NOTES FROM CLYDE. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 38

NOTES FROM CLYDE. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

CLYDE, June 25.— The contractor for the construction of the Cairnmuir dredge pontoons is not a little hampered in his work through the inability of carters to cope with the work of delivering the timber as required. To those having the necessary horses and other outfit, there is a splendid opportunity for obtaining highly lucrative employment in carting dredge mateaal from "Wedderbum, to which place the goods for the interior arce now brought by rail. To ensure the quicker despatch, of his building material, Mr liitchie sent a man to Ranfurly with instructions to have his consignments sent on with all possible haste. The move somewhat

facilitated for a time the delivery of timber at Clyde, but since the man was withdrawn recently, the carters have fallen into their old gioove of taking xip a inixeel loading, with a view, I daresay, to soothing the irascible feelings of the different contractors at one and the same time.

The river is still falling, and should the piesent frosts continue throughout June, there will be a prospect oi the river becoming much lower than the recognised normal level, which is, I should say, about 18in lower than the present level.

Several loads of machineiy for the Vincent Extended dredge have been delivered. The contractors have nob, so far, arrived, so that the fitting-up has not been commenced yet. It may interest old Dcmstanites who are now resident on other goldueids, and elsewhere, to learn that the Vincent Company's dredge is now operating on rich wash in that part of the river immediately neaa - the well-known Diuininer's claim. Old diggers may still have a somewhat lively recollection of the "Drummer," so-called becausccf his inveterate fondness for beating a small diurn m accompaniment to the ear-splitting strains which emanated irorn the mysterious-looking wind instruments that used to be the especial choice of the "Drummer's " mates. It was the party's wont fco work one day in each week, cirLik '"digger's special" during another four, and upon the sixth day they regaled tho inhabitants vrith. so-called musical selections in open air. The little connection with the soothin? influence of some hyperbolical fantasia had its beneficial effect upon the party. To hastily sip a nobbier of the "three star 1 ' of those days meant a sudden enlargement of the field of vision, till thousands of stars of no fixed abode would blot oitt all space, and successfully blur the natural perspicuity of things. The "Drummer" ussd to go 'n for this kind of astronomical research, " and s s was only natural, he experienced the unnatural after-effects. But the music ( ?) was o delightful pick-me-up ; and the paity regularly fell in and paraded tho mining camp blowing and puffing ad lib, whilst tho "Drummer" nounded the drum with might and mam. StmcHy would bo an oH day generally, and on Monday the party would pioceed to the claim, v/heie not infrequently the day's work would be rewarded by iOoz of gold. Thatcher, tbe only digger's poat, so far, could always find some little incident in the digger's life to fit his purpose in rhyme. The "Diurnmer" gave birn matter for many verses, none of "which., I believe, appear in print to-day. It is stated that the paity obtained fully lib weight in gold on a particular day; but as this piece of news is merely iccorded by Thatcher in one of his ,«ongs, the fact may be questionable. N"eveitheless, it is known that the party obtained splendid wash-ups, and that much of the golcVbeaiing material remained after they had done with the ground, which was submerged by the Old Man flood, since when the site of -former workings has never appeared above water-level.

There is a piospect of ilic Dairy Creek coal pits being floated into a limited liability company in the iigpt future.

"Business is wretchedly slack with our local biokeis, but it is expected that matters will mend a little during the \ emaining weeks of winter.

Fro^t still contipues, and fully a fortnight has> clap=ed since the sun was seen by residents Here, owing to the density of ihe fog prevailing. The men employed at laying the pipe line at Fraser River hare had to cease work owing to the nOii-ari-ivtil of pipes. The sinki-no of the Alpine drcdae i? to be rpgrettcd. The accident happened through the dredgo striking a, rock in a treacherous rapid that occurs in a part o£ the claim.

NOTES FPvOIvI CENTRAL OTAGO (From Oue Own Cgreespcndent.)

ALEXANDRA, June 25. — The weatliei during th past week lias been veij severe. The cold has "been intense, and. thick foa obscured

the sun until yesterday, when a glimpse of it was obtained. Some of the diedges have been much hampered by the irosts, and the Nil Desperandum, Morning Star, and Kltrndylca dredges are temporarily shut down.

The Molyaeux River has fallen slowly bat steadily all the week, and is now a trifle Trader 2ft above normal at tho Alexandra bridge. The Manuherikia River now contains very little water, which, it may be marked, is running clear a3 compared to its utual extremely dirty colour. The housing on the Olrig dredge is now completed, but the dredge is frozen tip, and cannot therefore work for the present. latdo not know whether the Chatto Creek dieJge has been forced to stop on account of ihe irost or not, but up to the middle of the week she had not succeeded in striking the lead of good wash that is believed to exist near where she is now working.

The Golden Link dredge, owing to the small quantity of water in the Manuherikia, is almost high and dry. The niachineiy is on the road, but none has arrived yet.

The Galtee More dredge was purchased "by Mr Robert Hutton on behalf of the Foley'a Creek Company, a West Coast company recently formed.

The Manoibum dredge had her first wash-tip on Saturday, after her recent long stoppage; the amount was 18oz 6dv/t.

Three loads of timber arrived on Friday ,foithe Frascr Flat Company's pontoons. Some of it wps 58ft long.

Two uioie loads of timber for the Golden Palls dredge arrived yesterday." Messrs Knewstubb Broa. are making good progress with the pontoons. The framing is about up, and planking i<3 well in hand.

Thb Molyneux Hydraulic dredge ha,s commenced another upward cut near the end of

the tailings she left on her former cut,

The Unity dredge had a good week; obtaining over dOoz.

The pontoons of the Golden River dredgo were launched on Wednesday last.

The New Alexandra dredge is now working" m the lately-acquired Tiver portion of her claim. _

The Earnscleugh No. II dredge is at present working in a paddock sis feet above the level of 'the river. The return on Saturday was about 260z. There is a big falling off this week in the return from the Earnscleugh No. 1 dredge.

The Glasgow dredge will make a staifc shortly.

' The Ngapara No. 1 <3redge resumed- dredging on Tuesday last. None of the machinery seems to have been injuriously affected by the late fire.

The Alexandra Eureka dredge resumed dredging at 12 o'clock last night. The dredge is to-be shifted ten dredge lengths down stream, to work a cut in the middle of "the river. A new screen will not be put on now till the spring.

The Golden "Beach was not working quite such rich -wash last week, as she got just 620z 16dwt for the week. The lead of gold she is on runs intc the bank on the inward side of the cut.

For 3even days' work since the stoppage for repairs the Chicago dredge washed up on Saturday for lOfoz.

At a meeting of directors of the Perseverance Dredging Company l?st Monday evening, it was decided, in view of the recent fires on. dredges, to put a man on watch from midnight on Saturday till Sunday morning in each week, in order to ensure the safety of the dredge. The advisability of making provision to minimise the risk of fire which is most likely to occur during the time mentioned above will doubtless force itself on the directors of other dredging companies, especially those companies whose dredges are of wood. The interests of shareholders would be safeguarded by taking steps to minimise the risk against fire by employing a watchiuan at least for the eight hours immediately succeeding the last shift on Saturday. This would mean the trifling expenditure per annum, of J826. The action of the directors of the Perseverance Company is worthy of imitation.

Mr Louis Anderson is making good piogress with fitting up the machineiy on the Manuherikia, dredge. The steel gantry, ladder, top tumbler, some of the main driving gear, and revolving screen are now in position, and the tailings elevator has been rivetted up ready for erection. The boilei and some smaller parts of the machinery are not yet forward. Tho engine is being fitted up.

The Enterprise dredge resumed operations on "Wednesday last, but did not wash up on Saturday.

The Golden Point dredge worked pretty stGpdily last week for a return of 12oz.

Mr 6. E. Richards, secretary of the Ngapara No. 3 dredge, Nevis^lias a splendid sample -oi gold won from the claim, and when operations are resumed in the spring, large and steady returns may be looked for. Mr J. M'Lean, who is also manager of the Nga.pa.ra No. 2 dredge, Nevis, has been appointed nianagei o-f the Ngapara No. 3 Company's dredge.

The return from the Vincent dredge for the first three days of the week was published here as liSoa, and well over 200oz— perhaps 3000z — v;as expected for the week ; but a mistake was made in reading the code messages from the dredgemaster, the return being really only 730z for the first three days. Word was brought down here on Friday tha,t the dredge stopped on Thursday night. The return on Saturday was HSoz 6dvi 7 t for four daj's.

The Moa did not wash up on Saturday.

The elevator tumbler on the Golden Beach, dredge cracked yesterday, on account of tho frost. This will mean a stoppage of four or five days.

The Gold Queen dredge, below Roxburgh, will 'shortly be in full swing. Steam was got up the other day, and the winches tried. As some parts of the elevaboi have yet to be put on. dredging will not be started for some days. This dre-dge was to have been ready last March.