HALF-OUNCE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 742, 20 October 1870, Page 2

HALF-OUNCE.

This place is becoming of more importance every day, but although it is likely to continue to be the centre of attraction for a long time to come, there will be nothing further known about the actual progress of this lead for the next few weeks. The party at work furthest down the creek is an amalgamated company of thirteen men, — three parties of four men j each and a hatter, who have commenced to take a tunnel into the right-hand bank ' of the creek, below Hafford and paity's claim. They expect to reach the lead in i about 1300 feet (but of course that is a mere guess). From the way the party are setting in to work it would appear I they have great confidence in the undertaking. The claim above this new company's is owned by Samuel Hafford and party, and it is at present the last golden claim on the lead. This party has baen troubled with water more than any one on the lead. When the gutter was first struck in this claim, in a drive about 75ft long, taken in from a shaft which was sunk on the reef, the rush of water was so great, that the face of the drive was driven back for nearly three sets of timber. From the rubbish rushed into the tunnel,consisting of mullock, headings, boulders and s'udge, a prospect was obtained, sufficiently good to induce the company to erect a water-wheal and pumping machinery. The party intend to work two lift-pnmp3 ; Jthis description of pump is now generally used. The elevator-pumps at present at work on the lead perform their work satisfactorily, as far as raising the required quantity of water is concerned, but it is said they want too much looking after, and are too easily put out of order for practical purposes. On the other hand, the common lift-pump, when the height of water has to be raised is under 33ft, is not only simpler and cheaper of construction, but it is not so likely to become disranged, and when out of repair it is more easily put to rights. The Californian pump is simpler, cheaper, and moi-e efficient, than either the lift or elevator pump, but the principle of its construction renders its use impracticable in an ordinary sized shaft. In the sinking of paddocks, when there is sufficient room to place the pump in a horizontal position, or at not too high an angle of elevation, the use of the Califcrnian pump is the best and simplest means of draining wet ground ; always excepting the syphon, which is by far the most efficient, when circumstances will permit its use 1 . A lift pump with all the latest improvements, may be seen at William Brisband and party's claim at the upper end of the lend. Hafford and party's claim is situated at the junction of Frenchman's Creek with

the main branch of Half-Ounce Creek. A good deal ol interest is being taken in the pro*res3 of thiscotnpmy's work, because it being the last claim on gold on the lead, the direction the gutter takes' iv it will be a guide to parties seeking for it lower down. Braithwaite and party, the next wheel claim above Hafford's, have their machinery fiuished and in position. Wildridge and Sheehan's party also have their wheel erected and at work. The lead was struck in this claim some time ago, but the party were driven out by the water as soon as they touched the deep ground. A lift pump is attached to the water-wheel, which is one of the best built ones on the lead. Dunn and O'Hara's company (amalgamated) have the next wheel, also fitted with a lift-pump. This parky are said to be on the gold, but after making every inquiry from the shareholders and others, I have been unable to find out what prospect they obtained. The bump of "over-cautiousness" is developed to an extraordinary degree in the craniums of some of the members of this party — " let them rip. 11 William Paler and Co. have the next water-wheel. They are also using lift-pumps. Magrath and Giuty's party have driven into deeper ground than they at first supposed existed in their claim. They bottomed a shaft some time ago and met payable ground in driving from it, but it is now thought they merely came across a patch on the eastern reef, and that the gold they are now on is the real gutter. This party has had extraordinary difficulties to contend with. They were the first to prove that the lead was continuo is, and the plucky manner in which they stuck to their work while sinking thefirst ah vft the/ bottome fl , j was universally admired. When the deep ground was driven into in this claim the rush of water was so great that the party was compelled to knock off work, although from a careful calculation which has been made it has been found that their machinery — elevating pumps, — raises 150,000 gallons of water during the twenty-four hours. It is feared the party will have to shift the water-wheel when it becomes necessary to work the deep ground, but they have a good scope of auriferous dirt to take out before they interfere with the deepest part of the claim. Cahill and party, in the claim above Ginty's, have driven into the second gutter, with good prospects. Two shares have been sold in this claim at good prices. Rankin, Cosgrave and Co., in the whim claim, have just finished their first washing. They obtained nearly 300 ounces of gold, but it must be remembered it was the result of nearly nine months' work. The expenses on the claim alone came to about L2OO, principally for blacksmiths' and caipenters' work and for tools, with out reckoning anything for the personal expeuses of the party. There was a good deal of rubbish in the paddock, which is always the case with a first washing, and basides, the party were diiving off the lead at one time for two weeks, so that some of the dirt must have been xery rich. The washeirt taken out of the lead in this claim will average two ounces to the load, with an average of three feet in depth. Ask and Brandt and Swansen and Co. have also had fair washings. The former party have taken in a tunnel through the intervening claims to their ground, consequently they are liitely to be in hot water for some time. The owners of the claims they have driven through naturally want to work their ground, and they consider Ask's tunnel is an impediment, because if they undermine it or damage it, they will have to pay compensation, and on the other hand if they are not allowed to work the ground in their claims in the neighborhood of $he tunnel, they complain that they will be put to great inconvenience. One of the parties to this dispute is under the impression that he has discovered a bye-law in the regulations to suit his case to a dot, and he intends to astonish the Warden and the country if ever the dispute finds its way into the Court. It is to be hoped, for the sake of peace and quietness, that it won't. William Nygren and party, at the upper end of the lead, have driven into the gold, but they have been retarded by the foulness of the air under ground. The water-, wheel on the claim was erected by Nygren and Anderson, and by Brislane and parly conjointly. The latter party have sunk a shaft for air on their claim, and bottomed it about 30ft. Both parties are expected to have a washing shortly. Noble's party, who are next above, are also on gold. This claim had been worked for some time and abandoned by its former occupiers. A tunnel had been taken in a long distance, and when Noble's party took possession of the claim, while fossicking about in it, they got a payable prospect at the further end of the drive. The ground was dipping, and they had to take in a new tunnel to get sufficient fall to drain the water. The trucks are hauled out of the drive with a capstan and rope attached. They are now on payable gold. Fr.uiley and party are working are working in the bed of the creek above Noble's claim, and they are the only other party in this branch who are doing anything worth noticing. During the last winter a large rush took place to the upper end of this creek, but the workings were only of value in patches. From the appearance of the ground as it has been worked, it seems to be the head of the present lead, just before it became properly defined. The upper part of this creek appears to be much neglected by prospectors. Remunerative ground has been worked on the Saddle, between Topsy's and Halfounce, and there i 3 every reason to sup- 1 pose that gold will yet be traced from one place to the other. The lead may now be considered satisfactorily proved. There are fifteen amalgamated claims on gold, representing (with the ground held by hatters) sixty-two ordinary claims. Its further development at the lower end has now become merely a question of time and money, and as several good patches have been found at the upper part of the main creek it may be reasonably supposed others will be discovered. The workings at the Canadian rush, which took place about twelve months ago, are situated about a mile further up the main creek from the township. Frank Rooney and party took a tunnel into a terrace at this place for a distance of nearly twelve hundred feet. They had the ground protected while they were prospecting further down the creek, and in consequence of the neglect of some of the party the registration was not renewed, and the protection lapsed. The ground was jumped, and when the case came before the Court, the Warden seeing that the party had gone to great expense in testing the claim, made an order that Rooney and Co. should put the requisite

number of men on to properly represent the ground they held under their lease, and fined them for neglecting their business in not properly attending to the registrations. This decision, which inflicted a monetary penalty instead of a forfeiture, gave general satisfaction, because it was well known that Rooney's party had prospected the claim until circumstances compelled them to leave it, but at the same time it only served them right if they were mulcted in heavy costs in establishing their case, when they did not think fit to comply with the regulations. The rules are plain enough, and if people will attempt to override or ignore them they mus^ take the consequences. This part of the creek is likely to turn out well, and from the spirited manner iv which Rooney and party are proceeding with their work it will now stand a good chance of getting a fair trial. The towaship is still getting larger, and from all appearances it will soon throw Napoleon into the shade. There has been a considerable amount of bad feeling caused locally about the existence of a slaughteryard almost in the middle of the main street. There are two sides to the question. The butcher who owns this slaughteryard was in Half-ounce before the parties who are now so loud in their complaints against him came there. The Warden, when he visited the place, some months ago, and seeing the unsuitable position of the present township, caused another site to be laid off, but the parties who were then about to build did not choose to avail themselves of the benefits of the situation. The easiest solution of the difficulty would be to let the people who are so annoyed by the close proximity of the "abattoir," subscribe a few shillings each and erect a new yard for the butcher in another position ; if they don't choose to do so, and if the smell still continues "to come between the wind and their nobility " let them put up with it.