The townsite of Gordon is at present in a great fever of building activity in the main street especially. Good buildings are being rapidly erected. At the corner of Spicer and Halin streets, Mr Ludovich Halm, of Kanowna, has a large temperance hotel showing out prominently, also a public hall and boarding establishment well in hand, Mr William Smith being the builder and contractor. Messrs. Heidepreim, Rogers, and Wyatt, and others, as well as five storekeepers, have turned the wilderness into a model mining townsite. There are also condensers, bakers, a butcher, and a blacksmith.

We hear that Dr Swanston is making arrangements for a surgery there. The Progress Committee are displaying much energy, and intend to make a name for themselves. We have had a visit from Messrs Vogan and Moss, the latter on behalf of the Electoral League, getting several voters on the roll, the former taking photos of the town, I suppose for comparison in the near future. The mines nearby are looking well. The Gordon North and South are busy developing. The Wolseley is doing great work, vigorously prospecting over a large area. The Mabel Gordon has met with a very promising looking reef in the main shaft, from which good returns have been obtained. So, taking it altogether, things are not too bad here.

KANOWNA
The Gordon Rush.

Gordon Town

Gordon town is advancing steadily. Three months ago this place was but a patch of scrub. Now there are no less than 40 buildings. Of course, they are mostly of round timber and hessian; still, there are some good substantial structures of sawn timber and galvanised iron, the most notable of which is Messrs Rogers and Co’s newly erected hotel. This is now almost finished. It has 55ft of frontage by 60ft deep and has 14 bedrooms, a large dining room and commodious parlour. The proprietor, Mr Rogers, tells me he intends to put up a billiard room 20ft x 30ft, which will make up a total of 75ft frontage. The hotel, which has cost the sum of £2,000. and of which Messrs Wallace and Grey are the contractors, is quite an imposing edifice, and will bear the strictest inspection.

There are now in Gordon Town four general stores, and four bakeries. Though the population of the district may not warrant this at present, I think it will in the course of a few months. We have also a cordial factory here, and cool drink shops in galore. The weekly mail is, I am glad to say, landed in the town at last. Mrs Kiely is the postmistress, and the delivery of the mail on Fridays causes quite a scene of activity at this lady’s general store in Spicer street. I must say that Mrs Kiely is very obliging, and gets through the onerous duties of the mail department in quite a business-like manner. I hear that we are to have tri -weekly mail soon, beginning on the first of next month. The principal mines of the district are still working, with the exception of the Gordon main lode, which is under exemption for one month. This company is only waiting for machinery to cope with the water, which has been struck on this lease at 25ft. Altogether I am pleased to say the Gordon and district are doing fairly well, considering the time of the year.