THE WAIHO GOLD FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1320, 22 October 1872, Page 2

THE WAIHO GOLD FIELDS.

For some years past, says the "Timaru Herald," the upper valleys of the Waiho river have been known by the above title, but known so rather in irony than because any decent find of the precious metal gave them a right to, bev-Bo^desigpatedr^ That gold exists up. the, Waiho, and through the inariy tributary creeks Which run into the main stream, is beyond question,- as -every so ranrer seaidn^Tw" witnessed its discovery by parties of men fossicking in . that locality. But though . gold was found in numerous places, yet it has never been in su|scienil.qHantities to be payable to the to our hand now, though, seems t<f indicate that . there is every probability of thiS;Waiho> r country turning out eventually a veri?| table • gold diggings. . For nearly. two,~« years, past, two men (one a ; thorpnghlyapractical - digger . of some, seventeen or twenty years' experience) have been steadily at work on a certain creek which falls into the Waiho. These men at first we believe simply "spotted" the country' in hopes of dropping on' something worth; taking, but during the last few months" have adopted a systematised plan, and selecting a likely- looking plac^ I'toaye^ bottomed, to rock, >nd;; are .now" 1 steadily following the • rock in,' : in hopes of striking the : 'reef j r 'tTie' B mother .of. that . gold " which is fouled in riibre' or less quantity, th^roughpnt^t^ workings. The labor of these two roen ? has not been slight. . In the first place,', the creek had to be turned and ; a, new channel dug, and then in, the bed of the; original :6reek;i a huge, trench has been' [taken out of some 6ft in width land* Uftf in depth, and extending in length from three to four chains. 'From Hhe VJ firs# bottotning of r the rock rail; through these four chains, gold has, been picked up of a rough honey-combed kind, and mixed; as it is, with quartz, shows conclusively-that,^ it has not travelled far Irom a quartz reef.; The men, we hear, are sanguine tbat;this reef is not far off the head of itheir,drive, and express themselves satisfied. with the, work heretofore done, and r loot! forward with assured hope that when the reef is strnct it will be found 4 *f thickly- tfeppered.";'; We hope that their anticipations will turn out correct, for if so, ; we may be assured that soon after discovery, there will be a .regular? gold mining industry established where fiiow the sheep and the wandering shepherd only have • their. being.,' •. . ; :■'■.,.' v^'^.r*?. ..H'l^ti