The Tairua Goldfield.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2038, 7 May 1875, Page 3

The Tairua Goldfield.

(PEOM OUE OWN COBEESPONDENT.)

PBOSPECTOBS' CLAIM,

Taibua, Wednesday, 3 30 p.m. I HAVEJust arrived on the claim with Mr Beeche from Puriri. 1 find that men are returning to the Thames and Ohinemuri, consequent upon a lot of miners going into the shaft yesterday morning and findng no gold. They reported it had run out, and a very despondent feeling is witnessed among the diggers. To satisfy myself, I pushed on, and asked Mr Beeche to allow me to try the shaft myself. I took threehalf-dishfuls from the hanging-wall side or that dipping into the hill west, and from the first half-dish got lOdwts loose gold; second half-dish, I7dwts; third 'half-dish, 16dwts of gold. In the second half-dish, half of it was small quartz stone filled with gold, and if crushed it must have given 3ozs of gold. Gold in quartz shows very shotty and coarse; in fact, it is stronger than' ever, and mating. There'is a change in the low level, and the ground is much softer. Mr Macdonald, solicitor, has just got up, stripped to the buff. A road party have started just below Measlestown to make the road to JKowley's. Wednesday Evening. Operations in the prospectors' shaft ceased on the departure of the manager last Friday, but, as that gentleman came up last night, it is probable that a resumption of work will take place. I do not expect much to bo done in this shaft for some time, inasmuch as there is no accommodation for the storage of the stuff, but so soon as the road from Jackson's store is through it is probable that alarge supply of hags will come to hand, which will enable them to proceed with sinking. In the tunnel, progress, so far, has been slightly interrupted by the hard face that had to be squared down, but after this some 10 to 12 feet per week will be done. I understand that a meeting of the shareholders is convened for Saturday next, in order to elect directors and receive plans for the erection of machinery and wire tramway, &o. The Victory Claim, known as . that of Bird, Quin, and party, whose ground- is on the south end of the Prospectors' Claim, or on what is known as Ke'id's Lease, are also convening a meeting, to form the same into a compauy, and to consider the besfcmeans of protecting and maintaining their right_ to the ground iu the forthcoming litigation, In the Captain Cook Claim, at Puriri, that which was formerly known as the Upper Thames, the men are repairing one of the old drives in order to'get at the reef, when 10 tons will bo taken out and sent down for trial crushing. Some 75 .tons of stone were crushed therefrom some years ago, .and yielded 13dwts par ton, but in those day a yield like that was not remunerative, as the cost of getting it to the battery was considerable. If the trial crushing will go anything like what it formerly did, the shareholders will be satisfied, and commence the erection of a battery close io tho mine. As this will be run by water-power, it is evident that, from a reef of such a size, 10 to 12dwts por ton, under the facilities which they would have, will make the property a valuable one. Other leaders are to be found iu adjacent ground, and I hear ateps are being taken to work or test them.

A parcel of stone from Owen's lease on the south-west side of Cornos's claim, was taken into town last night, in order to be crushed, as there is some doubt as to the result that Cprnes's 170lbs of stone gave. The old Dawn of Hope claim was pegged off for a lease some weeks ago, but it has been pegged off continually since by different parties, so that there is litigation in store. The yield in former times from this claim was very good, 2700zs of gold having been obtained from 150 tons, but even that high average would not Buffise in consequence of the heavy expenses incurred in packing tho stuff to the battery. In the neighbourhood of Puriri a lot of old ground is being taken up, and there is every probability that it will receive a more exhaustive trial than it did years ago. ( ' Yesterday afternoon an accident occurred whereby a valuable horse was lost, tho property of Mr Warren, the baker. Mr" Warren went to town on Saturday last- to bring up materials for the establishment of a bakery, leaving his horse in charge of Sharkie, his baker. The latter started out yesterday in the morning for Measlestown with a load of bread and sugar, and got about half-way, just ere you rise the steepest pinch. Other horses were in front, and passed safely on, but by some'unknown cause the horse missed his footing with his hind feet, bringing him down on his haunches, when he rolled over the precipioe for about 200 feet. When the driver and his friends got to the horse, they found him just alive, and on attempting to lift him up, he rolled over Mjjgtn. and expired. This is the same lo»y where a man named Looney is mm to have got lost last January. I liflerstand no steps were taken to find" the body by the authorities, and up to tliis it has not been found, but, strange to say, his swag was recovered, Looney, from what I hear, was an old pensioner, and likewise owner of some property, and was in the habit of carrying about I)jb documents with him. These, with his watch, were not found, and it is essential that the matter should be made public, in order that bis friends should be made acquainted with his The above incidents show tile necessity of something being done at-once to the track'from Rowley's; and I would suggest that, as soon as ever the track from Measlestown to the prospectors' is completed, they should be put on here. The traok should be at least half a chain wide, in order that the sun might get at it, and give it a ohanQe of hardening on ft fine -day.