KAWARAU GOLD

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 499, 22 July 1932, Page 5

KAWARAU GOLD

PROSPECTORS OPTIMISTIC FURTHER DROP IN RIVER SOME RICH PATCHES UNCOVERED * CROMWELL (Otago), July 18 With the Kawarau dam closed for just a week it is possible to review the results, and those over the latter part of the week have entirely removed any disappointment of the first three days. There was a break in the weather on Wednesday, bringing a slight rise, but from then until the end of the week the most severe frosts of the season were experienced. Their influence on the stream was immediate, and on Saturday it was just on two feet lower in the gorge than four days previously. Prospectors were thus able to get another taste of the undoubted wealth of the stream, and there have been a large number of gold seekers at work. Messrs. Robeson and James Ritchie, directors of the Amalgamated Kawarau Company, have been on the scene of operations daily. V ith the falling river some rich patches have been cleaned up. One small party is known to have won well over £3O worth of gold for the week’s work. Two others, during the last three days, have se cured just on Goz, and clean-ups of an ounce or more daily are quite common. One party washed an ounce in one dish, and in four consecutive dishes another party washed lOdwt, lldwt, 14dwt, and ISdwt. A special display of some of the geld was made in Messrs Jolly and Son’s window on Saturday, and with the many visitors to the town must have been viewed by hundreds. A piece ef schist rock with one corner studded with heavy gold was the centre, of an interesting exhibit. This, was just in the condition it was in when lifted from the water. Dunedin folk are to have an opportunity of viewing the gold in the near future. Yesterday was a busy day on the river, and about 40 from all walks of life were to be seen on one stretch near the Meg. One successful prospector remarked: “If we could only got it down another foot or two! ’ However, the claims of those at the head of affairs as to the wealth of gold which will be laid bare if the waters are controlled cannot be lightly dismissed. As the prospectors get down the ground becomes richer, and much of the gorge is truly a natural tail race. At this particular stage the results are most encouraging, particularly to those who speak of the scheme with well-grounded optimism.

Some success is also recorded on iVe Molynedx towards Clyde, where tI)Q Cromwell prospectors secured a little under 2oz in two days. There was another very hard frost last night.