ST. RATHANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 25

ST. RATHANS.

.Mat 11. — Aftffna tmv of dry weather extending ; >over six week*, which gave to the farmers a happy unbroken time to cut 'and gather in their crops, which I am pleased to itate have been above' the ,-»vera£i*, we .are now getting some rain, which will gladden the hearts of th« pastoral tenants and make the mining industry hum until King Front demands his tribute and lays his firm grip on land .and water. Then comes the roaring time of curling and football. Improvements.— New buildings continue to go up in what vras thought some yearn ago to be a finished town. The latest addition is a new courthouse. The building, so fur as design is concerned is passable, but in my opinion it is spoiled in appearance :by ,the painting of a galvanized iron roof with hematite. The inside of the building has many improvements and conveniences that the old 'courthouse was deficient in. The comfort of the Bench and Bar have been well attended to, but the accommodation for the public h«n been grievously neglected or overlook«d. It is to be Jbopud that this fault will be speedily remedied. The new courthouse was opaned for business on the Bth mat by Mr S. M. Dalgleish, S.M. and Warden. The 'business sheet in both courts was light, »nd quickly diai-o.ed of. Owing to the ludicrous nature of one case in the Magistrate's Court I will cite it. It was that of M Caffry v. Gallagher, a claim of 6s for a debt of four years' standing, with interest added at the rate of 9 per cent., which increased theamoun* by2s. Judgment was gi van for the amount of the debt, but interest at the rate of 9 per cent, could not be allowed, and a " tarm-er " was knocked off. The total indebtedness then stood at 7s fid. In the Warden's Court John B -attic applied for a dredging claim in the _ Dunstan Creek. Jcthn Ewing objected on the' [grounds that the claim .applied fur was partly made np uf tea-ac-j g-ound. The warden declined to grautthc are* applied for until he "should get advice from tlie Minister for Mines. On hearing the case talked over out of court I came to the concluaion that the local miniug association should be empowered to give advice in matters pertaining to any description of mining in their own locality. MINING. A boom in mining is setting in in our neighbourhood, four miles of the Dunstan Creek having been applied for at the Warden's Court for dredging purposes, und in all likelihood tbe whole stream will be taken up for dredging claims f row its confluence with the Manuherikia River to a point opposite the St. Bathans Ctinetery. Ihis dredging of rivers' and creeks is evidently going to put f r«3h. life into a flagging industry. It is to be hoped tlwt the whole undertaking will be crowned with sucoess. The Scandinavian Company has pegged out an extensive area of ground in the upper end of tho St Bithans basin.

I have alao to chronicle the undertakings of our enterprising neighbour, Mr Ewing, who has applied for and taken up large areas of land in the neighbourhood for hydraulic mmmg — Cambrians, Vinegar Flat, and St. Bathans being the seats of operation. Three heavy loach of steel piping have paused through here during the week with which to furnish his new undertakings.