EL DORADO OR WHAT?-

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 9

EL DORADO OR WHAT?-

ALLEGED SENSATIONAL' "FINDS." GOLD, PLATINUM, AND COAL. . (By Tolegrapn—Press Association.) Invercargill, July 20. ■ Excitement is at fever heat at Orepuki, and everyone is talking black sand, plati- ' nam, and gold. The correspondent of the /"Southland Times" explains that the beginning of the excitement was the discovery by a party of prospectors' of a lode carrying platinum in great 'quantities, so much so that tho 1 smeltingexpert(Mr. Wilde) stated ■that,'if there was any great quantity there would be a fortune in- it. The! party, has applied for a 100-acre prospecting license. Consequent on this find, another party was' got together, and they found the reef or lode;reported on Monday to.contain; rich gold.' This party has applied for a 160-acro. prospecting license, and other parties are busy in regard to tho platinum. The,"Times", correspondent was informed by a .party that they! had found a place where a dray could De.backed in and filled with tho same substance .as in the .lode' already, referred ,to, : .with just as large a show of platinum. In; the words of the smelting expert, "Orepuki is_ inundated with platinum"—-at least ■ iti4.saidto.be. ', , .. ..'

The correspondent of the "Times," howiver, is careful to warn possibly excitable >eople about the danger of being precipitate, .ccing that, as yet,(.everything is, coloured jy the glamour of tlio rush, but he assures lis paper none the less that all his information has been gathered ' from reliable sources, : and that he has' made sure of his facts so far'as it has been, possible. '. On top of all the other discoveries now comes news of the finding (by an Invercargill syndicate), of a' coal seam, near the same 'locality,containing: the .best coal this side of Wcstport. ; : _ . .To-night' the correspondent advises as follows :-7^This-thing has fairly, taken possession of a iot of'our most- reliable men. From a few miles; across the Waiau, right to the Blue Cliffs, the whole beach for eight or nine miles is, .every inch taken up. Men were coming into Orepuki last week wi.th determination stamped 'on their features, getting minors' rights !md going away on the long dreary rido towards Blue Cliffs, riding all night and.'waiting for daylight to peg off. soma . 'of. ; the beach. Several parties;'left, Imro on Sunday, and had to wait until Monday's' daylight 'to peg 'off. claims. . Some were in 'time; some were too late. But what's all this about now P: TOsre'-is'-nw&er-reef nor platinum'lode. It is simply, this : One good samples . mentioned in ■ last nbtes/came'bffi thi'a self-same, bcach; and.the same stuff is'tobe got in every sfhovel for miles.' 'aking-'this; beach, ;So,if. there .is,anything' in, ;the reports as'to the minerals in the black' sand, no wonder it is rushed.Pooplo here 'are beginning to shake their 1 heads, and say thai! it is too good to be troo, and that they don't lielievfe .there is anything ;in"the whofc business. Meanwhile the works are being erected, and heavy machinery 'is being carted 'for them,, and the manager- is, herei _ there, nnd everywhere looking at the different claims and formations.