MINING NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1072, 4 January 1872, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

• GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS. [fsom our own correspondent.] Ahaitra, Jan. 3. The holidays are now over, and work is being generally resumed on most of the old diggings, but.up to this no new ground of any great extent has has been spoken of as likely to be opened. This is not usually the case, for in former years, after the Christmas and -New Year holidays, new rushes generally ftok place. Numbers of miners are wending -their, way upwards from this, mostly in the direction of the Little Grey and Inangalma districts. The population of the Little Grey is likely to be materially increased in consequence of ' its close proximity to the Murray Creek reefs, and from the nature of the workings being chiefly tunnelling and shallow creek ; and terrace stripping, the plan of furnishing prospecting parties for quartz reefs is likely to be extensively adopted. It ; was by means of this system of co-operation that the Inangahna reefs were first developed, although a good deal has been said about the place owing its existence to the introduction of foreign capital from Hokitika and elsewhere. The prospectors on spvpral pf t)\e principal lines of reefs were enabled to continue work in their claims by co-shareholders who were work^ in« the old alluvial ground at Redman, Bourke'p, Soldier's, Flower's, Boatman's, and other of the previously worked creeks on the Inangahua and* Little Grey. This mode of working has one great advantage over any other, and this is, that although the party may have to put up" with hardships for a time, or, as it is expressively put, " do a perish," if the portion of the company who are out looking for quartz or new ground do strike anything, they get a fair start; because there are no old ' scores or "dead horses" to work up. There are. very -few of the original prospectors of Murray Creek now holding interests of value there, and the j reason, in a great many instances, is because they were overtaken by and had tp succumb to old debts and liabilities. The' Little Grey: diggings offer great, i nducements : an d facilities for carrying out. this idea, '.of mining co-operation. The ground is not spoken of as beingrich\ and the cream of it has been taken away, although instances of astonishing success now andthen come tp light. One party of miners from the upper diggings lot the cat out of the bag on the racecourse -last week. : They offered to back Economy, he being an. old resident among them, to any amount, and as they were unable to get anyone to take their mon^y, they ofi^red to give another clay's racing at their, own expense. This being also declined, they contemptuously remarked that their wasn't enough money left in the Ahaura to bny the "bit of gold" they brought down, and yet there are a few halfpence left at Ahaura, poor, as it is.' Provisions are getting much cheaper on the Little Grey mines, owing to the large amount of farm produce now grown there, and the countiy is getting comparatively well opened. In. a district where the. workings ape so widely scattered, it would be useless recommending new comers to a particular locality, but the Blackwater, Maori Gully, and Adam town workings are now mostly in favor. It is likely that a race which is now being made at Moonlight, Creek will immediately open up a limited extent of new ground, and may be the means of opening more, when the water is available for prospecting. An attempt will again shortly be made to destroy the monopoly of those who practically keep the reefs at Moonlight locked. up. It is time. this was looked to by the authorities, for it is monstrous that such a large area of auriferous ground should be allowed to remain unproductive to suit the interests of parties who may live in the moon or in- Christchurch, as far as the general publia know. The machinery is lying there rotting away, and at least part of the leased ground is admittedly auriferous. There is evidently some gold in the stone, and reasoning on the probability of future like results from previously demonstrated 1 actual facts, there must be an auriferous quartz reef, and an exceedingly rich one, ot the head waters of Moonlight Creek, and it is not at all likely that the matrix of the gold found there is confined to one quartz lode. Then why not give the' place an opportunity of retrieving itj lost good name 1 There are plenty Barkises "willin" to give it a trial again if they get the chance. The merry .Christmas time, was eele T brated at Ahaura and. the surrounding mining towna in the. time-honored 'festive t manner. There were athletic sports at Half-Ounce, Nelson Creek, No Town, and

at Mackley's .station pfltH-he Brown Giey, there was a ! lai*ge gathering from Noble's,; Ndpole6ri,.and Duffer Creeks.; The sports/ at ■Waipuna^cpnsisted pf horse racing, fobt racing, jumping, and yvjrestling^as-well^as •the. usual other" games';' There was no lipubjic notice given of the intention of holding the Waipuna sports, but the services of the press as, a spreader of news were never much appreciated in that locality. , The Irish wrestling and flat jumping were especially good at Half -Ounce. . Thos... Carton took the rest of the competitors "iv a face" at thefornVer, and' walked over their prostrate bodies, for the first prize. Thos. Rolleston cleared 10ft llin in the standing flat leap, beating Morgan . Bourko, one of the principal prizemen last year, by 2iri. The greasy pole abomination was- there as nasty and filthy as ever, but there was no one nautically enough qualified to " shin" his slippery trail to the prize on the top of it. • Of the races at the Ahaura, the less there is said the better. Their failure has been attributed to several oauses, such as the short notice given, and the unseasonable time of the year at which they were held ;■ but the want of sufficient funds was not one of the reasons for their non-success, for according to tlio Secretary's balance-sheet all. liabilities have been fully and promptly met, including an account due from the last year's meeting, and there is a handsome balance left for, it is to be hoped, tlie ( Grey River Hospital. This is satisfactory, but the question arises — what.vvill become 'of the unfortunate "crocks" who have been so unmercifully put through tlie process of training 1 The owners of sorrie of these poor animals, if they think of running them again^ should remember what the new American philosopher, Bret Harte, says on a similar subject : — " Horses is horses, you know, And likewise, too, jockeys is ; jockeys, But t 'ainfc every man as can -ride As kuowswhat a boss has got in him." . The only accident occurring throughout the sports was one at Waipuna, to Mr: Charles Mori, of Noble's. He was riding a spirited horse, and the animal fell and broke his neck, and. severely injured his rider. Mr Mori is now out of danger, although at one time it was doubtful if. he would recover. It is to be hoped that during the festivities the Hospital has not been forgotten. A very beautiful working model of ; a highpressure steanirengine was on view here, but- it is -now at Greymouthj It is to be disposed of ' for the part benefit^of the Grey River Hospital. It is constructed entirely of wocd, and is complete in eveiy detail, Its dimensions are 12in by Gin,and"enclosed in a glass case, the/screws of which are the only; iron iised ; in the work. The motive power is supplied by an inge-. niously contrived Chinese fan, and it is the work of Mr William' Scott, & miner at Moonlight Creek, who made it during his leisure time within nine months., , Tickets may be had of the secretary, or members of the Grey River Hospital Committee, or any of the up-country sub-secretaries.