A MINING ENTERPRISE.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1918, Page 4

A MINING ENTERPRISE.

DREDGING AT HUMPHREYS,

The Westland Gold Prospecting Syndicate Ltd which is operating on the West Coast, on a considerable scale, has two laige arid important mining ventures in hand in Westland. One is an alluvial proposition adjacent to Lake Kanieri, and the other a dredging proposition at Humphreys Gully. Recently Mr D. Ziman, the managing director of this important joint-ven-ture, had an extensive system of prospecting by boring carried out at Humphreys, and as a result certain freehold land was acquired, while in addition, some tracts of Crown lands were taken up for the purpose of carrying on dredging on a large scale. The prospecting was done with the Keystone borers, Government machines, under the management of Mr G. hi. D. Seale, ollicer in charge, and covered a wide stretch of territory. The boring results appear to have been so satisfactory that Mr Ziman set about with very little delay to acquire a dredging plant capable of operating the ground. He was fortunate in securing a good plant—one of the best dredges in New Zealand in fact—and fortunate, likewise, in securing Mr R. 0. Speed, formerly of the Success Dredge, as the dredgemaster for the Company. It has been decided to si art dredging on a freehold area at Humphreys Gaily, close to the road terminus, and then working down the valley cross the road to the river side, and working up Ihe valley to the starting point. Later, the river bed area and other land acquired down stream, will be worked It is proposed, also, to dredge the Arahura riverbed from Mai troy's bridge upstream to the present holdings, but this will bo a task for another dredge at a later period, perhaps not earlier (ban two veais’ time. The dredge now being put together at the site for immediate operations, will be alargeand powerful one. The pontoon built of kauri and hardwood, is 100 feet long 02 feet beam and 7 feet deep. It will carry a boiler of fifty-dive horse power, and an engine of sixteen horse power, with pumps, fourteen horse power. The ladder will be 72 feet long, and will he capable of dredging vo a depth of Mb feet. There are forty largo buckets of considerable strength and capacity. The machinery is powerful throughout, and there is double driven steam gear. The whole dredge will be well formed in every way, and equipped to undertake the work it will be called upon t:> perform. A very complete repair plant is at hand for immediate call, the mechanical side of the venture being well prepared for. The Company will set in on the claim known as tire Chambers Enterprise, and later when the road is crossed, enter the Williams Enterprise. A large excavation was made to receive the pontoons now successfully launched. The dredge is. to start at the head of a white pine swamp, and the excavation disclosed a considerable congestion of white pine roots. These were sluiced out in the making of tl a excavation, and thou hauled out of harm’s way by a powerful hauler. Below where the dredge begins to operate, is a belt of white pine timber, which is going to prove an asset to the Company. A mill is being erected, and the whole of the belt of timber will be milled and exported, and at the present-rates this enterprise should he a profitable adjunct in place of paying anything up to £.IOO an acre to have the timber cleared for dredging. The clearing will be done for the mill which will have a capacity of S,OOO feet a day, and the logs being bandy and facilities for handling roomy, the area should be cleared quickly, at a good profit rather than nt a heavy cost to the venture.

An effort is to be made to have the dredge ready for working about Christmas, The whole of the plant for equipment is on the site, adjacent and handy for placing in position. The assembling of the parts will proceed quickly, and with fair weather it should be possible to have the plant ready for active operations by tbe end of the year. The prospecting results in the bores, were, it can be well understood from the nature of the enterprise undertaken, of a very encouraging nature. They covered a wide range of country and were so plotted as to give a test of the length and breadth of the area to be worked. The dredge it is fully expected, will be qnite equal to tlie task ahead of it, so that the mining enterprise is one of very great promise.

Mi* Ziman’s enterprise in Westland mining ventures dates back some years. It is not the first occasion that he lias been interested in important ventures in the Humphrey’s Gully district, On a former occasion he -was instrumental in floating a huge company for alluvial working in that locality, and the concern flourished for many years. The present enterprise is a very promising one, and is being inaugurated with excellent prospects,. Notwithstanding that this is war time, and dredging plant is necessarily very costly, Mr Ziman and his co-directors have been fortunate in securing a very serviceable plant at a most reasonable cost. The venture is not overloaded with a large capital outlay, and the fact that the standing timber on the area is to he cut at a profit to the company, is another pleasing feature of the venture, indicating that the possibilities were well thought out before launching the proposal. An interesting proposition is involved in this dredging scheme which will be watchfd with interest. It is intended after the dredge lias passed over the ground, to replace the soil on top of the failing debris, and so render the area useful for pastoral pursuits. Hitherto, it, has been 1 He custom to pile the tailings np in stoney heaps, rendering the ground of very little use subsequently, and giving the field a rather unsightly appearance. In Otago and elsewhere the ground is not. hopelessly destroyed in this way for future use. Instead, by a mechanical contrivance, the soil is first removed before the alluvial drifts are treated for gold, and subsequently, the soil is replaced on the tailing debris behind the dredge. The

work is done very, satisfactorily, and with excellent results, as can be well understood by the nature of the substrata deposited below the earth. The requisite plant for similar treatment at Humphrey’s will ho installed, and what are now largely swamp lands, will be converted by the process of dredging into grass lands which should be highly suitable for pastoral purposes, a useful asset indeed so adjacent as-it is to the Aiahura Dairy Factory. The works at Humphreys, dredging aud milling, will employ considerable labor, upwards of fully fifty men. The enterprise will have a reviving effect on the country district, which evidently has prospering mining days of it. One of the difficulties just now is the scarcity of labor, and this may hamper the progress of the works for the time being. Milling operations are to start as soon as possible, and good progress is now being made with the erection of the sawmill. As mentioned above, it is hoped to have the dredge in working order by the New Year, aud with fair weather, Mr Speed’s well directed energies should accomplish this. It remains only, to wish the Syndicate success with their important enterprise. Their success will reflect itself on the district by the new industry created, and the fresh avenue for employment opened up. The whole mining scheme for the Arahura Valley by this Syndicate is a very extensive ono aud the promising success realised and maintained will assist generally in the prospering advancement of Westland.