Notes from Arrowtown.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 23

Notes from Arrowtown.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.)' ARROWTOWN, May 7. So far as weather indications go, it appears there is going to be a seasonable winter. Cold to frosty nights and mornings having set in at the beginning of May, tfic chances are thai this means the arrival of winter when it is, at ought to be, due. If the present weather holds th-j rivers will be at their lowest level before the end of the month. Dredging, though there is nothing particularly new to report, will hold its own until some of the moat promising localities now lyicg neglected are taken in hand with a view of being worked on their merits. So far as the Shotover is concerned, there is not likely to b3 any great extension of the industry. This, however, is not owing to the absence of gold,' but as there are facilities for working the rivei bed by cheaper means they are on that account preferred to dredging. I believe ii is safe to say that the dozen parties or so who work the river bed by the aid of the Smith pump count with the best paid miners in Otago, and that after the river has been worked and reworked, several times. Quartz mining is certainly forging all end. Amongst the more prominent successes is the West Coast party, represented locally by Mr Harry Dunker. This party has developed) Jennings's reef at Skipper's Point with satisfactory results, though the erection of a crushing plant is held over until some further exploitation in the mine. Development works are going ahead at the R«es Valley, Head of Lake Wakatipu, but not much information is allowed to leak out. At the Arrow River Mr P. Barron ha 3 completed the track to his quartz reef — a work of considerable magnitude. Work in the mine will be prosecuted after this, ond it i 3 to be hoped that Mr Barron will be richly rewarded for the persevering manner he has 1 stuck to his claim for the paat four or fiv« years, and that under more than ordinary difficulties. In my last note about the Premier Sunrise (Macetown) return a mistake occurred in stating the yield for April last to average 12dwt per ton. ' This, as appears from the total output, should be 18dwt.