WEST COAST MINING- BOOMS. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 24

WEST COAST MINING- BOOMS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — We liave experienced since the early e:ghtys several very important mining booms on . the "West Coast in quartz mining and dredging. The former truly held the local mining investors and speculators in a glowing j state of excitement for some time, and no j wonder, for at frequent intervals reefs of i phenomenal richness were reported to have been discovered by prospectors and others in different localities. The Paparoa ranges, north of the G-rey River, appeared to be the most attractive, and at one stage of the boom quite an army of prospeotors (or men engaged as such) waß employed scaling mountain sides, cutting trenches, following gullies and creeks-, and iv fact, up to all manner of schemes that might lead to the outcrop of a golden lode. Leaders and reefs were found, specimens cirI culated, syndicates and companies formed, i money invested, batteries effected,, and quantities of stone treated with a result not up to. public expectations. Then it was found the boom was over, and quartz mining on the Paparoa ranges slowed down, while the sensational reefs discovered elsewhere went out of existence, and the Eeefton mines alone were i left as gold producers and- dividends-payers. I Although, the Paparoa Range mines did not j come up to expectations during the boom j referred to, thj time is, I believe, not far disj tant when we will see some excellent gold'iroducin^ quartz mines on those famous ranges, so that "a large proportion of capital that has been invested may; be considered not altogether lost. j Some years later, when the boom just referred j to had b&en almost forgotten, came the i notorious dredging boom in all its glowing grandoxxr. Nothing could have come to the West Coast with such suddenness. No craze cculd have taken a firrn-ar hold of the public, «mcl nothing couid have spiead -with greater rapidity. Thousands of acres of ground were taken up at times within a few hours, the only delay being the placing of pegs in position end posting applications. Every dredg- ' mg expert from Otago that came to the Coast ; (and they were not a few) meant the taking up I of acre« of ground for dredging. At first the ; Wt<«rt Ge«ster was at a loss. He knew little

or nothing about dredging, and had to get his experience from th<» Otago friend; and, according to some, a dredge was the most marvellous thing-*on earth, as far as an extractor of gold from alluvial drifts was concerned. However, it was not long before the wily West Coaster was as keen, if not keener, on dredging than the Otago man." One and all were interested, either from an investing or % business standpoint, m the success of the industry. At first timber and big stones buried! in the wash were goir.g to seriously interfers with the working of some of the claims, but as the boom went on these difficulties were soon, overcome. If a claim was a perfect forest of bush, -where one could not see half a chaart ahead for trees, why, instead of being an obstacle, it was a valuable asset, being cheap fuel for the dredge. The coat of falling and stumping would not amount to more than Id per yard of wash. As to boulders, why divers were to go down and blast the stones away at a cost of id per yard of wash treated. As to prospects, every olaim was, of course, prospected, and it was only an occasional property that proved unpayable. As for the prospects, fancy a 100-acre claim, 25ft deep, with 65 acres going 13gr per yard from top to bottom, general average. Yet when a dredge was put on this claim it would not pay working expenses, la it any wonder that mining investors have remarked that gold dredging on the West Coast is not the game it was cracked up to be? The dredging boom has passed, and, as far as the industry is concerned, it has not proved a success, hence it would be in vain to look for a revival of the boom. Notwithstanding -the foregoing, mining men anticipate another bopmr on the West Coast in the near' future, and the Otago man will again be the man of knowledge. I refer to hydraulic " elevating and sluicing. The latter lias been carried on a.t different parts of the Coast on a very small scile compared with. Otago claims. Yet it has met with a very faif amount of success. Quite recently -several very large arjas of ground have been taken up and are now under the consideration of a strong financial company, hence I would not be the least surprised to sea several extensiva hydraulic elevating claims well under, way before the close of the coming year. Let one or two meet with success, and a brisk movement in mining circles will be the result. Then the great predicted hydraulic taining boom will come upon us slowly, and certainly not with the rashness and rapidity of the late dredging boom. — I am, etc., J. M'Axjlay.