GOLDMINING IN N.Z.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18802, 25 November 1932, Page 10

GOLDMINING IN N.Z.

PRESENT-DAY PROSPECTS. WARNING TO INEXPERIENCED MEN A warning to men who would try their luck at gold-digging was uttered by Mr W. Anderson, an old goutdigger of Central Otago, who told a Christchurch Sun reporter that in ms opinion it takes capital to secure gold In the southern llelds now. Excepting for Aukes, the chances of inexperienced men Anding gold in payable quantities these days are very small. Talking about the possibilities of there being a rich goldtlclcl in Southland, which were discussed recently by Mr 11. Stiles, the old digger thinks that the ex-mine manager was somewhat optimistio in his belief that the discovery of an old riverbed is likely, if the place is developed, to provide an opportunity to create a new goldwinning industry. Mr Anderson was for many years a well-known resident of Central Otago. He has worked on claims, on dredges and in mines, and has sought the elusive precious metal on famous Aelds such as the Arrow, the Shotover, Cardrona, Bendigo and Bullendale. He has struck it rich and has slaved for weeks with no return, and he knows the job in all its aspects.

Tantalising Uncertainty,

He has realised all the tantalising uncertainties of the search for gold. He bought a share in a claim, and for the first eight days of ownership earned an average of £4 a day. And he knows the hitter fruits of disappointment. Mr Anderson, in 1878, was employed on a farm in the Wakatipu district, and he used to ride into Arrow to get bread and provisions for the farmer. That was in the days when there were ■six hotels in a street 200 yards long. One day he saw a notice advertising the sale of a share in a claim on the Arrow River, one member of a party being desirous of pulling out. lie bought that share, and in the next eight days took out £32 He had bought in just before a wash-up, and just at the psychological moment to make his venture aiKexciting and payable one. !

Subsequently he was a member of a mining party at Cromwell, which, on Ootober -i, 1894,,t00k 8260 z of gold to the bank at Cromwell. That was a proud day, and the party was photographed with the bank manager and the big cake of gold. The mine from which that gold was obtained was being worked by an English company, which could not make it pay because it was spending too much money In prospecting, and had other overhead charges to meet. So the party of about eight miners employed undertook to work the mine on tribute, and did it successfully. Some time after the big cake of gold bad been taken to the bank another party took one from the mine weighing 700 oz. Misleading Tales.

But, says Mr Anderson, who was a gold-digger since before 1878, tales of such rich finds are misleading. Such tales start only at the end of the real story. The result overshadows the trials and tribulations that have gone before. While it may be perfectly true that a party will wash up with rich results in a few hours’s work, it should not be forgotten that the work leading up | to that rich return might have taken months, and have cost much money. Gold is a funny thing, says this old miner, and he quotes a Welshman who used to seek it many years ago and who said: “Where it is, there it is; but where it bain’t there it ain’t." And old prospectors, who are in perfect accord with that statement, go on seeking. One member of that party of 1894 —he was a grown man then — is still looking for gold, or was until quite recently, and finding very little. He was getting colour, buL not the rich finds, and il seems that a man might go on like this for years and years, and in the end lie might or might not strike it rich. Mr Anderson does not think there is much chance for inexperienced diggers, excepting for flukes, lo win rich returns. Certainly the gold is not to lie found as easily as it was in the old days. Even jin 1878, when he went on to his claim I on the Arrow, 11 1 c parly was working I over ground that had been worked before, and was winning what ha 1 been missed in (lie very early days. And in those days the gold-diggers were experienced men who worked very hard indeed; much harder, he thinks, than men of the present day 'would he prepared to work. ; Much Gold in Otago. Undoubtedly there is much gold in .Central Otago still, ami he knows any I number of places that would pay j handsomely if water were available. Hut the cost of gelling water to those places would he prohibitive, lie points | out that if gold were lo he found as il i was found in the old days the old ! miners would lie Ilie men who would find it.

Mr Anderson bought, land with the j money lie earned on the goldfields, land subsequently look up fanning, j Then, after the war. came a most al- ! tractive offer lor his place, and he sold out. He lias regret led it ever since, lie says, and wishes he had never left the district, for. like all people who leave Centra! olagu, ho ; considers that a man ran want nothing ' better than to be living there.