GREYMOUTH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 45, 2 March 1888, Page 19

GREY MOUTH.

(From on occasional Correspondent.) OuEschools are in what i^a; be called an encouraging condition. The boys' school is now found much to small for the large number of boys attending it, and'our ccnvent schools conducted by the good sisters of Mercy, are ieilly a credit to this town and district ; they are second to no school in New Zealand, and may be pronounced a decided success. The conveut, which is only about five years established, has had to be enlarged twice, and it is contemplated to still further enlarge it next year or perhaps sooner. Under the Sisters the children have made great progress. This is to be seen in various ways. I may mention in passlugtbat a very young pupil of the convent, Miss Mary Me Donuell, has passed the junior Civil Service examination this year. Considering that she was only 15 last birthday this is very satisfactory. As to another matter which though, small in itself, itill serves to show the relative merits of tne tuition impaited m our schools, when brought into competition with the State schools. Yesterday, February 22nd, at a flower show there were three prizes given for writing, open to boys attending any school in thj district and three pnzas for girls. There were 88 competitors, and at the fiaiaa fire out of the six prizes went to the Catholic schools. There are no lees charged at our day schools as they are supported by the pew-rent system. In purchasing ground, building, and supporting their schools the Catho.ic3 of Greymouth have expended over fourteen thousand pouuda within the last twelve years or since the secular system came into vogue. This for a small community is a heap of money. In mining matters I aw sorry to say there is not much doiDg, particularly in alluvial mining, bufc we are expecting better times soon. Ii is anticipated that our beache3 will soon give employment to n very large number of meu, as they are being taken up in large claims to be worked by dredges. These sea beaches were fabulously rich iv the early days of the coast, but under the then known mode of working bad to be abandoned when the sea level was reached. The dredges will be able to work the ground to almost any depth.