THE RACE FOR GOLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20842, 8 April 1931, Page 5

THE RACE FOR GOLD.

DIGGERS IN VICTORIA.

GOOD AND BAD LUCK.

MAN'S FORTUNATE CHANCE. [ ruuM out own conrkspo.n dent. ] MELBOURNE, March 19. At intervals Australia becomes excited liy the announcement of tiie discovery of a treasure 'store of gold that will rival discoveries of the early days. A review of the development of some of the more promising discoveries of the past few years reveals that most of them have petered out very quickly. There are a few fortunate exceptions which keep the gold industry in Victoria alive. One is at Donnybrook, where in 1927 a lucky prospector gut more than £SOO worth of guld in three months. Within a few days 11 miles of country north and south of the original claim was pegged out. In two years one party of miners took out £3350 worth of gold. Parties uie still working there aiul getting gold. Another area that is still paving nearly a year after its discovery is at Duke's Flat, 15 miles from Bendigo. In July, 1930, rock "studded with gold" was found. There was a rush, but many claims were abandoned. How Luck Counts.

• Gold is still coming from Duke's Flat. Lockett Bros, and Dawson got 114oz. 12dwt. from 120 tons of stone, and the return for three months' work for three men was £l5O each. A later crushing of 180 tons gave 1620/.. 12dwt. of gold. The work at Duke's Flat gives a striking illustration of the luck of gold-hunt-ing. The south end of the present workings have broken through into an old shaft that is within two leet of gold. The shaft goes to 70ft., and cuts through the reef. In the south end of the shaft is quartz bearing one ounce of gold a ton.

Myers Flat, outside F.agleliawk, was thesite of another rich discovery about a year ago. There was the usual rush, but many men, lacking luck, dropped out. Last August 20 men were employed on alluvial diggings. A few weeks ago 10 were working, and it is believed there would be. profitable employment for more, if the run were not through private property. Payable gold is being taken from the area worked.

One of the most recent, and probably the most important, of gold discoveries is that made by George Taig at Inglewood, about 130 miles from Melbourne. In February this year Taig struck gold iu an old shaft. In one week he got £6O worth of gold from his claim, which is on the famous Unity lintf. round by Chance.

A message from Inglewood tlie other day stated that work 011 the claim was still confined to prospecting, and Taig had driven 40ft. north and south on the line of reef. The formation had widened from four to eight feet in one place. Values were well maintained, and there was every indication of permanency. It would seem that George Taig's "Lucky 11 it" claim is one of the few rich discoveries with a future, and, as the name implies, it was found by chance. Taig and his partner, who had been working together for 13 years, heard that fossickers had got good specimens near the shaft, which was in good order. They went down and did a few days' work for practically no return. Prospects looked so far from bright that Taig's partner gave up. Taig went on, and the next day he struck the gold. And this is how he struck it—another illustration of the luck, and ill-luck—of the hunt. In sinking the shaft, the original miners had left a ridge on the floor when they ceased , work. It was only a foot or so of earth. Taig decided to square it up, and in squaring it up he got his first gold. At the end of that week he had more than 14oz. of coarse gold, and, more important still, he was following a formation that was actually "studded with gold." The prospectors who put the shaft down got very little gold; but they were within a pick blow of what looks like being the fortune that prospectors are always seeking, and rarely finding.