GOLD PROSPECTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 July 1934, Page 4

GOLD PROSPECTING

GREY COUNTY ACTIVITIES. Since the institution of the gold prospecting scheme by the Unemployment Board, the prospecting committee of the Grey County Council, created to operate the scheme, has been carrying out comprehensive development in the back country of the County, with a view to the ultimate mining of certain areas of comparatively virgin land. All the areas are well off the beaten track, and comprise land which has not been intensively mined by the prospectors of the “good old days” of the Coast, thoroughly as they combed and mined the country. The miners in the past carried out a tremendous amount of sluicing, as can well be imagined, When the thousands upon thousands of tons of tailings, and other signs of old workings about the country are contemplated, but there are still many acres, which have not been worked at all thoroughly, on account of their inaccessible nature, and handicaps in the way of insufficient backing and lack of knoweldge of the characteristics and formation of the country. It is the object of the prospecting scheme to get “beneath the surface,” and to develop areas which have really only been “scratched” on the surface, and which give promise, after scientific investigation, of giving payable returns. All this entails a great deal of preliminary work, many months in most cases, and as there is absolutely no return for this development work, subsidies are paid the men by the Unemployment Board, the money being administered by the prospecting committee. Married men are paid at the rate of 30/- a week, with an extra 7/6 while they are engaged on purely preliminaries, and single men at 15/- a week, also with the extra 7/6. Working materials are supplied to the men, who have to provide their own food, and they live on the job, in tents.

One of these areas being exploited by the committee consists of some 40 acres of pakihi land in what is known as the “Irishman’s,” about four miles back in the bush from Marsden. The “Irishman’s” was the scene of jnuch activity in the days when this part of the country was widely known as the Golden Coast, but such feverish activity as there was then, has long since ceased. The fact that so many fortunes have been won around this section by what has been comparatively surface working,. and that the prospects so far taken have been encouraging, has been one of the main incentives urging the men to get the preliminaries over as soon as possible, so that they can get down to “real business.” All seem to have contracted a mild form of “gold fever,” and those in charge are unanimous that the men have

WORKED WITH A WILL in practically all weathers, with the hope that some day they will “strike it,” and will be amply rewarded for their months of work and hardship on small remuneration. Development woik has been in progress on this piece for over eight months, and the fourteen men now engaged there are commencing the driving of a tunnel, which, if their fond hopes are realised, will bring in some return for their labour. The amount of unproductive labour put into the job is hardly credible. When development work is completed, it is the intention of the committee to allot certain areas to the men, probably with their length of service on the job, as a basis. The long service record is held by a single man, who has been on the job since November last, while the last one arrived only this week.

An inspection was yesterday made by the Engineer in charge of the scheme, Mr S. W. Strong, accompanied by a “Star” representative, and though the weather conditions were hardly ideal to inspect such a job, a good impression could be gained of the work, which has undoubtedly been put in by the men, and the general lay-out and object of the operations. The inspecting party first travelled by car by way of Marsden almost to Dunganville, about 14 miles from Greymouth, and then,' after donning old “togs,” set off on the tramp to the camp, about 2£ miles away. . The track, all through native bush, —a wonderful scenic route, —is particularly difficult from this point, with numerous steep grades, and, after the rain, the mud was inches deep on the trail. All along the route could be seen evidences of the activities of the early miners, in the form of water races, and tailings, in all directions. Many of the old disused tail-races were carying a large volume of water, while two camps were passed, where prospectors were making the most of the rainfall, sluicing operations being in full swing. A camp is

now being constructed about one and a-half miles from the road, on the bank of the Mosquito Creek, and it will house the workers who will drive the tunnel to what is known as the No. 1 shaft, sunk on the pakihi land on a higher level. No work has been done on this tunnel yet, though the levels have all been taken, and the location of the tunnel decided upon. Three men were at work yesterday in constructing the camp, but progress is necessarily slow, as the men havte had no experience of such work, and can carry out only the directions of

some of the more experienced men at

the next camp. There is no particular hurry for this camp, as the Engineer is not yet ready to go on with the completion of the No. 1 shaft, or the driving of the tunnel. The camp where the men are work-ing-was reached after an hour and ahalf of solid going. This camp is located on the pakihi land on the Mars(|en-Lake Brunner pack track, which was surveyed and made, over 30 years ago. Three shafts have been sunk, but, as yet, in only one, known as the No. 3, has the solid bottom been reached. The No. 1 has been sunk to a depth of 98 feet, the No. 2 to about 70 feet, and in the No. 3, rock bottom has been struck at a depth of 206 feet. This last shaft is considered the lowest alluvial shaft sunk in New Zealand, at least since the new prospecting scheme has been in

operation. It was dinner hour when the party reached the camp, where they were met by the supervisor, Mr B. Tindalc. In the foreman’s tent, they had lunch, which they had taken with them, and a couple of enamel mugs of hot “billy’’ tea soon revived the spirits of the visitors. After lunch the No. 3 shaft was inspected, and the “Star” reporter, replete with a carbide lamp to enable him to get a “close-up” view of the work, was lowered down the shaft. He was not at all sorry when he

again set foot on solid ground. One of tho visitors lowered down, being rather below average height, was unable to steady and right himself by using his feet against the walls, and he came up, much to everyone else’s amusement, practically feet first. This* shaft, which took about 3A months to sink, was commenced and worked to a depth of one hundred feet, by two men who had had no previous experience of shafting. After that more men came to the job, and three shifts were worked to get it completed as soon as possible. With a fly over the mouth of the shaft, the work was carried out in all weathers, and an exceptionally fine job has been made

of it. Timbering has been carried out to the bottom, and all the timber had to be cut from logs brought from the nearby bush, and trimmed with axes to suitable size on the job. It was found necessary to work extra shifts, as a deal of 'trouble was experienced with drainage. Gas whs most troublesome between 100 and 130 feet down, and on one or two days a candle would not burn there, but after tho 130 feet mark had been passed, there was no further trouble in that direction. The number of different classes of rock and material 1

met with, according to one of the workmen, was amazing, among others there were granite and quartz stones, none, however, of very great size. All the stones were inclined to be long and were almost all on their edges, pointing in the one direction, and to the conclusion that they had been part of an old riverbed at one stage of the world’s history. Some of the ground was quite soft, 22 feet being worked by two men in one week, but at other levels it was very solid going, a few inches a day being all that could be moved. Some of the dirt from the bottom of the shaft has. been washed, and good colours have been secured. When the tunnel proper has

.been driven, the shaft will be used mainly as a means of ventilation. Yesterday there were about 12 feet of water in it, as a result of the recent rain, and seepage from the sides. A visit was then made tp the place where the tunnel, which is to be driven from a level about three feet below the bottom of ths shaft, is being commenced. The way down was a treacherous track almost vertical in places, but made less dangerous by the work of the men in placing steps of bungies and small saplings, and a hand-rail all the way down. On one

particular section a stairway built up from small saplings, caught the eye as a fine piece of work. This is. known to the men as “Tindale’s Tumble,” and a fall from there would certainly be some tumble. The tunnel, which will be about 1,070 feet in length, has to be cut through heavy papa rock, and yesterday, the men working there were ovei’ their boot tops in mud, in places. Irishman’s Creek, which runs past the mouth of the tunnel, is to be dammed at this point, and; the spoil will be washed there. The rain yesterday afternoon interfered with the work, but good progress is being made, and the foreman stated that he has no trouble with the men.

Heavy rain drove the visitors back to the Shelter of the camp, where they were again entertained with hot tea. Of the fourteen men at the camp, five are from Christchurch, and two are married. One of them stated that the conditions of the work, while not perfect, were by no means intolerable. It was tough trying to feed themselves and keep a wife and family on 37/6 a week, but the fosses were fine men to work for, and very reasonable. Another man said that according to the

present conditions of the scheme,.the subsidies being paid by the Unemployment Board, had to be repaid if. payable gold were struck, and it did not seem a fair thing that those who had. endured all the hardships of the early work, and had received subsidies for perhaps twelve months, should have to pay back. all that money, whereas a man might come there about a month before gold was being won, and would have only a montlfs Isubsidies to repay!, before he was free to keep all he won. Books .newspapers and other reading matter are urgently. needed by the. men, as there is nothing but reading to relieve the monotony of the long winter Mights. There is not even a . gramophone in the camp. The .Ays over the' tents have not been the best protection during the wet weather, and it. is understood that roofing iron will shortly be provided. Another improvement will be the provision of-a packhorse to bring the stores through from Marsden. Until now all provisions have had to be brought through on foot.