GOLD AT AKATARAWA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 612, 15 September 1909, Page 5

GOLD AT AKATARAWA.

REPORTED DISCOVERY OF A REEF. . PROSPECTING TO BE UNDERTAKEN. Discoveries'of gold seem to be quito common nowadays. Trnces of tho precimw metal have been reported from the "Manaivatu-Gorge, tho "Hon. Roddy" has been : found on. tho West Coast, while, nearer home, Terawhiti and Karori have assumed .prominence in this connection. Tho latest story comes from Akafai-' rawa, the locality of tho reported "Cud" being at tho northern ond of that straggling settlement, and distant' about t\?elve miles from Upper Hutt. ' Yesterday, a Dominion representative.paid a visit to Akatarawn and' called on Mr. A. J. Morgan, who is secretary pro tern, of a prospecting syndicato it' is proposed to form to make a thorough investigation of Messrs. Morgan and Sons! property, where tho , traces were discovered. ' .--.-. In the course of conversation with Mr. Morgan, it was -ascertained that ho and his brother, Mr. W. Morgan, found signs of goldbearing, quartz on the ridge behind tho hill facing the road, and close to tho Akatarawa River, which is atthis point about four 'or five yards in width, The spur runs from the Tarariia Ranges, and the quartz reef, which lies at a height of about a hundred yards from the ground, runs for a distance of a niilo or more. The quart;-, is of tho white variety,-and there is a distinct outcrop. The reef, or vein, is within a mile of tho Akatarawa Post Office. The existence of gold -in the hills in the neighbourhood has for many vears been a matter of common knowledge in Upper Hutt and Akatarawa. It'. was first ■ heard of when the original surveys. were made. The Messrs. Morgan settled in/tho district, fifteen or sixteen years ago, and it was frequently ' mentioned then, , but so far. as. they, know, no systematic prospecting has . \ever taken place.. A man named:' Peter Smith found gold-bearing - quartz in the river ten .years but no definite ' steps. were tnken at the,time.. At no time has tho river been examined properly. Some ' time ago, stone was found, at the foot of Mount Hector, and Mr. J. B. Blaine, a well-known prospector, came, out. 'Hβ forwarded samples of the outcrop to the Thames School of Mines-in-'Febru-ary.-.last;, and the. assay showed that there were traces of gold. and :silver. .It was then that' the. Messrs.' Morgan .'commenced to fossick among the gullies in their hill-sides, breaking.up stone until they.actually came to.the quartz. At last they found a V-shaped projection above the 'ground,'-and Upon knocking the top off; the inner, mctnl "glittered." Tho party at'once sot .about taking decisive measures.-, to ; ascertain the precise, position.., To that end, a meeting of those-interested .'was held with a "view'-of (forming a prbjpectors' association, with a,-capital, ofi about JC3OO, -to be spent in securing the services of a competent geologist who will supply theia .with (Icfinito,information. If an encouraging report is presented, steps will be taken to float a company." Afe notified in our;'advertising/columns, a-meeting'-of' those concerned will bo held at Upper. Hutt at 1 p.m.i on Thursday week-.to elect' directors, appoint a secretary and treasurer, and make arrangements to secure a suitable expert. ■•. ' : ' ■;> - : •'-.

Mr.'Jowitt, an Upper Hntt business man, who. spent, a number of years.at the Klondyke goldfields, said : that the general conformation of the country and Everything else in regard to the ouartz, so far as he could obserro, went in tho direction of showing that there was gold at Akatarawa. There had been reports from time to time of gold having been discovered at various parts iof that district, but the question, of course, was: Was it in payable quantities? : Only an' assay , could decide that point.- Ho know that rock • coming from the neighbourhood was highly mineralised. ■•■ . ■■"Mr.., -Morgan : also assured our representative that several large ilumps of coal had baeu found in the. bed of the river over six, months ago, and it had been found to burn splendidly.