The Mines.

Otago Witness, Issue 1416, 11 January 1879, Page 5

The Mines.

THE MUDDY CREEK CHANNEL COMPANY, ST. BATHANS.

(communicated. ) Great attention has been paid during the last few years to tho settlement of the people upon the land, and much has bjen done through agricultural leases and deferred payment systems to facilitate the acquirement, by men of small means of a share in the prosperity which, in a few years, awaits those in possession of two or three hundred acres of land. But, as regards goldmining— the industry oa which much of our boasted prosperity has been built, and which has an important part to play, little encouragement has been given, or, let us be candid, as little a? possible. Not that all has been done that might have been ; but still no system that could be adopted would do much good to miners in general ; and as to the reault that has followed, or is likely to follow, the expenditure of large sums on public wcr^s in favoured localities, the less said the butter. In the future, as in tho _ past, those who engage in mining enterprise are not likely to have any greater help than the gods aro said to afford those who help themselves. Many are the undertakings upon the goldfields of Otago thai; have been entered into, involving years of labour before any return can possibly be obtained ; but no enterprise, that we are aware of, requiring such an amount of capital and peraeverance as the Muddy Creek Main Channel Company, St. Bathans. This Company have just completed a larga water-race, brought from the Manuherikia .River, to assist in carrying out their main undertaking; and on the 16th of December they had a formal opening and christening of the same, water being run in it for the first time. The construction of this main channel being of great importance, not to the Company alone, but to nearly all the mining companies and people of Sfc. Bathana, Mr Edward Kenny, manager for the Company, gave an invitation to all his friends, which included all the people of Sfc. Bathans and its neighbourhood, both old and young. Mr Kenny has been a resident of St. Batham for the last seven years, and by his civility and geoial manner, he has secured for himBelf the goodwill of all with whom he has been acquainted. Theie were about three hundred parsons present to witnes* the ceremony. Plenty of good things in the shape of eatables and drinkables were provided, and a place levelled for dancing, and the stewards Messrs P. and M. Hanrahan, John Foley, James Mannix, and Francis Eagle wai ted at the refreshment tables, and one w ould think that there was a prizs for the steward that would be most attentive to the requirements of the guests. At 2 o'olock the 8c Bithans band arrived on the grouud, and repaired to the termination of water-race, and af cer playing a few popular airs, Mr Kenny said that 1 it was his wish to confer the honour on M Ewing being chief spokesman oa th's occa sion. Mr J. Ewing (County Chairman) addressing those present, said : — On occasions like those it is usual for somebody to say something. He was not aware until that day that he was to be the principal speaker on that occasion, so that if all he said was not to the point he hoped he should be excused. It was not so easy to say what was appropriate, and leave unsaid what was not. In the case of people of note it was usual to herald a birth with rejoicing, in which the public were invited to share ; and different epochs in the life of the individual were similarly treated. So it was with public undertakings, or those in which a number of individuals were interested ; although with undertakings, as with many of the in dividudls who had not done most for their fellow-men, and whose names after generations delighted to honour, those fraught with the greatest good had often a nameless origin — were ushered into existence without remark. The present undertaking was a case in point. At the risk of retailing what would be " fiddler's news " to many of those present, he would have to tell them something of the origin and objects of the Company. Those looking at the present workings and the bare rocks in their vicinity could form but little idea of the state of things existing before mining commenced — of hills and terraces that had been washed away. He had calculated that at least 8,000,000 cubic yards had been Bluiced from their natural position into what they called Muddy Creek, and of this amount 1,000,000 yet remained in the bed of the creek, which had silted it up to an average depth of over 20ft between the bridge on the main road and the head of the workings, two mileß higher up. Some five years ago it was seen that the auriferous gravel deposits along the creek were running to a depth to which they could not be followed for want of fall for the tailings, and that the construction of a main channel was necessary. At that time the Provincial G-.j-I vernment wa3 undertaking similar works in other localities, and application was made to it. Some encouragement wa? given; but before anything definite was arrived at, tho present Muddy Creek Channel Company undertook the work as an enterpi iae payable in itself, receiving aa their reward 50 acres of land along the line. The public were to be allowed to make use of the channel free of cost ; it was to be thirty- six feet deeper than the thin level of the tailings at its head; and no obstructioa was to bo offered during its construction to mining operations along its course. After spending nearly two years in the constructing of about one mile of channel (it would be throughout over three miles long) the Company found the prtsenfc flow and past accumulation of tailings could not be overcome without a large supply of clean water. Tha proprietor of Hawkdun station also wanted water for sheep-washing and irrigation, and joining thorn in bringing a water-race from the Manuherikia river, which would carry from 25 to 30 head of water — the raoe they were now met at to christen. Two and n. half years had bean spent in its consfcniction,, and Mr Dalgety's portion of its cost would be about one eighth of tho whole. In consideration of the public nature of the work, and the large amount of auriferous land to be opened up, the County Council had, during last year, agreed to sub sidize the work to the extent of £600. Of this sum £150 had been paid as subsidy on the j construction of the present race, and the remainder would be given in equal instalments

on each 10 chains of the next mile of the channel constructed. S.ive the trifling help he had statrd, and which was mostly expended in employing additional labour, the Company, consisting of oight men, had, during the five year 3 they have been engaged in the work, no aid or return. He had compared the progress of such an enterprise as this with the life of an individual, and to follow out the simile he could congratulate the Company on having brought their enterprise so far, but it could not be said to have reached manhood yet, but rather it could be said that the child would now begin to do something for its parents. From this time out they would be getting some gold ; and he was sure that not one individual then present, nor indeed in the district, could eavy their success, however great in might be, or say it was undeserved. (Applause.) He could only hope that aa the undtrtaking had proved of so much greater magnitude than they had anticipated when they had entered upon it, their reward would also be very much greater than they then had any right to expect. (Cries of Hear, hear ! and great applause ) Mr Burnett, the new Manager of the Hawkdua station had consented to let his little daughter Violette do the christening. Miss V. Burnett, a little girl of about five years of age, was then introduced by Mr Kenny to perform the ceremony. He (Mr Kenny) told her the words to say, in calling it the Hawkdun Great Extended Water-race. Her able and prompt response to Mr Kenny after breaking the bottle of champagne caused a warm-hearted feeling amongst all present for the little lady. Mr Edward Kenny, manager for the Company, said he felt it his duty to make a few remarks, viz. : The water-race that they had so often earnestly wished for was completed, for they were all undoubtedly aware that ir, had taken longer to complete than he at first anticipated. He said in a jocular way, that those great things were not got through with in a hurry. Eo tie, he said, was not built in a day, nor did Christopher Columbus discover America in two days. However, he hoped that it would bring to the miners of St. Bathans some joyful tidings, as it was the key that would unlock a golden treasure. (Hear, hear ! and applause.) He said their arduous undertaking waß that of a great public benefit. It was the opinion of » good many outride of Sfc. Bathans that mining in that place was reduced to a minimum. He receive! that information from a traveller, and on asking Mr Traveller how he could account fcr that, Mr Traveller said that the yield of gold for the last six years showed a wonderful falling off when compared -with, the good old dajs — namely, the esrly days ef St. Bathans. He (Mr Kenny) said it was little their outside friends knew what work was carried on upon the goldfields of St. Bathans for the last six years. In the so-called "good old days" gold was plentiful. A few plucky, hard-work-ing men secured water rights, and invested capital, and worked hard in cutting waterraceß, Th- y were the men who could call the early days " the good old days," not the claimholders who paid £14 a head per week for water day and night, and everything that they required was roting high in proportion, so t*at after paying all expenses out of their washings the residue, if any. was very trifling that found its way into the claimholders' pockets. He wished success and happiness to the men who worked out means to secure for themselves happy homes. About six years ago these claitnhofders' eyes began to open ; they secured water-rights and commenced cutting water-races. The first, Mr G. P. Gilmore and party, now Sc Bathon's Water- race Company, spent 2-£ years cutting a race 43 miles long. Next Mr J. Ewing, a private individual, expended a very large sum of money in cutting a water-race, &c. He had for a very long period kept constantly employed 15 to 20 men at £3 12a per week. It would be well if there were more men of Mr BwiDg's stamp on the goldfields ; but as there are not, they wero fortunate to have him in St. Bathans. Next were Mr M. Fahey and party, now Dunstan Creek Water-race Company. They constructed a water- race through averydiffi cult country. He (the speaker) said he was present at the fiist survey of Mr Fahey's line of race, and were it not that he was a man of temperate habits, and possessed of a steady nerve, he would have been on rather a perilous undertaking. Notwithstanding all, Mr Fahey had made a capital water-race. Last, but not least, were Mr Folej. and paity, now the Muddy Creek Main Cbannel and Hawkdun Great Extended Water-race Company. He said that that required no comment from him, as Mr Ewing had given them an idea of the undertaking aud the great benefit it would be to the miners of St. Bathan's at large. He said that he (the speaker) and his Company had spent with their undertaking; five years pulling hard against the strtam ; but he hoped they had their barque now at a safe anchorage. Mr Kenny said that compared with the so called good old days, the present days were good and pleasant. Instead of the calico tert, stuck amongst mattagourie and speargrass, they had dwellings of corrugated iron, weather-boards, and stone buildings, with beautiful fruit and fliwer gardens." Ho then proposed to his many guests a toast in his native tongue, "Oaed Milla Failthe" (a thousand wel comes), which was leceived with deafening cheers. He then proposed "Three Cheers for little Mias Burnett, three cheers for Mr Ewing, and three chcrd for Mr and Mrs Burnett," which were heartily responded to. Adjournment was then made to where refreshments had been provided, after doing justice to which, dancing was rcsirted to, and kept up to a late hour in the afternoon Tr,e scene of the christening was at Hawkdun terrnca, a distance of about tsro miles from St Bathans. Headed by the band, all tho Ejuosts formed into procesolm and marched back tr> St. BaUvms ; aud, after an hour's interval, all repaired to the school-room, where dancing was again rtsortod to. The meeting dispersed towards morning, all highly pleased with the proceedings. X.Y.Z.