EARLY GOLD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 1 September 1932, Page 12

EARLY GOLD

>.— RICH HMDS OF THE PAST INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE SIXTIES THE CENTRAL OTAGO FIELDS Will histoiyx repeat itself? There are, many who are confident that one of these days there will be as much gold dug out of the interior of the Otago province as in the past, and, at a time like the present, when vireumstances have forced many to fossick for the precious metal, it is particularly interesting to read in an Otago almanac, published as long ago as 1865, of the rich finds of those early days in the goldfields.

The gold exports from the province from 1861 to 30th November, 1864, are rrivcn as follows: —1861—187,6950 z, of a- value (at £4 an ounce) of £750,780; 1862 —597.6020 z, of a value of £1,590,408; 1863—601,7110 z, of a value of £2,406.844 : 1864—404,2060 z, of a value of £1.616,824; grand total, 1,591,2140 z, of a value of £6,364,856. Those were the days of gold escorts, when the precious metal was conveyed from the fields to town under the charge of a heavily-armed guard. From Tuapeka and Waitahuna, where the first discoveries were made, 172,0510 z came from the former and 32,4640 z from the latter in 1861; 199,.2190z and 53,7640 zin 1862; 63,3040 z and 12,1870 z in 1863; and 52,4930 z and 8,1430 zin 1864.

'Flic Dunstan rush led to 68,9860 z coming to Dunedin in 1862; 180,8760 z in 1863; and 74,3590 zin 1864. The big findings at Wakatipu (Queenstown, Arrow River, etc.) brought 264,2580 z to Dunedin in 1863, and 113,4250 z in 1864. Lu 1864 gold weighing 51,0410 z came from Hamilton’s, ancl 28,4190 z from Manuherikia. From Waipori, in 1862, the gold brought in under escort was 7,1880 z. An interesting history of the goldfields of Otago is included in the almanac, it being stated: “In our last yearly issue we bad the pleasing duty of recording Hie discovery of six new goldfields in Otago during 1863; and, when we consider that during the past year no fresh fields have been proclaimed, it surprises us that the yield of the precious metal contrasts so favourably with former years, the mining population considered,' which speaks volumes for the performance and richness of our goldfields, and shows the success which has already attended the newer and more extended systems of mining which have been introduced, and the still greater success likely to accrue from the more general introduction of powerful mining companies, for the working of the many quartz reefs known to exist in the province, in rifling the beds of our gold yielding rivers of their riches, hitherto unreachable from their depth and rapidity of current, or in sluicing extensive tracks of alluvial gold-bearing ground, so generally diffused over the entire province; payable if worked by large companies from the quantity of ground turned over, though the yield of the precious metal may be comparatively small.” Of particular point at the present time is the following paragraph:— “During last winter the Molvneux fell, and remained longer at a lower level than any season during the discovery of its gold-bearing qualities: this opportunity was made the most of hv the miners, many of whom had so often suffered from' its caprices at times when its golden deposits seemed almost within their reach ” Another paragraph, which has no referencel to a. commercial depression, reads interestingly:—“ln the yearly report of the goldfields secretary, as compiled from the warden’s returns, the population of (.lie goldfields at April last was estimated at 25,945, of whom 20.89.) were miners; but Mr Dyke added that he had reason lo believe that the entire population did not exceed 22,000, of whom probably only 18,000 were miners, since which date, through the exodus caused by the.Piet.on rush. the. goldfields population had been considerably reduced, and at the present time probably did not exceed 15,000 miners. If we allow 16,000 as the average number of miners at work throughout the past year, 1863-64, their average earnings would amount lo 290 z sdwt Mgr per man, equivalent, at £3 15s per ounce, to £ll2 12s 6d yearly, or £2 3s 2d as the weekly average for each miner, an amount which we believe has not been exceeded in any year since, the discovery of gold in the province; so that, despite the late commercial depression which has hung over the province, and which is not so much to be attributed to our goldfields as to other causes, the above fact unmistakably shows our goldfields to he in an eminently healthy position. and affords good grounds of expectancy for their future prosperity. The history refers to the introduction of agricultural pursuits in the province, and states: “And now that the pursuits of gold mining and agriculture, have joined hand in hand, indicating a desire on the. part of the mining population to settle down upon the lands m Hie vicinity of the goldfields, a sure foundation ‘of future prosperity is being laid, which will long continue to yield important results; and altogether, all things considered, Otago lias reason to he proud of her established and valuable goldfields, which, we feel assured, will prove the mainstay of her future oreatness, which will vet. exceed the past as far as the present exceeds the period previous to the discovery of gold in the province.”