Lake County.

Southland Times, Issue 4965, 26 June 1884, Page 2

Lake County.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The weather haß up to the preßent beea very seasonable. A steady and generally pretty severe frost has now lasted, with a few Bhort intermissions, for three weeks, and it is possible that it may continue for a few weeks longer, as in the ordinary course of things we get the severest froet after the shortest day. If this should eventuate we may look forward, to an early spring. At present both farming and mining operations aro almost completely at a stand-still, and skating and sliding is the order of the day, having given rise to a new industry — namely, that of skate and-sleigh-making, a goodly number of which ; are in daily lequisition; Sundays included, I am sorry to add. There are several large ponds, artificial and otherwise, in this district, which afford ample scope for the; eh> joyment of the pastime.- ■-■.■■ The dulness of the times is somewhat relieved by the state of affairß'pblitical, and the promised election affords us plenty of food for speculation. Quite a number of Richmonds are in the field, but it is at the present juncture difficult to state anything definite regarding their prospects of success. ! The names of Mr R. McDougall, of, Pembroke, Mr F. H. Daniel, of Queenstown, and Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, of Ar~ rowtow'n, are mentioned as likely candidates. In the event of all these gentlemen coming forward, it is also probable that Cromwell will put a looul man in the field. Our present member, Mr Fergus, observes a mysterious silence in this turmoil as to his future intentions, which, in case he intends to seek re-election, will militate against him. However, we shall not now have long to wait for the unravelling of coming events. Last Saturday a cake of gold came down from the Tipperary Co., weighing 680oz, bemg the return from 600 tons of quartz. This cake will probably be the last of the season. The Garibaldi Co. have 100 tons of stone lying at the public battery ready to be put through the mill, but it is questionable whether the frost will allow the operation to be proceeded with before the spring sets in. The total returns from* the 1 Macetown reefs for the past' season; in^ elusive of the Garibaldi stone, may be' estimated at 3394 tons, yieldiajar 34340z of gold. Although this return falls below that of the season before, there is no , feaj of it being any indication of the exhaustion of the reefs, as the decrease is .acf counted for by a lessened employment of labor. In former seasons as many as 200 men were employed at the reefs, whereas during laet summer the nnmber did certainly not exceed 120 men; The output for the previous year waa 4000 tons 1 of quartz, yielding 42370z of gold. From these figures it will be seen that the average yield of gold was upwards' of f one ounce per ton, a yield in itself highly satisfactory, and which should incite shareholders and directors to increased action : yet, in spite of this, there is some fear that the stagnation in mining matters will rather increase than decrease for the 'next few seasons, on account of over-specula-tion at Reefton. The colonial speculators are not as yet wealthy and numerous enough to indulge to the full bent of their inclinations, and they get to the end of their tethers, and the bottoms of their pockets, before the wished goal can reasonably be reached. . .■