Notes from Greymouth.

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 20

Notes from Greymouth.

CFnoix Our Own Correspondent! CrRFA'MOCTH, March C 7. Much interest 13 taken in the county assessment of dredging cLunis Iv piospectvng licenses the Jkass&aai^ui Court £setl the aiaouafc

*t £80. The Greenstone claims, which were assessed at £13,000, have been reduced to £5000. A small syndicate has been formed for testing that part of the Grey River at the Brunner G-orge by means of diving in the crevices of ■the rock. Near the surface excellent gold was obtained at various times in bygone years, and it is believed that at a greater depth good deposits of gold exist. A trial will bs made at once. A large numbeT of people went to Kanieri for the launching of the Perry's Reward pontoons. The contract for the erection of the machinery is expected to be completed by the middle of May. The Island Creek dredge (Westport) will be finished in a fortnight. Mr M'Queen considers the dredge very complete, and not likely to give trouble. Donnelly's Creek, near Ross, which has been tied up for some time, is the cause of much excitement. The warden has notified that the ground will be open for selection on Friday, and over a score of parties are waiting to peg it out. There is likely to be great ructions, and no end of law. The Nelson Creek dredge tables are looking better, and a good return is expected. March 26. The Totara pontoon, Grey Valley, will be launched to-morrow. The Jamieson's Reward, comprising 60 acres of ground broadside on to the Pactolus claim, now being bored by Mr Faithful, bottomed at 29ft, and got rich prospects. This depth is greater than any got on the Kelson Creek yet, and it is evident the ladders of the Pactolus and Nelson Creek -dredges will be quite short enough. The TP'^Tug market is very dull. Marck 26. The Waipuna dredge re working well, and a little better yield is expected. A difficulty is looming in the distance —Mr Mackley, a set•fclcr* threatening to proceed against the company for piling tailings and turning the rivet ■on his lowlying land. The Pactolus Company's ground is deepening, and it is more than probable the ladder ■will have to be lengthened. The Ford's Creek dredge is getting into better ground, and hopes are rising. Mr Warden Hawkins, at the Ahaura court, in granting extensions to several dredging companies, said he could not too strongly urge the necessity of having claims thoroughly tested before any order for a dredge was given, to ascertain not only the depth of the bottom generally over the Claim, but also the difficulties to be dealt witn in the way of trees, twigs, and boulders, and that the dredge be thoroughly adapted in design and of ample power to cope ■with the conditions of the claim. He also pointed out that for directors to do otherwise would be to grievously waste the money of shareholders, while the damage to the industry and enterprise on the Coast from any inefficiency of dredges would be incalculable. He said that so long as companies coulfl satisfy him that they were diligently pursuing this course he should not hesitate to extend, where I necessary, time for the construction of dredges, j March 29. The New River claim shows no improvement. A director of the Ford's Creek Company sa>s the condition of affairs is improving, and he «xpects the dredge to clear expenses in another ■week, and may get on a gold run. The Leviathan return will be better than last •week, but not good. The machinery for the Greenstone Gold .Dredging Company has arrived on the ground. The Tcremakau pontoons are now in position. The tower, 46ft high, iB the talleat on the Coast. The ladder should be long enough. The Greenstone Junction dredge is still sending everything ua the elevators to get room. The screen is still covered up. This will be continued for another week. The dredgemaster of the Greenstone Threeinile expects to be working in a month. The Waimea Company is now sinking prospecting shafts. The Konikolii pontoons, on the Upper Buller, are floated. Mr Sligo has completed boring the Blackwater and Red Jack's ground, with good results. Mr Cowan, of the Maori Queen, says he will start in a fortnight. An old mining expert has been reporting on the New River generally, and considers tbe locality good. Ho says sinking shafts is the best process there, as the gold runs m leads, and bores might bo close to one and not discover it. In a shaft a practical miner can, from the formation, form an idea of where the lead exists, even if the shaft is not on it. He regards Maori King as ideal ground, the ■wash iv this and the Maori Queen coming from tbe famous New River lead. The share market is dull. March 31. Dredging returns- —The New River dredge 'for various periods to the 23rd March obtained 20oz for 61 houTS, and for the past week lOoz J.7dwt; Buller Junction, 330z gold for 93 hours ; Reeves Proprietary, 7oz 16dwt gold for 72 nours; Waipuna, Boz sdwt for the week. The Teport last Saturday for the Waipuna dredge should have been lloz for the week and 7oz for a broken week not previously reported; total, 18oz. April 1. Last week's returns are not particularly encouraging. The Leviathan dredge did not work full time, laving a breakdown, but fi*oz is less than was expected. The sooner this company follows the lead of the Grey River, tests the ground, and gets adequate machinery the better. The claim is enough, but the dredge is defective. The Waipuna return of Boz sdwt for the week is a disappointment to the directors, who expected double the amount. The returns are in "keeping with what some miners predicted, but so far rich runs have not been struck. The New River return of lOoz 37dwt came as a surprise. The gold was got m the last three days. Thsre is a good river beach before the dredge, and if the gold got is not a patch then this claim-will look up The next two weeks should indicate more clearly. The Dobson No. 2 dredge, during a couple tof hours in whieb she got bottom at a fair depth, got an excellent return, an indication "that if the ladder was longer good results would "be got. The Pactolus dredge was delayed two days last week, but is how getting to the bottom. The Nelson Creek dredge is now in a good position, and should get a good yield this week. There is great activity in dredge-building. Tenders were called for 10 pontoons on SaturMr Taylor has returned from Auckland. He reports that there is a fair chance of the reopening of the Wallsend coal mine. He informs me that he has Mr Bishop s written •statement that the mine, if reopened, could at ones put out 2000 tons per week. . The Harbour Board will commence boring ior coal at Dobson next week.