NEWS FROM PUHIPUHI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8162, 25 January 1890, Page 5

NEWS FROM PUHIPUHI.

MR. GORDON'S REPORT. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Whangarki, Friday. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Witheford have returned from Puhipuhi, having been driven in a buggy by Mr. Morrison, of the Commercial Hotel. Messrs. Walker (secretary of the association) and Mr. McKenzie have also come in. Mr. Garsed (ranger) joined the party at Puhipuhi. Mur. Gordon made a thorough investigation of the reefs opened. He was much pleased with the improvement since his last visit. Ruby silver is showing freely in the No. 3 reef. He also examined the new discovery of antimony and silver several miles distant, and which is of a very satisfactory character. Both he and Mr. Witheford inspected a large area of the district, and wore pleased with the promising character of the field, so far as the small extent of work done and the general character of the country could enable an opinion to be formed. On Mr. Gordon's report to the Government the opening of Puhipuhi will depend. The prospectors have nominated a surveyor, and will nave a GO-aero lease. Their mine has been placed under offer to Sydney people. A company is proposed of 75,000 shares, about 30,000 for the Prospectors' Association. Specimens of the native silver obtained from No. 3 lode, have been sent to Sydney. Mr. Garsed, ranger, has his eye on a number of people prospecting by stealth, and is awaiting instructions before summoning them. _ Several Thames miners have encamped outside the block. They report a lino reefing Country further back.

Our Hikurangi correspondent writes :—I expected before this to havo to chronicle some rich finds outside the prosDectors' ground, but owing to the field not being proclaimed, if anyone finds anv rich stone he keeps quiet, as he has no hold on the ground. It is rumoured that oue or two parties havo found ore even better than the prospectors have to show, but for the reason stated above they keep quiet. There has been enough assays of specimens from the Puhipuhi. Every one is satisfied that the silver is there ; the question is, is it there in payable quantities? The prospectors sav it is, and that the -cwt sent to the School of Mines is only an average sample of the reef, and that it is getting richer as they siuk on it. Tho shareholders in tho Prospectors' Claim evidently think they have something good, as they refuse to sell, although some hundreds of pounds are said to have been offered lor a share. The prospectors are getting their ground surveyed. Inspector Gordon is expected up again" to repor3 to the Government. It is about time the Government did one thing or the othereither close the Puhipuhi or open it for mining purposes. Now it is neither one thing nor the other: but I fancy the prospects are too good to enable or justify the Government in keeping it closed. A number of parties are, 1 believe, prospecting in tho Puhipuhi, and come parties have fixed on their ground already. If the field is not proclaimed soon, some trouble may be caused by there being rival claimants for the same ground. If we had one more downpour ot rain, I do not think there would be any danger of bush fires this summer, but in a few years, if we get a very dry season, there is sure to be large fires in the I'uhipuhi, ranger or no ranger. The best thing tho Government could do would be to push on the construction of the tramway to the Puhipuhi, which is now being surveyed, so as to utilise the timber as soon as possible, and develop the resources of the district.