GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1851, 11 July 1874, Page 2

GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

[TROIt OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. J The subject which takes precedence of • all others at present is the probable action of the Nelson Government with respect, to the future location of the Wardens onthe South- West Gold-fields. Speculation is rife . as to the in tentioris ; of the Executive, : , but the opinion is gaining ground that in spite'of 'alithalhas^been threatened;, the Government will pay some deference to to ail-but unanimously expressed wish of the gold-fields residents that it would be ;against public policy. to.make the sweeping changes ■foreshadowed, in Mr O'Conor's remarks to the ! several 'deputations' he received during, his recent officialyisit as Provincial Secretary.; It ..woujd'_.. seem '•;.. as •".; if ■ the repeated re- ! monstrances made to the Government have had some effect, for the proposed' system iof making retrenchments has taken another direction. Instead of the Wardens, the War dens', clerks are to become the victims, or at all events this, appears' to be the intention, for the new : Treasurer, with all his acknowledged, ability at "squaring the circle," would scarcely take the responsibility of "sacking" the Wardens, together with the clerks. Still there is no knowing what may happen, arid it behoves the inhabitants of these gold-fields, especially the miners, not to ; relax their efforts to prevent the imposition of the injury sought to be done by depriving this important district of a proper and convenient means for the administration of justice. It must be remembered that the antagonistic position assumed by the Government,.: by making a pretence of disregarding the w.ishes of; the residents is not yet altered, I and it'must also be borne in mind that : .the opposition is not done away with, it has merely shifted its plan of attack. A remonstrance has been forwarded to the General Government, and this backed up as it will be if necessary by a memorial to the Assembly from all parts of the district may do some good. - r ORWELL CREEK. . .;,: . ... The company formed to prospect, for I the deep lead supposed to run through this valley, is about to recommence operations at once. The number of shares: applied for shows the wide-spread confidence there is in the ultimate succeas of the undertaking, and although^ there is some difference qf opiqion as to the best mode pf testing the ground, there is a general belief that the enterprise is legitimate and worthy of support. A general meeting of the shareholders was .held at Ahaura this week, and as the principal object was to decide upon the plan upon, which work should be carried on, the outside public were invited to attend, and there was, therefore, a considerable number present. The subject of drainage, was fully discussedy-ftnd a large ma-

jority of the, shareholders decided that it would be best to erect pumping machinery in preference to bringing up a tail-race in the first instance. One of the provisional directors stated that from examinations which had been made, and calculations gone into, a fall sufficient to take away the water could not be obtained unless the tail-race would b,e. commenced 5000 ft from the claim. If thw be ffie case, a tail-race .is of course out jof, the question, but it would be more satisfactory had the opinion of* a -competent professional man been taken as to the probable gradient at which a drainage race' would have to be made. An estimate was given of the pumping machinery required, in addition to the plant already in possession of the company, and it was finally decided that the ground should be drained by means of a water-wheel and pumps until the gutter had been ' driven through -fro^, reef to reef. A ballot was afterwards taken for the election of directors, at which only shareholders were, of course, allowed to voteV ri ThS result was the appointment of Messrs J. M. Oflivier,.,J. Lock^George Hay; ' W. 1 ' S. : Staitiy R. l Bio' uHedge, J. Rees, J. M'Laughlin, and Jotin^Reid as the first directoryl ■Mr- John Reid and Mr J . Bees had ' ari ! equal 'number of : votes, .and \ ;the ; former/ , retired in favor of Mrr.Ree.sfif nWith, flucjkfa committee of management, composed as it is of practical miners and experienced business men, the affair a ; of the, company will be well looked after. -The directors met afterwards, and appointed' Mr C. Frolli working manager, 1 and passed a code of- regulations: iof the^gtiidance *of the association. T Thw fe Noticed at length^' because /it is i n the' first" properly organised attempt, to tesi the ( low-lying auriferous drifts of these gold-fieids, and also because; if its efforts should be successful^ 'the enterprise thus initiated may be the means of leading to a thorough exploration of all the localities in which these deep gutters are supposedvto' exist. The company has since been registered ink proper form/ so "thaf nothing remains biq^L to wish it good luck, and " more -power ! to'it.^ r - r.vi-m-j ._. . ... ,7HALE-O^NCE. ,„r The wonderful staying \quaiitießjof the workings i in: vthw : [district "are still the cause of surprise to visitors. The HalfOuuce lead proper has, according to some chroniclers, 1 been/zworked; out just seven times, and now better finds r than any previously^heaid 'ofp are coming to light. It is a fact that from one, claim, the washdirt driven out by two, men in two days last week) yielded 250z of; gold; and it is, -moreover)' r given- on-. -reliable, authority that it was not a patch, and there was a good- stretch of similar ground-left to be worked. But on the other^hand, it is said, that the owners of^this claim have all the golden ground; within their boundaries ; yet, it is only very recently that, the very claim heldby them -was considered the greatest " stringer "- , inti^ther^dptrick ■•■ In the Eclipse , Ooinpany's' claim, the high face is still being; carried up, through the ' old and partially , worked j ordinary claims; ■■ The claimif ormerlyiheldoby Muldoon and party is now reached, and as this was' the 'most worked portion of the lead at the first working s there is ve,ry little solid ground met withj The work : is now approaching- -the places from which good dividends, may be^expected, and "although: the; claim uptp this has on the average paid weU, yet 'wfie'n the neighborhood. o£ ( the township is something rvery good may be anticipated. jShares Yin ; this compaiiy,.Xtwieif^s) are worth about L 100;: although one >. was sold recently junder peculiar circumstances for L 76- ' , .n^o- l.>_- : -nl '"'The Just-in-Time Company' above the township/ hay ejfriven°bet ween' ' fMr and five hundred feet along, the lea,d S rfrom the : shaftr 4oiathwarj^y[-:and rbib'c^ing'* oi^t is, now going on, or rather it-has been- x going on, all the time; for $s the main drive ;was; ; .taken in cross driving; and-blocking was being .done simultaneously,. The dividends coming from the r 6lain| hereto* foirehave not been very 'large, although the quantity of gold taken "out seems a good ; deal, but the working expenses are very heavyj and 'the machinery dosli a lot 'of money. It is plain sailing now the -machinery is paid for T; theground can be taken- out -to more- advantage^o.wing to the decrease in the quantity of water, and in future -gW# "returns will come. The leaseholds applied for higher, up the creek than, .the, Just-in-Time .Cpinpany ground ..are to .be-, in ;.. wort next .^eekj' ;aUd they ' will cause a stir again. There is hoj'alteration in the lower ; pwt of the. lead ' bffiond the fact. toatVone of the. claims, celow (jfanville has: been; given up bjr?seyeral of the occupiers^-'but : one : of ..them, whose faith iJ^-«fc«mger than the ; rest, is determined to see at out to the last.