VISIT TO THE GOLDEN BAR.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVI, Issue 101, 3 May 1890, Page 3

VISIT TO THE GOLDEN BAR.

On Wednesday last a party of gentlemen interested m the Golden Bar claim, on the Wakamarina, • paid a visit, to the place for the purpose of ascertaining if ; the favorable reports as to the prospects of the mine were well founded. A stait was made from Smith's Commercial Hotel, Havelock, at about half-past 2 m the afternoon, the expedition having been " delayed till that hour owing to the War- ■ den'a Court sitting m the morning. Arrived at the Deep Creek Hotel no time was loßt m proceeding to the Bar, which is a little over three miles beyond, along a bridle track that is probably easy enough to .an experienced bushman, but was rather trying to those of the party who had left their first youth some distance behind them. The longest journey, however, must come to an end, and the lower level was at last reached. Mr Mace, the mine manager, was one of the party ,and he clearly explained what had been done. Two long tunnels have been "cut, and an inspection shows that the work has been carried out m excellent style, The merest tyro m mining matters can teli that those who hold shares m the Golden Bar have got hold of a remarkably good thing". The amount of stone m the reef, which is clsarly define^ m the outcrop, is practically tefixhaustible; and wherever an examination is made, evidence of the existence of gold can be < seen. At* present there is lying at the entrance of the low level tunnel some five hundred tons of stuff, ready to be crushed as soon as _the necessary machinery is erected, and it is confidently anticipated that everything will be m working order within the next nine months. Unfortunately by the time that the tunnels on both the high levels had been traversed and examined, darkness had set m, so that it was impossible to satisfactorily wash a dish of the stone, although an attempt was made m this direction by the aid of candle-light. Several^ specimens, however, were taken possession of, for the purpose of future testing, and it may be worth mentioning that these specimens were not picked out specially, but were taken haphazard from the heap before referred to. Time was wanting to extend the journey to the Duchess of Albany claim, which lies a little further up the range, but one and all of the party expressed themselves highly delighted with what they had seen, and thanks are due to Mr Mace for the information he so willingly imparted."