GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 24 April 1901, Page 3

GOLD DREDGING.

The boiler and screen for tho Tercmakau Gold Dredging company were carted to the claim yesterday afternoon. At a meeting of tho directors of the Woodstock Gold Dredging Co., held in Dunedin on Friday, the tender of Wroblfski and party for excavating dam was accepted. Mr Bcare, local director of the Commissioners Flat G.D. Company, received word from the Secretary of the Company yesterday, stating that the contract for the whole of the machinery had been let for £3993; and also that Mr M'Queen engineer, had been instructed to immediately call for tenders for excavating the dam" for the poontoons which are to lie build by Messrs Fitzgerald and Co., of Greymouth. The Keystone borer continues prospecting tha Alikonui river with better results. On Saturday last good prospec-s were obtained at 17 feet in tight wash but there is no sign of bottom.

The energetic contractors for the Koliinoor Company's pontoons have got all the timber brought back to the new site, Redman's Creek, and have commenced laying the pontoons down again. Ihe damage caused by the late ilood has been considerably discounted by the energy and prompt action of this company in getting their work underway again without loss of time. "Better luck next time."

The Keystone has evidently come to stay. Mr Maynard has instructions to bore several leases on the Mikonui river, including Mr Field's properties, Kohinoor Company's claim, Holly's Freehold and Companies Electric claims.

The site is now ready for the Prince of Wales pontoons and we learn that Mr Pearson, (lie contractor, will make a start during this week. The Aylmcr Lead timber, is now being placed on tho site at tho mouth of the Totara Lagoon, where tho pontoons are to be built and floated up to their claim. Tho Totara River Coy's dredge under the careful guidance of Mr Buttler, withheld the late flood yery successfully and is pegging away again en what wa know here to be highly payable ground. None of our local residents cm positively state what they are getting. But the man in street can see a hole through a ladder. The late heavy rains brought down a big slip in the Mont D'Or claim on Thursday last which will probably try the patience of tho lucky shareholders for a few more days, but we snppose in this case.tho longer the wait, the better tho dividend.

The machinery and other material for the "Wareatea dredge has been placed in trucks at Westport ready to be trained to Fairdown, and from thence carted to the Company's claim.

The directors of tho Eeefton United and Mr P. N. Kingswel), legal manager visited their claim yesterday for the purpose of selecting a pontoon site. They inform us that construction is to commence at one<3, the dredge machinery is being made and tho whole work is to be pushed along with alacrity. Mr Duncan Brinj;ans has been very uufortunate with tho class of weather experienced but that better luck will attend his shaft operations in th 3 Kohinoor Extended is very freely stated here, as this ground is known by miners around to have been highly payable as far as they are able to get down. Wo would suggest a steam pump. ♦

Thero was considerable interest evincedin the Ross Warden's Court on Saturday last, when the reserve in ]S>one)ly's Creek was applied for by three different applicants. It is generally conceded that the Day Dawn Company, who got the ground, are the party who should have it, as they will work the ground as soon as their dredge is completed and which shonld nat be long now. Furthermore, according to tho evidence of the witnesses they were tho only applicants that had properly pegged the ground. The Warden's decision ia this case is in accord with public opinion. The prospectors of Lock's freehold are now putting in a drivo from the Government drainage tunnel across tha road to the freehold a distance of about 100 fee H . A contract has been lot to Adamson and Moynihan at 4s Gd a foot for driving. The shaft sunk on the freehold strcclc a high reef at 60 feet, and it is now reckoned the tunnel from the drainage raco will enable the prospectors to strike tho expected rich wash.