THE NUGGET DREDGE.

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

THE NUGGET DREDGE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sic,— Mr Trythall's letter in Saturday's issua is an entire evasion of mine of previous date. It seems to be comprised of nasty insinuations re my inability to clean the gold. Former letters, it will be remembered, pointed to defects in gold-saving appliances. Mr- Trythall, in his letter, only mentions this' matter once, and then to commit himself. He endeavours in a vague way to connect gold-saving and gold-cleaning — matters entirely foreign to one another. Ho asks me what explanation I can give of parcel of gold taken to Dunedin, which left me 7oz odd, and when cleaned by the bank was only, 4oz odd ; then, after this, he goes on to say the wash must have been exceptionally rich for me to return 6oz 6dwt 9gr in eight hours. Now, in turn I ask Mr Trythall for an explanation. How can he connect gold-saving and goldcleaning in the sense he means ? This, X am afraid, will stagger him, also many a man well up in mining. Notv, as every miner knows, grey sand (non-magnetic) such as is found m Waikaia and Waikaka districts is very hard to separate from gold in the first stages o j cleaning. It is also well known that small? quantities of gold are much harder to separate] from this sand than large. Judging from Mrs Trythall's inferences re gold-saving and gold-;, cleaning, I think it hardly worth while to go* iullj into this matter : shareholders will readily

understand it h.iS ,no bearing on present discussion. For his ' benefit, 1 may say many dredges and claims in said districts amalgamate their gold to save time and tioub'e, and he knows I had no means to do this until the last month. Regarding tlje statement he makes of pitch on tables, This is even as absuid as connecting gold-saving and gold-clepiung. He &ays the tables ha's c a pitch of 1m m 6in — too great a pitch, a,s I should have known. A little further on he says the /^ash was allowed to cake on the tables. I don't think any~ two statements could bo mcie contradictory than ■these. Fancy wash caking on tables thiough 100 much 'pitch! The idea is ridiculous. I flatly 'contradict both statements, and still say the pitch of boxes is lm in Sin, and that wash was not allowed to cake on them. Mr Trjthall still persists that 6oz Gd*vt 9gr was got in eight hours. J still maintain the bulk of it was got for 14 nours. I refer him to my reports ior week ending 23rd Juno. Dp till Friday the fhst matiings of each table were washed at intervals for a total of loz 7dwt ISgv ; on Saturday all mattings on dredge veie washed, a good number of which had lun the ■whole week. If Mi TrythalV has inielaid this ".report I viould be very glad indeed to sen'l him a copy of it. In speaking of reform, it will be noticed Mr Trythall only speaks of my not woiking into ;the banks. Hie experts sent up must have iound the gold-saving appliances all right, no mention being made of this. Mr Bonnet advised me to go into the bank at one of Mr 23on's prospecting holes. I acted on this advice, and went to within 16ft of it, with lio different results. One of the directors up with ■Jhiin also~told me there was only -one month's funds -in, hand, and -to pus=h on to head of the claim as soon as possible to_a place.,where gold .was reported to have been got in tn"e ~r-iver. ■ 'As I had fully one-third of a mile (o go to accomplish this, it will be at once seen 1 had ■ ,very little cha ice of going into the banks. /What has Mr Try thall got to say to this ? The matter of tribute was made purely in the interests of the company, and not until I iiad got orders to phut down. As I did not get 4o the supposed spot in the liver where gold was got, myself and all hands were unanimous :n our wish to sec whether the gold existed -Jiere or not. It being only a matter of six to seven chains to the head of ihe claim, it will bs seen we did not stand to lose much by doing so. In conclusion, I consider Mr Trythall's letter very poor stuff indeed, and his attempts to exx^lain have compromised him in a way he will find very difficult to get out of. He does not answer my previous letter — simply evades it, and wanders from the point of contortion. As I do not want to oarry on a correspondence with a man so entirely ignorant of the first principles of mining, I will let the matter drop, unless he can write more sensible', and trust in the future to bear out what 1 now Bpy — that no gold-saving appliances or management will ever make the claim pay, as the gold is not in it to do so. — I am, etc., D. E. Jokes, Former Manager Kugget Dredge. TO THE EDITOR, Sir, — In your issue of the 7t!i inst. a letter appears written by D. E. Jones, former dredgemaster. In concluding his letter he says that *' No gold-saving appliances or management will ever make the claim pay, as the gold is not in it to do so." This statement is not true. Gold fin payable quantity is in the claim. The '■cla^m is a very good one. The present dredge tloes not pay. "Why ? Because the ladder of the 'dredge, is 15ft short. The 'directors of the Day "Dawn have bored their claim above Nugget claim, and find- depth of ground 4] ft.' The ' {Nugget dredge dredges 28ft, or 13ft short. It is a well-known fact that m most rapid streams ' the best gold is in the bottoni sft or 6ft of wash. •If Nugget directors will lengthen their ladder 15ft they will have as good a. payable claim as any in -Southland. — I am, etc.. A Waikaia Shareholder. ' to the "editor. HiIR, — I certainly think something ought to os settled for the shareholders of the Nugget Gold Dredging Company. To wind up will anean veiy little for the shareholders, so let its have a run for our money, and this can be done if all those who promised to take preference shares will at once ccrne forward; while it will be to the benefit of the company if those who take little interest in the natter, tor who have bought the shares at a discount, jf they will also put their names down so as to make lip what is required in "order to make a start at once. All who know the claim believe there is undoubtedly payable gold to Le got. — I am, etc., SHAUt'HOLDER. THE NUGGET G.D. COMPANY. CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED. " A Shareholder " writes a sarcastic letter about the Pride of Tuapeka Gold Dredging Company's claim and the prospecting opera- % tions that are being carried on by the director. Boiled down the letter may be compressed into ,the question, " Will the secretary kindly say if the prospectus is coirect in its entirety, and .that the 15ft of wash in particular is in existence ? " As the directors are evidently doing jtheir, best to have the claim thoroughly prosl ,jpccted, and have definitely piomi&ed to lay the full reports before shareholders when they are available, cur correspondent should rather support their laudable efforts than make their duties more difficult by such a style of criticism as Le adoxsts. REPORTS FORM WORKING DREDGES. The Hartley ?nd Riley Beach Dredging Company tLiinited) washed lip on Friday for a, return of 91oz 13dwt of gold for 134 hours' dredging. The Secretary of the Manuherikia Dredging Company -reports a return of 103oz for 70 hours' work. ' The Cromwell return for last week was 1470z, and not 87oz, as originally reported. The dredgenuisier of the Clyde telegraphs that he expect? a lolum of not less than ISOoz t'o v the week. ■ . < The Unity Gold Dredging" Company lepoits ■x, -eturn of 19oz for 18 hours' work. The Secretary of the Cromwell Dredging Company reports a return of 21705! for 124 hours' diedging; working steadily; prospects fair. Jur Laurence Ryan, Alexandra, reports a return of 114oz 6dwt from the Perseverance idi edge. The Secretary of the Empire Dredging Company reports a return of 420z 6dwt last week. The Secretary reports that the Electric .Sliedge obtained 4170z 12dwt last week. The Secretaiy of the Junction Electiic '.Dredging Company reports a return of 1970z for last week. The Secretary reports that the Manuheiikia Iredge washed up 1390z for last week. The Secretary reports the following returns : Earn&cleugh No. 2 dredge, 670z 13dwt for 117 iours' work; Earnscieugh No. 1 diedge, 14oz ASdwt. The Secretary of the Golden Gate Dredging Company reports a return of 28oz ISciwt. The Secietary repoits a return of 170oz from >ho Clyde Company's dredge last week. The Diedgemaster of the Golden Beach Hydraulic Elevating and Dredging Company \Limited) rej)orts that he washed up on SaturBay, and got lOoz 16dwt gold for 126 hours' York. The Secretaiy repoits that the Tuapeka Iredge obtained Boz 15dwt for 125 hours' work

last week. She has been working through a large amount of clay. f lhe Secretary of the Vincent Dredging Company leports a return of 4Soz for 13U hour*' diedging. The Societary of the Charlton Cieek Dredging Company l exports a leturn of 40oz for 13G hours' di edging. The Secretory of the Woolshed Dredging Company reports a return of 9oz 14dwt for 34 hours' work. The pin and wheel of the elevator bioke, and caused a stoppage for a few days. ' The Secretary reports that the Enterprise dredge washed up for 31oz 13dwt for 128 hours' i woik. The Secretary of the Morning Star Dredging Company repoils a lelurn of lloz Bd\\t for Ho hours' dredging. The Secietary reports that the letum fiom the Waunumu Central dredge was 2"oz foi 90 houis' diedging. Wash deeper; stone bigger. The Secretary reports that the Dunedin dredge washed up Boz 2dwt last week. The Secretsij of the Magiietic Dredging Company reports a return of I 80 1 ?, for three days* work. The dredge has been stopped to . repair boiler tubes. The Secretary reports that the return from the Maori dredge last week was 19oz. The Secretary of the Chicago Dredging Company rcpcits a return of 240z ldvt last week. The Secretary ropoits that the "Waimumu dredge wa.shed up 15oz for 116 hours' dredging. The Secretary of the Waimumu Extended Dredging Company reports a return of 230z llilwt for 228 hours' dredging. " The Dunedin Stock Exchange report the fol- , lowing returns for last week- — Golden Trea- * fcuie "Company, 20oz sdwt; Otago Dredging Company, ] 2oz 12dwt. The Sscretary of ,the Olrig Dredging Corn■oany reports' a return of 9oz lldwt 18gr for 94 houis' woi-k. . The Dredgemaster of the Matau wires: — "Working steadily; no wash up this week." Mr J. J. Gibson, Lawrence, reports that the return from the Lawrence dredge for 125 hours was 14oz lOdwt 21gr goM. ( The Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company (Limited) obtained last week 21oz < 6dwt of gold for 12S hours' dredging. The Secretary of the Waimumu Queen Diedging Company reports a return of 19oz - 4dwt Ggr. The Secretary (Mr J. J. Gibbon, Lawrence) of the Success Dredging Company reports that the diedge liss been closed down since Tuesday last for repairs, bushing, and pinning. The Secretary of the Evans' Flat Dredging Company reports a return of £2oz 9dwt for 190 hours' dredging. The Secietary of the Golden Point Dredging Company reports a return of 360z JOdwt 12gr for 120 hours' dredging. The Dredgema;fcor of the Chatto Cieek dredge wires : — " Started dredging Friday night; dredge working well."