WATERVALE.
[From our own Correspondent.]
Watervale, August 26, 1858.
A public meeting was held on Monday evening, the 23rd instant, at the Mintaro Hotel, Mr. Thomas Cox, of Mintaro, in the chair, for the purpose of considering the question of the expediency of endeavouring to bring the Hundred of Stanley under the operation of the District Councils Act. The question was unanimously decided affirmatively, and the necessary memorial to the Governor was adopted by the meeting and signed by several of the persons in attendance. Messrs. Jolly and Thompson Priest, of Mintaro, Joseph Williams, of Black Springs, and John Pearce, of the Wakefield, were nominated four of the five persons to be recommended to His Excellency as members to compose the first Council, Mr. Melville (of the South Australia Copper Company) being named is the fifth, contingently upon his engagements admitting of his acceptance of the office.
The County of Stanley is divided into three hundreds, those of Clare, Upper Wakefield, and Stanley. The two first named hundreds are already within the limits of District Councils, and the new district, if proclaimed, will include the Hundred of Stanley, a part of the south-east portion of the District of Clare, and a portion of the Hundred or Upper Wakefield. The new district will include one township only, Mintaro, where the sittings of its Council will be held, it is intended to forward the memorial, which is now in course of signature, to the Government without delay.
The time appointed for laying the foundation-stone of the new steam flour-mill at Mintaro has been altered from the 1st to the 9th proximo, to suit the convenience of Mr. E. B. Gleeson, S.M., of Clare, who has undertaken to preside on the occasion. The stone will be laid at 3 p.m., and the dinner will be served at the Mintaro Hotel at 6 p.m. of that day. I understand that the Committee expect a very large company of Mr. Smith’s friends to be present at the dinner.
We observe that the Government have notified to the Central Road Board that they are in a position to make a further advance or funds to the Board, and that the Board have requested their surveyors to report upon the works required in their several localities. We sincerely hope that the surveyor superintending the roads in this locality will not forget the improvements which this township urgently requires, viz, the formation of the road through its main street, the neglect of which must necessarily keep build ing and other improvements in abeyance; and the construction of a suitable bridge over the creek, which intersects the road at the south entry of the township. The forbearance with which the neighbourhood has so long and so patiently borne with the infirmities and the dangers of the be patched old bridge of logs which at present spans the creek is certainly an evidence of the praiseworthy spirit of abnegation and endurance which has hitherto animated it, but it is now beginning to be felt that something ought to be done to relieve the neighbourhood of those inconveniences, and especially from the apprehension of the danger which a longer use of the old bridge and its unprotected approaches may entail. The bottom of the creek which the bridge crosses is about 10 feet from the metalled surface of the bridge, which is connected with the road on either hand by embankments, which form the approaches, and which, as well as the bridge, are at present in a most unguarded state, there being nothing to deter a refractory horse, from hazarding a leap into the chasm below.
We have had fine clear sunny skies during the last few days, but during the nights there have been pretty sharp hoar frosts.
