SOUTH BEACH.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1261, 14 August 1872, Page 2

SOUTH BEACH.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) August 14. All hopes of payable gold being found to any extent between the Old Whim Claim on the Lagoon Lead, und that of Dreykluft and Co., may now be set at rest. A large amount of capital, labor, and time has been expended in thoroughly prospecting it, and no doubt now remains of it ever realising the high expectations that were once entertained. It is most singular that whilst the Whim Claim was one of the best on the old lead, there Bhould be about half-a-mile of duffer ground, and then payable for some little distance. The prospects that were found when Dreykluft and Co. and the Perseverance Company first opened their claims gave every encouragement to the hope that payable gold existed in a northerly direction towards the old workings. The Perseverance, who had- reserved three men's ground to the north of Dreykluft and Co, were so satisfied with the prospects that they immediately commenced taking in a branch tunnel from their old one, and all the remaining portion of the ground was also at .once taken up by three other parties who amalgamated and took in a main tunnel, and afterwards branches to their separate claims. Some of the parties built nice comfortable cottages expecting that the goddess of Fortune would, at least,|favor them with two or three years of constant employment, but she willed otherwise, and the men have now been compelled to seek pastures new. Dreykluft and Company are still working their claim profitably, and the same may be said af the Perseverance and the others to the south. The Perseverance have had considerable drawbacks to contend with in the shape of slips, but they have now great hopes of the ground paying them welL

For nearly two years a great undertaking has been in hand by Englert and Co. in making preparations to groundsluice the northern portion of the Old Lagoon Lead. They have had to bring up a tail-race from the Lagoon and fetch water from the Deep Creek. This was accomplished some time back, and they have taken out a few paddocks on a face, but as they imagine that it will pay better to drive the ground, they have now adopted that plan instead of taking it on a face. This party, which only consists of five men, well deserve success, for they have manfully combatted with great difficulties. There is no doubt that the whole of this lead will be ultimately sluiced, and what with pillars, blocks, headings, aiuTsides, that it will pay for working on a large scale, and some of the larger races that are now on the South Beach will doubtless be brought to it as ground to be worked there becomes scarce.