REEFTON NOTES

Grey River Argus, 2 April 1932, Page 7

REEFTON NOTES

(Out Own Correspondent.j RLEFTON, April 1. A quiet wedding took place at the residence of the parents of the bride, Mr and Mrs W. Day, on Wednesday evening, when the Rev. A. Ashwin married, Alfred Winchestei, Oamaru to Doris Marion, second daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Day, Reefton. The youi g couple are well known, and received many hearty congratulations for their *uture welfare.

Mrs C. McDonald, Blenheim, arrived in Reef ton on Wednesday evening on a visit to her parents, Air and M”s G. "Wells.

At the Magistrate’s Court held today, Frank Lawry and Robert Park were jointly charged with throwing stones and wilfully damaging a plate glass window" to the value of £2O, and also with wilfully throwing stones to damage the property of William Elfis. Mr I. Patterson appeared for the defendants and Sergt. Smyth conducted the case for the police. The case against Park was withdrawn. The charge x>f throwing stones ton th? hut was'dismissed. Ou the other charges Lawry was ordered to come up if upon, for sentence within six mouths, and ordered to pay costs of damage to the window and" costs of | the case. Three first offenders wh<* wore found on licensed premises after hours were ordered to pay Court costs 10/-. Herbert K. Newcombe, charged with failing to pay his uncmploymer* levies under the Unemployment Act, 1930, was convicted and ordered ‘o ppy 10/- costs ou each of five charges. Judgment for plaintiffs by default was given In. the following cases:— G. E. A. Hubbard v. B. F. Doughty £4/7/5, costs £l/8/6: Mrs Purton v. John Smythe £l2/7/6, costs £3; IT. Rattray v. I. Prendergast. £5, costs £l/5/6/; Inangahua Hospital Board »- William Jarvis £l/17/6, costs 8/-. FHarwood (Mr Morgan) v. Sidney T Provis (Air Patterson). Claim £2O a? damages for wilfully and wrongfullv destroying two sows.—Adjourned to Anril 14. 1932 on application of plain tiff. Defendant allowed costs £2/3■ Thomas Filer had his evidence taken in support of his application in the Westport Court for cancellation of a maintenance order.

WARDEN’S COURT There were many cases before Warden Ali'ldrum yesterday, one being a sun for damages, W. J. Morris versus Consolidated Gold Fields of N.Z., adjourned from last sitting. Tho Warden ruled there was evidence to show the tailings and machinery were taKeu 'away by the company, but evidence was required to show the company had legal right to remove. He ruled th.it tailings and wash dirt .were chattels and were severed from the earth by the company who wore last legally in possession. Once stone, was mined and treated in battery aud also tailings or discharge from battery all these were chattels. E. W. Spencer stated that during November tho Company purchased from the Keep-it-Dark Coy. improvements, .machinery and goldbearing material, the property of that Company. Since then machinery and gidd-bearing material, had been removed from around the mortar boxes. This material was always regarded as the property of the last owners. Witness admitted that approximately 70 tons of material were removed. The cost of re-crushing concentrates was 19/- per ton and treatmeut of concentrates would be £4 per ton. Perhaps ten tons of" concentrates would be

obtained. The dirt was, in his opinion tailings. Practlc-ally no freegold was found in the material associated with quicksilver; ;t

would be alagaan. The property was bought from Alessrs Wilson and James. A fortnight and two days after they started to remove machinery. He received a wire from tho liquidators of the Keep-it-Dark to stop removal. A further wire was received warning him not to trepass. At this date machinery from the battery ‘had been removed. He would sell the dirt to-day for £l5O, that they bought from the liquidator of the Keep-it-Dark. With regard to the special site applied for by Morris, this was not required by Morris. If "access to the battery was required they would bo willing to give access. When the macll in cry was sold the site would hoc be required. They had no objection to giving right of access, and when the machinery was removed, they could have all the ground. Tho area w'/< nnlv temporarily required.

A/P. Watson, Ibattery ,f»on the Consolidated Company, said he was iin charge of ’ the removal operation* Me also removed washdirt. There were tailings, leakages from mortar boxes etc. Al! material had gone through the battery. No virgin soil was removed, it was necessary to dig down some feet to remove broken foundation boltn Ho knew the Keep-it-Dark battery for 25 to 39 years. It was the practice Io clear up round tho mortar boxes. When repairing, the material dug out was put through the battery to extract the gold. The samples produced tailings. He would not ulaee a definite value on the material taken away. Ho did not measure the excavations at the battery. Tie panned off some of the material and did not find any free gold. There were concentrates stocked in a shed outside the work These were removed by J. B. Auld and himself before removal of th A machinery started.

J. B. Auld, battery manager said he worked at , the Keep-it-Dark for 25 years. In 1899 when he took charge there, al] sand around mortar boxes was removed. He filled in the holes with waste tailings. "Leakages always took place around the mortar boxes by vibration, splashing and otbiw causes. Any free gold found in material dug out, would come from the mortar boxes and would not be alluvial gold. He had assayed all concentrates from the Keep-if Dark for the last 20 years and the highest value over got was 4oz. to the ton, £l6 per ton. He did not assist, in removal of material from the battery. He considered that the samples produced were J not a fair sample of tho material dug

out. He was not manager for either the Keep-it-Dark Coy. or the Southern Mines Development. In 1922 he got 186 worth of gold from, material dug out. He was battery manager Joe •Southern Mines Development Corpora tion for twelve months, and was engaged by Mr Wilson, at his time he did not know who owned the property. He would not plaee a value on the ground dug out, it would require to be treated before a value could un placed On it. Decision was reserved Mining applications were.— Peter Mitchell, Richard Ronchi, and George Basil Mclnroe, for three Or dinary Prospecting Licenses. Struck out, lapsed. William James Morn* rur a Special Site License, 5 acres,, m Blk. XIV, Reefton S.D. Objected to by Richard Wilson^ —Adjourned. Richard Wilson, and new Keep-it Dark Mines Ltd. (in liquidation) for (1) a Special Site License, 5 acies in Block XIV, Reefton S.D., and (2) vau Ordinary Prospecting License, acres, in Block XIV, Reef ton S.D. Both objected to by W. J. Morris.— Adjourned. The Consolidated Gold fields of New Zealand Ltd., for a Special Site License, 2 acres in Block XIV, Reefton S.D., and also for leave to amend the description given of the area. Objected to by W. J. Morris.— Adjourned William .lames Morris tor ;a Special Quartz Claim License over :20 acres in Block XIV, Reefton, S.D. [Objected to by the Consolidated Gold Fields of New Zealand Ltd.—Ad journed. David Ross, for an Ordinary Prospecting License over 19 ncres a* Stoney Creek. Objected to by F. L. Blackmore.—Adjourned. William O’Malley, for an Ordinry Prospesting License over 90 acres near Ikamatua. —Adjourned. John Alexander Morris for reduction of rent to 2/6 per acre per annum under Two Claim Licenses for a term of ouc year.—Adjourned. Consolidated Gohl Fields of Now Zealand Ltd., for a certificate of Protec tion covering Water Race License No. 7205 for twelve months.—Adjourned. Edwin A. Lemon, for an Ordinary Prospecting License over 98 acres near subject. to

certain Forestry conditions. David Ross for protection covering Water Race License Nos. 5256 and 7171 for four months. —Granted. Janies Penrose for an Ordinary Prospecting l.icense over 100 acres near Waiuta. —Adjourned. Peter Mitchell, for two Dam Licenses in Block XIII, Waitalia P.D. —Both withdrawn by leave, iljeorgo Rryne for (1) an Ordinary Prospering License over 20 acres in Block \ I, Mawheraiti S.D., ano (2) a Wa‘er Race License, two heads at Ah Wong Gully.—Both adjourned The Snowy River Sluicing Co. Ltd. applied for a Water Race License, 50 heads at Snowy River. Also for Certificate of Abandonment against the Blackwater Mines Ltd. in respect or portion of right granted under water race license No. 5749. Objected to by (1) The Blackwater Mines Ltd., and (2) Peter Mitchell. Decision served till 14/4/32. Joseph Pfahlert and D. Ross gav-> evidence; also Maurice Flynn. Ail the witnesses testified to length and condition of race from inlet to present power house, and from proposed power site to which race would ente r Snowy River at the point of discharge. E. W. Spencer stated that the race work was almost completed. About a fortnight’s work would complete the race. The Blackwater Company now wanted all the power they could obtain. The present position of the mine warranted it. —Judgment w’s

reserved until next sitting of th Court