Notes from West Coast.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 20

Notes from West Coast.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) NGAHERE, August 24. — Like most mining centres, on the West Coast, Ngahere has been visited by the late dredging boom. Quite a, large numbei of dredging claims have been taken up aboat this place, which is in the Grey Valley, and within-' four miles of the well-known Nelson Creek. Ngahere in its~elf is a thriving little place, and at the time of my vi&it, things were looking as well as ever they did — in fact, better. It was easy to be seen that the bushmen were pretty busy, as huge heaps of sleepers were stacked alongside the railway station. Several tiucks of dredging material wpre also very attractive to the visitor's eyes, as they stood in one of tho railway sidings. Most of this was to be sent to Nelson Creek, Ngahere being the nearest railway station. Then, again, was to be seen the Blackball Company's aerial tramway, with its great buckets of coal being, delivered every five minutes, and emptied into huge bins. It is from these lines that the railway trucks are lor, Jed. jSTge.li ere is withm half a mile of the Grey River, at a point which, m the course of a. lew months, will be a scene of active dredging operations. What with the Nelson Creek cliims, Red Jacks, Grey River, Ford's Creek etc., I should not bo surprised to see rvgahere, in v year or so more, one of the liveliest towns on the AVest Coast. GREYMOUTH. Tho Grey River will before this appears in piint have commenced dredging operations, and the value of the claim should be known in the comsc oi a Jew weeks. At noon on Wednesday last the dredge passed the biidge, gaily decorated v/itli bunting. A goud ninny of the

directors will be present to see the dredge sti.rt. The New River Company's dredge will com- ' mrnce work next month. The pontoons have been successfully launched, and all the machinery is on the ground. I am given to un- J derstand that Mri Naylor, who is at present a , resident of the Coast, has been appointed | ! dredgemaster i [ The Junction, Reeves's Proprietaiy, and Rocklai ds Companies, pontoons have been successfully floated during the last eight or ten days. i