Notes from Arrowtown.

Otago Witness, Issue 2556, 11 March 1903, Page 25

Notes from Arrowtown.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

ARROWTOWN, March 5. Cardrona dredging is .moving along slowly. If the Lafianchi's Freehold dredge is not getting large returns it should be borne in mind that the expense of working the dredge is very low, owing to water being employed as the motive power, and that on that, account a good deal of prospecting is carried on, the result of which is shown by the gold returns. The Lone Star is reported to average about 30oz per week, which is not a bad return for a small dredge, with 3J cubic feet buckets. Mr Walter Little, joining the Lone Star claim, is working his ground with the hydraulic lift, employing 9in steel pipes. Water running short a little while ago, he went to the expense of bringing in a supply from Cardrona Creek, and is now in full work. The returns from the ground are very good, and Mr Little is satisfied with his gettings, though his outlay exceeds £1000, which represents a large amount of pluck, as Mr Little faced it single-handed. Public company mongering has not yet killed private enterprise on the goldfields. Shotover dredging, at present represented by two working dredges, is holding its own, both the Prince Arthur and Maori Point dredges getting payable returns. The portion of the Kawarau, which may be called the Wakatipu portion, extending from the Roaring Meg north-wastward, is not proving the dredging ground it was anticipated. The Gibbston Company is now the only one to try the^river near Gibbston proper. With the exception of the Meg and Annie and the Grand Junction dredges, now thrown into one company, the dredges on the river are either idle or in course of transit to other sites. The Arrow Junction dredge is nearly all carted to Frankton, en route to Victoria.

The large terraces or flats on the Kawarnu are attracting attention. A party near the Gibbston store and post office have met with very fair prospects. Another party near the Natural bridge are sinking a shaft, and down 100 ft, but have not yet struck the wash. They expect to go 200 ft more before reaching bottom. There is a show for the existence of very extensive runs of gold in the localities referred to, but it will require a large amount of capital and labour to prove them.