GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS,

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1777, 16 April 1874, Page 2

GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS,

[from our own correspondent.] kalf-ounoe. It will take a month to repair the damage caused to mining prospects in the district by the recent flood, and it Is doubtful if everything can be-put to right even in that time. The Eclipse Company, as might be expected from the exposed position of the workings, have suffered, serious injury. The main embankment of the reservoir in the creek above the township gave way partially and the water escaped, sweeping everything before it. The dam made to turn the water in the creek at the Eclipse claim was carried awayrand the flood rushed into the workings of the company, earring an enormous quantity of timber and rubbish along with it, and nearly filling up the immense excavation in the face of which sluicing was previously going on. Had the wall of the reservoir been broken down completely, the town itself would have been wiped out, and, as it was, owing to the accumulation of tailings in the creek, the buildings abutting oh the creek-bed had a very riairow escape. Lower down tha lead several claims were swamped, among them some of the best dividend-paying claims in the district, so that until matters are set up straight again " money will be tight," or rather not so plentiful as it usually i 3 in this particular locality. The flooding of the claims was very nearly causing an indefinite amount of litigation, but fortunately the appointment of three practical miners, who have no interest in the dispute, as arbitrators to assess the amount of damage and to apportion the liability of the several . claimholders for drainage expense, will prevent any trouble on that head. There is much wisdom shown in. agreeing to such a course in settling a dispute of the kind where there are only questions of fact involved, and it is an example which might be more generally and beneficially followed. There is a great appearance of liveliness about Mabille, caused by the striking of the shallow lead in the claims and leaseholds in that locality. The erection of winding machinery on Bostedt and party's claim at Mabille on a new and improved plan is completed, and forms one of the sights of the district. The wash is drawn" up a steep incline "150 ft in length from the underground workings by means of an overshot water-wheel, with a drum attached to the axle, and notwithstanding the heavy draught, and the great height at which the platform on which the cage is received is erected, everything works so smoothly that there is scarcely any perceptable vibration, and consequently very little wear and tear of material. The engineer is Mr J. Udman, under whose direction and from whose plans the works were finished. The true HalfOunce lead was, it seems, never found in Mabille and party's claim, although the party took out an immense area of ground which paid wages, with hard work and good s/stematic management. It was stated repeatedly in these reports, and the statement was laughed at as visionary, that the true lead would, eventually be found running further westward than Mabille's workings, and now after a lapse of more than two years this inference is found to be correct. The lead has now been found in shallow ground in Fagan and Company's leasehold, a long way further to the west than any of the work done by Mabille and party in that direction, and that it is the true'lead is proved by the line of direction in; which the gold is now being traced in the good claims further up the creek, and by the large amount of duffer prospecting done in the ground ahead of Mabille, on what was at one time the fancy line. The upper part qf the creek is now. occupied by leaseholders, the Just-inrTime Company being the first arid most important. This company are on good, ground, which is supposed to -be a continuation of the Canadian Creek lead. The original HalfOunce lead must also be somewhere in this claim, for Rankin and party's- old shaft, the whim shaft so famous in 1871, is only a few yards westward of the machine shaft of the present company. Shares in claims on Rankin's old line commanded high price 3 during the excitement of the rush, and in Rankin's claim itwould take a bank shareholder to buy an interest. Rich washings were obtained and reported, and what has become of all the rich ground out of which so much was expected ? It has at all events never been worked. The Just-in-Time leasehold was taken up and work cqmmenced last Sepfember ; The erection of the machinery cost, for material alone, nearly L3oo— a liability which was cleared off with the three first washings from the gutter. The lead is on an average 50ft wide, with an average depth of 3ft washdirt — although there is gold in the whole height of the set, and in fact most of what is raised to the surface goes through 1 the boxes. An accident occurred in the crushing shortly after the shaft was bpenedout, which caused along delay, and put the company toja considerable expense, but latterly work is going on without any material obstacle, except the great quantity of water. This follows the face, leaving the ground behind corn^ paraiively dry as the main drive is carried along, so that when blocking out is commence I, comfortable work for the working shareholders, and large dividends for those who sleep, but " furnish," may be expected. Twelve men are employed usually in the claim, and when taking the ground out bodily is commenced, and there U more room, twenty to thirty men will be employed. .■?';.■' ' The lease adjoining,' and above' tbe Just-in-Time, will be put in order and work will begin next week. The success of this and the Eclipse Company, shows the value of co-operation in gold-mining, and it also points the necessity of placing facilities in the way of hona fide oocupiers getting possession of exfended areas of ground, which ground, surrounded as it now is, with restrictions and obstacles, is likely to remain unproductive and valueless^: unless an alteration he. made. The remarks of a correspondent from this district, which appeared in last week's Argus, apply to other districts besides this; and the reforms he recommends would, if carried out,' strike at the very root of th.c (ml, ana lead to a more satis factory 'condition of affairs. It should be one of the first duties" 'of the Qold Fields Secretary to effect a thorough revision of the Mining Regulations, which were framed to suit times and circumstances now and for ever passed away. The three fundamental principles of facility of occupation and possession of, extended areas, of tenure, and prevention of monopoly, should b 9 the basis on whioh to frame '

new laws to suit the present condition of our gold-fields. The road along the bed of the creek from the Totara Swamp to Granville and Half -Ounce has been rendered impassable by the flood, and travelling along it is both difficult and dangerous, in consequence of the numerous pitfalls made by ,the ..water, and.the.quantjjiyjof-driftwood left behind by the inundation. It is time a better route to this important distriot should be made. The creek bed may for the purposes of groundrsluices. be th» natural tail-race, but it never can become the natural highway. A road was proposed, and should be made, years ago ' along the terraces. The distance over the .terraces would not exceed two miles from Totara Flat to Granville, and a road even half that length would go a long way to meet the present requirements of the traffic. The money it has co3t to fiddle about the snags and by- washes in the creek bed would have made this mile of road, aDd the matter would then be done with, for there is plenty* of good material for road making and repairs, &c.,' within easy reach everywhere about here. Let the "Road Board make this mile, at all events, even if it gets into debt to begin with, and somebody or something will turn up to extricate it out of the difficulty out of regard for its pluck. '