KUMARA SLUICING CO.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 March 1911, Page 3

KUMARA SLUICING CO.

SOME PARTICULARS OF THE PROSPECTS.

, A visit of inspection to Mr Thomas McGrath’s sluicing claim at Dillmanstown near Kumara would satisfy the most sceptical that he has the key to the mosT profitable auriferous country that has ever been worked in the neighbourhood of Kumara. This statement is confirmed by the independent reports, of mining experts. and engineers of repute that have seen it, including Mr Alexander Aiken, the well-known mining and hydraulic engineer. THE PUG HILL CLAIM,

which is the claim mentioned in the company’s ' prospectus, has just* cleaned up after forty shifts of the customary three hours, and has given a return of 550 z, a result that fully bears out the commendatory reports that have been published of it. The following is Mr Aiken’s last report after a thorough inspection of the claim and surroundings;— “This claim has been constantly worked for many years past, and produced during the last ten years 11,1870 z, valued at £44,748 (approximately), and the last wash-up gave 80oz, for 60 shifts of three hours a shift. Adjoining this ground is the 100 acre lease called Upper Larrikins, and it is from this portion of the property the good returns may be looked for. In the early days various parties worked up as far as they could possibly go, and some even drove out the ground and eventually had to abandon it on account of the rising bottom. The No. 2 tail race was more than U miles in length, and they experienced the greatest difficulty in the way of successfully sluicing the ground owing to the fact that the necessary gradient _in such a great length of tail race which brought the bottom of the race higher than the bottom on which the best of the gold-bearing wash was deposited, and it was impossible to sluice a very large portion of the good gold-bearing wash into the race, and the difficulty would increase with the necessary length of. tail race. Besides these difficulties the rise in the country and the rise in the bottom on which the gold-bearing wash rested has so reduced the difference in level between the Government race and the bottom of the gold-bearing wash that the source ot supply was too low for the best results being obtained. Notwithstanding these difficulties all the claims on the upper portion of the worked ground on the Kumara lead and on the boundary of McGrath’s property paid- well. “McGrath has now almost completed a splendid tail race 2000 odd feet in length, at a great cost, which will give ample fall to work the whole of the 100 acres and more, and I have every faith in predicting he will be on rich gold immediately he starts sluicing. He owns the key to the upper portion of the Kumara field (the lower portion a continuation of this 100 acre claim produced £4,000,000 worth of gold, and is only a square mile in area). “His water r’ace cost him £4.700, and provides about 25 heads,. Besides his own supply, the Government race is within a few yards of the property, and from which an almost inexhaustible supply could be bought very cheaply if found necessary. “I may add that the reason this rich ground has remained locked up so long is that McGrath held the key to it and no one else get to it. In conclusion, let me state that with the commencement of sluicing operations through the new tail race I anticipate a very healthy revival of 'he good days in Kumara, and to those who anticipate becoming shareholders I can conscientiously recommend this proposition as a very sound investment.” No confirmation of such a report _ is needed, as Mr Aiken’s reputation is behind ; t !>nd is too good to dispute. The proposed company has its headquarters in Dunedin at the Stock Exchange and Mr R .A. Matheson is Secretary/ Mr McGrath is holding a very large interest in the company.