GOLD DREDGING.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 12 August 1901, Page 2

GOLD DREDGING.

. 0-0 , The past week marked a distinct period . in gold dredging on the West Coast, and , from this forward we shall have to regard . it as an industry rather. than a mere i vehicle for gambling. The sharebrokers : occupation if not gone, is at all events , very conddevably circumscribed; inflated

prises, rapid rises and falls may come again, but they will be the exception, and not, as in the past, the rule. The Indus- ! try is proving, that properly handled it , will remain and flourish. As the number of working dredges increase, so will tbo faith in the soundness of gold dredging as an industry become firmer. The results too amply warrant this statement. So far we have bad no sensational returns, but a large percentage are highly payable. When last week's returns arc all in the average will not fall much short of 20 ounces per dredge—a yield that gives a good margin of profit. Duller Junction— 2s ounces sdwts for 145 hours is about the average. It is not unlikely that this dredge will be moved to the lower end of the claim, and from there commence to work upwards taking the full width of the river. Grey River—2l ounces lOdwts for 206 hours disappointed the directors, especially as the machine had a few hours work on the bottom. The ladder is now on the bottom, and if dirt does not again thicken and prevent the machine reaching where the gold ought to lie, this week’s return should show an improvement. Pactolus—2l ounces 6dwts for 126 hours is about the smallest return yet recorded from this wonderfully consistent claim. This was caused through the dredge striking a bit of sunken timber which however, is not thought to be of much extent and will not interfere w ; th future returns. 3c:; Leviathan—llozs s£dwts for 115 hours is somewhat disheartening, although a few persons who ought to know the ground J are unshaken in theiciSelief that “theca'sa good time coming” when this dredge will give its 50 to 60 ozs per week. One thing can bo said, the dredge is approaching unworked ground, and if this is es good as the portions already worked the returns should be at least three figures per week. r

Maori Queen—7 ozs 8 dwts for 134 hoars. The smallness of this return is owing to the dredge not being powerful enough to successfully treat the ground, father front the Quality of the wash. Certainly the latter is harder than was expected, but a good dredge would easily tfork it. With the present machine, the Quantity put through must be small. Ford's Creek—l 7 ounces Sdwts for l4i hours ii again encouraging. This machine has been sadly mismanaged, miscalculated or unfortunate —we don t ddite know which —but apparently is going to survive and prosper. Her last stoppage was of an indefinite character. The machine stopped, started, stopped and started again. The dredge is going as well as can bo expected but, like some others, success would have been assured to a more powerful machine. Greenstone Junction —9 ozs for 120 hours is under expectations. A slow but steady Improvement is regarded as certain as the machine proceeds up stream —where she will intersect a rich seam of K^d_ sdwts for 105 hours. This * a now i Q good free wash and is expected to improve considerably. Greenstone Three Mile —28 ozs sdwts for 112 hours fully verifies what we prexiously wrote. This machine is now on a real good run and we expect to see her yield keep up and possibly increase.