GOLD DREDGING NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 8 February 1901, Page 2

GOLD DREDGING NOTES.

The secretary of the A.l. Gold Dredging Company, Mr W. Eollitt, has received intimation from the contractors for the machinery, Messrs John Anderson and Sons, that the dredge should commence operations this month. The secretary of the El Dorado Dredging Company (Duller River) has received word that the machinery, which is being constructed by the Austral Otis Company, Melbourne, is rapidly approaching completion. The engine and boiler (Euston, Proctor and Co.) are both landed in

Dunedin. The pumps, etc., are being made by the Dunedin Foundry Company, and a start is being made on the pontoons right away. The secretary of the Ross Day Dawn Gold Dredging Company reports that tho construction of the machinery for the dredge is proceeding satisfactorily, and that a large quantity of it is ready for shipment to the claim. The site and dam for floating the pontoons have been completed, and the contractors for building the pontoons have started work. Judging by present indications, the Ross Day Dawn Company will bo tho first to get to work in that district. The directors have: acquired an additional small area which, has been proved to bo highly payable. The Secretary of the No Town Creek Gold Dredging Company states that in order to ascertain the depth of the claim before letting the contract for the machinery, Mr Faithful, representing Messrs Cutten Bros., had boro holes put down, and that the depth was found to bo 39ft Cin, giving good gold prospects all through. In the construction of tho dredge provision is being made for this, and tho length of the ladder will allow dredging at a greater depth than above stated.

Respecting a statement that the workmen erecting the machinery on the Greenstone Creek Gold Dredging Company’s dredge have been hampered for want of material, and that work has practically stopped, the secretary, Mr F. H, Labott, informs us that on Thursday,' the contractors, Messrs Cable and Co.,’ with whom ho had been in communication on the matter, telegraphed that the lop tumbler, the main and winch steam pipes, and a quantity of other material would arrive on the claim the following day. The dredgemastcr, Mr W. Robertson, advises that judging from present indications operations should commence at tlm latter end of the present month. Although a drodgeman earns £3 a week when dredging, says the “ Cromwell Argus,” he has a lot of broken time. At present there are a number of men in Cromwell who have not done a stroke of work for over a month, and if the river keeps bobbing up and down, will not get to work for a couple of months yet. If a dredger has to go idle for three months every year, his wages are very materially reduced. If the rate of wages was fixed at a yearly scalp and paid monthly, it

Would be much better,. Tclivofor thretf Jfiohths without handling any money, is likely to put a man into a bad financial position, especially if those calls are gently calling. Thq companies might give ,tho men a retaining fee to help to keep them going. Tkfi annual report of the Marsden N0.,1 Gold Dredging Company, to be presented to the first annual meeting of shareholders, to be held on the 11th inst., states that Messrs Cutten Bros, were entrusted with the designing of .the dredge, and contracts Were eritored into for the construction of the maChiriory, the Whole of which will be completed and ready for erection within a month from the date of file report (February ist). The pontoons ht*.vo been launched. Boring operations conducted in October last, to ascertain the depth of the ground, resulted in showing that the dredge as designed would be ample for the requirements of the claim. As the available capital is not sufficient to meetj all liabilities up to the completion Hf the dredge, further arrangements will require to bo made, which the directors feci will be easilv made, Jha yetiring director avo Messrs 0. Eusscll and Oep; BrOwhi . Mr Sn, Hill Fisher* the (Uiditof; fllso.retires, The balance-sheet, which is dated- December 31st, 1900, shows that 10s remains uncalled on 4509 contributing shares, and that the (Jails qutatapding amount to ,£742. The bash bn deposit is Mi'G, afid the balance at tne bank is £SB 19s 9d. The outstanding liabilities (balance of contracts lot) amount to £1,107. Mr D. Leslie, secretary of the Duke of Wellington (West Coast) Company, advises the “Press” that the engineer reports the following progress on contracts : ■—Pontoons! Contractor hits all the timber on the gl’oundj alld has started to the pprttdqns. Winch and pump have arrived are teddy to go forward when required. Machinery: Messrs M’Gregor and Coi are making fair progress. Their latest report states: Water boxes complete ; screen riveted and waiting for casting ; ladder all riveted and waiting for casting : elevator riveted and waiting for casting; elevator buckets bodies bent; ends flanged, and now behm painted ; elevator bucket sides bent and flanged; semiplates for ladder buckets finished ; boiler shell thrilled ready for riveting ‘ boiler end plates flanged ; intake pipes finished and away ; drop shoots finished ; elevator wind stays riveted up ; punching apron plates ; backs cut for buckets ; air pump now being cast; drilling furnace for boiler; riveting condenser together; sporge pipe rivetied, and smoke box j finished. A great deal of attention is being directed to the mineral resources of the West Coast Sounds, which, says the “Otago Daily Times,” are known to be very extensive. In addition to the reef in Preservation Inlet prospected by Mr J. McQueen, of Dunedin, and which is now being floated into a company, Mr McQueen has discovered two extensive gold-bearing areas, one suitable for dredging and the other for sluicing, The samples of gold from these are so rich and the indications generally so promising that it is proposed by some Dunedin gentlemen to send Mr McQueen and a party on a prospecting tour around the Sounds. A vessel will be chartered for the purpose, and the party is ..likely to bo away for several weeKS. The prospecting of the two goldbearing areas referred to should alone justify the expenditure; but there is reason to believe that under the supervision of Mr McQueen and another experienced prospector, valuable discoveries will be made. A lot of promiscuous ox-

ploring has been done by indidual miners, but this will be the first time that a pro-

perly organised expedition has gone round the Sounds on a carefully-planned, systematic tour- More is likely to bo heard of it in a few days.