GOLD AT CROMWELL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21996, 4 July 1933, Page 10

GOLD AT CROMWELL

DEVELOPMENTS ON KAWARAU SEEKING COURSE OF LEAD SHAFTS IN CENTRE OF FLAT (From Our Special Reporter.) , CROMWELL, July 3. Following the activity over' the weekend Cromwell to-day was comparatively qpiiet. The majority of those who have applied for claims on the flat appear to be awaiting the outcome of the sitting of the Warden’s Court, which is to be held here to-morrow night, though it Is understood that the business will not he of a lengthy nature. A great deal of interest is still being taken in anything pertaining to the claim at Deadman’s Point, and on Saturday and Sunday there was a continual stream of visitors to the spot. RESULTS OF GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY It Is reported that the syndicate which holds an option over this claim has received information which leads to the belief that the work of the geophysical survey points to the existence of a lead running through the Cromwell Flat and entering the Clutha at this point, thus .confirming the theory of Professor Park. It is generally understood that it was the intention of the Government to keep the results of the work of the survey secret until the applicants for claims had signified their willingness to comply with the five conditions laid down by the Minister of Mines and published several days ago. These included an undertaking on the part of the applicant to return to the Government 5 per cent, of the gold won in return for which the geojfltysical survey plan would he made available. “ON INFORMATION RECEIVED” It would appear that the effort to maintain secrecy has not been altogether successful, and it is suggested that certain syndicates holding options over areas on the flat are acting on information which could only be secured as the result of knowledge of the survey party’s work. It •is not known how this is being made available, but it is befieved that it has not been obtained locally. DEVELOPMENTS ON KAWARAU It is not unlikely that as a result of the new developments on the hanks of the Kawarau, even greater interest will be created in the position at Cromwell. Mr W. Bell informed me to-night that , in his claim, which is known as the Four X and is situated at the mouth of the Kawarau Gorge, about a quarter of a mile above Ounce, Ltd.’s, property, he has struck promising-looking wash. The tunnel in which work is being carried out has been driven 107 feet in. It has not yet been possible to take off samples from the wash owing to water in the face, but this is now draining off, and a prospect will be taken to-morrow. It is quite possible that this will not reveal anything sensational, but it is expected that within a week’s time the tunnel will have been advanced sufficiently into the wash to enable Mr Bell to gain a good idea of its value. __ HOPEFUL INDICATIONS In the Bell-Smith claim, some distance below the Bell-Hooper property, the tunnel is now in just over 300 feet, and by to-night boring had revealed that the wash in the new branch was three feet overhead. It is evident that the bottom is dipping into the flat at a steep, angle, and Mr J. Bell considers from the indications present that a gutter is not far away. A significant thing about this striking of wash at two points of the Kawarau about one mile apart is that it proves that the lead either runs parallel with the river or else that more than one lead exists through the flat. The opinion of local miners is inclining to this latter view, and all that is now required is a strike of gold-bearing wash in the centre of the flat to create a sensation such as has never yet been known here. \ Such a discovery would prove beyond the slightest doubt that runs of gold traverse the whole area of the flat. Great interest is therefore being taken in the progress of several parties which are engaged on sinking shafts out in the middle of the flat, and the developments this week in the Four X and Bell-Smith tunnels will be eagerly followed, DEADMAN’S POINT CLAIM No work is at present being carried , out in the claim at Deadman’s Point. The members of this party have reached a point where, in order to proceed further, they must install a pumping plant and open out on a larger scale, and in view of the fact that they expect that the syndicate holding the option over the claim will exerciso this within a week or two they are unwilling to incur expense 'which would be of no real value to -Their successors. THE PENALTY OF SUCCESS As an indication of the manner in •which these prospectors are already paying the penalty of their success it may be stated that one member of the party has been approached by a firm of motor dealers from Dunedin with offers to sell him a motor car. Evidently some person in Cromwell :a under the impression that a gold miner who has discovered a rich claim must necessarily be worth robbing as Mr Lomax was awakened by a noise early this morning and found that a man had gained entrance to the house and was evidently intent on burglary. When Mr Lomax sprang out of bed, however, the intruder made a hurried exit and escaped ' into the darkness. LEGAL BATTLES IN PROSPECT The first signs of expansion of the town as a result of the gold finds were evident to-day when a Dunedin legal firm opened a branch office here this morning. There is not the slightest doubt that a tremendous amount of vyork is now available for solicitors and this will be increased when the numerous lawsuits which must arise as the result of ir regular pegging and infractions of mining law are fought out in court. It is stated, indeed, that one party has already indicated its intention of taking its case to the Court of Appeal should this he necessary. It is understood also that an enterprising exhibitor of talking pictures has been making inquiries with a view to opening up a theatre in the town.

EXISTENCE OF RICH FIELDS FORMER BANK MANAGER’S BELIEF. (Speciai ri) Umi.v Times) CHRISTCHURCH, July 3. Reference to the latest gold mining boom in Central Otago was made to-day by Mr J. Mac Gibbon, formerly manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Christchurch, in the course of an address which he gave before the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants. Mr Mac Gibbon was in that district in the early mining days. He said he had been there for some weeks during the heat of the boom, but many of the dredges had not won as much gold as the land they destroyed was worth. Good land had been ruined for all time for the sake of a few ounces of gold. He believed, however, that rich fields remained undiscovered in the Cromwell area, where such harm as had resulted in places like Miller’s Flat and parts of Southland would not be done. Nothing would please him better than to see rich strikes made, for the winning of large quanties of gold at the present day would go a long way to help the country through its financial difficulties.