UPPER CLUTHA.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 415, 28 April 1904, Page 5

UPPER CLUTHA.

I (Own .Correspondent) The dredges hers are gradually increasing in numbers, and I am pleased to aay that the returns:.from the dredges at work are also increasingexcept in the case of the inaptly-named Sunshine, which has not proved a shining investment to the shareholders. The detractors of the Clutha cannot, however, extract much hope from wis fact, as the dredge has not worked in the river, but in a bank where/ she got blocked with her own tailings, and was thus unable to bottom. The directors have now leased the dredge to the Point d'Or Company, but in what manner it is going to prove a Sticoess ; there puzzles most men who know anything about bank dredging. to shift on the latter claim, and the dredge could not successfully battle wjth half that quantity on its former scene of operations. But time will 'ptove, £ ■t&W'--.;.';.

; _ The JiFew Royal Maori Company now hold 100 acres of the Oldtha at the foot of the Five-mile, and their dredge is almost completed, and operations should be commenced in about a fortnight. The dredge is 115 ft long, in strongly stayed throughout, and is fitted with water-tight compartments. She will dredge to 50ft with ease, and should prove well capable of treating the Olutha wash. I hope it will soon be my pleasing duty to report payable returns from this dredge. ~ Some two miles further up the river the Cromwell Company are tbjg week starting boring operations on two c|aims held by them ; ao your readers will see}that we are gradually gaining gfound and! gfttanj; and by the time dredging on the Km warau, and even the Molyneus, in done we will still have an asset that will outlast an ordinary lifetime. Just now there is a storm in a teapot about noth,ing 4 in which a news* paper reporter, an illustrious commander, and an editor are mixed up. The reporter sent a note to the stan Times * stating that a certain dredge was found one morning with a list over and near to sinking, and it was only by good luck combined with hard work that the dredge escaped sharing the fate of the Riley's Beach dredge. The illustrious commander and his henchman, the local editor, immediately began to dance on the unfortunate reporter, the local editor stating that the whole thing was only trifling, dbc.» and that it was a shame to raise such yarns; and asserting in effect that such a thing could not happen on the flagship where the illustrious commander held, commission. Now, the dredgemaster in question is ?np doubt a capable man at his work, ■ but there is no need for fulsome adulation in his caae,»for, a. few-weeks ago, an accident happened/to jjust as good a man j and it may happen to others. "I fancy the editor in question has a ipimhtkwi for measuring a dredgemaater'g merits by his amount of success in gold-getting. Thus, the qualitiesjof a man, in his opinion, raises and falls just in accordance the sort -of dredge h,e is shifted to—regulated iby t'bft soundings, like. V- However, the reporter has yet got some breath left, fand Infancy his voice will yet be heard in the,matter, and th,e whole will fur' a little mild excitement among tho.«emost concerned, .and perhaps a good-laugh to the rest, •,,.