As “Your Own ” in this district has been silent lately (I suppose having his holidays) I thought I would let your readers know that we were still living, having gob over the disi pation of the Christmas and New Year’s festivities, which were rather quieter .than usual, not owing I suppose to any regeneration in the community, bat to the lack of the wherewithal to indulge

in as former days. The beginning of the present year, has I think exposed to our view the silver lining which is said lo be to every cloud. Our neces sities act like hydraulic pressure lifting our latent energies to the surface. Wo have any amount, bub they are lying dormant. We have floated pleasantly down the stream of life, but now we find we will have to bestir ourselves or take a back seat. I think we are now moving in the right direction, Messrs Lafranchi end Galvin have their hydraulic lift to work, and it is work ing splendidly not a hitch has occurred' since it started the first week in 1896,. for which much credit is due I think to- Mr Pi -zz- li, who came over from Mace t-jwu, t » put everything in working, order. He was the first to promote hy draulic lift sluicing hi this district, and ; the experience gained in that first ven ture, no doubt assisted him greatly in so fitting Lafranchi and party's, plant, as to. make it work so efficiently, we ail hope it will turn out aprecuniary. success. Messrs Mitchell and party are s-tilh • , trying to bottom Tuohy’s creek, above Lafranchi's freehold. Their tail-race,, which they have now been about seven months taking in, drains to a depth of 22ft. They t ookdown a large paddock ’ thinking to bottom- but failed with. hand appliances to go more than 3ft be low. tho tail-race. This took place im mediately before Christmas, but when. things get to the worst they generally mendi Mr Piazzoli, who had just finished fixing the other plant,, kindly offered if the party got pipes ho would fix a hydraulic suction pump for them.. Some pipes were kindly lent by brother miners, also a supply of water, and the whole thing was in working order in a. 