IN NUGGETTY HILLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 938, 7 December 1933, Page 17

IN NUGGETTY HILLS.

How a Prospector Found Gold. REWARD FOR GOING HOME. (Special to the ” Star.”) MELBOURNE, November 27. Losing his city job during the depression, Mr Stanley Johnson, of North .Maiden, returned to the district of his boyhood, where he began gold mining and found £2OOO worth of gold in fourteen months. To-day he told how Fortune's frown turned to a smile. “ For seven years.” he said. “ I worked ii> a brass foundry in South Melbourne. and after I lost my job I remained in Melbourne for another twelve months without getting work. " Talk about prospecting for gold brought to my mind the Nuggetty IlilTs at North Maldon. J always had a liking for them, so my son. then a boy of fifteen, and I set out. I selected a claim on Lahn's Leaders in the Nuggetty Hills. . “ At first the prospects were not satisfactory. I gave fifteen feet of my claim to Messrs Williams and Archer. “ They struck a rich patch, which yielded 060 z to the ton, and this gave me fresh heart. I worked continuously in the shaft, and struck a few good leaders, which gave out. After nine months’ perseverance I got my first rich patch. ‘‘This was in September, 1932, and it gave me 740 z of gold from three tons. Then I got from other patches 430 z from eight tons and 270 z from nine tons. A recent crushing at the Maldon battery yielded 570 z from nine tons. “ The shaft is now 35ft deep, and I 1 have obtained 2500 z, worth nearly 1 £2OOO “ 9 thcr shows in the district are getting rich returns, too, but the area they cover is only about 500 feet.