GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 6 May 1901, Page 2

GOLD DREDGING.

The returns for tho week are of a most encouraging nature, the falling off in Nelson Creek mining indicates that the dredge has got to that part of tho stream where tho run is not so rich and will be come across every time the dredge reaches this side of tho creek.

The New River which was expected to give 25 ounces, only gave 16£ { but this was owing to a break-down in machinery, and not to tho ground becoming poorer. Messrs Sligo and Rundle report tho forwarding last week of the whole of tho machinery for the Caledonia Gold Dreding Company. The machinery was made by tho Austral Otis Company of Melbourne for the United Morven dredge in Otago, but as the little company went into liquidation, the Caledonia took over its machinery contracts, and were thus able to secure a new and up-to-date dredge with a considerable saving of both time and mon^y. The directors of Maori Creek are pushing on with their dredge, the Foundry Company have the contract for a complete dredge and will have same working at an early date. The directors are highly pleased with the result of the prospecting which was excellent and beyond expectations. The timber is now being landed at Kokiri ready for carting to the property. Tho County Council has been approached tojin regard to strengthening the bridge over the creek. Until this is done nothing can bo carted on to the ground. Peter Lyders, Dunedin, contract for building pontoons for the Aldinga and Victory at Moonlight has been accepted. Tho machinery for the Aldinga wad Victory left New York last week for Greymouth. i

Mr Jay is making good progress with the building of the pontoons for the Caledonia, and will have his contract finished in stated time.

Mr Wylie, representing F. W. Payne, has just returned from Doss. Tho contractor Mr Pearson, for building pontoons for the Prince of Wales G. D. Coy will commence work this week. The engine (Marshalls) has arrived in Dunedin. From some unexplained reason, says the Westport News, the directors for the Mokoia Dredging Company fail to have the weekly results forwarded to the West Coast along with those from the Molyneau. In doing so they are certainly not acting in the interests of shareholders, either on the West or the Bast Coast, for there is little hope of scrip changing hands when the weekly results of dredging are unknown. The same indifference seems to be displayed by tho directors of the Nelson Creek dredge, for only once has the return been telegraphed with others from Otago. We hope that when the Docklands dredge reaches her claim, the directors, chiefly Wellington business men, will see that similar complaints are not lodged against them. Our contemporary is in error in regard to Nelson Creek.

The Duller Junction dredge gets its best returns, in proportion to the hours worked in the interrupted weeks. With a'-steady week on similar wash to that workedduring the past two weeks when it obtained 38ozs for 74 hours and 25ozs for 61 hours, respectively, tho dredge should give a very fair return and improve the value of the shares which at present, along with the others on the Duller river, are at a very low quotation. Mr Popplewell, Drodgemastor at the Island Creek, Fairdown expected to commence working to-day. An exchange says:—The Mokoia has worked well into tho side, and lies comparatively safe from the current. It is generally reported that this dredge cannot be saving more than 60 per cent of the gold, if that, and it seems a wonder that such good returns are got. ■ The table area is about equal to what three men would use if shovelling constantly, with the corresponding quantity of water. Six new dredging companies have registered since Ist January with a capital of £57,500. It is understood that the Mokoia has washed up, but tho returns will not be made public. The dredge master *f Dobson No. 2 (West Coast) reports as follows: “ Washed up ; result 4ozs, Been dredging drift only.” For week ended 30th April.

The Fairdown Company’a boiler arrived at Westport by the Corinna. The Wareatca Company’s engine and boiler have arrived at Westport. Practically the whole of the machinery is now to hand. August is fixed as the month for commencing operations. The delay occasioned by the slow progress that must necessarily be made before the Docklands dredge is able to reach its ground is disappointing to shareholders in the dredge, and also to others who hold shares in adjoining claims, upon which dredges are not yet erected. Evidently it will be close on the end of the year before there are sufficient dredges at work to test the Duller river from its upper reaches to the Nine Mile, where the limits for dredging arc drawn.