The Waikaia Dredging Field

Southland Times, Issue 19799, 19 April 1906, Page 4

The Waikaia Dredging Field

The Waikaia dredging field is attracting considerable attention o\ving to the success attending the operations of the Magnum Donum and other dredges at work in that part of the colony. This dredge started work in October last,’ and very soon got on to a rich lend of gold ; some think she must' have picked up the old Switzers lead, which the

alluvial miner found so rich in. auriferous wash in the early days. In four days the Magnum Bonum dredge obtained ISOoz. of gold ; in one week she won 150oz; and she has averaged over 40oz per week since work was started, the usual stoppages for repairs incidental to most dredges having occurred in the case of the Magnum Bonum, thus reducing the average considerably. The paid-up capital of the company is only £2500 and in a few months tho shareholders received at the rate of £1 2s Cd for every £1 paid up. A well-informed corIrespondent, who. forwards .these.partliculars to the Mines Record, states: " This dredge is now working a claim on the famous Muddy Creek, Walkaia, and it looks,as if the old Switzers lead has been picked up by this and other dredges working nearthere. Several attempts have been i made from time to time to proI mote dredging at IVaikaia, but had 'resulted fin failure, and the field was nearly given up as worthless. However, two or three persons—strange to say', not miners or cxiports—stuck to it, with the result that the Waikoia field is now only second to that of Maikaka in flat dredging in Otago and Southland. The tact is that only lately has the ' jtVaikaia country been examined scicnlilically. "Mtiny fortunes iliivvc and arc being made, and very kittle is being said publicly about them. ■After the results achieved by the 1 Magnum Bonum and other dredges ’ : who is to say that dredging. or ■'even alluvial mining, is done in this district ? Tho fact is,there is a largo field to work on all over tho soath- , ern country.”