on authentic and reliable information, that they have lately struck a rich s>oam or, load, tho prospects of which, on being washed,' yielded from one to four ounoes to the tin dish. I have not hea. d of the likely extent of this golden vein, which is truly magnificent, and holds our, futuie hopes of prosperity in the gold-mining of Hamilton. This fact quite settles tho sneezing question ; the difference of opinion between my friend and "your own" being that the former is quite welcome to his luxury of snuffing, allowing that the latter could a'so obtain the substitute In the form of ••golden snuff " I heartily c ngratulate the gentlemen of the Cornish Company on thoir good luck, and hope that they will bo lewarded for days and night* spent in haul labour ; for if the hard-working and industnus minor is not deservlug of a fair turn of luck sometimed, I raally de not know who is Tno immediato neighbours of the Cornish Company are' tho Perseverance Company, whoso rospe-tivo claims al join, and they would both furnish a \ cry graphic jubject for a sketch of slucing claims, that branch of mining being tho most popular nov\ada,\s ; and should any drawing reporter pay Hamilton a visit, he might do worse than make au inspection ot the said claims, which he would lli-d a fitlul' subject for his pencil. Since the completion of their tunnel and tailrace, the Perseverance "boys" luvo bean going in "lemons," and I heartily hopo that they may, be rewarded by reaping a good harvost of " oranges" of tho desirable goldou flavour. I regret to say that Messrs Newton and Church, of the Golden Link, had tho bad luck to experience a heavy fall in their tunnel claim aoinc time ago, which suspended their mining' operations for. some little time. Thoy have, however, got it reeonstiueted, und are burrowing away as busily as rabbits. Our ex-baker, Mr Oeorgc Taylor, has a tunnel in close proximity to the Golden Link, and if Dame fortune should smile on our man' of doutfh, everybody will be jfljul to hear of George's good luck, not forgetting Dams Fortune herself, whoso sweet smiles fall on hikers as well as on all other tradesmen In their special turns of good luck The Star and Garter, a nowly-rogistered company, consisting of Mcasra lloase, Ueau'i, and VVhelan, whose recent mining speculation I alluded to in a p.o\ious letter, will shortly finish thc-lr hcadr.icc, which commands their sluicing claim on the bin; hill at Hamilton. I truit, from an astronomical point of view, that their "golden star" may soon riso on their successful mining horizon ; about the golden garter, however, "your own" refrains from expressing his opinion, as those kind of jowils are somewhat out of his lino. I hear thei eisto bo a " small Bprce "on tho inauguration of the successful completion of the Star and Garter's wator-iM«o, and that tho (lowing crystal will recuve a fair share of whisky in tho christening of ths claim. Mr Warden Robinson haS paid us his usual monthly visit, and as usual, his busines-s was confined loiniiiin-,' items only, which mint be satisfactory to that »-oritieman, as "drank and I'borderly " disea are alnn&l unknown hero, therefore hia sterner tnagestoml duties aro lescrved for other localities. A» a. zealous and efficient public seiv^ut, Mr Warden Robin .on has been wull known to this diatrioti Ux many years, and his re-

mqval by the Government has not been a themo of univui-o il acknowledgment throughout thi^ extensive disti.ci. Various errors with which our AVardtii was ciedited by a well-known "Scottish chief" in our House of Parliament, somewhat marred the- beauty of that representative's august speech, which is duly recorded in of our " blue-books," to be handed down, as an heir-loom for tho benefit uf the rising legal pro fession administered on our goldfield-i, and to which it is presented by the Legislature as a public act of charity.

Hawks miy be getting scare?, but not hawkers. " Birds of a feather flock together " is not a truthful S'iyin,' in refereni c to the latter species, for the cr> is ■ " still they come" in sinjjlo file, liku sheep, and to tho tune of "tally," with prico-t tor (.ho mill. on, and as opposition is tho life of tiade, so much the butter for the geneial public, who have t> pay SO ior cent, or more on goads obtained from storekeepers, who aro inexorable in their prices; and though tUo strndard pi ice of the 411) loaf is one (.hilling, they are utill praying for tlie advani'oincnt of tdeOtago Cent ml railway, a-id by the time that the iron hors : proclaim hia arrival, long [.rices, like long prayers, will lie a th'nsr of the past, and opposition fruiuDun din bakers will bring down the price of nreu.l to :i more suitablo fiuurc for the workinsj man.

Station managers have already got the next shearin>< before than, though evidently from a perspective point of view, for station (Oiiks arc already preeugagod mi sme stations. "Good nion are bcarce," especially uood cooks, ai.d our modern shearer musb have a bill of faro a la sni/cr. for he i-i fast becoming an epicure o F tl o most fastidious typo. The weather is cold and wintry at times in our " Knuland of tho Southern Pole," and " Hands all Round," a la Tennyson, over a comfortable toddy round a cheerful fireside, contiasts favourably with winterly winds and snow-capped mountains.