THAMES NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 253, 26 October 1931, Page 3

THAMES NEWS.

VALUABLE GOLD EXHIBITS

PRESENTED TO SCHOOL OF MINES

(From Our Own Correspondent.) , THAMES, Saturday. The Thames School of Mines to has received from Mr. late inspector or mines of the West Coast and Otago, a large gold nugft.aud a number of smaller nuggets ■> and set of valuable gold who did a large amount-of- prospecting and mining in many parts ;of 'the-Coromandel Peniniula, was successful in finding many payable reels. It will be remembered t at when the first miners came to Intots they all assumed that gold ■ would be found in nuggets, and they washed the dirt from the different creek*. It was then found that the gold was associated with hard quartz, which had to be crushed to recover the gold. Iheie wete some places on the peninsula where alluvial gold was found, and the Mata stream, about 15 miles from Thames, was one of them. About 30 years ago, while Mr Whitley was prospecting at the head of this stream, he secured quite' a lot of alluvial gold. One of the nuggets he then found he has now presented to the museum. It measures an inch long, 5-Sth of an inch wide, and 3-16 th of an inch thick, and weighs 4%dwt of gold 1 lie smaller nuggets presented! byllr -Whitley contain about. £9 worth of gold, . Hie arm of the Chinese gold balances is ot very fine ivory, delicately- marked with ' measurements, the weights and tray being of brass. Mr. Whitley, who is nowvisiting Thames, considers that there is no better locality than ithe,head of the Mata creek to prospect for valuable nuggets. Tapu-Coroglen Road.

A petition signed by practically every resident of the district, was presented to the last meeting of the Coromandel County Council, urging the necessity for the completion of the metalling of this road this summer, and asking the council to forward the (petition to the Minister of Public Works. The council strongly supports the petition, and will point out to the Minister -that the road is particularly suited for the employment of single men from the camp at the Mata, near Tapu. Closing of Street.

Considerable interest was taken in the .public meeting called by the Borough Council, which required an expression of opinion from the citizens on the request of the High School Board of Governors to have that portion of Baillie Street between the schools playing area closed. The board had agreed "to buy the land and bear all costs in connection with the matter. The Central Hall was packed to the doors, the Mayor, Mr. S. Ensor. presiding. After Dr. J. B. Liggins, chairman of the board, had spoken on behalf of the proposal to close the street, Mr. A. G. Bryan voiced the views of the objectors. Voting was then taken by ballot, the result being in favour of the proposal by 288 to 233. A similar vote was taken some years ago, when the proposal was defeated.

Extending Electric Power Lines. For some years the people of Coromanclel have been agitating for electri;: ipower, but without success. The chairman of the Coromdndel Hospital Board has now been informed that the members of the Thames Valley Power Board will shortly pay a visit to Coromandel with a view to finding out whether the business offering Would warrant the extension of the power lines to the district.