GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 10 June 1901, Page 2

GOLD DREDGING.

The past week—rain and swollen streams —was one in which dredging had but little chance. As a consequence the number of dredges washing up were few, but results where returns were, given are about up to expectations, with of course (lie exception of Nelson Creek This week opens better, and with fine cold weather work should bo pushed and returns obtained from a good number of machines.

Grey Consolidated -Has got a good start, but will be a fortnight before any return can bo expected. The Air aura and Ericksons Reward should give a return at the end of this week.

Waipuna. —Did not wash up, and the position docs not appear to improve.

Ford’s Creek. —With fine weather an opportunity should this week be given of testing the ground which we understand the ladder is now a])lo to bottom.

Grey River. —Little or no work done last week. Should get a chance with present weather.

Pactolus. —Shows a slight falling off, accounted for by the extra silt through continuous rain.

New River. —This is an improving claim, and with a full run and low stream good payable yields may be looked for.

i (Nelson Creek —The great falling oflT in the return from this claim was owing' to the dredge going through a heap of ■tailings 22 feet deep. Maori Q.ueen.—There is but littlenew to record. The ground-, it is thought,, will improve soon. A larger dredge would have been advantageous. Leviathan.—A larger yield was expected. The dredge, . thanks to the capacity of the late dredgemaster, has now a good face of solid ground to work on and should give a steady yield. The Greenstone Dredges are mostly engaged in effecting repairs and alterations to enable them to escape damage by flood in the future. There is not much likelihood of any return from this stream for at least a fortnight. The Secretary (Mr H. A. Bruce) of the Reeves’s Proprietary Company has; received intimation that the dredge was stopped from 3 o’clock on Satuaday morning till Monday night on account of firebreaking of the lifting wire of the ladder. Despite the drawbacks experienced by West Coast dredges, the returns have been fairly steady and in the majority of cases over the amount required for meeting the expenses. With better weather and lower rivers some of the dredges should prove splendid dividend payers. The directors of the Yellowstone Company intend to further delay operations, and await the result of the Foley’s Creek Company, which has taken over the claim adjoining, and will have a dredge working upon it within a few months. The directors in the meantime do not intend to take any fees, and wilKkeep exSmses down as low as possible. Messrs enry Stokes and G. D. Wilson have been re-elected directors. The boring operations on the claim are understood to have given excellent prospects. The Maori King Company has purchased a new dredge, which is now being built at the Otago Foundry, and which, it is fully expected, will be completed within the next four months. Tenders for the construction of the pontoons are to be called for shortly. The engine and boiler are already landed, and await shipment to the claim as soon as the pontoons are built. Mr Poppelwell, in his report on the Company’s claim, says the material is exceptionally suitable for dredging, and consists of medium gravel wash. There are few, if any, boulders to interfere with the continuous running of the dredge.