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Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 25

FORTROSE.

April 28.— The sands on the- Wainapa and Sixmile beaches are about to receive another trial, this time by a-dinwent process of gold-saving. Mr 1 Frank Holmes, a. sun. of Mr, .X Holmws, of Otara, who has been for the last, few years engaged in mining matters ih.th« Transvaal, bas-just returned from Johannesburg, where all thi appliances in use are of the latest desciiptinn. The gold saved th«re. is verj flne, ami in that redact it reflvn)bl« > 8 our beach gold. That th« g/.W is in the sond has been anundantl) proved, but fchfrdifflcult.y. bi'hertohoe b&an to dbviecin^aus of saving it.. The properties applied for now— two claims on the Wxipapa Beach and one on the Six-mile— ure to bo worked after the style- of the Maearthur-Forregfccyanide process. It is certainly to behoped that the new process wilLbemoro' successful than the- dredges, were. If men can work by the old. methods of gold-saving and make satisfactory wages, ' then there shoul<; be a fortune to be made if all the latest scientific ai.pliunoes togi ther with the otwessary skill are brought into requisition. Agricultural. — {'he weather has been, very/ favourable for tliis time of the year,, and. threshi&gis going on merrily. No big tallies are being madej but the crops on tha whole are. up to th» average-.

Draughts.— A draughts club ha&beeir formed, and the opening night has been fixed for May 2r The "AVer* of the cluli are : Mi X G M'Kenzie, president; Mr 11, A. Elliot", vice-pft-aident ; Mr H. Sri) ling, (•eoretary and treasurer; Mr Au J-. Millard, captain rt.ix the intention of the club> to join tho Mat*ura V»lley Asxociation, and: ta> play S'jvural mstches during t,he season.

v^chool Committrh; The annual meeting for the election of * school cammittce .was held last night, but no interest was *hovv» in the mutter. Osilyi four members of the. old committee, were present, sad they were reflected, along with one gentleman whose nomination, had been, sent in. The retiring committee teportsd'a credit balance of £3.. • . - National Association.— A. branch of th» National Association is to be v formed' here, and rmatters-politicalsput into trirnt for next election. Our member, Mr it. M*N*b; who h»» attended to his district very well indeed^ intends' paying us a visit in a few days. Mr M ; 'Na,t> has etrengtbened hid position here since he hecainn oun^amber, aud thy only rn»n, in my opinion) whn\has any show of ountiag him i» the Hon. (i. P. tlichardsou, and then not on political grounds, but' on his personal p ipularity in the district. However, if them is to be a contest between the two, it is to be hop"d that the best of good' fueling will> exist all oven 'the district, aud that persona) bickerings' and recrimiuatio&s, consequent on different sides, lieiag taken and different opinions held, will be at a minimum.