GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1026, 9 November 1871, Page 2

GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

[from our ow>- correspondent.] No Towir, Nov. 8, In the No Town district, the new rash, or rather the extension and. reoccupation of the abandoned claims at Cockney Terrace is causing a great stir. This terrace is situated on the range above Fisher and Connor's claim, at Irishtown ; it was rushed some months ago, but the first rush to the locality took place about the time Paddy's Gully was iv its glory. There are said to be three distinct runs of auriferous washdirt. on this bench. The first and most easily worked runs along the face of the hill, and the manner of working it may be called surfacing. The second is further into the range, at an average of about 60 feet from the outside ; and the third is about 300 feet.further in still. The terrace when first marked out, was, after a short trial, partly abandoned for awhile, but it gradually leaked out that those who remained were not working the so-called " duffer" ground for the mere love of geological investigation. And especially it was noticed, that several of the parties who continued to occupy their claims were not of the sort who would follow up their scientific researches for any length of time, if there was " nothing hanging" to them. It was remarked that the parties who did not desert Cockney Terrace belonged to the lucky few who are always on gold. At Aberdeen Terrace, at Abe's and Paddy's gullies and other placeß, wherever gold, be it never so-little was getting, they were always on it, or about it, and it was the fact that they held on to this terrace, although it was generally reported they were not getting gold to pay, which caused the present rush. The old ground about the edge of the outside run was first oc- ' cupied, and by degrees the gold inside j was traced. There are some dozens of golden claims now working. Some of them are said to be very rich, and others are barely payable ; but the ground at present opened is considered remunerative throughout. There is likely to be a more extensive area of ground opened. here than is now supposed. This theory of the existence of three distinct runs of gold, or of any other number of distinct and separate runs in such close proximity has never yet been borne out by actual experience. These so-called separate gutters or leads were caused by the actual diverting or splitting of the larger gold-bearing watercourses at the time the auriferous drifts were deposited, and what are called the high banks or reefs between them are only casual " humps " left by chance by the water while it was wearing or eating a channel in the strata on which the channel is now resting. It will be foupd as work progresses that these apparently separate gutters and isolated patches will be traced into each other, and that the best of the washdirt is just as likely to be met with on the top or sides of these dividing ranges as it is in the bottom of the gutters. Such was the case at Try- Again Terrace, Nelson Creek,, where at one time it was thought five or six distinct runs existed, and in like manner people were mistaken i$ HalfOunce Creek and other places, but time has shown the fa}lacy of the idea. TryAgain Terrace is riddled like a sieve or a rabbit burrow, and gold more or less has been and is now being found in every part of it whether shallow or deep, whereas, if the "distinct gutter" theory held good, there could not be any gold on the high or shallow ground, because how could it get there ? Cockney Terrace '

bears an exact resemblance to Try- Again in its formation and general appearance, and it is to be hoped it will leave as good a reputation behind it. From every part of this extensive district good accounts are coming. The Candlelight Lead is progressing very satisfactorily, and the population there is nearly doubled during the last few weeks. A number of the "shepherds" have started to work, and a good many fresh claims atfe take,n up. The lead has been struck in three more claims within the last two weeks, very good, it is said. There is some talk of forming a co-opera-tive company to bring water along the range high enough to command the Candlelight workings. Several business men of the district are willing to join the miners in such an undertaking, but the difficulty is the getting a good enough title for a sufficient quantity of water under the Regulations. As the rules now stand, a company, after going to the expense of bringing in water, and wasting perhaps years in doing so, are at the mercy of any villianons obstructive who would apply to the Warden to enforce clause 8, section X, of the Mining Rules. Truly, these Mining Regulations are grievously retarding the progress of the gold fields, and people are wondering what their Worships the Wardens did when they interviewed each other at Charleston recently. The miners think the Wardens should endeavor by every means to simplify the mmipg law's for their own sake, because by. doing so they would lighten their duties. And the Wardens would do the miners a good turn provided they could do so by reforming or amending the rules, without interfering with the revenue, by lessening or abolishing the fees. There's the rub. Wardens are made after the manner of other men, and other men are scarcely ever sufficiently patriotic to cry " stinking fish," when the payment of the salaries of the aforesaid other men depends on the sale of the odoriferous article of commerce. And thus the matter stands. The salaries or the continuance in office of Wardens depends on the state of the revenues ; the revenues in a great measure (on the gold fields at least) depends on the black' mail of which the mining community is plundered in the shape of fee 3 and licenses, and any appreciable reduction in these fees and licenses will never be effected unless the miners do it themselves. The remedy is in their own hands, but while they, continue to look upbn every fresh burden imposed upon them with indifference, the " agony will be piled" as long as there is any of the commodity left. A meeting was held at Napoleon, during the large rush there, to consider a proposition, made through Mr Mackley, to co-operate with the League in an endeavor to get a Mining Board legalised. The proposition, was accepted, and a committee was appointed, but it never met, therefore the matter dropped, and it is this indifference and neglect of its own interests which leaves the mining community in these parts at the mercy of that " copperhead combination" — the Nelson Government— as at present constituted. ,;/•■■.. Ahaora, Nov. 9. There are rumors, of a probable large rush to the Moonlight district when the fine weather sets in. During last week a terrace over Stewart's Gully was marked out for a distance, but beyond the fact that it 18 situated in a good locality, there is not much thought of it yet. The scene of the expected rush is somewhere between the upper tributaries of Canoe Creek and the head of the middle or main branch of Moonlight. This locality is also well spoken of by old prospectors, some of whom go as far as to predict that the next large alluvial rush is certain to take place in the semi-circular belt of country between the upper waters of the Black Ball, Moonlight, and Canoe Creeks. Water is very scarce in these high lying-terraces, and it was the want of it which prevented a more thorough prospecting of the upper parts of Canoe Creek during the rush to it. The Murray Creek news continue satisfactory as far as regards the reefs, but there are reports of a dispute which is likely to leadftto much litigation, between the owners of the large crushing machine recently imported there, and the owner?" of the claim on which it was intended to erect it. Apart from the merits 6f-the case, this disagreement is unfortunate, because it will throw ,the reefing district behind for another twelve months. The material value of the district as the deposit of remunerative auriferous quartz, in almost unlimited quantities, know proved satisfactorily to those living in, or immediately connected with the place ; but those at a distance, who measure the value of quartz mines by the amount of gold obtained from the crushings, are certain to hold off until an authenticated crushing takes place from some of the leading lines. It is to be hoped and prayed for that the lawyers will not get both parties within their clutches. If they do, the problem of the " non-existence of payable gold in quartz at great depths," or at any depth, will be satisfactory Solved, as far as the litigants ia the case are concerned. The efforts of the Greymouth Hospital Committee are likely to be well supported by the Branch Country Committees, but the Central Committee must not allow tike subject to languish, It is only by keeping such matters continually in the front that any good result is secured in the mining districts. The Grey Committee made a move in the right direction when they appointed mixed committees in the country, for by appointing miners on them, they have directly enlisted the active co-operation of the working men. The hospital building, at Ahaura, is going to destruction for want of a little looking after. Two gentlemen here, who were not on the Hospital Committee, were requested to prepare a balance-sheet, show the receipts and expenditure from the beginning, but they have not yet completed their task. The committee, before they gave the building over. to. the Government, or paid away all their funds, should have published the subscription-lists, with the names of those by whom the money was collected. This would only fee in accordance with universal precedent^ ans ought to have been dope for the informa? don and satisfaction of both subscribers and collectors. When the paid collector resigned his appointment, he specially requested the committee to publish his list and he received a promise that it wbvld be done. : In connection with this subject it may be as well to expose an apt of wanton and atrocious vandalism, which is the mor* inexcusable in ponsequence of the poejtioV of the parties, who $ufhorised the perpetration of it. Within the boundaries of the Ahaura Hospital Reserve, and close to

the building, there stood a beautiful birch tree, the beat specimen of the kind in the district, and specially adapted as a shelter or a shade in case the institution were ever opened, besides being highly ornamental. The people living in the vicinity,; the sawyers, and even the woodmen, "spared this tree," but it has been cut down and carted away to the Police Camp for firewood. "When the prisoner who, took the tree down was questioned by ; whose authority he was acting, and asked to chose another tree— there were hundreds around suitable for his purpose — he said he was told to take down that particular tree, and "he was bound to obey orders if he broke the owners," and besides, "if D s gave him instructions to cut down the hospital itself, he would do so." There is evidently nobody about the Police Camp here who is of opinion that "a thing of beauty is a joy for ever." The next Race Meeting here bids fair to eclipse all former gatherings of the kind. A most enthusiastic meeting on the subject was held last Monday, and it took all the authority and influence of the Chairman to prevent those present from subscribing L2O each on the spot. After much persuasion they agreed to keep their money for the present, and it was decided to form a committee of the whole of the able-bodied men in the Grey Valley, "with power to add to their number." It was also decided that the Committee snonld meet next Monday to fix, the date of the race meeting, and if any dispute on this important subject should arise then, as Mr F. Guinness would say, " the whole lot must be put up and resold." All the Banks are about taking their departure from the Ahaura, and there are some who think they might have gone long ago, as no doubt they would had it suited them. There never was any occasion for the rush of money changers which set in, although everyone admits at least one Bank is much needed and would be a great convenience. There are people about here who thought they " never see another poor day " when the Banks came, but now they have come and gone, and the district in general has not been placed in a state of everlasting prosperity. The crops are now in on nearly all the farms about here, but as the weather has been very unfavorable for out-door work; the harvest will be exceptionally late in consequence. There are heavy stocks, particularly hay and chaft, '.'from last season's crop yet on hand, but the holders of produce need not be alarmed, or be in a great hurry to get rid of it. In February this year, when the census was taken, there was scarcely one ton of the previous season's crops left in the whole of the Upper Grey. In consequence of the late sowing this spring it will be the end of March before the new crops will, be ready, except in a few cases, so that it is not likely there will be much of the old produce left by that time.