THE TADMOR.

Colonist, Volume 2202, Issue 2202, 8 March 1877, Page 3

THE TADMOR.

The visit of Mr. Lowther Broad, Warden of the district, has been the means of securing reliable information as to the gold discovery in this valley* The following telegram received yesterday by Mr. Cortis, contains the substance of what is so far known : — To .Oswald Copus, Esq., Nelson. , -Visited Tadmor rush. , About'4o men are on the ground. The recent floods washed away a consider- ' able extent of the top soil, leaving a.gravel bed. ■In this,the prospect was found. ' Bigga' party got £30 i worth of gold last week in four days for thre"e 7 men. j Parata'.s party, are making .thirty shillings p.efman ' per day. The claim below them has similar pros--1 pects. Biggs' party are working a stratum of wash J dirt about two feet thick, lying on the clay bottom.

The depth of' the sinking is-'three to four feet; There are indications, of a regular lead, but litpld prospecting has yet been done. The lead, if it exists, runs through the heavily timbered flat laud.' A claim.has been taken up, and payable prospects obtained where the timber land ends, a mile aw ty from where the supposed lead enters the-timler land. The whole'of the land is/freehold." 'Holders of present claims washed five prospects for me," each one showing payable ' gold. The place will oiny [ carry a limited population, unless the load proves.of considerable width. This will be ascertained by prospecting, alone.—L. Broad. . # j To this may be added the important fact that on the terrace between the river and the hills, the stuff taken out in digging a well has been, tried and a fair prospect obtained. This seems to show that the lead has considerable breadth as well as length, and greatly increases the hope that a field of fair size has been opened. One thing is proved by all mining experience, that while, prospecting parties rarely find anything, a large body of men generally make discoveries. They spread over the country, and if there is any good ground some party is sure to light on it. It is well ascertained that gold is widely diffused in the neighborhood, many years having passed since it was first worked, andwith all temptations elsewhere it has never been wholly deserted, so that an extension may reasonably be looked for. The whole of the claims are on private land, and the proprietor has permitted working!at one pound per claim, which has been paid without objection. No fault can be imputed to him, but thi»state of things cannot be suffered to continue, if there is anything worth calling a goldfield. Miners are taxed quite enough without letting this extra deduction from their earnings continue, and they will do well to make application1 to have the provisions of " The Kesumption of Land for Mining Purposes Act, 1873," brought into operation without delay. The Act is only in force in those Provinces where a recommendation has been made by the Superintendent and Provincial Council, and fortunately this has been done here. The necessary resolution was agreed to by the Council on the 30th January, 1874, on the motion of Mr. Shephard, then Provincial Treasurer, and the other steps were also taken. The duty ofthe Government clearly is to buy the laud and free an important industry from needless charges, only some person must move in the matter. Nelson cannot afford to have the least extra load left on its producers, and there can be no doubt that every facility will be given for its removal, so far as Mr. Curtis, as representing the Government, can do so. This is a field where no other place can possibly compete with Nel&on in furnishing supplies^and while every inhabitant l» interested in its prosperity, so all must unite to promote it in every way possible.

From another source we learn that the diggers are very cautious lest more ia made of the prospects than is warranted by the results attained. That on' some pf the claims from 30s to £2 worth of gold per. .ds|y is obtained, tbat the more general washdirfc" consists of blue clay, and* that from several | prospects taken haphazard gold' was very plainly discernible, and that it was of a scaly character. The-valley is about a mile widewhere the principal riumber-of claims are pegged out, and the lead is apparently a;long the river course, where at the present ;time i the only disadvantage is rather too much water. In a few days we shall be able to publish the opinion of an old and practical miner on the field, who will" examine it thoroughly, but till then we strongly urgethe desirability of not attempting to rush the place. To diggers1 and intended'diggers we say wait, wait until the -opinions of really practical men have been published.