Notes from Waipori. (Tuapeka Times Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 13

Notes from Waipori. (Tuapeka Times Correspondent.)

The Upper Waipori Company's dredge Is working two shifts of eight hours per day. The returns are, so far, very satisfactory. The machinery is running pretty smoothly, bufc a delay of some hours was earned by the valves In the boiler (pump breaking through faulty casting. The manager proposes to replace the present iron shoot, which receives the dirt discharged from the cylinder, by sluice-boxes, as he has discovered that some of the gold is not being saved. The company have unquestionably a big future before them, as they hold an extensive area of ground, the auriferoui nature of which has been thoroughly proved. In the course of time another dredge will be erected and placed at the upper end of the company s lease. The great expense at present Is the cost of fuel. The manager intends testing the heatIng qualities of manuka firewood as compared with the cost of Westport coal. It is a great pity that the company could not arrange to work their machinery by electricity, as there can be no doubt It would be a much cheaper power than steam, to say nothing of Its being very useful for lighting up the dredge. Knight and party, of Nor'west creek, have commenced sluicing. The wash underlies about Bft of clay, which the party find difficult to break up with their present supply of water, which has about 150 ft of pressure. The length of the present run of sluice-boxes is 200 ft. The waßhdirt containing the gold is about Bft through, and carries gold In payable quantities to the bed rock. The water supply comes from Shepherd's creek, and although the summer has been a very dry one about 150 in of water has been obtainable; as soon as the wet weather sets in double that quantity will be available. The Amalgamated Deep Lead Company are working away energetically, having three shifts, with seven men In each shift. The method of working is too expensive; breaking and shovelling stuff by hand labour is far too slow a process for the present day, when Improved machinery can be obtained at so little cost. It is the opinion of experts and miners of long experience that this claim has been an old river-bed, and from the great depth of auriferous dirt the claim should prove one of the richest on the Otago goldfields. The Waipori Dredging Company, now in liquidation, recently offered their lease, dredge, &c, for sale; this should prove a decent investment. A Dunedin syndicate mado an offer for the claim, but I have not heard whether it was accepted or not.