Notes from. Upper Grey

Otago Witness, Issue 2427, 19 September 1900, Page 21

Notes from. Upper Grey

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) NOBLES, September 10. The Sullivan's Lead claim, which I promised in my last letter ts""gi\ro your leaders an Recount of, I have not had time to visit. I knowthe property well, but not having seen it for some time, I would like to make a present inspection before reporting on it. However, J happened to be in Greymouth when several residents and some gentlemen from Dunedin came back from spending a day prospecting the property. They expressed themselves thoroughly satisfi pel with the results. They took prospects out of some of the main drives that were put into this property years ago, and could not under&tand why gold, such as they saw, should be left unworked. -I explained what the position was in those early days as well as I could. Some time in the near future I will give your readers an idea of what it was like at the first of the Coast, when the cry was, " Rush, oh ! " and the miner that was making £10 per week was in a hurry to get up to where he heard they were making £20. He worked what he thought was the best of his giound, and then put on his swag. True enough, his hopes were not always realised, but it was this spirit of restless adventure that caused the mountain torrents to be explored and their hidden wealth" biought forth. However, I must return to this subject again. It would take more space than you will spare me in this letter. On the Upper Grey mining matters are beLig pushed briskly on. The Grey River Consolidated works are being started. The want of a road lftts now been supplied, and there is. nothing to stop dredge-building being carried oa to a finish. With the interest that is being taken 111 dredging on the Coast, I would have liked to have seen properties like the Grey River Consolidated earlier at work with their returns of gold. It is sheer folly to think that every claim will be a pa3'sble one Therefore a good claim will help to overcame xhe loss that will have to be borne by being in a bad on«. The "Waipuna Company have nearly completed their dredge, and expect to commence dredging Ly the end of the week. Nothing can now stop this from being the quickest-put-up machinery in the South Island. In my former letter I wrote that this property would prove a good dividend-paying one ; it will soon be known whether I am right or wrong. I have every confidence that i will prove right. The Great Lead are pushing on v/ith their pontoons and making good headway. Broadside to the Waipuna. is the North Star, which is on the market at the present time. If pny claims on the river are payable, this also must be a payable one. j 'The Vsipuna Creek Company, with the exception of the borings that were done on the property, have not done any more work. I learn that the permanent directors were appointed last Thursday, and that tenders for their pontoons will be at once called. As Mr Faithful is the engineer in charge, it is a guarantee that the work will be well and quickly done. The Perrett's Junction property is being thoroughly prospected. A shaft has been sunk about 1000 ft back from the flat to a depth of 27ft and the dirt-box sluiced. I saw ttu boxes when about two loads had been put through, and the show of gold wa3 very good. I have not heard the result of the whole washing, but when the shaft is bottomed and the whole of the dirt washed, I expect to hear of very good results. However, so far as it has gone, it has proved there is gold from the surface down. The Mosquito Company not having accepted the first offers, are again calling for tenders for the clearing of the bush. It is a great mistake to under-estimate the_ cost of the necessary work to be done. When tenders are called they are so much above the estimated

cost that they are not accepted, and so the operations are delayed, and the property prevented from being developed. With a good claira under their feet, it would be better for the directors to face the music at ones, and pay, pay, pay. A parsimonious spirit is not an economical one. At the Blackwater claim prospecting operations are being still carried on, and I hear from very good authority with satisfactory results. The Grey River dredge started work on Monday last, and was working beautifully, when a delay occurred that will be only temporary.