ALLUVIAL MINING NEAR ALEXANDRA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 28

ALLUVIAL MINING NEAR ALEXANDRA.

1 DISCOVERY OF RICH GROUND. ' (Alexandra Herald.) During the past few years alluvial mining in this district ba3 rather unfortunately not been attended with the success usually desired in a mining community-, and in consequence this branch of ths mining industry has assumed a backward tendency. To a large extent the chief reason for th:s waning is due to ithe lack of enterprise and energy on the younger generation of to-day as compared with that displayed by the hardy pioneers who discovered and assisted to develop the different mining districts in Otago. We must not by any means regard the mining industry in this locakty as either dead or dying, for at the present time our mineral resources are showing signs of renewed activity in the near future. In regard to the alluvial , branch of mining, we are pleas.cd to state that it has bright prospects, for the other day our attention was drawn to an important discovery of ground containing rich i wash. The ground in question is situate about five miles beJow Alexandra, near Doctor's Point, on the mountain side of the Molyneux gorge. It was pegged off by Mr H. F. Kitto and party, who regarded it ac likely ground for carrying gold. The party at once set about prospeotLnig the ground, and so satisfactory was the first prospeot taken from ths surface that a start was madfe driving into the terrace. The wash is fully 4-ft thiok, and all through, carries splendid prospects of coarse gold. The only drawback was the scarcity of water, and for a time the party were obliged to carry the wash in bags on their backs up the hill about 2OOft to the nearest watercourse Even for this slow work they were well rewarded, and after washing the dirt in a cradle th& party earned sufficient, after paying good wages, to put down 700 ft of small pipes to convey the water to the ground. Wo were shown a sample of the gold, which is of a very coarse nature, containing as it dees numerous little miggete. A member of the party .unformed us .that some other prospecting work was done in the locality mentioned, and in every place encouraging prospects -A-eire obtained; but, as we said before scarcity of water was the chief drawback' However, it is hoped that the desire for a mining revival will Lead to the counrrv being further tested. Surely the day is not past for alluvial rushes! The time must come when our deep leads will bo I tackled v.;th determination, and the result will we feel sure, give a groat impetus to the whole district. But, meanwhile, we mu^t direct our attention to fho more accessible means of depriving the earth of its untold wealth, a-nd the instanoe we have cited of the successful efforts of a party of prospectors should be the means of inducing other miners to spend some time in the neighbourhood carrying out prospecting operations. The country has only been raced over so far, for " there has not bean exhausting trials, and until I these are made w« must not looie faith in the future of alluvial mining. We are glad of this opportunity to bring under ths notice of readers the discovery of what may yet turn out a valuable alluvial field and we trust that public opinion wili ■assert itself in such a way that well directed efforts under proper guidance will give the j district results quite undreamed of.