THE WANGAPEKA GOLDFIELD.

West Coast Times, Issue 1329, 25 December 1869, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE WANGAPEKA GOLDFIELD.

Tbe following Utter concerning the •ihove goldfieid, has been addressed to the Editor of the Westport Times: — Sir — As the lately-discovered quartz reefs in tills localit)' are at present the cause of a difference of opinion with the Provincial authoiities, and much excitement amongst the miners assembled here, [ have thought that a description of the place and the state of aif irs may prove acceptable to you, as it would certainly be i iteresting to the mining community on the West Coast. As you .ire doubtless aware, the reet was discovered by a man named Culliford, and the fact M)on made known to other miners in the immediate neighborhood, wlierc gold digging h s been cariied on for several years past. Several claims were marked out by these men, nnd Culliford proceeded to IS clson, to obtain protection for a mining lease It is now a matter of common notoriety how Culliford was inluced to depart from his original honest intention, and to pur- ' chase, out and out. rich auriferous reef j under the denomination of rural land, as also how this scandalous transaction was | connived at and shared in by the very Government officials paid to watch over and protect the public interest. Upon arriving in Nelson the other week I found the city aroused from its usually quiet slumbers, knots of its inhabitants busily conversing about the reef, and " Nelson expecting every man to do the hard working miner" admiring end envying ihe sharp practice of its landjobbing officials. I had seen some good specimens, and resolved to have a look at the ground myself. The distance is about sixty miles fi om Nelson, and for the first forty miles* or so leads through a farming country, which strongly reminded me or home scenery, ami is traversed by good, well-metalled roads, the faultless state of which | clearly showed " which way the money Sues." This e.idcd at the Tadmoor Hill, and from thence the means of ea«y progression became gradually " smaller and beautifully less" until within a few miles of the reef, the recognised muddy disgraceful, and dangerous track clearly pointed out that I was on a road formed " only for the diggers." This pisses by the rivers Sherry and Dart, in which, as well as in the neighborhood of the Tadmor Hill, gold digging has been extensh ely carried on tor years, clearly showing that the auriferous nature of the locality must have been we'l known to the Nelson officials, and proving the culpability and illegality of thj sile. The very site of the present Wamiapeka township presents all the wellknown indicatoiis of its having been formerly selected for the same purpose. When 1 arrived there I found what might be likened to two camps for civil warfare ; the Warden's Coun, officials, and surveyors occupying tents on one side of a small creik, and the digger-.' tents, and business places the other, in one of which the commifee appointed to protect the miners' claims held th' ir meetings. Between this place and the Warden's camp hliifi-coated officials might oftui be seen ! passing and repassiug, the bearers of negotiatory documents. Still furthar on was what I may term an intrenched camp, leading io the disputed reef, only attainable by a bridge, a cross" which the officials were | not pennittedto pass, and floating above it a banner, with the, suitable mofo " The Miners' Rights." At a rough calculation, I sh iiild e>timatf the number of men upon the ground at alout 120. The i eef crops out on a f pur between Blue and Nugget ty creeks, wh'ch, with the Grani'e creek, f.iim the Roll ng River. It appears to be about three feet Ibick, and rich specimens can be obtained in many places, gold hting easily discernible with the naked eye. I have a'so seen wane good specimens from other reefs, the position of which is not at. present disclosed, and should this unhappy attair be equitably adjusted, I can safely predict lucrative em-i I h.ymuit tor a large miu.ng popuiuiiuu. I regret to say that at present through the unwarrantable action of the Xelsonites, the I men are thrown into a state of compulsory

idleness, many parties bunp; j'ist aWle to keep the others going # ' in tucker by working the banks of'; lie creeks, but great fears are entertaii «1 that want of funds, superadded to i!ie intentional tardiness with which,. .tiiu Government is treating the case, , ,v. iil eventually compel the diggers to surren- \.t their just rights to the grasping Ne^m d'ones, " who toil no. 1 , neither do (bey spin." It is, therefore, to be Imped £!.at this matter will be taken up by the mi.'.ers of tiic Buller and other districts as.rine whicli might afloat their own personal interest at no distant occas"jn, and ,the pressure of public opinion be Im.ugbt fo bear upon the subject. The fact of the list of the sn-called purchasers being tv.otbirds composed of salaried officers' of the Provincial Government will show that, having long subsisted chiefly v.h n the cxiTtions of the mining comi/mnity, they desire to kill the goose tl.at lays the golden eggs, and it depends upon the united action of the mir...ii; classes to say whether injustice end chicanery shall prevail or not. lam glad to s:iy that, since I have been here, I have observed the strictest order kept, and the utmost respect shown towards the officials bj' the men. The attempt to cross the bridge to commence the survey was formally made, and as formally and quietly repelled by the committee, supported by every man on the ground. An excellent arrangement has been made by the"committee, prohibiting all sale of intoxicating liquors pending the dispute, and, taken altogether, the quidt but firm and determined action displayed, calls for the warmest support on the part of their brother miners. It is the general opinion of the miners, confirmed by the experienced knowledge cf several of their numbr, uell acquainted with the various mountains forming the boundary line, that the land in dispute is within the South-west Goldfields, and if such be the case the sale is doubly illegal. I may mention in conclusion, as a proof of the claims of the dist 1 ' it to rank as a tioldfield, that I am writng this letter in a. hut alongside a sluiti;;^ claim in Nuggetty Creek, where working has been carried on for several years, the race brought in being over a mile in length. The insertion of the above in your columns will oblige your obedient servant, R. A. MOSS. Wangapeka, December 10.

The New Zeatand Herald of the 3rd iusfc., says : — "The few claims that are paying dividends, and the many that require culls to pay the wages of the workmen, are \$ an evidence of the fact that very many companies are at present being worked at a lo^s, and that to continue this would s. - )ly be to continue diverting the profits mr oin other directions to the carrying on of i. rofitable work at the Thames. And such v procc *s, whether carried on in a mercantile busine s, in farming in the bush, or in digging at tlso Thames, is simply a sure and certain road to disaster. We can on"y carry on any business at a loss for a certain time ; and that, whether it be our own private establishment, or one in which a number of other people arc combined with us. Let, then, the partners in these- mining companies at the Thamej throw off their slothf ulness and carelessness, and, while there is time, determine to use the most energetic measures to prevent this constant drain of their savings in pursuing their ordinary avocations from being swallowed ivj and lost at the Thames. Constantly paying calls is not a profitable work. In many cases the gold obtained is not sufficient to pay workmen's wages, while the same quantity in the ton in Australia wou'd yield a handsome dividend. What can be said for a system by which it takes one ounce of gold to cart and crush a ton of quartz 'from the miue. Yet we know such is the fact on the Thames goldfield. Again in other cases, the gold obtained, and which under proper management, would yield very handsone returns to the shareholders, just pays the wages of the workmen and of the mining and legal managers. Indeed, many persons feel themselves in a happy position if they are not required to pay toward the working of the mine, and if the latter pays its working expenses. Such a state of things is not creditable to us. The mining management requires strict overhauling Directors must take the bull by the horns and, no matter who they please or displease, they must have a constant and thorough supervision. They, must have, where possible, the work done measured week by week ; and, wherever possible, substitute the system of contract work for that of day labfir. For want of proper supervision, and a regular report of the exact amount of work done, thousands of pounds are paid away, for which no effective work is performed." Old Southlanders will learn with interest that Mr C. H. Reynolds, of Invercargill, is leaving the sphere of his long and useful labors for fresh fields and pastures neAV. Mr Reynolds has satisfactorily disposed of his newspaper property, and the copyright of Reynolds' Almanac, and leaves for America, via Melbourne and Europe. We heartily wish him every success in his future sphere of action. I The Nelson Examiner of the 15th instant says, anent sporting mattei's :—": — " By tho Gland Hamilton, this evening, Mr Redwood vill ship two three-year-olds for Canterbury — Economy, a bay gelding, by Diomedes, out; of Certainty, by II Barbiere, out of a Sir Hercules mare ; and Songstress, a '•:•}* filly by Ravensworth, out of Skybird, by ' 'jddington. The gelding is entered for th . ,'anterbury Jockey handicap, and the filly for the Canterbury Derby, and both are promising animals, but will scarcely be prepared, owinif to Mr Redwood's absence in Melbourne, and the races at Canterbury coming off a month earlier than was originally advertised, in order that they may takepiflce daring the visit of the c Flying Squadron,' expected' at Lyttelton during the first week of the 3*ear. Mr Redwood's mares Peeress and Misfortune are already at Chrjstchurch, under the care of E. Cutts. Mr Redwood has no horse entered for the Canterbury Cup this yeai*, and for this, the great race of the -meeting, Mr Stafford's Magenta will probably be the sole Nelson representative, although Laceufeed is likewise entered for the same race. These two animals will be the only ones Mr Stafford will send to Canterbury this year ; but Nebula and Lady Florence are both engaged in the Auckland meeting, which comes' off, on the first three days of the year-.- At the Westport races, which arej to-be/jHig x>ji',the :27th and instant, Robin Hood and Deception, two horses well-known, in Nelson, have been specially purchased for the meeting." ' '