Golden Days and Rugged Ways.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIX, Issue 6046, 11 September 1894, Page 4

Golden Days and Rugged Ways.

OLD NOTES PICKED UP IN CENTRAL OTAGO.

[By a Backer.]

(Continued.) Clarke's, or Mount Burster, is 4000ffc above the sea level, and was discovered by a party of miners whose names were Samuel Clarke, Nicholas Coyan, Thomas Mulvey and James M'Laughlin, on the 18th July, 1863. The prospects first washed were three grains to the dish, sinking three feet, and plenty of water for working. The first week they washed out 60 ounces of gold. The original gully was named Clarke's, after one of the discoverers, and it stands on the Kakanui range, not far from Mount Kyeburn. Some very rich deposits have been found at this high altitude, and it was at one time no unusual occurrence for a party of three or four men to sell 500 and even 1000 ounces after eight months' work. Mining is carried on here by means of sluicing. Large and expensive pipes are used to convey the water to the various claims, which have a face of from 40 to 80 feet in depth. Owing to the heavy falls of snow, it is only practicable to work on this field from October to May. After these eight months' work, the miners lock up their tents, and rest quite contented, depending on finding them all secure in the following spring. Mr Fagin, of Fagin Bros., storekeepers, on one occasion, to the wonder of the inhabitants of Kye--burn, started for Clarke's with an American waggon filled with stores, and with 15 horses attached. He reached the top of the mountain in safety, and got down again without any very serious casualty—in fact, the getting down was worse than getting up. Sergeant Garvey, of the Otago Constabulary, was lost here in the snow, dying on the range, on 24th September, 1864. It appears that having completed j his inspection of the diggings, Garvey determined on returning to Naseby that afternoon. He started in company with Mounted Trooper M'Donald and two miners. They had not gone far when a warm discussion arose as to which was the proper spur or road to talre for the descent. Garvey insisted that he knew the direct road, while the others were equally positive that he was wrong and they right. They parted company. The miners reached Naseby safely, and the next morning, hearing that Garvey had not returned, they reported the matter at the police camp, giving particulars of the seoeration on the mountain top. Search parties were at once formed, and started out in every direction. Sergeant Ryan came in for no small share of public abuse for his supposed supineness in not affording facilities for the search. After a three-days' search Garvey's body was found covered with snow, by a man named Porter. An inquest was held on the Bth of October and a verdict returned in accordance with the melancholy circumstances of his death. A rough cairn of stones now marks the spot where the body was found. Kyeburn Diggings, situate at the base of Mount Kyeburn, on the Kyeburn River, was discovered in 1863, although I have been credibly informed by Mr A. M'Master, of Toko-Rahi, that it was in reality here that the first gold was discovered, as he recollects one of his shepherds telling him in 1860 that he was sure he had seen gold in Kyeburn Creek, though at that time no person believed the yarn. The road to Oamaru district is through Kyeburn Diagings and over the adjoining Kyeburn Pass to Livingstone Diggings, from which place a railway runs to ° Oamaru. In 1869, Mr Robinson, R.M. had snow poles erected across this pass to guide travellers in stormy weather. The Livingstone or Maerewhenua idiscsings are situated on two leading spurs of the 3 Kakanui range, about 30 miles in a westerly direction from Oamaru. The two spurs are seperated from each other by the north branch of the Maerewhenua river. The field is somewhat limited, being but a few miles in length, and a mile or so in breath. Gold was first discovered in the district about 1865 by three miners named James Spence, Thos. Harrison, and Thomas Ellat. These men had been unlucky mining at Naseby, and enaased themselves to work at their trade as masons at the new mansion which was being erected on the Totara Estate. After the house was completed they took to their old mining pursuits, and while prospecting came upon gold at Maerewhenua, and called the' gully " Masons Gully." The majority of the early miners who came from the Mount Ida district were doubtless attracted thither by the newness of the discovery ; and in anticipation of bettering their condition, moved with their possessions to the new field. The men had an uphill struggle from the first year of the opening of the new field to the present. They early had to battle with wealthy owners of property on the banks of the river, for privileges which they now enjoy. The right to run tailings into the river was denied them, and, indeed, up to the present they run tailings illegally into the Maerewhenua river. Among the early storekeepers were E. C. Smith" and M. Osterberg ; hotelkeepers : N. Osterberg, P. Gallagher, and last but not least Sutherland, butcher and cattle dealer, of the clan of that name—grand on the bagpipes. Macraes Flat was discovered in 1864. Ib is situate on an immense plain, and in this respect its position is quite unlike that of most of the goldfields. It was named after a shepherd who lived near the flat. The Bank of New Zealand opened here, and Mr J. S. M'lntosh was agent for some years. The gold was very easily obtained, the sinking being from 10ft to 40ft, and some very payable claims were discovered. Money was plentiful, so were hotels and dancing saloons. Although considered one of the smaller goldfields of Otago, I believe there was as much gold obtained here per man as on many of the larger and more-talked-of diggings. In 1868, the gold became scarcer ; the bank closed, and Mr M'lntosh was transferred to Naseby, to take charge of that agency. The Nenthorn reefs are about 10 miles from M'Crae's Flat. In June 1888 Mr William Macmillan's attention, while engaged in rabbiting, was drawn to the frequency of loose pieces of quartz showing gold to be picked up at the site of the present Nenthorn reefs, and upon following up the scattered pieces the first reef was found. In November 1888 the prospecting claim was applied for, but it was some little time before any public attention was drawn to the new discovery, and Messrs Hugh M'Auley, John Cogan, and Charles M'Gregor were amongst the first who looked for new reefs. About the same time Mr M'Grath discoveied the Croesus reef.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE BEEFS

is within the bend of the head waters of Nenthorn creek, which surrounds the table land upon which the reefs are found on the north and west. The reefs are in the Taieri goldfields district, and are on Mr Poison's Cottesbrook run, which, being Crown land, can be mined upon without let or hindrance. The reefs are distant 15 miles east from the foot of the Rock and Pillar range of mountains ; about 25 miles inland from the coast at Waikouaiti, and near the northern end of the Silver Peak hills.

THE SENTHOBN KEEF GOID has been proved by assay to be not quite so good as that generally obtained in Otago, and is said to be worth only a little over L 3 per ounce. Having given a very inadequate description of the surrounding goldfields, we must return to Hogburn, which we left .partially deserted for want ,o£ water.

Races had been cut with such perseverance and energy that, in 1865, a fair amount of water was purchasable for mining purposes ; and, hearing this, the miners soon, returned in The Haraiilton cstmp was broken up; and warden, receiver, inspector, and bailiff were again located at Hogburn. The Bank of Sew South Wales, which had been closed for a year, was re-opened, in charge of Mr Joseph Yates, with Mr W. Grumitt as assistant. The Bank of New Zealand was then in charge of Mr Barker, with Mr Mackintosh as assistant. Shortly afterward Mr Thomas Draper—whose father was lost in the Xiondon in the Bay of Biscay—was appointed agent. That year the Extended Company* commenced their water-race. The race is 20 miles long, and cost about L6OOO to complete.