COAL AND GOLD.

Tuapeka Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6755, 26 June 1920, Page 2

COAL AND GOLD.

DISCOVERIES AT LOVELLS PLAT. Mi John Mosley, while prospecting for coal with his redio-indicator on tho farm of Mr D. Lyons, at Lovells Flat, made an unexpected discovery the other day. To a Free .Press representative Mr Mosley stated that he located an ancient river bed full of rich gold deposits at a dept of from 16 to 90ft. He is of opinion that the "dirt" would prove highly remunerative, and that the precious metal could be got by He believes that there is untold wealth in that ancient river bed now lying so comparatively near the surface in "places. A few shafts could be put down at comparatively small expense in order to test the find.

The river bed averages SO yards in midth, and Mr Mosley considers it forms part of the same ancient stream wherein the first payable gold was found In Otago by Gabriel Read in IS6I. Mr Mosley tracd the river bed through Adam's (Bon Accord), then south to Lovells Flat, then east as tar as the boundary of the Elliotvale property, anjJ ho thinks it will probably debouch to the sea at Measly Beach, on the Wangaloa coast. There s gold as Mcasiy Beach, as was proved by diggers some years ago. Mr Mosley thinks the old river bed ought to bo traced from Blue Spur to see if this theory is correct. He believes it was attempted in Gabriel If-ill s lime, but the s.vrch was abar. doned at Glenore--and in any case ihe parties who'undertook it did not have the aid of the ''radio-indicator." At Mr Lyons's farm the wash dirt of ths ancient river bed rests on a coal, field, and the indicator showed 10 seams of coal on the farm, ranging from the common lignite to a semi-bituminous coal, only one grade below Westport, and the seams vary in thickness from 6ft to 24ft. This property is only 2J miles from the Lovells Flat railway station, with which it is connected by a good road, so it should only be a matter of a short time before development work is undertaken there.

The whole neighbourhood is rich in coal, and the adjoining Elliotvale property has been held by the Kaitangata Company for 40 years on account of its rich coal measures, although these have never been developed. If, however, v a superior coal could actually be put on the market it might lead to the opening of quite a number of new coal-pits, as has been the case at Wangaloa within the past year or two. The circumstance that at Lovells Flat there s a likelihood of striking payable gold should add to the zest of the coal miners.