HINDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 30

HINDON.

May 4.— Harvest is not; finished in some of the back country here yet, the weather having been very unsettled for a long time. This part of the country seems to be at too high an altitude for grain growing, as the wet weather always comes on before the harvest is in.

School Committee —Five householder* only being nominated, there was no ballot held, and the membe r s elected wer^ Messrs Matheaon, Doherty, Isbiater, Tohn Garr- it and James Oarrett. The new committee st - ' t with a balance in hand of £3 3s 4d, and as th >ld committee starttd with a balance of only a <°<;w shillings tb«ir financing, at >all events, haß b-en satisfactory. Church Matters.— The Rev. Mr Macintyre has been here during the past week, holdine even" iuR services in the school, which, considering the weather, have beon fairly attended. The funds of the rhurch eecm to be at a low ebb, but, considering that we have only bad fortnightly services from students, and also tHe low prices ruling for everything, this is not to be wondered at.

MINING. The quartz reefs here' are still employing a number of men from the Mining Association of Dunedin, but nothing specially rich has been struck up to the present. The cold is undoubtedly in the quartz, but the ordinary amalgamating batteries are unable to save the greater part of the metal, ifc_ being refractory —i «., coated with some other mineral, which prevents the quicksilver from amalgamating with it. The cyanide proce»s is probably the oneto solve this difficulty. A plant is to be erected in Dunedin at#the university for the purpose of trying samples by the cy nide procesi. It took a long time for the School of Mines to secure the accessary vote, as it is years since the scheme was first talked off, an it is to be hup -d t>o Mmc will be lost now the money is available. If we bad a really capable Minister for Mines this would not have been hung up se long to the great detriment of the mining industry and the country at large, as there are hundredn of quartz reefs in Otago which would paygood dividends if 90 per cent of the gold could be saved instead of 50 per cent., which is about all we can save by rimpla amalgam mation. ._ '