ALEXANDRA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 334, 18 September 1868, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

(?«<V.[ A COfiRESrOXDEXT.) Sept 14, 18G8. | The statement that found its way I into the columns of the Daily Tim;s ! to the effect that the yield of gold at : the Frenchman's claim was one thousand ounces a day was met by its I contemporary the Evening Star verv ; properly, and the correspondent, who- | ever he is in my humble opinion was | perfectly justified in asking the question, if :uch an amount of gold was ! being obtained from one claim what . becomes of it and the other gold obtained in the District 1 as by r. ferenee to the liseort, one thousand ou e<« is i the uttermost limit that is sent down i to town i aeh fortnight front AlexanI dr.i, nit that. I blame the correspond'Jiit to the Times, on \V.c eon'rary, I | believe the mi take was made by the | compositor and passed the scrutiniung i eye of the reader, but 1 do say it is | perfectly suicidal to blow So loudly, : as such exaggerated accounts going to the world tend more 11 injure the District from which tlcy emanate, than the amount of gold would do good, if obtained, nevertheless, there is not a question but that the Frenchman's claim is jielding a large amount of gold, bur. one th usan.d ounces a day, I can Safely say has never, nor do I think ever will be obtained in that time. 1 visited the ground the other day for the purpose of inspecting the workings and to try if'twas possible to draw out of the manager. Mr M. Kett a little information as to the actual yield I w is met by that gentleman with the utmost courtesy, ho being as communicative as 1 could have desired ; for the i lformation of those of your readers who have net had an opportunity of visit, ing the claim, I will briefly describe it;it is situate on the west bank of the Molyneux, about two hundred yards below the junction of the Manilherikia with the Molyneux ; originally it was a long point running into the river, composed, above the level of the water of loose shingle and sand, about eighty foot in depth; this t-'ii dirt by the ail of water conveyed in a conduit or race, seven miles in lengdi from the Fraser river has been swept entirely into IhoMolyneux ; the s';rata immediately under and following to the bed rock, a depth if about eighteen feet is the golden deposit that is rewarding the enterprising sharehold ore. Some four years rgo, the top seam was worked most profitably by means of numerous tunnels. The ground now being worked below the level of the river is very wet, and is drained by a California! jrrni, 73 feoc- in length, H inches by 2| in the o'.oar and driven by a water wheel 18 fo'.t ia diameter, thifc pump is the largest I have ever and tin Manager informed me that from its great length, it was a question whether it would stand the pressure when in full work, but it answers every cxpc.c'ation, draining the ground and working mo3t smoothly; the water omp'oyed in driving the wheel, together with tho wrier pumped from the ground is directed into a string of sluico boxes, about two hundred feet in length into which the eoldea dirt is wheeled The cluim is incessantly being worked, excepting the usual meal hours by twenty men in two fch.ftß. Having given'

a brief description of the claim, I have but to state the amount of gold ol>taintd, but on that head I am not in a position to speak with any amount of certainty, but from what I could glean from one source and another, I shall be vvithin the bounds of truth in saying' for this" season's work, the shareholders have up to this time netted about £IOOO per man, clear of all expenses, and if the river but keep at its present level another month, £SOO more will be added. At the commencement of the season, on account of the continued rising a d falling o the Molyneux, a loss was anticipated*" <w much asi;7oo having been expend . ed before an ounce of gold was obtained. The system of working and management adopted is most admirable, through which, the good luck of the shareholders is mainly attributable, and without wishing to praise Mr. Kelt, I will say that, if there were more men of his energy and sk 11 ii milling in the District,-a brighter future would be awaiting many, than i; now in the perspective. There is yet two years or more work in this claim and if but the same amount nf gold is extracted during that time, I imagine the Frenchman's claim will prove itself as rich a claim as any in the Province of Ota;,o.