ALEXANDRA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 32

ALEXANDRA.

Juno 11. — Of lata the weather has been exceptionally mild for this season of tho year, r 1 though there ha? been moie 'am than usual, causing the river io ri^e to near the 7ft ma,rk. This lfse m the nver has necessitated the stoppage of all dredging opeiitious below Alexandra on cairns m the goige. As the iner falls a*- the late of about 6m a week, I conc'uda that it will be ihice or four weeks before gcige dredges can l.opo to stait work, and only then ll fiost sets in. Football.— The goldfields annual foo:b.ul tournament was held at Alexandra on tho Prince of Wsles's Bmhday, and, notwithstanding the boisterous weather, was a success financially Tlie fol cwmg districts were repiesentcd by scnioi and junior teams •— Cromvell, Roxburgh, St. Batha-ts, Clyde, Bald H"ll i'a", and Alexandra. The Crrmwell semor=,^by their excel'ent play, proved the winners. The junior honours weie carried off by the Roxburgh team. The loca. club deserve unstinted praise for the cxreile it ariangemenis mede for the comfort ot the patrons of tho sport and the accommodation of the visitors. School Committee Election.— Tins evening » meeting ol householders was held m tlie schoolhouse for the election cf a school coaimittee. There weie 23 electors pie-vnt. The piucitey oi attendance evid^nc--, +l ia« tliorc is no l:urnmj; qu°stion o". cdvi" i'fi '[ r^a't.'s . tbe mi. ids of the hous< hclJei-. T^e fol'owmg weie nomina'cl ani elected. — Me=si3 i!-iif.n_-oii, Thomsc i. K-nn^dy, Buice, Ashwoith, Schaumanu, and Camubell.

DREDGING

The rotaiy c and elevator on the Molyrevuc Hydraulic dredge is giving every satisfaction. 1 his evidently is tho silt e'evator of the future, and is preferable, for several reasons, to the bucket elevator, common'y spoken of as the baby elevator. The former does its work more effectively, require-3 ICS3 power to drive it, and will .cos; less to keep it in repair, whereas the latter does not work to advantage. The bottom tumbler woiks in t&e sand chamber, causing continuous fi.chrn on the bearings ; requues more poxe • to drive it, because of the perpendicular lift, and wiLl cost more to keep it in repa'r. \ou will understand Ido not write as an expert, but diaw my conclasioTS from obsci'.a -.or.. Tha elevator commonly called the k-cker will not be of any iwv ir a bank claim where 1.a3 to be got nd of. Gooel and effective eroagh where the river car b3 biougbt m to carry avray the silt, but there its utility ends. The Alexandia Lead is working abreast of the Molyrcux Hjdraulic, with the object of deflecting the river inwards. Before this con be clone to advantage thousands of tops of tailings will need to be moved by dredging.