UPPER MOLYMEUX.

Otago Witness, Issue 2320, 18 August 1898, Page 25

UPPER MOLYMEUX.

MINING.

August 15.— The weather continues suitable for dredging, keen frost prevailing during the week, with a low river and little drift travelling. The Moa, evidently getting on to better ground, washed up on Saturday 91oz for the week.

The Golden Beach was idle on Monday and Tuesday, but kept steadily at work for the remainder of the week, and won 670z for the four days' work.

The Alpine, two miles below Cromwell, washed up on Saturday 190oz for the week. This dredge was a failure on the Clutha, but success has come to her on the Molyneux. The Island Basin has not yet struck payable wash. This dredge is under competent management, and if gold be in the claim it should be struck shortly, as the river is now within a few inches of its normal winter level.

Tho Eureka No. 2 has the new elevator about completed, and will commence dredging tarly in the week.

The Eureka No. 1 made a start last Monday, and ihe river 1 eeping low she should do fairly well.

The Enterprise keeps steadily at work, and baing under able and competent management, gives a steady weekly return, averaging ovor 20oz.

I hei- that, after going through a considerable piece of barren ground, the Cambrians dredgo has at lust st'-uck payable wash. The- Nil Desperandum, aJso on the Manuhenkia, hag not yet struck a lead, but has gcod prospects ahpad. Messrs Knewstub Bros, havp made a start to (mild the pontoons for the AJatau Company' 3 thedge

GENERAL.

Death. — Tbe saddest event of J be week r>n3 been tho death of Mrs Kehnan, wife of Mr James Ke'maa, the wojtliy mayor of Alexandra. Being of a gentle, m.obtrusive disposition, deceased was respected and esteemed by all with whom she came in contact. Her home life was a pattern in all that makes home happy, and being a good wife and good mother, sl>e will bo sadly missed from the home circle. The funeral of ckcepsed, tvho was only 3d yeara of age, took place yesterday (Sunday), and was largely attended by friends and sympathisers, many coining from Cromwell and Clyde to p'ty their laut -expects to one whom to ki'ow was to c^st^em. Mr Kelman ha 3 the heartfelt sympathy of his fellow townsmen in his sad beleavemenfc. Mrs Kelman leaves a family of seven children, the youngest being only seven rronths old, io mourn their sad loss. Bachelors' Ball. — This ball, which was to have been held last Friday, has, in consequence of Mrs Kelman's death, been postponed till next Friday. Gambling. — "Your own" at Clyde asseila that " gambling in our goldfields townships is not the stalking evil some people would have us believe it is." Now, after over 25 years' experience of life on the eoldfielda. I differ

from "your g\ui's" statement Gambling is one of ihe moot prevalent and enticing vices of our goldficlds towns. It is generally acknowledged that wherever Chinese are located in numbers there facilities are afforded to Europeans to gamble, and young men of weak moral •tamina are somehow induced to enter these gambling dens— it may be, at first, just to try their luck in a game of " Bing-ti-lue " at threepenny stakes, but the passion for gambling grows and becomes too deep-rooted to be given up readily. So far as I know tho young men or Alexandra are not a bit better or worse than the young men of any other goltifitlds centre. They are subject to temptation, and boing plastic, yield to the allurements of Chinese gambling. What I object to is our young men contaminating thsir moral nature by contact with the vice m any form. More especially is the contamination to be deprecated when they fraternise in gambling with Chinese. They know it is lowering to their manhood, an-1 that public opinion condemns it. One horcs, therefore, that they will rise superior tt> his degrading vice, and not c!r;<g tho nobleness of their npture through the fuiii ot a Chinese tamp.