TELEGRAMS. DISCOVERY OF PLATINUM

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 21 July 1909, Page 5

TELEGRAMS.

DISCOVERY OF PLATINUM

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. — COBYEIQHT.i

EXCITEMENT AT OREPUKI. Z.PRESS ASSOCIATION.! INVERCARGILL, July 21. Excitement is at fever heat at Orepuki, and everyone is talking black sand, platinum and gold. The correspondent of the Southland Times explains that the beginning of the excitement was the discovery by a party of prospectors of a lode carrying platinum in great quantities, so much' so that the sir citing expert (Mr Wilde) said that if there was any great quantity there would be a fortune in it, as it is reported that he lias offered a figure for a quarter share at once. The party has applied for a hundred acres prospecting license consequent on this find. Another party was got together, and they found the reef or lode reported on Sunday to contain rich gold. This party replied for a 150-acre prospecting license, and other parties are busy in regard to the platinum. The Times correspondent was informed by a party that they had found a place where a dray could be backed up and filled with the same substance as in the lode already referred to, with just as large a show of platinum. In the words of the smelting expert, Orepuki is inundated with platinum. On top of all the other discoveries now comes news of the finding by an Invercargill syndicate of a coal seam near the same locality containing the best coal this side of Westnort. To-night the correspondent advises as follows: — "This thing has fairly taken possession of a lot of our most reliable men. From a few mlies across the Waiau right to Blue Cliffs the whole beach for eight or nine miles is every inch taken up. Men were coming into Orepuki last week with determination stamped on their features getting miners' rights and going away on the long, dreary ride towards Blue Cliffs, riding ] all night and waitirtg for daylight to peg off claims. Some were in time; some were too late. The same stuff is to be got in every shovel for miles , along this beach, so if there is anything in the reports as to the minerals in the black sand no wonder it is rushed, j People here are beginning to shake their heads and say that it is too pood to be true, and that they don't believe there is anything; in the --vrhole business. Meanwhile the works are being erected j and heavy machinery is being carted for J them, and the manager is here, there and everywhere looking at th different claims and formation. Platinum is a valuable metal and is used in the construction of electrical appliances, etc.