NOTES FOM REEFTON.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 4785, 23 January 1884, Page 4

NOTES FOM REEFTON.

[PHOM A CORRESPOKDENT.] - The Reefton district has within it an amount of undeveloped riches and an undiurinished rej uvenescance that it is useless to seek* for on the alluvial field of the

coast. But lately we seemed on the verge. i of unavoidable bankruptcy, business men pulled long faces and doubted if ever, tilings looked so bad- before. Their balances were gradually accumulating on the ./wrong side of their ledgers, and these their barometers denoted bad times with no perceptible bright outlook. It is not the first nor the second time that, these heavy clouds of dullness have settled over the place, and hung so low and long as to make residents doubt if it would j ever again emerge from obscurity into the. bright light of prosperity. Such .a cloud but lately obscured us, but tokens are not wanting to the observant that it is rapidly lifting. All trades, professions, and callings bbing entirely dependent on mining, every phase and aspect of existing and prospective ventures is rigidly discussed. It must be acknowledged that as a community we are much given to. speculation; scrip at all times, and, during their seasons sweeps and horseracing claim not a few devotees. One effect of the last spurt was to cause a lot of money to be spent in outlying and unprofitable ventures that had eventually to be .abandoned with nothing to show for the large outlay but receipts for the money. In several progressive mines large payments have been and are made for the erection of machinery, which means steady monthly drains from the pockets of shareholders, which, in many cases could only be maintained by sacrifices of shares at low figures. This all tended to keep prices down and put a gloomy look on the state of affairs, and things were not improved by the disastrous collapse of the Lankey's Creek Company, or the rather poor returns from the much-talked of Globe Company's crushing. There is however no reason to doubt why the latter company should not have a brilliant future before it. The length of reef in the mine is as yet unknown, although daily being followed, and a shoot of gold may at any time be cut which would bring the property again rapidly to the front. The district breathed more freely when the news spread that the reef had been struck in the low level of the Keep-it-Dark. This naturally ciiused a flutter in the community, and shares advanced considerably, but have since receded a little, and will likely so remain until they touch their good stone, which will take some weeks yet, when they may be expected to take a permanent rise, with the prospect of at least four years' crushing from the present levels. The Wealth of Nations lias lately come to a standstill, after a thorough prospecting of its upper levels. Through its lower ground the western end of the Dark reef is {trending, and the Vulcan reef may improve at a lower depth. Work no doubt will soon be resumed with the object of cutting these lines, which, possibly, may bring the old claim once more to the front, give it another touch of vitality and a longer lease of life. The Inkennan at Rainy Creek is now awaiting the erection of its machinery, thirty heads of stamps driven by steam. It will be some months before they will be in motion, but, once set going we may expect a long course of profitable crushing from the levels opened, (for there is an immense reef) payable results as tested by former crushings at the Rainy Creek battery, and an evident improvement in the stone as it goes down. The fiolrlnn Treasure at Murray Creek is now drawing near the surveyed distance for touching the reef, and may cut it an}' shift. As it is not an unusual thing for blocks to lengthen and get richer as ihey go down, it would not be surprising if the reef when cut at the low level should show greater signs of permanency, and a better show of gold, good as it was, than in the old} levels. The Golden Fleece is in one of its periodical iits of dulness. The touch of the talisman, gold, has started it into life before, and I have no doubt the* same influence will soon bring it to the front again. The Energetic is quiescent, and meditating a renewal of prospecting iii the low levels. A claim that is gradually making its way in public favor is the Inglewood Extended. It is situated at the extreme end of Murray Creek, the northern portion of the lease sloping towards the left-hand branch. The Pluenix worked some good stone near the boundary of the Inglewood, and put in a tunnel to intersect it at a low level. The use of this tunnel was purchased by the Inglewood Company, and from it they have driven into their own claim, and have during the last few months, been opening up the mine with a limited staff of men. Communication between this and the old workings has been made by a winze which carried stone the whole way. The length of reef on the low level now exposed is over 100 ft with an average width of oft in either N. or S. face. Crushings from the upper level yielded 27 dwts to the ton. The stone in places was there thin and broken. Below it has a more permanaut and solid appearance, and the show of gold has improved with it. The "country" here has a different appearance to any other part of the district. The bounding rocks are uniformly hard, and where hard- ! est, the reef is largest and richest; where there is an indication of softness in the hanging wall the ledge pinches, but immediately widens out again upon its hardening. The Phoenix has a quantity of stone ready for the mill and stopes opened for breaking down. One crushing from this mine gave 2i ozs. to the ton. These two companies are erecting machinery conjointly, which should be ready for crushing by March next, when I am of opinion substantial reasons "will be given to establish this part of Murray Creek the favourite. Boatman's in the vicinity of Specemen Bill is a scene ot activity. This company will soon be in a position to commence crushing under very favorable auspices, as the show of gold in the stone has been reported to bo uniformly good. The Just-in-Timo have expectations of striking the reef at an early date. The Welcome and Fiery are both crushing, and the Hopeful will take a turn at the battery next month. All the claims I have mentioned have or are erecting, batteries, and, can make a noise on their own account; but there are other promising ventures to which little or nothing has been done to bring them into notice, owing to their present inaccessibility, or some such stringent cause. Prominent among these is 'the Happy Valley, a registered company at Merrijigs, a mile beyond the Inkennan. Here a reef has been uncovered varying in width from 4ffc. to 10ft., for a length of 100 ft. or more. The show of gold for a large reef is good, and its general appearance first rate. This ground was taken possession of two years ago, and at the time made quite a furore amongst those interested. This, and the adjoining claim to the north, the National, have always been looked upon as "good

■ ■. . -■&■■' shows." The boundary National I almosts intersects the ldrajlfbr, standing on ifc you dan jump on-tOrSjg; reef, and if ifc follows the law discernijj|| 'in most of the reefs here of pltchingsffl|the> north as it goes down, at a moderate depth the whole of the reef;wbiild^||p4lie National. It was therefore i-very surprising to discover amphg/,tlie^huridred^pr ; so of applications for leases, cancelled last week for non-payment; "of rent, the name of the /National, and- still more surprising to the : uninitiated t6niidit r 4 wo days after reapplied for. and gazetted. under the name of the Wellington, l by another applicant. ; But it seems f the.present arid- former applicants are original, arid large holders in llqtli' claims. .-■•• A'diversity of opinion concerning., amalgamation between them and .those 'wlio' Had ; purchased shares in the National lias been refreshingly, decided by withholding the knowledge that ' rent was due from outside shareholders, allowing the affair to lapse, thus shunting all and every connection, and re-marking and applying ; afresh. Further afield yet and over a 'difficult country lies the Big River clam where the reef, as yet though small and broken, contains promises of great things, for the show of gold in the stone is considered to be equal to the Welcome, and is of a coarse rough quality. Other ventures I could touch upon but I think I have said enough to show that there is a stability in the district not to be rubbed out by one or two reverses, provided fair play is always used. It is slow work opening up a country still lately almost roadless, and always difficult but the progress of the field need not be doubted. Failures there will be as a matter of course but those who have seen its many phases during the last few years look for its future to be bright and successful. Thady. Reefton, December 24th, 1883.