The Tairua Goldfield.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2018, 13 April 1875, Page 3

The Tairua Goldfield.

During yesterday, nothing was talked of in town but Tairua—the history of prospecting operations there, the roads to the place, the "shows" which had been obtained from stone brought down, the claims whigh had been pegged out—indeed, everything conuected with Tairua was discussed, Upon one point the opinion was unanimous—viz*, that a great mistake had been made by opening the new field under the Mining Districts Act instead of under the Goldfields, Act. Everybody is indignant at the field having been put under the former law, and we fear, unless something splendid is found, that the effect will be to strangle it at its birth. At Ohinomuri, a claim may be taken up to the extent of ten men's ground, but at Tairua one man may peg out 30 acres, or between 87 and 88 men's ground. 30 acres is a large extent of country, and those who have pegged out have taken care to be rather over than under the mark. Three or four 30-aere leases around the prospectors' lease to the same extent, will effeotually debar all future comers from a " show" on the reef, and deep has been the disappointment of many men going from here and fromOhinemuri at finding that a few persons have pegged out the whole country. The law respecting these lease applications is, that after pegging out ten days are allowed to get the ground surveyed. And then come the difficulties to the wholesale peggers out, for £1 must be paid for every man's ground, and this, with costs of survey and other expenses, will make a very considerable sum to be found before anything further can be done. Some ingenious persona profess to have found means by which they can hold on to a thirty-acre lease without paying any money whatever, but we hope the Warden and Mining Inspector will be a match for them, and will make them cash up, or will draw their pegs.. There can be no i doubt, however, that the new field is subjected to'great disadvantage from not having been opened under the Goldfields Act of 1866.. It is reported that two or three plaints have been laid against the prospectors for surplus ground, but we should think that whether or not they have more than 30 acres' within their pegs is a matter of mere conjecture in that rough and heavily timbered country Mr Walter .Williamson has registere'd a claim of 30 acre 3, , and another claim of the same extent has been registered by a party of men, most of whom have-been employed for some time at Tairua. There is an urgent necessity for something being being, done to improve the track to Pakirarahi, where the discovery has been made, but the difficulty is that the goldfield is like a ship at sea without anyone who will give orders to the crew. Dr Pollen has just laid us down, glad to get quit of the burden, while the Superintendent, although anxious to get the management of the railways, and to have the privilege of discharging a policeman when he feels inclined, will have nothing to do with us—although the management of the goldfields is, we should think, the most important matter yet left to provincial , management. The officials here do not appear to know where to look for orders, and do not care to take the responsibility of spending money. However, Captain Fraser has instructed Mr McLaren to make the Puriri track passable, a work which is most urgently wanted, for if severe weather were to come with the track in its present state, the men on the new field would be in danger of being starved out. A number of men were sent out and We understand that Mr McLaren'intends to go out to see if a better and shorter road cannot be made to connect with the Kirikiri. Yesterday Mr Beeche crushed up a small lump of the cement casing which is found in the neighbourhood of the reef. The stuff showed no gold under the most critical examination, but when washed on a shovel there was a really rich prospect, some of the specks being coarse and heavy, but generally the gold was fine. Several pieces of various sections of the lodes were yesterday handed to Mr Masters for assay purposes. None of them showed any gold when examined with a microscope, for Mr Masters was particular in giving directions for the selection of the stones, that if any gold was visible the' stone should be rejected. We understand that Mr Graham is to forward 201bs of stone from the prospectors' area to Mr Masters for a similar purpose. It will be seen that the ' Buona Ventura ' and a waterman's boat are advertised for Puriri this morning, and we have no doubt that after the lapse of a few days, when work will have to be commenced, there will be considerable traffic between this place and Puriri, which brings one within a few hours' walk of the prospectors' claim.