GOLD AT CROMWELL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21998, 6 July 1933, Page 8

GOLD AT CROMWELL

RUMOURS OF RICH STRIKE VERIFICATION LACKING GREAT ACTIVITY FORESHADOWED (From Our Special Reporter.) CROMWELL, July 5. Although there were a great many tumours in Cromwell to-day that one of the parties sinking shafts on the flat had struck particularly rich gold-bear-ing wash it was impossible to confirm this. Rumour is proverbially a lying jade, and to-day she appears to be less accurate even than usual, for each story contradicts the other. It seems that two parties engaged in mining operations in the centre of the flat have been selected by the local wiseacres as the lucky miners, but which of the two it is that has actually struck gold, if either, it is impossible to say. Both deny that they have broken through into payable ground, but there is a certain amount of reluctance among a section of mining men to credit this statement, as it is held that where there is much smoke there must be some fire. In view of the reluctance of the miners to disclose any definite information regarding the reported strike it is impossible to say whether the rumour is •orrect or otherwise. In other respects Cromwell seems to be assuming a more normal aspect, and for the present at least the orgy of pegging which characterised last week’s activities is at an end. What at first looked like an attempt to jump a portion of the Lomax party’s claim was reported to-day, when Mr Lomax discovered that about 20 acres had been pegged off by another party. It was later ascertained, however, that the pegging had been carried out in error and that the pegs have since been withdrawn. Among responsible mining men the opinion is held that the next month or «o will see the real effect of the mining boom in Cromwell. There are at present a number of parties working along the Kawaraiu, whose tunnels are well advanced and who should strike payable wash within the time specified. In addition to this, several of the shafts now being sunk on the flat in various localities should reach bottom shortly. It will then be possible to gain an accurate idea of the gold-bearing potentialities of the whole of the flat, and it is being predicted that the activity at present is as nothing compared with what will be experienced in another month or two. SCOTLAND’S TUNNEL A ROMANTIC STORY WORK IN FOUR X CLAIM OLD LEAD RE-DISCOVERED? (From Our Special Reporter.) CROMWELL, July 5. What may well be regarded as one of the most interesting and romantic stories connected with the present development of the Cromwell field lies behind the announcement made a day or two ago that in the Four X claim at the mouth of the Kawarau Gorge Mr W. Bell had broken through into very promising-look-ing wash. Late to-night, Mr Bell stated that he had received a number of offers for his claim, which is 24 acres ,in extent, running up to £15,000, but he had refused to consider any of them, and while he, might be tempted by an offer of double that amount his intention was to carry out sufficient work in the tunnel to prove the value of the lead which he has struck. For his own part he is convinced that the wash will prove to be richer than anything obtained in the now-famous Bell-Kilgour claim, but before he relinquishes his interest in Four X to some purchaser he intends to prove conclusively that he has struck the site of what is known throughout Central Otago as Scotland’s. Tunnel.

GUIDED BY OLD MINER Mr Bell received information which fuided him in the selection of a site for his tunnel from an old miner at the Nevis, now a man over 80 years of age, who recalled that as a boy he saw Scotland and his wife, now almost legendary figures, working in therr tunnel on the Kawarau, from which in two seasons they took such a quantity of gold that they were able to return to Scotland and retire. The old man told Mr Bell a fascinating story'of how Scotland worked his way into a tunnel on the bank of the river so low and narrow that he was obliged to crawl forward on his stomach and scrape the wash into a bucket which was hauled out on a rope by his wife, who washed it in the swiftly flowing Kawarau that rushed past their claim. Although only a boy at the time the narrator of the story told Mr Bell that he remembered distinctly seeing many pieces in the gold won by Scotland which must have weighed an ounce or more, and it was in those far-off days commonly reported that the return for a week this almost fabulously rich tunnel was frequently over 100 ounces. The story has been handed down in Cromwell from the early prospectors that Mrs Scotland on one occasion washed 100 ounces of gold from one dish, but the old man was unable to confirm this. It is at least certain that nothing which Mr Bell was told exceeded what has been common knowledge regarding the output from the tunnel at the mouth of the Eawarau Gorge. EARLY INDICATIONS Soon after commencing work on his own tunnel, Mr Bel] came across signs which convinced him that the information -which had been given to him was correct in every detail. A blow with a pick revealed a gutter of the type known to miners as a Maori drain, consisting of flat stones placed side by side on edge with other stones on top as a covering. This tell-tale information he quickly hid from the sight of chance visitors by covering it over, but recently some inquisitive person discovered it, probably without realising its significance. In Scotland s old tunnel which was laid bare as the work proceeded numerous pieces of driftwood showed how this enterprising miner of threequarters of a century ago made up for the deficiency of timber in the district for supporting the crumbling roof above him.

THE WASH STRUCK Mr Bell’s own tunnel broke through into wash a day or two ago and a great body of water was encountered. This tore a big hole in the face of the drive and progress for the present is held up because the utmost caution has to be observed in timbering up this gap and there is great danger if this is not carefully done of a fall of earth from above. Mr Bell is, however, one of the most experienced miners in the district and the work will undoubtedly be efficiently done. It is therefore probable that a month will elapse* before the mine will again be working at a normal rate. Mr Bell believes that the lead will prove to be a narrow one and that the gold will be more concentrated than has been the case in any wash uncovered in this district within the last 12 months. It will be recalled that he is the father of the two young men who opened up the Bell-Kilgour and the Bell-Hooper mines, and it was in large measure due to his expert advice and wise guidance that his sons arc now men of independent means. People not only in Cromwell but in the whole of the Dominion will eagerly await information that Mr Bell's fir ily fixed belief has been confirmed by actual results and that the Four X claim will prove a worthy successor to that great old tunnel of the first days of the field. VISIT OF UNDER-SECRETARY WARNING TO PROSPECTORS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS DISCUSSED (From Our Special Reporter.) CROMWELL, July 5. A warning that applicants for mining rights, when being approached by outsiders for options over their claims should listen with extreme care to statements that the latter, and only the latter, could obtain finality with regard to the granting of these applications was issued by the Under-secretary of the Mines Department (Mr A. H. Kimbell) to-day. “ Any suggestions which have hitherto been made in such a connection have emanated,” Mr Kimbell said, “ from the romantic imagination of people who, in ray opinion, have been improperly and most unfairly seeking to attain their own ends by making falacious statements. The Minister of Mines (Mr C. E. Macmillan) has already laid down the conditions subject to which he is prepared to consider consenting to the granting of applications in respect of areas on the Cromwell Flat. One of these provides that 5 per cent, of the gold won must be allocated to the Government. The next move lies with the applicants to signify to the Minister that they arc'" prepared to agree to such an allowance being made, in addition to complying with the other terms imposed for the protection of the land, etc.” Mr Kimbell, who arrived in Cromwell to-day, stated thaht he had come for the purpose of obtaining a bird’s-eye view of the whole position at Cromwell. This morning he paid a visit to the claims on the Kawarau and also inspected four shafts which are being sunk on the flat. He commented that he had also seen what appeared to be evidence that an attempt was being made to commence two other shafts.

Questioned as to what was the significance of this latter statement, Mr Kimbell declined to amplify his remarks, and said the question was too difficult to discuss any further at this juncture. Speaking of the importance of the subsidy to unemployed miners, Mr Kimbell stressed the fact that it must not be forgotten that it was largely as a result of the financial assistance given by the Unemployment Board that Messrs 801 l and Kiigour had made their discovery of a lead on the banks of the Kawarau iu October of last year. The same thing could also be said regarding the latest strike at Deadman’s Point by a party of unemployed miners. Mr Kimbell stated that it was of the utmost importance from a mining point of view that the shaft-sinking now being undertaken on the Cromwell Flat should be completed at the earliest possible date, thus giving practical proof of the gold-bearing potentialities of the ground. It was also desirable that those actively engaged in mining should proceed with their development work underground as quickly as possible. It was pointed out to the speaker that it was understood that an application for a special alluvial claim covering a portion of the areas granted by the warden last night had been filed by one party. In reply, Mr Kimbell said it must not be forgotten that where any applications might be made for alluvial claims on freehold land in respect of which prospecting licenses had already been granted to another applicant, the granting of alluvial claims was subject to the consent of the Minister of Mines.

Asked if he could give any indication as to the attitude the Minister would adopt in this case, Mr Kimbell said he could not discuss the matter further.

When a question was put to him whether consideration had been given to the matter of compensation to the freeholders of land which might be resumed for mining purposes by the Government. Mr Kimbell again stated that he was not in a position at the present time to give a definite answer on so involved a question. By the special legislation passed last session, he said, it was laid down that where the Minister of Mines decided that boring operations should be conducted, or where a geophysical survey had been made, statutory authority was provided by which the land involved or the subsoil only could be resumed lor mining purposes without the consent of the owner of the freehold and without liability for payment of the value of the gold won. Reasonable allowance would, however, have to bo made for the cost of any mining operations previously carried out by the owner on such land. Mr Kimbell was also asked how it would be possible for the owners of claims in the centre of the flat to comply with the Minister’s condition that, the surface of the soil must be disturbed as little as possible. It was pointed out to him that while the claimholders on the river frontage could tunnel in from the banks, those in the centre of the flat would be obliged to sink deep shafts and bring large quantities of material to the surface.

Mr Kimbell indicated that the- system of disposing of the surplus spoil in ths drives ns '.hese were abandoned would probably have to be adopted, but he thought this was a problem which could be left until mining operations were in full progress. Reference was made to the statements published in the Daily Times on Tuesday morning that there had been a leakage of information obtained as a result of the operations of the geophysical survey. These, he said, cast an unfair reflection on responsible, officers and the insinuation was a very ugly one. In all cases where applicants for mining privileges desired to obtain the benefit of the work of the survey party the Minister of Mines had already indicated that he would cause such information to be supplied on a satisfactory written agreement being entered into between the applicant and the Government. Mr Kimbell went on to say that be had had the pleasure of seeing the work of the survey party on the lowest terrace near the Kawarau River that morning.

Two explosions hud been iired for the purpose of applying the seismic method of geophysical survey. Both results were regarded as satisfactory from a point of view of obtaining the desired records to calculate successfully the depth and nature of the underlying sandstone or clays. Mr Kimbell concluded by stating that he had seen for the first time this morning a section of the map disclosing the results of the survey over a large part of the Cromwell Flat.