DREDGING THE MOLYNEUX.

Dunstan Times, Issue 539, 16 August 1872, Page 2

DREDGING THE MOLYNEUX.

(communicated.) It has now become so apparent to those interested in river claims, ttiat under the old appliances of the spoon • dredge, it is hopeless to contend with the tailings running down the river, and therefore, that until something new be introduced to overcome theyliffieulty, the gold which is [known to exist in the bed of the river must still remain there. From the extraordinary finds that have been made by some of the present shareholders in claims, it app ars strange that more attention has not been drawn to the same. It is a well known fact, that in one claim, which has now been lying idle for two winters, that the last spoonful! of dirt obtained, yieldel nine ounces ofgoll, and likewise, that for the number of weeks they were able to work that winter this claim gave a dividend to each of the share holders, after paying all expenses, from 100/. to 160/. weekly. This is not an exception, there are other well-known claims of equal richness, only awaiting the necessary appliances to bring forth the precious metal. These are not patches of gold as some might imagine but in reality a well-defined lead, which has been traced the entire length of the claims. These facts are generally known, and it appears strange that nothing has been done to devise some metho 1 to develop the riches of this remarkable river. Some six years since, this was a subject of general conversation amongst Melbourne men, and a ermpmy was started for the purpose of introducing some apparatus on to the river, which was thought by the originators, would overcome all the difficultiestb "e contended with, bnt from some cause or another it fell through, and nothing further was ever heard of the subject. Now, if the gentlemen who were interested in the above nnd staking were made aware of the undoubted richness of the river, the kuowb’dge of which has been obtained through the prospecting which has been done since that time, there is every probability of another attempt being made to re-start theiformer undertaking. Nothing therefore having ever come from outside to give the miner any help on the subject, it has devolved on Mr. Seiderberg to attempt a a now plan, and he lias expended a largo sum of money in the construction of a large dredge to be worked by steam, which has been engaged upon for the last four or five months, and is now completed. Through some unfortunate calculation he has had a delay of some five or s x weeks, in having to wait for a larger boiler, the first one he tried not being powerful enough. It is expected that he will get to work the the coming week, and, it is to be hoped, successfully. There can he no doubt but that this is a step in the right direction, and that the introduction of steam will save a large amount of expense and be able to do a larger amount of work than could be done by manual labor. From the perseverance which he has shown in the above work, he deserves the best wishes of all, and it should be recognised by the Government, in awarding him a bonus, the same as in the introducing of a new industry, which might be an incentive to others to attempt something, even should his speculation turn out we 1 or otherwise.