Notes from Waipori. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 15

Notes from Waipori. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

May 9. The work of shifting the elevating plant and boxes of the Deep Lead claim to a new site was begun last week, and is still in progress. It will be a week at least before sluicing is resumed. A new paddock will be opened from the surface some distance along the course of the lead, and a, block of solid ground left between it and the old workings into which the tailings will in future be delivered. Some expedient of this sort had become necessary for the accumulation of tailings on the bank and in the bed of the river, near the township, was threatening to become a serious difficulty. The current has been deflected to such an extent that the road leading from the township to the Lammcrlaw bridge has been, in some places, nearly all washed away. The Tuapeka County Council has agreed to see to the matter, but, as usual, it is very slow to act. Perhaps when the work to be done has been delayed long enough to entail an expenditure of hundreds of pounds, instead of tens, something may be done. To return to the Deep Lead, when the new paddock is opened and the surface wash attacked by the company's powerful hydraulic machinery large, quantities will be quickly put through the boxes, and as the gravel is known to carry gold from top to bottom proportionately good returns may confidently be looked for. There are two other claims in Waipori worked on the hydraulic elevator principle— namely, Johnson and Kevin's, at Golden Point, and Eaton Brothers', on Mitchell's Flat. The latter party have lately been joined by Mr W. Knight, and they have purchased the elevating plant belonging to a syndicate who carried on operations for some time in North-west creek. With regard to quartz mining, things are rather quiet at present. Gare and Company's mine at Long Gully iB now, of course, looked upon as a permanent concern and continues to employ its complement of hands. Cox's reef and the O.P.Q. both employ small parties of working proprietors with fair success. From the weekly published reports o the various managers it is sufficiently well known what the dredges are doing. In all cases the returns are highly satisfactory, except in that of dredge No. 1. The small returns in this case result from the fact that it is necessary, in order to work the ground systematically, to take the good ground with the bad. The well-known process of "picking the eyes out of the claim is impossible in gold-getting by means of dredging. A new engine has been fitted to the Jutland Flat dredge of greater size and strength in its parts than the first, and is working satisfactorily. The use of wood as fuel has been discontinued by the dredges formerly using that material for steam-raising, and Kaitangata small coal is now substituted. The contract for carting the coal from Lawrence is held by Paul and Ferguson, and the almost constant traffic has rendered the road all but impassable for anything but the heaviest teams. This is another matter on which the county council will shortly have the Waipori ratepayers about their ears.