Gold in the Molyneux.

Otago Witness, Issue 1905, 25 May 1888, Page 12

Gold in the Molyneux.

The following letters on this subject appeared in Monday's Daily Times : —

Sib, — I am pleased to see that some old settlers in these depressed times are beginning to agitate about the Dunstan river. Now, Sir, I was one of the first, after Hartley and Ryley, on that rush, and I know from experience that there must be abundance of gold at the bottom of that river — enough to pay our national debt over and over — U it is possible to get at it, which I think it is. I have worked a claim on that river and swept the rock clean, and after a heavy flood the claim got coated with a thin sludge. This sludge I have put through a cradle and obtained an ounce per day. Now, Sir, where does this fine gold go to ? Why, it again finds tho bottom somewhere, and there is a elatey reef ai the bottom impregnated with gold that no dredge can touch. Sir, can anyone imagine the wealth of this river? I say no. Experience tells us that its wealth is boundless, and many places in this country will yet pay handsomely for working. The Gabriel's Gully tailings that have been washed over and over again aro paying well, and the enterprising men will find plenty of solid ground under the tailings that was never half worked in the good old times. Some say our country is " cooked." Let some enterprising company try some of these places fairly, and they will find I do not lie concerning them. — I am, &c, May 18. G. H. S. ' Sir, — In your issue of the 16fch inst. " M. F." in an interesting letter shows us the only way to get | rid of the present depression — namely, by turning the Molyneux at Mutton Town Gully, near Clyde, and working the bed dry. As "M. F." has merely touched on this subject, I beg to offer him my assistance by showing how the thing can be done. I feel sure that should the proposed scheme be undertaken it would make work for all the unemployed in New Zealand for the next 50 or 60, or perhaps 100 years (a handful of years is nothing in an affair of such magnitude). "M. F." says, " No doubt many will laugh at such an Utopian idea"; but I don't think so; at all events, they can't surely laugh at the pair of us. "M. F." is slightly in error on two or three small points ; he says Mutton Town Gully is a natural opening and points in the direction of the Manuherikia, whereas Mutton Town Gully lies for about half a mile almost parallel with the Manuherikia river, and then, taking a bend, it i goes right away in a northerly direction at right ] angles with the Manuherikia. He also says that having turned the course of the Molyneux at Mutton Town, it would leave 12 miles of the bed dry ; but seeing that the Fraser river joins the Molyneux at a point about threemiles beldw Mutton Town, it would leave only that much of the bed dry. However, those are mutters of no moment. I shall now proceed, with your permission, to state how the thing can be done. The first step would be to take our levels, •which having been done, we find that the water has to run up hill considerably. But that difficulty is easily overcome by putting a dam across the Molyneux below Mutton Town gully, taking the precaution to leave a large gateway for emergency purposes. The water will climb up Mutton Town gully into Waikeri valley. After going a distance of about four miles, and covering several farms and smaller

holdings, we are suddenly stopped by high hills all round us. This is rather disappointing ; but there is a way out.of every difficulty, and in this case we have two ways to choose from — viz., by either erecting a dam wall, commencing at the foot of the range behind Earnscleugh station,and terminating below Waikeri valley, wherewith to force the water over the hill ; or, by cutting a channel through the hill and down the Moutere \ station for a distance of about six miles. The former seeming rather a gigantic undertaking we decide on cutting the channel, which willbe through light gravel, consequently a bad material forconfiningsuch a stream as the Molyneux. We therefore have to build a brick or stone confining wall, and also pave the bed of the channel to prevent the current undermining the walls, which, when done, will carry the water into the Manuherikia at a point about four miles above the township of Alexandra. Should there not be sufficient room in the Manuherikia to accommodate the combined waters, it would, by cutting away several homesteads, soon make a way for itself ; and, in the event of the brick wall giving way, it would soon find its old channel by simply washing away a few thousand acres of the Moutere station, and also the township of Alexandra; and as I know there are a great many Chinamen ' living in that place, the damage done would be light, comparatively speaking. This being completed, we havo three miles of the Molyneux bed dry, with thousands of tons of stuff that | would pay at least half a grain to the acre, to ! say nothing of the bottom. ' There would be no water to wash the stuff, and no fall to get the tailings away if there was water — difficulties which, I confess, appear serious to me — but I have no doubt " M.F." would give such information, at the proper time as would overcome any such difficulties. Should this scheme be undertaken by the Government, I predict a gold mining " boom " for New Zealand ; but if they take no notice of our combined efforts to assist them I would suggest to " M.F." that he let the depression, the unemployed, and particulary the Molyneux, R.I.P. for the future. — I am, &c., May 19. Unity.