SALTWATER AND NEW RIVER DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 455, 12 December 1868, Page 2

SALTWATER AND NEW RIVER DISTRICT.

(EROM OUR OWK CORRESPONDENT.) Rutheeglen, Dec. 30. The crushing machines which, were erected some months since on the Fenian Black Sand Lead have not proved so successful as could be- desired, in fact, with the exception, of crushing the tailings and some sand free from stones they may be said to have proved a failure. This is much to be regretted vas the men not only have lost some considerable time, but have also been put to great expense. Great hopes were at one lime entertained that these machines would be the means of finding profitable employment for these enterprising men for a long period, but the mistake that was then made waa through their being erected for* the purpose of- being worked by horsepower instead of steam 07 water. Messrs Meagher, Fox and Co were the first party who discovered that the great expanse of keeping two horses, and the difficulty of crushing a sufficient quantity of sand free from stones would not pay. Although they had spent months, in getting into working order, they at once abandoned the horse power and devoted their energies to overcome the difficulty by removing their plant to a site where they could command water power ; this, they at last succeeded in doing, after again spending so]B9 months' labor, and I am happy in reing üble to state that they are nov in full working order, with every probabilily of being well rewarded for their labor fox many years to come. " ; Messrs Morrisey and Co are still work ) ing their ground, and are getting some sand free from stones which ifl paying them. This party has also been to a verygreat expense, and in addition had the misfortune to lose a most valuable horse some three months since. It is to be hoped that the portion of this company who are still working the ground may meet with a patch to mitigate the heavy losses that they have already suffered. The Sunburst Co have succumbed to difficulties they could not overcome. At first their horse machine paid them handsomely, but as they viltimately met with stones they found their reward sensibly to decrease, and that, combined with the expense of keeping a horse, induced them to desist from work without an equivalent reward. The Enterprise Co, the first to undertake the erection of these machines, has long since ceased to exist. They met with good payable sand for about six months, and then finding it to become too stoney they abandoned their claim. Such are the results from the labors of these enterprising men, who have tried with horsepower to develope the resources of the Black Sand Lead. It now remains an open question if the same amount of labor and money had been •rpended in

erecting a water wheel at first, or a small steam engine, whether the results would not have been very different. Independent of these machines, the enterprise •nd perseverance which Messrs Pullen Bros, have shown deserve commendation. They not only spent months in collecting all the available tailings together on the lead, but worked night and day to crush them with a Berdan. This slow way of work however they abandoned some three months since. Having purchased the Enterprise crushing machine, and laid down a tramway about three hundred yards in length, they are now able to prosecute their labor with much more satisfactory results.