COAL CREEK.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 180, 20 July 1871, Page 6

COAL CREEK.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Mining news this week ia not of very great importance. The late severe frost has partially disappeared, giving place to heavy falls of snow, which is some feet deep on the Old Man. The range ot mountains bounding the \ r alley would now form a splendid ! study for an artist. The pure white | mantle covering the top and portion of the siles, and the snow limit sharply defined as the survey line, aud brought out in such bold relief by the sombre hue of the lower portions, forming altogether a sight which requires to be seen to be appreciated. All the claims are again in full operations with abundance of water, and the low st.ite of the river permits their working to the utmost advantage, which the proprietors are not slow of availing themsylves. Last woglc I paid a visit to the Fourteen Mile Beach, when I found Messrs. Heron and Quayle and party hard at work. Mr. Heron has left the hill workings for the winter, and is now busily engaged in his beach claim, which he has got in splendid order, with every prospect of reaping a rich harvest for his indomitable pluck and perseverance ; and it is seldom that success has been more richly merited, for he has speut a very large amount of money and labour in developing the auriferous resources of this part of the district, and that frequently in the face of very discouraging circumstances ;* but I am confident be is now in a fair way of being repaid for all. The Messrs Quayles have carried their water across the river by means of galvanised tin piping, a most elaborate piece of work, which muse have cost them a heavy outlay, but they are sanguine of being well repaid, and from the prospects shewn to me I have no doubt whatever of it. They have their claim in excellent working order, with a wheel 14 feet in diameter, pumps, &c, and abundance of water. The enterprise of these two parties is really beyond all praise, they have hesitated at nothing in labour or expense to attain their object, and I have very great pleasure in recording that they are in a fair way of accomplishing it. " In the survey of the Benger Flat Block all the land between the road and the river has beeu very judiciously reserved for mining purposes. There is no doubt that a lead of gold, probably richer than anything hitherto o-ot, runs through B j ritrer Flat in close proximity to t'le road ; f-ie hio: 1 ;* 1 see of the workiugs towards the Flat the more I am convinced of it, but at the same tune, considering tliedisraive towards the range at which it will probably he struck, ami the elevnlion which will be required for carrying away t'.ie debris, a very great innovation must be made on the present crude method of working. A little spare time now and again devoted to the study of hydraulics would economise a vast amount of labour. It is proposed to bring in a race from Shingle Creek, a distance probably of twenty miles, capable of carry ing 16 heads of water, and I have no hesitation in stating that it will be a remunerative speculation, not alone for the Benger Flat, but all along its course, as it will command a large extent of highly auriferous country hitherto wholly- untried. I heartily- wi&h the spirited projectors every success. We had a visit the other day from Mr. Inspector Mackay, Waitahuna, who a short time ago" sent up a proclamation calling on all persons wishing to depasture cattle on the Mount Bengei* commonage to take out licenses by a certain date, &c. He was somewhat puzzled and chagrined to find this celebrated commonage so effectually fenced in by the adjoining runholders as to leave no ingress or egress, and expressed himself to the effect that he should recommend the Government to proclaim the whole eastern slope of the Mount Benger range open to the public for depasturing purposes. This is what should have been done years ago. It: is something monstrous and unjust that a community numbernot less than 1000 individuals should be at the tender mercy of one or two squatters, who charge them no less than 200 per cent over and above what they pay to the Government for the privilege of running their cattle, and taking special pains by the soundest of logic to instill into them that they are the only liberals in the province. In no country but these southern colonies would such a state of things be for a moment tolerated : the people would assert their just rights, demand their birthright, and sweep this curse of the colonies from their midst: Tear after year the residents ! have been petitioning the powers that be to rid them of this crushing incubus, and as yet to no purpore ; but the evil has now assumed such proportions that sooner or later it must work its own cure, as they must give way to the advancing tide of an ever increasing population.

The people of Roxburgh are very much irritated at the delay in the removal of the police buiidings from the east bank of the river to the township, where, I. understand, a. site has been reserved. If not done shortly I apprehend the whole fabric will some night be washed into the river, and the inmates treated to the luxury of a free passage down the Molyneux. In the event of any of the races breaking away during a f!o.)d, such an occurrence is not at all impossible; but apart from this consideration, it is

something of an anomaly that the police buildings should be on one sidg of the river and the seat of Grovern^ inent on the other. One would naturally thiuk that the latter ought to be within convenient distance of the former, to enforce and uphold the majesty of the law. Tour Vagabond Reporter put the case very pertinently when he said, that if a murder took place, the policemen would be able' to be in time for the funeral.

- It is remarkable what uniformity is to be observed in the development of Amrlo-Snxon origin. The American philosopher, Emmerson, in one of his wonderful essays commenting on the marvellous growth of the towns and cities of Iris native country, says that to a casual observer they present an aggregate of human beings apparently working independently, or with slight connection, one with another, but in reality having a governor or foremost man, who, himself in the back ground perhaps, or not generally noticeable, is in fact the guiding spirit communicating his own identity to the institutions, and sometimes even impressing it on the natural features of a locality. The same curious arrangement may be observed in operation on a smaller scale in our steadily progressing New Zealand communities. Who that mentions Lawrence for example, but almost immediately connects with it the name of the judicious Bastings ; Clyde, and Hazlett's goodhumoured features present themselves to our mind ; Alexandra, and John Cole Chappie's volubility is naturally remembered ; Queenstown, and the sedate Robertson crosses our mental vision ; with Cromwell, the name of Jackson Barry, of more than American Vutene«s, will remain united so long as municipalities flourish in Otaso. Then to come nearer home, take the place at the head of my letter, Coal Creek, and Ayling, energetic, speculative, and public-spirited, at once steps forward on my airy canvas, uniting in his own person the multifarious functions of postmaster, storekeeper, packer, corn merchant, livery stable keeper, road contractor, mail contractor, and many other employments which his energy enables him to overtake with ;he greatest of ease. He has ample time remaining to entertain the traveller in one of the snuggest hostelries to be found out of Dunedin, Sufh are a few out of the numberless instances I might adduce confirming the sagacity, shrewd insight and penetn'ion of on^ who ia allowed on all hands to be the greatest of living philosophers.