THE WORKINGS IN PIPECLAY GULLY.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 175, 18 March 1873, Page 6

THE WORKINGS IN PIPECLAY GULLY.

To the Editor of the. Cromwell Argus. Sir,—ln your issue of the 11th inst., I notice a letter signed “ Edward Barnard,” written in reference to the late disputes in Pipeclay Gully. . Mr Barnard savs that the idea of the tailings from the tunnel-claims in the gully containing sufficient gold to remunerate his party for working there is simply ridiculous. Now I, as one of the tunnellers in said gully, ought to feel very glad that such is the case, for really Mr Barnard has as good a chance of knowing what amount of gold is in the tailings as any one. How’ever, for all that, 1 think Mr Barnard is labouring under a delusion when he talks of old tail-races and solid blocks being the principal sources of their supply of gold ; for as to the latter, I have seen his party at work daily for the last twelve months, and do not remember ever seeing them have anything like solid ground. And then in regard to the old tail-races, I do not think people are so very careless in washing-up their tail-iaces as to leave much gold in them, when they are going away for good. He also says the bottom of the gully has never been properly cleaned up. Although I have not been here long enough to know whether it has or not, yet there are men living here who know that it has been gone over two or three times. However, I do not think it is worth while to say much more about it. Ido not think any of us in the least grudge Barnard and party the gold they get, although it is out of our claims ; but we certainty feel hardly used when we are compelled to let them have all the water—or else go to a great deal of expense—so that they may -obtain the aforesaid gold.—l am, he., TUNN ELLER. Pipeclay Gully, March 14, 1873. To the. Editor of the Cromwell Argus. Sir, — In your issue of last week, I had the pleasure of reading a letter from Mr E. Barnard. The object of that letter seemed to be for the purpose of contradicting previous statements made by you, (which Mr Barnard declares are utterly at variance with truth.) Truth being a virtue I hold in great veneration, I shall here state what I know concerning the portion of the gully in question. Three years ago, where Barnard’s claim now is, 1 have walked on the primi- - five bed of the gully washed bare, and have prospected the same, and can most emphatically deny the existence of payable ground lying there at that time. As for the tailings referred to by Mr Barnard, I have seen some thirty loads, or close upon it, run through a box, and I can assure you their average return was nearer one pennyweight than two grains. Between the two statements, I shall leave your readers to Judge for themselves where Barnard and party get their payable gold from, always keeping in view the facts that payable claims are net elastic, and that six years is not a bad spell for a narrow gully claim. In conclusion, I must admit that it is a good thing for the tunnellers that disputes such as this in Pipeclay can be so easily got over, else we' should have a gully squatocraey, levying a black mail at the rate of so many pounds petyear for the privilege of being allowed to work. I am, &c., A Pipeclay Tunneller. March 15, 1873.