Notes from Tuapeka.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 24

Notes from Tuapeka.

(Faoir Our Wethebstones Cobbespondent.> July 24. —The mining case for .the cancellation of the Golden Rise claim because of tho employment of insufficient labour duly came off on tho 10th inst. No ono expected they would lose the ground, and it was not expected that they would be fined so heavily. When all expenses are paid it will cost them! altogether over £100. They can ill afford it at present, for Mr Adams informed me that he ha 3 received no returns from the claim these last two or three months. He said that the claim has been paying no more than working expenses lately. Their race got blocked with ica last Tuesday, and broke away, and it took them to the afternoon of the following .day to repair it. That means a loss of three shifts elevating, and more expense to them. Both the men who applied' for the cancellation of tho Golden Rise claim told me that they have appealed, and deposited the sum required, and that tho case willl bo heard in the District Court in October. There is no telling whafc may happen by then, for there may be an alteration in. the Mining Act by that time with reti ospective provisions. There is no improvement in Mr Adams's hand. He said that ha had to go to Dunedin, go under chloroform, and have some of'the bones taken out of the hand. Tho Local Industry was idle for some time with the fro3t, and to add to their troubles, tho Phoenix water race got blocked .with th'a siiow t and frost and broke. It;took .the party some days repairing it, -besideV being at tho expense of getting a quantity-of-timber out to, repair the race,with, and tlierioad put is 1 both steep and rough. """11" ""1 1If tho weather had been favourable the Golden Crescent raco would have been finished in about five weeks. It is the shareholders' intention to call for tenders for the" cutting of the inner portion of the raoe when the weather gets more settled. The frost doesn't stop tho diedge —tney keep steady at it all the while. The Bella reef, Waipori, is idflo at present, through the frost. Mr M'Keich'says that there were' icicles in tho tunnel as big as his arm. If it waa not for that they would have put more men on before now, so when they are able to work tho reef there will be ebployment for a good few men.