LAKE MAHINAPUA GOLDEN GRAVELS CLAIM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 23

LAKE MAHINAPUA GOLDEN GRAVELS CLAIM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — For the information of "Cuiious," I have to say that from the" most careful inquiries from the promoters of the Lak.e Mahinapua! Golden Gravels claim, and inspection of their giound, the whole of the syndicate's properties are m the Hokitika Harbour Boaid reserve; they are perfectly flat and are net more than 4ft above the watei-line! goldbearing terraces overlook them to the south aiid west. "Ajor" has not given any glowing account of the gold finds m portions of the property, for he saw the gold got and weighed, and what is more, other folk saw it too. For instance, Mr Olaf Magnus, of the well-known firm of Magnus and Patterson, Christchurch, washed a prospect lich enough, he told me, to give a dredge lOOOoz" per week, Mr Kelly -(of the Chrislchurch Pre?s), Messis Baldwin and Rayward (of the film of consulting engineers of Christchuich, Wellington, and Auckland), and two other gentlemen -having been present. At a later date similar prospects were washed out by Mr Baldwin, of the firm mentioned, and Mr Francis John Gray, well-known mining valuer, Dunedin; and since then the syndicate's men have washed other prospects which, when a diedge getd to work, may open the eyes of ' Curious " were marked '' approximate, ' but matters. There were no shares offered on the West Coast, the reason being that the (syndicate was a Wellington one. The claims have all been granted m the Ross Warden's Coiut, the Eokitika Harbour Board being only too willing to have their reserve, which is under the uvrisdicticji of the warden, so taken up for mining piuposes. The plans referred to by ' Cunous " were marked... " appioximnte,'' but the lands described in the piospectus are one and the same, and all lie clear of those areas reserved by Government for scenery purposes. Considerable sums of money are being spent by the promoters ra prospecting tliPir properties, which will now be further tested by boring, and the lasults theieof made known m due course. I feel sure that " Curious " had no evil intention in his letter to you, Sir.— l am, etc., AJOR. TO 1 THE EDITOR. Sir, — On my return from the West Coast on Wednesday last, my attention was directed to a letter which appeared in the columns of your issue of August 23, "in which your correspondent, '" Curious," makes an attack on the above syndicate's claims. Now, Sir. having for some time past been conducting operations >in the Totara district, and prospecting at Lake Mahmapua, ' 'in * Hie '. immediate vicinity of the .Golden Gravels claims, and having been on the property" on more than one occasion, I will,- with your kind permission, give " Cunous " the information he appears =o eager for, and thereby hope to allay the uneasiness which he and his friends appear to have with respect to the syndicate's claims. In the first place, the claims referred to are situated on South Creek, Mahinapua, with a frontage to the lake; in the second, they are all on the Hokitika Harbour Board Reserve, and granted as prospecting licenses by the warden of the district. I can also assure ".Curious," although he evidently doubts the veracity of your correspondent " Ajor, ' — and despite the fact- that " he has good reason to believe that these claims are terraces many feet high " — that no part' of the proposed claims" 1 are more than 3ft to 4ft above water level. In conclusion, I may add that I hold no interest in the Golden Gravels Syndicate, and I have only answered " Curious' s letter in 'the i, same spirit which prompted him to institute his inquiries — viz., that the public should not be misled by false reports, etc. — I am, etc., JAMES NELSON, Mining Valuer. Dunedin, September 8.