GABRIEL’S GULLY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 13, 29 December 1930, Page 6

GABRIEL’S GULLY

ONCE WORTH MILLIONS. MAY STILL HOLD GOLD. Dunedin, Dec. 27. Gabriel’s Gully of late years has been the object of considerable speculation on the part of old and experienced miners as to the possibility of winning gold, which undoubtedly remains in unworked cement at the Blue Spur and the tailings which fill Gabriel’s Gully from the Blue Spur to the boundary or the borough of Lawrence. The nature of the gold-bearing rock is such that, with the exception of the tailings, which, after years of weathering, are slowly crumbling and becoming friable, great quantities of auriferous conglomerate are not workable by hydraulic process, and for that reason the Gabriel’s Gully Sluicing Company is seriously considering the introduction of a crushing plant in order that conglomerate and tailings can be scientifically dealt with before being sent to the washing tables. As a preliminary measure samples of the tailings from various parts of the gully were sent to Dunedin for crushing, and on being washed returned a most satisfactory sample of gold. The company has delegated Mr. H. Hart, who has been associated with mining activities for manv vears, to prosecute inquiries into the best means of dealing with the thousands of tons of conglomerate and tailings from which hydraulic nower alone is unable to extract gold. Should the venture prove as successful as is confidently expected, it will result in the revival of an industry which will be of immeasurable value, not only to Otago but also to the country. Mr. Hart states that if ways and means of pulverising the ground with a reasonable prospect of success were devised he was sure that at least £lO,OOO would he speedily forthcoming to put into the project. It might he stated that' the first year’s working at Gabriel’s Gullv resulted in a return of £2.000.000. and up to date no . less than £6.000.000 had been taken from this line of denosit. Mr. Hart said he was confident that with the most up-to-date appliances for extracting gold, it would take many years to exhaust the field, and it was certain there were many millions waiting to ho mined. While the co-operation of the Government had been sought and willingly giv'en. those associated with the venture were so confident of success that the Government would not he asked to contribute a penny piece by way of subsidy.