GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1330, 2 November 1872, Page 2

GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

[from our own correspondent.]

THE RUSH AT FRENCHMAN'S CREEK.

The rush at Frenchman's Creek, HalfOunce, appears tq be making steady progress. There are about half a dozen claims, the owners of which expect to be on gold during the week, besides those' already on the lead. The place would seem to be in .great favor, judging from the number of frontage tunnelling claims, head and tail-races applied for. The Warden's Court was engaged at the last sitting for sqine time disposing of these applications, which were' made witlj a persistency betokening the great interest taken in the success or refusal of them. It would be premature to express a decided opinion yet of the value of this discovery. It is easy enough to cause a rush, especially in these dull times, but it is a more difficult matter to justify the overcrowding of a place with men who cannot at once find profitable employment, or a reasonable prospect of immediately fiuding remunerative occupation. The known character of the prospectors as reliable and trustworthy men, and the knowledge that they had an eye to this place for a long time, and intended to prospect it as soon as they were disengaged elsewhere, has had a good deal to do with investing this rush with the importance it possesses. It is certainly situated in a good locality, but if it does not result more favorably eventually . th^n the wet lead at HalfOunce has 'in general to those who haye been slaving at it for the last twoye'arV it would scarcely be wise to go to much trouble over it. The time has not yet arrived when the deep wet leads of the Grey Valley will pay for working. , Goldmining is not yet reduced to a sufficiently settled and well-regulated system, especially alluvial mining, to render possible. Deep and wet ground can pay as ij; does in other countries. The expenses of work-, irig are too great, the difficulties thrown in the way of obtaining even reasonably large areas of ground are too numerous, and above all the laws relating to goldmining generally are ao illiberal and prohibitive in their nature and operation, that not any description of working, excepting the merest surface scratching, can be made remunerative! x £h'e want of capital, and the almost total absence of any inducement for its safe investment, is fc}t jqs.t -as" badly in alluvial as in quartz-mining, and " until somp pjan is devised of combining labor with capital on equitable terms, mines arid, miners will continue to languish arid linger away to the '< shadowy end." THE TEVIOT RANGES. There is a stir again in the Teviot Ranges, Two shafts wore bottomed last week to the north-west of Fraser and party, the prospectors' claim, each with a good prospect. Gracey and party bottomed one cf these on the Brandy Jack's fall of the range, and the gold is shaping as if for the extensive and valuable patch formerly wrought in the basin near the site of the old township at Brandy Jack's. The other shaft is between Gracey's and Eraser's claims. Tho Banking .ij about

twenty feet, with eighteen inches of washdirt. This part of the district is forging ahead gradually but steadily. It is a good sign to see old workings extending into entirely new ground, and the general opinion among the miners is, that a fairly remunerative lead will eventually be traced in the fine looking country between the old working at the Teviot Creek and the comparatively rich ground worked at Brandy Jack's.

PROSPECTING COMPANIES.

The plucky attempt to trace the Inangahua quartz reefs into the Little Grey district met with a temporary check a week or two ago, but operations are resumed with renewed vigor. Rumora were afloat that Anderson's prospecting party at the Big River had come to grief in a most undignified manner, but it seems these damaging reports were not only groundless, but they savored strongly of the wilfully malicious. A meeting of the shareholders was held at M'lnroe's hotel, at the Little Grey Junction, on Monday, 28th instant; The following report has been transmitted by a correspondent who was present — "Tho meeting was called for the consideration of general business, and for the purpose of appointing a working manager and secretary. Mr James M'lnroe was in the chair, and there were present Messrs Jas. O'Maliey,D. Knight, Jas. Ferguson, Charles Mori, L. Frixioni, Jas. Andersen ; and by proxy, Perotti, Coates, Dodsworth, Henderson, Mace, and Barman. The attention of the meeting was directed to the injurious reports which ha.d.b,e.en circulated with reference to the working of the claim. It appeared the previous and future manager, Mr James Anderson, had reason to discharge two men from the workings, but he was unable to pay them their wages until the calls due were paid up. : Mr Anderson explained why he discharged the men, and also the object of his visit to the Lyell. The explanation, which referred entirely to the private affairs of the compary, was so satisfactory that a vote, confirming the action of Mr Anderson , and expressing future confidence in him, was proposed and unanimously carried. Mr Anderson then made a statement respecting the work now in progress at the leasehold. The tunnel is in 103 ft, and the driving is getting softer. He hoped to strike the centre line within five weeks at furthest. It Wag: decided that Mr Daniel Knight,. Mr M'lnroe's manager, be appointed Honorary Sepretary, with authority to receive all future calls and to act generally oh behalf of the company." •I* will be seen by the above how nearly a spirited enterprise can be damned by the spreading of ex parte slanderous assertions. Because the working manager of a company sees fit to dispense with the services of any of the workmen under his control, and he ought to be the best judge of the fitness of his men, especially as he is responsible to the conipany for the proper execution of the work, the version of the affair, as given by the men so discharged, is listened to and believed because they are "the working men," while the unfortunate manager is hounded down as an atrocious villain who has been guilty of the outrageous barbarity of robbing a poor man of his : beer,. &c. The manager in this instance made the mistake of not being prepared, when he deemed it necessary to discharge these men, to settle with them at once, and let them go about their business.

• Another company is in course of formation^to take, up the ground adjoining Anderson and Company's leasehold. ■ Another party, of which R. L. Sheil, the prospector of Shell's reef, Murray Cree£, is one, are prospecting about three milps to the north of Anderson's claim,. Shell's, party, are working in. the vicinity of the place where John Black found rich specimens about two years ago. It will be almost a mercy of Providence if some of these explorers find anything really of value, for we are badly in want of something to liven us up. The very welcome rain which has fallen for the last day or two will be a blessing to miners in supplying them with the washing water so much needed. Water is constantly wanted now, and the time is approaching when it, will be impossible tp yet any gold without the free use and assistance of the liquid element.