THE SEARCH FDR GOLD

Evening Star, Issue 21636, 3 February 1934, Page 11

THE SEARCH FDR GOLD

TUAPEKA MINING HEWS (.From Our Own Correspondent.] LAWRENCE, February 2. At the last sitting of the local Warden’s Court the ■ following applications were granted:—Prospecting licenses over 100 acres and 20 acres block 4, Rankleburn district, to Frank Miller; prospecting license over 40 acres "in block 4, Tuapeka East district, to Reginald Reidprospecting license over 38 acres in block 7, on run No. 2608, Lee Stream survey district, to Deep Stream Gold Mining. Company Ltd.; extended alluvial-claim of 4J acres in block 9, Beaumont district, to Jas. Bell, subject to payment of £25 before operations are commenced to the occupier of the land (William Welsh); water race from Back Creek, Rankleburn district, to Thomas Chapman; tunnel license, section 20 and 21, block 7, Table Hill, to George Livingston. The following applications were recommended for the consent of the Minister of Mines; —Prospecting license over 45 acres in block 15, Tokomairiro survery district, to George Clarence Scott; extended alluvial claim of five acres in block 19, Tuapeka East district, to James and Archibald G. MTxeich; prospecting licenses over 50 acres and 33 acres in block 7, Table Hill district, to George Livingston; prospecting license over 33 acres in blocks 2 and 3, Rankleburn survey district, to Arthur Carbutt Kee. The applications of John Barker for an extended alluvial claim and a water race on run No. 521, Nenthorn district, were allowed to lapse. : When the Prime Minister (the Right Hon, G. W. Forbes) was at Roxburgh a few days ago the Teviot Gold Miners’ Association brought under his notice the great benefit the building of dams at the outlets of the Wanaka and Hawca Lakes would confer upon the mining industry in controlling the voluume of water in the Molyneux River, it would mean there would be 20ft less water to contend against, allowing for the recovery of infinitely more gold than had yet been won from that river. They had abundant evidence in years past of the richness in many places of the bed on the lower depths of the river, but there were long stretches of the river, owing to the great body of water, where no attempt had been made either to wing-dam or dredge the river. Such parts would be more readily accessible if the waters were controlled by the proposed dams at the outlets of Wanaka and Hawea. _ Mr Forbes replied that when the Minister of Public Works visited the Otago Central districts he would ask him to go closely into the matter of damming the waters of Wanaka and Haivea. The question whether - the scheme would lower the river waters sufficiently to allow of the recovery of gold in large quantities was one for the engineers to decide, and that would be fully and exhaustively gone into. The small crushing plant. that is being installed by the New Gabriel’s Gully Sluicing Company is expected to be in full operation early in the incoming week. It is to put to the test the gold-content value of the tailings that bulk so largely at the foot of the old Blue Spur workings and along the bed of the historic Gabriel’s Gully. If the results are in keeping with expectations the life of the' mining industry will be prolonged in this particular part of the Tuapeka district for many a long year. It is reported that the Invercargill syndicate who hold an option over Messrs Bell and Mason’s claim at the upper end of Chinaman’s Flat in the Beaumont district are out to develop the property on right lines. A’powerful pumping plant is to be acquired to raise water from the river for conducting sluicing operations, and no time has been lost in the settlement of the necessary preliminary arrangements. There is no denying the fact that the result of the prospecting work has been most encouraging. The directors of the Wctherstones Gold Mining Company paid the mine a visit on Thursday, and are reported to have been well pleased with the development work in progress in the incline tunnel. More hands are shortly to be employed, and greater activity all round is to be the order of the day. The pipe line in the Waipori Valley, conveying the company’s water supply, is undergoing repairs, which will involve a fair amount of expenditure. There is promise of a good deal of activity in raining generally throughout the Roxburgh district during the next few months. There is a decided feeling locally that the company promoted to control the Molyneux Deep Lead_ has in hand a “ worth-while ” proposition —one, indeed, that will be very helpful in re-establishing the gold mining industry in the Mount Benger and Teviot "districts.

The hot weather of the past four or five days has helped largely to shorten the water supply available for hydraulic sluicing in various parts of the district.