AUCKLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 18 July 1872, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

[From our own Correspondent.] Jul}' 16. Immense excitement prevails at the " The Corner'' in consequence of a " find" in the Caledonian mine. j For the past few days there have been rumours ! flying about as to something good, and a little quiet j operatioi* in shares was indulged in by those in the ! secret, which yesterday culminated in the fact becoming known that the specimen leader had been again picked up, showing gold freely, and ten feet thick. As a consequence, shares which were sold with difficulty on Saturday last at £16 reached on i Monday £-5 and £27, and to-day were sold as high | as £50 ; the markei closed with buyers at £40. The position of affairs is just this : The specimen lead j having been found, there is every reason to suppose that the run will continue as rich as before, besides the fact in itself offers the best indication of the ' probability of its being found in the lower level. i This revival in mining matters'at the Thames will | not oidy have the effect of completely killing all j speculation in Coromandel, but diverting any fresh I capital from it. It is very doubtful if thtit field ' would have recovered the blow given to it by the | failure of what was considered two of its best j claims, and upon whieh the hopes of -. the district ! were built, but the question is now placed beyond ! a doubt. There is something singular in the i opportune manner in which this discovery has j be#u made, and one cannot help thinking that j there has been a little of that' business going on ' of which we have heard so much in connection ; with the Green Harp and Bismarck—swindling. j An extensive tire broke out this morning at the | Thames, in the town of Shortland.. Fnil particulars I are not to hand, but by telegraphic news it j appears that some twelve buildings were burnt. ] It is supposed to have originated in a bowling-

alley in Willoughby-street. The first alarm was given about two o'clock in the morning, but b«fore it could be got under more than half of the north side of Pollen-street, (between Willoughby-street and Grey-street,) was-destroyed.' The glare was so. great that the ranges were illuminated, and crowds poured in from the hills to the scene of disaster. Had ifnot been that" the wind was blowing from the north, which carried the flames seawara, the whole of the town would hare been destroyed' So rapid was the work of destruction that several narrow escapes occurred, iu many cases people having to nee with their night-dresses on. The damage done is very heavy, and will fall chiefly on people of limited means. None of the property was insured. A meeting of citizens was to be held at Butt's Theatre to take steps to relieve the more necessitous of the sufterers A shocking suicide was committed to-day, the secretary to the Highway Board having cut his throat. The only cause assignable is the fact that he ia a defaulter to the extent of 601 in his accounts. A most singular circumstance in connection with the affair is that the members of the Board were holding their usual meeting in the next room without hearing anything of the occurrence. A case of sinall-pox is reported in Dunedin. The authoiities, however, are unable to trace it to its source. The Norman Romance case has met with a solution, namely, that of dividing the spoil, and baulking the lawyers. It became apparent to the litigants that they were the only parties likely to reap any benefit. I am afraid that the "shares" will be small when it is considered that there are three parties to participate in the division.