ALLUVIAL GOLD MINING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 16 November 1937, Page 10

ALLUVIAL GOLD MINING

RESULTS IN NELSON PROVINCE Imperial to "The Mail”] WELLINGTON, This Day. The Mines Statement which has been presented to (lie House refers as lollows to the alluvial gold mining activities in the Collingwood, Takaka, Waimea and Murchison Counties: — COLLINGWOOD COUNTY Diamond's Elat Gold-mining Co. Ltd.: This company operates a sluicing claim situated on the south bank of the Aorere River at Rockville. Mr J. A. J. McLaren is manager, and six men arc employed. By ground-sluicing, approximately 8250 cubic yards of material was treated for a recovery ot 119 oz 6dwt 2gr of gold, which realised £824 7s Gd. The company is negotiating for the valuable water rights and dam held by Mouat and Sons, and if these are acquired increased output and returns will be possible. One hundred and forty-one men were employed in the Collingwood County, winning 6190 z 16dwt Igr of gold, valued at £4114 12s. These figures include the number of men employed and the gold won by the Diamond’s Flat Gold-min-ing Co. Ltd. TAKAKA COUNTY Glover’s Flat Gold Syndicate: Manoy Bros, employed three men ground-sluic-ing on the Anatoki River flats. A long tail-race has been constructed and water laid on. Although prospects are good, the removal of''heavy boulders encountered in the wash is a serious obstacle to working the claim at a profit. One hundred and nineteen men were employed in the Takaka County, winning 2940 z 9dwt 2gr of gold, valued at £1909 Os 3d. These figures include the men employed by Manoy Bros. WAIMEA COUNTY Wangapeka, Baton, Etc.: Alluvial mining in these areas is carried out mostly on a small scale by men receiving the subsidy provided by the Department of Labour. Fifty-one men were employed, winning llGoz ldwt lOgr of gold, valued at £789 ss. MURCHISON COUNTY Glenroy Gold, Ltd.: This company, employing four men on tribute, sluiced approximately 20,000 cubic yards of wash and overburden for a recovery of 105 oz lldwt 23gr of gold, which realised £746 8s lOd. The total amount of gold won by the company from this area amounts to 4140 z 3dwt 21 gr, valued at £3185 16s sd. A considerable number of men continue to win gold from the Maggie and Maud Creeks, the latter area having proved highly remunerative to several parties. A considerable yardage from unworked blocks is still available, but this cannot be profitably handled on a small scale and without an adequate water-supply. The Mines Department is subsidising an experiment to work deep and swiftflowing rivers by a drag-line process at Newton Flat. A section of the Buller River has been pegged out by a Nelson syndicate, and Mr E. W. Tait, the designer of the plant, is in charge of the assembly operations, which are progressing favourably. If this plant is successful it will open up possibilities in other localities where similar conditions prevail. Areas that are too small or are in other ways unsuitable ' for dredging and impossible to work by any known methods may then be exploited by a similar equipment to that now undergoing a trial. Three hundred and thirty-eight men were employed in the Murchison County, winning 21870 z 9dwt sgr of gold, valued at £15,667 9s Id. These figures include the men employed and the gold won by the Glenroy Gold, Ltd., but not the dredges.