Bald Hill Flat and Old Man Range

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 15

Bald Hill Flat and Old Man Range

(Fbom Oub Own Cobrespondent.)

Mat 12.— A good deal of excitement has been caused here during the last week or so by the discovery of a new line of reef a few miles from White's. The proprietors have been sluicing for some time on the cap of the lode, the result being reported of extraordinary richness. As a matter of course the country on all sides has been pegged off, the prospectors, however, being the only party that ao far have felt justified in taking up a lease, they having applied for a licensed holding of 30 acres. Although prospects in White's reef were promising a week or bo ago, the quartz then struck proved to boonlyabunch. Themanageris still busy prospecting, and hopes to strike payable stone again before long ; but I am under the impression that until the company is formed stronger and a low level adit driven to strike the splendid shoot of stone known to exist below the water level, there will not be anything highly payable struok.

A party is being formed here— or ia already formed —for the purpose of working a quantity of the freehold ground on the flat, the property of Mr Butler. The work so far has been carried on under the supervision of Mr Kokberg. As there are some hundreds of acres of freehold here known to be highly payable, and as this party's water supply commands the whole of it, this should be a valuable acquisition to the mining property of t.he district.

Hesßon and party are pushing ahead with their water race, but as their right is at a very high altitude the frost will probably soon put a stop to operations. Kemp and party are also busy with the construction of their race.

Nearly all hands have left Campbell's diggings and the Fraser for the season, the froat already beiug very severe in those elevated regions.

A large company is being mooted to work the beaches from Alexandra upwards by hydraulic elevation, the parties proposing to place their property on the market free of all loading or promotion money of any kind. As the company have got a splendid water supply from Ohatto creek, and the ground it known to be very rich, being, it is supposed, a continuation of the run of gold got on Frenchman's point— one of the rioheit claims on the river - there is not the slightest doubt but that under proper management it will yield extraordinary returns.