THE REPORTED GOLD FIND IN CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11534, 17 March 1903, Page 2

THE REPORTED GOLD FIND IN CANTERBURY.

Acting on the information received in Christchurch on Saturday, to the effect that gold has been obtained at Kakahu. a representative of "The Press" caw one of the occupiers of the land ■where the gold is said to exist, and where claims have been pegged out. The locality ie between Kakahu and Gapes's Valley, fourteen or fifteen miles from Temuka in a north-wes-terly direction, the particular epot being on a Crown section, which is leased as an education leserve, the Timaru High School Board being the controlling authorities. The reserve k> sub-divided into two allotments, one being leased by Mr J. Mailer and the other day Ml Walker. It has been known for years" that mineral ores were to be obtainable in the locality, but the possibility of gold existing in payable quantities has generally, if not always, been looked upon with a good deal of scepticism. Mr Rainbow, of Temuka, and Mr Bryant, of Winchester, have spent some little time lately prospecting the bed of the creek on thw reserve, and a promising quartz obtained was sent by Mr Rainbow to Mr K. M. Gnihuni, assayer to the University of Ota go School of Mines, who reported! that the ore contained gold at'the rate of 2S£ grains per ton. It ie said that gold was discovered in the coarse sand and fine gravel in the bed of the stream. It J ie admitted on all hands that there ie excellent pipeclay and lime in the vicinity, and coal has also been.found in small quantities; but searches hare many times been made for silver and gold without any appreciable result. Questioned by our representative, Mr Walker mado no'secret of hie opinion that neither gold nor silver exists in the locality; and his confidence in this opinion lie demonstrated in a practical way by remarking:—-"My lease has yet eighteen months to run, and if anybody will take it over and pay my rent so that I may come out 'square,' I am quite willing to part with my interest in the land."

"Have you ever teeted the ground?" asked the reporter. "Oh, yes," came the reply, "and I know all I want to know about it. It is on my personal experience that I base the opinion that gold does not exist there." Continuing, Mr Walker said that pipe-' clay and lime are undoubtedly to bo found. there, but gold . Here he smiled in a way that spoke more eloquently than words, and our representative did not pur* sue the subject further.

Kakahu Creek, the locality where the reported discovery of gold-bearing querbe was disoorened, is in the vicinity of Winchester. The "dJecovery" dotes further back than a month or two ago. It is stated that over twenty years ago, when there was a proposal before Parliament to construct the railway line to Fairlie by a route from Winchester, the existence of the clay or chalk deposit, and of the gold-bearing quartz was known. Indeed, the quartz was tested on two occasions, the result of the first being, favourable, but the second, which was" done at the Colonial Museum, Wellington, failed to substantiate it. For many yean the clay hoe been used by persons in the district for white-wnehing purposes. Lignite coal exists in the locality. The road between Winchester and Kakahu Creek is said to be a good one, and suitable for trac-tion-engine traffic. - j