Sydney Morning Herald 8 May 1862

LACHLAN

FROM OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER

No. 11.

-- Our escort to-day take 2848 ozz. 14 dwts. 16 grs., and £2604. This escort is considerably less than was generally expected; and, although there is, at the present time, about 4000 ounces in the banks, even with this added, and the smallness of our last week’s escort, it must be admitted we have nothing to boast about, considering our population now approaches nearly twenty thousand (20,000). Many will, I doubt not, wonder why the banks here hold this amount of gold. I will explain: when a party of men wash a paddock of dirt -- it may be two or three weeks' work for them, every machine that is puddled and sluiced -- the proceeds are deposited with the banks for safety, it is not until the whole of the gold is obtained from the paddock that the parcel is sold, -- so that five or six good claims washing at the same time, and holding their gold, is the cause of the great fluctuations in our escorts; and, when it so happens that these large parcels are sold in the same week, our escort reaches a very large amount, but it must always be borne in mind, that it is very often the proceeds of several weeks' work. A very large amount of the gold forwarded to Sydney during the past five or six weeks was obtained here, as many months ago the washing of the paddocks of dirt, out of the first ground washed, produced the gold that has in that time been forwarded to Sydney. On the south lead, at present, numbers of claim holders have large paddocks of dirt from which, as yet, they have not washed a single load. Many will work their ground out and bring the whole of their wash to the surface before they commence puddling. So that it may happen that one week's escort may take down the produce of several months' work. No. 78 on this lead struck gold last week, and the greatest confidence still prevails in the continuation of this (south) lead; shares still being very high. I have been thus particular in pointing out the great fluctuations in our escorts, for miners at a distance, when they see a large return, often think it the produce of one week, and trouble themselves but little to ascertain if such is the case. When five or six claims hold their gold, our escort falls considerably. This will be sufficient to show the comparative few that are at present obtaining the precious metal; but that few are certainly fortunate in possessing the

"jeweller's shop"

they do; and whatever amount of caution I may endeavour to give miners making their way to this field will, I know, be in a great measure thrown away -- they will chance it. Hundreds and hundreds of them would sooner shepherd some supposed lead on a bare existence for months and months than accept good and certain wages (mechanics and tradesmen of all kinds, with all our large population, being difficult to obtain). They live and hope that they may one day be lucky enough to get a

"jeweller's shop"

-- anything like payable ground that would turn out good wages being thought nothing of at present, pile holes alone being looked for. There was a report last week that shallow ground and surfacing had been discovered about six miles from the township. A party of miners proceeded to the spot and brought in a quantity of surface -- I saw it washed -- it did not produce a single speck of fold. There are several reports of rushes forty and fifty miles distant, but nothing authentic at present. The claimholders on the south lead, near the lagoon, in consequence of the water, are now erecting steam machinery to work the ground, which is supposed to be, from the gold found in the adjoining claims, equal to any ground opened on these fields. Although the Caledonian lead is a great favourite, and share very high, it does not at present produce a very large amount of gold. There was a report that No. 22 claim bottomed and obtained good payable gold, but such is not the case. The parties in this claim bottomed shallow -- the ground dipping considerably. I believe while driving and following the dip, from half a pennyweight to a pennyweight was obtained to the bucket. They are about to sink another shaft. On the Victorian lead (I was in error in my last this has been proclaimed a lead), claim No. 47, bottomed at a depth of 137 feet. Great hopes are entertained that this shaft would strike the gold, but it proved otherwise. The bottom rock is dipping, and some measures are about to be taken to assist the party in putting down another shaft. I may mention that this shaft is below the supposed notion of the Caledonian with this lead. Of the other leads nothing at present can be said with any certainty; shares in them are for sale at low prices. Reports are spread first that one, then another has struck gold, but at present little can be said in their favour. The dispute between the surveyor and assistant commissioner is happily settled, and a is issued for the information of the public. In this memorandum the reserves for public buildings are notified, and it seems as if the authorities were bound to make a mistake and annoy the trading community, for this could not be more successfully done than in the proposed removal of the post-office from the neighbourhood of its present site to the south-east comer of the Government reserve. The corner of the Government reserve, opposite the present temporary post-office is, without doubt, the best site to be obtained in the town, -- it is situated on the highest ground in the township, near the Court-house, and proposed police barracks ; it is the most central, all the principal business places are near it, and the town is extending in an opposite direction to the place selected for the proposed new office, which is on considerably lower ground, nearer the lagoon, scarce a street formed there as yet, and away from all business sites. Why the removal no-one can form the least idea, except it be with a determination, on the part of the Government, to oppose the interests of the commercial community here (which can scarce be credited), who, supposing they (the Government) would erect the post and telegraph offices in the most central, best, and business part of the town have expended hundreds, I may say thousands of pounds, in substantial buildings for the carrying on of their business. The memorandum was no sooner issued this morning, than a petition was at once drawn up, and will, I believe, be forwarded to the Colonial Treasurer by this post, signed by all the bankers and principal storekeepers in the town against the proposed removal: It is to be hoped, considering the smallness of the favour asked -- the site prayed for in the petition being without doubt the best in the town -- that the Government will take measures to have both the post and telegraph offices erected there, and thus show they at least take come interest in the commercial and mining prosperity of these field. Robberies have been numerous lately. William Thomas is committed to Orange for trial, charged, with two others not yet in custody, with sticking up and robbing James Jachin, a Prussian, in the town-ship late on Wednesday night.