Tho Southbridge Goldfield.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 1789, 28 October 1896, Page 2

Tho Southbridge Goldfield.

"Diogenes," the writer of "Canterbury Notes " m the Egmont Settler, published at Stratford, Taranaki, has the following on the above subject : — "It has been known for years that gold m small quantities is to be obtained on the Ninety Mile Beach, a few miles from Southbridge. This locality has, on and off, bsen the happy hunting-ground of those who dream of accumulating riches by leaps and bounds, and though fortunes have not heen made nor even a decent "rise recured, yet men have ai various times made fair wages. But a small rush has set m, and a Company is being formed to throuoghlyt est the ground. The gold is very fine, and appears to be found ' m all the sand and shingle above high water mark. One of the promoters recently went to Wellington to interview the Government, and to secure what assistance he could from the Minister of . Mines. I understand that, as the rcßult of his visit, an expert from the Department is to visit the new Eldorado and report to the Minister the result bf his i observations, Should the report be a favourable one, then happy i Canterbury, happy Southbridge. It ; is proposed to bring m a wateri race from the Rakaia river to work the beach and to introduce machinery of , a kind specially adapted for the saving of r fine gold. Already by rude appliances . consisting of quicksilver plates a satis- . factory amount of amalgam has been . obtained." I ■ iIL l »