Notes from, Grey Valley.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 22

Notes from, Grey Valley.

(From Ouk Own Correspondent.) AHAURA. Spetember 3.— Mr J. Jay, contractor for the Ahaura Gold Dredging Company's pontoons, has up to the present mmle excellent progress with his work, and should the weaiher continue fine the pontoons should be ready for launching next month. Work appeals to be plentiful around abouu •tins x^-ace. -A. large number of men are engaged in the local sawmills ; there are also a good many employed prospecting. Wages for ordinary workme-i range from 8s 6d to 10s per day, while as high as 16s per clay is being paid for carpenters and shipwrights, but this is only in cases of emergency, and the average pay for this class of workmen is about 10s or 12s per day. Caulkers-rget 12s per day. ORWELL CREEK. The contractors have completed the darn for -the Erickson's Reward Bvedging Company, and the pontoons will be launched on Monday, 10th inst. It will not be long befoie this company's dredge will commence working, as ■ihere is no likelihood of there beirg any delay with the machinery, as most of it has already arrived. Abcut 25 men are busily engpged about the Orwell Creek Company's claim at different work. The pontoons are almost completed, and the construction of the dam for floating them Is well unde: way. I notice this company also lia3 a large quantity of machinery on the ground. NELSON CREEK. The Nelson Creek Company's dredge is almost completed, most of the machinery being vow on board. The dredge will piobably commence working within a month or so. Nelson Creek is a bit flat just now, but as Boon as the Nelson Creek and Pactolus ComEanies' dredges commence working things will urn. Speculators will piobably direct a little more attention to this famous locality, , which, in, my oxiinion, has been .considerably neglected. I was informed the other day by a couple of old mineis who worked in Nelson Creek in the early days, that the Nelson Creek Comx3any*s claim was the best pro.perty around about Nelson Creek bar the Pactolus, which was the best thing in the Grey Valley. Let us hope this will prove so. Thp claim is ceitainly a fancy one with the West Coasters. BRUNNERTON. A I c. public meeting a few days ago in the WallseilH Hall, in answer to a question by ■Mr Rolinson and congratulations by the chairman on his having purchased the Wallsend mine, along with Mr Duncan, of the North ■Island, Mr Josexoh Taylor said efforts were feeing made with a view to the early develpp'jnent of the mine. Mr Taylor said the dredging industry had commanded his attention a good deal of late. Howevei, he had secured ;the plans, etc., of the" Wallsend mine, and was negotiating with caxaital for the re-opening of the mine. He expected to be able to get away from the district in the course of a few days, and had every hope that he would be successful in Ms efforts to get the mine m inll swing again. More Coal.— Black diamond meetings are quite common at Brunnerton just now. There is any amount of coal at this x>lace, the only thing wanted being capital to geo it out.