AHAURA NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 February 1906, Page 2

AHAURA NOTES.

(Onr Own Correspondent.) A syndicate to dredge Antonio's Elat Inis been formed, mid a start has been made to get the dredge into ship-shape. The party have purchased the old Aldiima pontoons, which are of the best hard wood and a contract lias been let to cart them to the scene of operation®, the machinery of the Leviathan Freehold will be placed on the pontoons, and within the next couple of months the dredge should be in full working order.

Two more prospecting licenses have been applied for, with the object of placing up-to-date dredges on the Ahaura River, prospects up to date are of a very satisfactory nature, and ere long it is expected the companies will arrange for the placing of the dredges in position.

Your correspondent is informed, by a reliable authority, that come English capitalists, have their eyes on the Ahaura River, with the object -of floating a big company to place six dredges on the river, whilst on this subject perhaps it would be as well to mention that there is plcny of room on tho river for this number of dredges, and further that the terraces on each side carry good gold, a lot of which must have found its way to the rix-er bed. Now that the Kopara road is within a few miles of the flax mill, there fis a good opportunity afforded for an enthusiast to take up the running of the mill, which has been closed down for some time. The mill is fitted with one of Marshall’shest engines and is right up-to-date. The fibre from this mill is of the very best quality, so that with good management there is no reason why the flax industry should not bo | pushed ahead in this district. The question of a foot bridge across the Grey River at Ahaura, to enable miners to reach the. Moonlight goldfields, is exercising the minds of miners and others. The cost of a bridge would be some £6OOO whilst that for a horse would cost sometiling like £BOOO. Your humble servant would like however to see a bridge for vehicle traffic, the cost would not be great compared with the benefit to be derived, and now that the Government hax’e decided to cut up the land on the other side of the river for sheep farming, it will be necessary to build a suitable bridge so that stock. pan be driven across with safety. The member for the district has promised to look into the matter.