GOLDFIELDS COMMITTEE, (REPORT OF, ON PETITION OF DANIEL JAMES MOORE, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1878 Session I, I-01a

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1878. NEW ZEALAND.

GOLDFIELDS COMMITTEE, (REPORT OF, ON PETITION OF DANIEL JAMES MOORE, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.)

Brought up 11th October, 1878, and ordered to be printed. REPORT. The Committee, having carefully considered this Petition, and the evidence given in support thereof, have directed me to report the following resolution thereon, to the House, viz. :— " That the sum of Two hundred pounds (£200) be recommended to be given to Mr. Moore, as the first discoverer of the Reefs at the Carrick and at Macetown." C. A. de Lautour, 11th October, 1878. Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Friday, October 11th, 1878. Mr. William Jackson Barry, late of Cromwell, in attendance, and examined. 1. The Chairman.] The Committee are anxious to know if you can, of your own knowledge, give them any specific information of any discoveries made by Mr. Moore on the Goldfields of Otago ?—AVhere I knew Moore first was at the Waipori, in 1862. I saw him prospecting there, but did not know much of him. I fell in with him at the time of the Dunstan Rush in the same year. I went into business at Cromwell, but I know that Moore was prospecting all about the Carrick Range, also about Bendigo Gully, and brought some quartz stone into Cromwell. In fact I was the first one that ever put an engine on the Carrick Range at Bannockburn. I went and bought a plant, and I made the first Company up for prospecting. I heard that Moore had come in with some specimens from the locality of Bendigo Gully. I bought the old Criterion plant, and I and Mr. Robinson put it on a claim near the Aurora. 2. But at Bannockburn did you take up a claim of Moore's ?—I took up a claim where ho was prospecting. 8. Then he had his own claim ? —He had an interest in a claim. 4. But had he a prospecting claim ? —That I could not tell. 5. He had a claim at Bendigo ? —Yes. 6. Then you did not take his claim ? —I took one alongside of him. 7. What advantage did they give the prospectors of reefs ?—A double claim. I have had a double claim when prospecting. I must certainly say that the energy of this man Moore, where I have seen him and met him, shewed that he was a really good man for the prospecting of country, and I have met him at different intervals in many parts of New Zealand. 8. Then you think he was the first man that struck gold at Bannockburn and Bendigo ?—I really believe he was the first at Bannockburn. 9. And not Bendigo ?—I could not say. 10. At Macetown ?—I believe he was the first that brought stone down from Macetown. There was another man that disputed it, named Hall, but from what I have heard from the general voice of the people this man Moore was the first at Macetown who brought stone down. 11. You say you have had prospecting claims ; did you look for any reward ?—No. 12. I suppose a prospecting claim would be considered a reward ? —I do not know ;if a man were out on those ranges and discovered gold, which brings wealth to the country, he ought to be entitled to some reward from the country. I think a practical digger like Moore ought to have some reward from the country. 13. I am not so much speaking of what ought to be done, as what prospectors would have in view when they were prospecting; when you were going prospecting, it would be for gold ? —Decidedly. 14. Not for any reward ? —Not if I made it a business to go prospecting for the Government, or for other people. 15. I suppose where a man strikes a quartz reef, unless he has money, he cannot do anything with it ? —Many a poor man without money has been out prospecting, and other men have come in and taken the harvest from him. 16. Mr. Bastings.] Do you know Mr. Mace ? —I have seen Mr. Mace in the early diggings. 17. AVould his evidence be reliable if he stated that Mr. Moore was the discoverer of Macetown Reefs ?—I think so; Macetown is named after him. I think Mr. Mace knows more about Macetown than I do. 18. Mr. Wason.] One witness has stated that he did not look upon Mr. Mace as a gold-digger ?—I have seen him at other business.

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19. He stated his business was more as a prospector ?—I say, as a practical digger myself, I hava known him as a prospector for gold. 20. Has he been in the habit of working in the claims when he has found them ?—I know one ha struck in the Bendigo Gully, and where my engine was put. He left it and went somewhere else prospecting. He seemed to have a mania for prospecting. 21. Without any reward ?—Yes, without any reward. 22. It has been stated that he was swindled out of claims ?—I believe some litigation took place about a reef of his ; that I learned from hear-say. 23. Mr. Bastings.] Can you mention any other minerals he has found besides gold ?—I cannot Bay. 24. He states in his petition that he knows of the existence of a lot of minerals in that district. Are there any other minerals in that district that you know of ? —I have got cinnibar in the Lammerlaw Ranges, and I have also found fine specimens of copper, that I brought here with me, and am taking home to England. Mr. H. Mace, in attendance and examined. 25. The Chairman.] Where do you reside, Mr. Mace ? —ln Wellington ; formerly in Arrowtown. 26. Mr. Moore claims to have discovered quartz reefs at the Carrick Ranges, and the goldfield at Macetown; quartz reefs at Macetown, and gold in the bed of the Molyneaux. Can you tell the Committee whether or not, within your knowledge, he made any such discovery ?—I believe he made discoveries of quartz reefs at Macetown, but Ido not know anything of the Molyneaux or Carrick. I know he had a tail-race at Arrowtown, and was near getting drowned one night. He lost his mate, and his tent was swept down at the time of the large flood ; but he managed to escape himself. That was in 1862, as near as I can remember. 27. Did he discover goldfields at Arrowtown ? —Not goldfields, but quartz reefs at Macetown. The gold had all the symptoms of quartz. All the gold got at first there was impregnated with quartz. It was generally supposed there were reefs there ; but it was such a rough country, and in those times he was the only man that went prospecting reefs. 28. Do you know whether or not he took up special claims ?—I do not know. 29. A prospector is entitled to mark off a prospecting claim, is he not ?—Of course, he is. 30. There is no difficulty about that, is there?— Not the slightest, according to the Mining Regulations. 31. Is not the privilege given to a prospector double the ordinary area ?—lt is in some instances. 32. With regard to quartz reefs, is it not double the length on the reef ? —I think so; double ground. 33. Do you know of any other gold that Moore discovered in any other fields ? —No ; I do not. 84. Has he always made his discoveries public ?—Oh yes ! There is no doubt about that. 35. Do you think he has any special knowledge more than the general run of miners ?—Well, I do not know; he must have had very good knowledge, or he never would have found the reefs. Many hundreds of people travelled over the ground between Macetown and Shotover, and he was the first man who discovered the reefs. 36. He makes a very large claim, I may tell you, to have special knowledge with regard to reefs? —I did not know that. 37. Mr. Wason.] What has been the value generally to the district of Mr. Moore's discovery of reefs at Macetown ? —I think it is a very important discovery, because it is very hard to say where it will end. As it is a reefing district, it may be perhaps twenty, or thirty, or fifty years after this when you will know its full value. I consider it is almost inexhaustible. 38. Mr. Reeves.] How many batteries are there ?—I do not know at the present time. It costs a large amount of money to get machinery. 39. Mr. Joyce.] Was Mr. Moore the first man who discovered those quartz reefs ? —He was the first to bring specimens down. 40. What year was that?—l think '62 or '63 ; I fancy in 1863. 41. Mr. J. C. Brown.] Are those reefs at work now ?—Yes ; and plenty of people in this town have got shares. 42. Mr. Reeves.] They are running over 2ozs., are they not ?—Yes; very rich specimens were got there at first, and anyone who understood anything about goldmining knew that they came from a reef. 43. Mr. Wason.] Can you explain how it was that he reaped no reward from that discovery ?—He was running about trying to find something better. 44. Mr. J. C. Brown.] Do you know of any other locality he prospected with any results ? — I heard the Carrick ranges. 45. You do not know of your own knowledge ? —lt is only what I have heard. 46. Were you at the Arrowtown at the time of these discoveries ? —Yes. Mr. D. J. Moore, in attendance and examined. 47. The Chairman.] What goldfield do you claim to have discovered first in Otago ?—I would say Carrick Range. That was the first I laid claim to. There were others at Bendigo Gully prospecting at the time I went there. I don't ask anything for them. I know there was no rush to the district until sometime after I went there. 48. Then you claim to have discovered Carrick first ? —The Carrick first. I opened Bendigo Gully, on the Rough Ridge, in 1862. I never mentioned that in my petition, because Ido not look upon that as of a lasting character ; but I look upon quartz reefs as of a lasting character, and a great benefit to the country. 49. You claim to have discovered Macetown ? —I do. 50. And Molyneaux ? —I traced it to the river-bed, and I traced the gold crossing the river from the ranges. I sot the dredge-owners on it.

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51. Is there any other field besides the river ?—The river is very extensive, from Alexandra into the river Cromwell, and it could only be worked in the winter season. I went into the ranges, and my partner, while I was prospecting, sold my dredge, and went off to America. 52. Did you have a prospecting claim at the Carrick ?—No, I had not. I took a claim called the Black Horse, and had half the claim called the Young Australia. 53. AVhy did you not take a prospecting claim ?—The reefs were not exactly proved, and I did not take a prospecting claim at the time. I was more anxious to find more reefs at the time, and I was satisfied with the 600 feet. 54. Did you ever take up a prospecting claim ?—Never, in any goldfield I have found. 55. Did you have any claim in the river ?—No, sir, I was more anxious to make discoveries at the time. 56. Did you refuse to take up prospecting claims simply from a wish to benefit the public ?—I found a good deal of difficulty in going in and out to and from the Warden's Court. I often had to travel backwards and forwards, as much as 70 miles before I could get matters settled. 57. You would have to do that with an ordinary claim as well as with a prospecting claim ?—Very nearly as much, sir, I think. 58. You must go to the Warden's Court ? —Yes, sir. 59. You have held ordinary claims; you say you held the Black Horse ? —Both the Black Horse and the other claim were jumped from me. 60. You must have held other claims as well ? —Not reefing claims; I was more anxious to prospect than to stop in one place. 61 I cannot make out why, when applying for an ordinary claim, you did not apply for a prospecting claim ? —lt did not suit my purpose; you might as well say why did not Dr. Clarke, when he discovered the goldfields in Victoria, apply for a prospecting claim. 62. You say you took up ordinary claims, and the same trouble would have given you twice the ground ? —I was satisfied with one claim. I wanted to test the Champion reefs. I can show you by the highest living authority in England, that if I find one Champion reef, I have the whole country. 63. Then you did not take out a prospecting claim ? —I did not even take out a prospecting claim at Macetown. 64. Mr. Wason.] I think it has been stated that you were cheated out of certain claims you had on one field, where was that ?—-In the Carrick Range. Those two : the Black Horse and the Young Australia I lost through no fault of my own. They were jumped by others when I applied for my protection of the ground a company of forty married men was formed, and they took possession by force, and put me out of it. I went to Court eight or nine times, and at last had to abandon it. 65. You received no compensation ? —Not a shilling in my life from any source whatever. 66. For the last seventeen years have you been following the business of a prospector ?—Yes; when at last I found it was necessary to make a little money I went where there was a patch of gold and worked it for myself, and I can do the same now. My object was to discover whether there was mineral wealth in the country; after I had my dredge I thought to float those two Companies. That would have given me sufficient money, but I was deprived of them, through the claims being jumped, and I abandoned the district then. I did not wish to encourage jumping, or one man taking the claim of another. 67. AVhat direction would you like to take now ?—No particular one. To me, one district is the same as another. 68. I thought you said you had some particular district in your mind that you were anxious to prospect ? —I have prospected from the dividing range of the West Coast into Dunedin, and I believe there is a lead from the Southland Ranges to Ghirton and AVaikouaiti, and another that goes through Mount Ida, Bendigo Gully, AVoolshed, out towards Nevis, and in that direction. I can prove that, I believe, in a shorter time (from my experience), than any other man in the colony. I do not think I made it clear why I did not take out a prospecting claim, and, therefore, with your permission, I will quote from the work of Professor Collins, F.G.S., head of the Miners' Association of Cornwall. (Quoted from the work.) From practical knowledge I have followed the directions that are given there, and have proved the same results. If I found that the Black Horse reef was the Champion reef, and no other reef, I should have been perfectly satisfied that I had a grasp of that district. 69. Mr. Bastings.] Have you ever found the Champion lead ?—I consider that it goes through the Black Horse. 70. Mr. Reeves.] Are you aware that there are other reefs anywhere around that country ?—That is only the champion of that district. I was satisfied that I was on it, and that it was within my 600 feet, and therefore I did not trouble the warden by going to the court. 71. Mr. George.] Are you aware whether on those goldfields any other miners took up prospecting claims ? —I believe so; in different branches of the same range. Suppose I get a prospecting claim on one line, and another on another line, and a different lead altogether, we are both entitled to prospecting claims. If I found a champion lead, and every other lead going parallel to that, lam satisfied that it is a mining district that will last. That is what I was looking for. 72. You think if, in a mining district, 20 or 30 miners discovered a lead, each of them is entitled to a prospecting claim ?—The law says so ; with regard to alluvial it is so; but with regard to quartz-reefs, I think a quartz prospecting claim is allowed for every new lode. Mr. Joseph Dods, in attendance, and examined. 73. The Chairman.] Where do you live ? —ln Manners Street, Wellington. 74. Can you give the Committee airy information as to the discoveries of gold made by Mr. Moore, from your own knowledge ?—I believe from my own knowledge he discovered Moore's Gully, or Maori Gully as it was generally called, in the Ida Valley. The next time I dropped across him he was prospecting out Hill's Creek way.

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75. Mr. J. C. Brown.] What year was this Maori Gully in ? —The latter end of '62 or the beginning of '63. 76. That was a gold-field, was it ?—I believe it was. 77. That was before German Gully ?—Before anything of that kind. 78. Was he the first at Blackstone Hill ? —That I cannot say. He was at Blackstone Hill I know, and prospected all that range right down below the Woolshed. 79. Do you know where he was first ?—Maori Gully was his first place. I believe he went first in the Carrick Range and that he was amongst the first in Bendigo Gully. 80. Do you know of his discovering gold in the Molyneaux where the dredges are ?—I should not think he did, but he was amongst the first to do so, and at Macetown. 81. You do not know any place except Maori Gully, where you think he was first ? —No, I do not, I have met him out prospecting in the ranges, but I could not say he was the first amongst them. 82. Do you think his discoveries have been of any special value ? —That I could not say. If he was first at Macetown no doubt that has been, or if he was first up Bendigo Gully. I believe he was first at the Carrick Range, and he nearly lost his life at the time. He was oue of the first to cross the Old Man Range. 83. Mr. Wason.] Can you tell us of any practical results that followed ?—I could not. 84. You could not say from your own knowledge, that any practical results have followed ? —I could not, sir. 85. Mr. Bastings.] All you can say is that he was an explorer ?—I have met him round about. 86. Mr. Joyce.] Did you always find Mr. Moore in those places, or did he come and find you there ?—I generally found him there, but I was not a prospector myself; generally when I got there I found he was there or thereabouts. 87. Mr. Wason.] Do you consider Mr. Moore a professional prospector more than a practical goldminer ?—I do not think he was ever a gold-miner, but always a prospector, he always travelled away as soon as a place was opened up. 88. What means of livelihood had he ?—He sold out one interest to my knowledge that he had in a claim at Bendigo Gully, and that I suppose kept him going for a long time. 89. Then he could not be regarded as a gold miner ? —I should say he was not. I should say his hobby was to prospect. 90. Are there many persons in that part of the country engaged in prospecting ?—I could not say; most of them when they find anything stick to it. 91. This man seems to be a professional prospector then ? —I should say so. 92. Mr. Bastings.] Do you think his prospecting had the effect of developing the resources of the country, and that such was his desire ?—I should say so. 93. Was he a paid prospector ?—No. 94. He prospected at his own expense ? —Yes ; I believe he has done it for the good of the country. 95. The Chairman.] I suppose as a prospector he would mark out his claim, and then when he wanted to go on he would sell his right ?—-Yes; but I knew him to lose two claims in the Carrick Ranges, which were jumped after he had marked them out. 96. Mr. J. C. Brown.] Do you know that he was the prospector at Bendigo Gully ?—No : because I marked out the first claim myself. We gave it up, and after that he started prospecting. 97. AVhat was the result of his prospecting at Bendigo ? —He struck one reef there, but I do not know whether it was payable. 98. Did that create any attention ?—Three batteries were put up on that line of reef. 99. Upon his discovery ?—I think so ; but about twenty other men were working on the reef at the same time. 100. Did he give Bendigo Gully a start from his prospecting ?■—l should think it was from his prospecting that the second rush took place higher up. Mr. AVilliam Howe, of Wellington, in attendance and examined. 101. The Chairman.] We have been considering a claim made by Mr. Moore, who alleges that he discovered certain goldfields in Otago; can you of your own knowledge tell the Committee of any particular goldfield which he w ras the first to discover ?—About ten years ago I went to reside at Cromwell, and he was then staying at an hotel there that was kept by my mother. He was digging at Bendigo, and brought specimens down, and had them tried. Soon afterwards the Ahaura Reef was tried, and from there he went to the Carrick Range. 102. Do you think he discovered the first reef there ?—I believe he did. 103. And the Black Horse, did he open that ? —He opened that; there was the Star of the East and several others. The Black Horse was jumped from him. He had a great deal of law over it. It was thrown into the Star of the East, and it is the only one that is at work now, and is paying. Ido not know about the Macetown Reef, because I left before it was discovered. 104. Do you know anything about the Molyneaux bed ?—No ; I do not. 105. Did he not take out prospecting claims in this place ?—Yes. 106. Did he sell them ? —He got up companies there. 107. Then he would sell his interest, I suppose ?—Yes ; I suppose he would. 108. Then, in the case where his claim was jumped, that would be his own fault, would it not ?—I do not know ; there was some dispute about the pegs, and it was thrown into the Star of the East. Mr. Pyke went up several times, and the matter was decided by the Court. 109. Mr. Bastings.] Is Moore looked upon up there by the miners as a benefactor ?—He is. 110. Do the miners give him the credit for having made many discoveries?— They do, for the Bendigo and the xCarrick. I recollect he spoke about Macetown before I came here, and my step-father got him a horse, and was going to fit him out for Macetown : but it turned out to be too far, aud he did not go. By Autlioiity: Geceoe Did;buky, Government Printer.