GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 March 1901, Page 3

GOLD DREDGING.

. The Keystono borer is now prospecting the Woodstock Company's claim. Messrs Graham Bros Okarito are making very good headway with tho face they are opening up on behalf of their Company. The wash dirt is looking well. The ground known as Jameson's Ecward on Nelson Creek is now being bored for tho purpose of ascertaining the depth y and value of the wash. It is reported that the caulking in the pontoons of the Hau Hau Creek dredge ha 3 proved defective and that considerable difficulty is being experienced in getting repairs effected. Mr George M'Kenzie, has (says the Times), now got his gold dredging machinery on tho wharf and is erecting a sawmill. He hopes to be ready to start the dredge in a very short time. This looks well for Okarito and should it turn out a success there will be many following suit. The Secretary (Mr Hoisted) of the Koss Day Hiwn Gold Dredging Company (Limited) reports that Messrs Cible and Co. have the bulk of the machinery ready for shipment to the claim. The contractor for tho pontoons (Messrs Keynolds and M'Beath) are making excellent progress with their work. Indications point to this company's dredge being one of the first to start south of Hokitika. Further changes (says tho West Coast Times) are taking place amongst the employees on the Leviathan dredge, and it is stated that tho sorvices of practical men are being dispensed with on the score of economy and their plac£s substituted by men of little experience. There has already been a great deal of experimenting on this dredge and it hardly seems prudent for the directors at this stage to adopt what appears to be a penny wise and a pound foolish policy. We fear our. contemporary has been misled. The directors of the Perrett's Junction Lead G.D. Company are satisfied with the results of the prospecting operations, conducted by Mr J. P. Smith, but in order to remove doubt on one point they decided upon sinking another shaft. When tho result is obtained and the report from tho expert appointed to inspect the ground from a dredging point of view comes to hand, all information connected with the claim will be made available to shareholders. The pontoons for Perry's Beward dredge are all completed and will be launched in a few days. The dam is and the machinery i 3 lying ■jilongside ready for erection. We underHand tenders close immediately for the Rjmpletion of the dredge.