THE NEW REEFS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1921, Page 1

THE NEW REEFS

A PROMISING PROPOSITION

(Grey Star Report)

One rather extraordinary feature of

ilie discovery of the reefing field at the Alexander River is the comparative slowness of the public interested in mining in New Zealand, to realise the great importance of the new find. Time was when such a discovery would have created a tremendous amount of excitement in Reefton, which is the quartz

niiiing centre of the West Coast

Broadway would have been a busy hive of sharebrokers and ere new companies would have been floated and registered,

and not a few “wild cats” would have been let loose on an unsuspecting public which was as keen to have a “flutter” in a mining venture, as the younger generation are to have a “flulter” on a horse race. Calmness has been the predominant feature accompanying the new discovery, but despite the near approach of the unfavourable season of winter, there are now abundant signs of an ever-increasing interest on the part of those nearby as well as people in distant parts of New Zealand. The belief is rapidly spreading that the

Alexander River discovery is no ordinary one, but that it is a find which is destined to be of great and permanent value. Certainly it is not that type of mining find with which familiarity breeds contempt—as all who have seen the reef will bear witness.

THE DISCOVERIES OF THE REEF. It is strange that the two discoverers of the reef should lie veteran prospectors, as Mr J. bluntly is, and a young, strong fellow just starting out on life, as is the case with bis young mate, Air L. .M('Vicar. They are very modest and unassuming about the whole business, and as is usual in such cases, their attitude is quite unlike what the outsider would imagine it to bo.

HOW THE REEF WAS DISCOVERED

The new reef is called tlie “Bull” Reef, and is named sifter tile fine strong cattle dog "Bull” who came out to meet us on our arrival at the camp. Mr McVicar was hunting cattle one day in at the foot of lhe ridge where the reef was discovered, and “Bull” bad a few animals bailed up against the bank. When his owner went in after the dog. he picked up a quartz specimen containing gold, and it was from this beginning that the reef was eventually traced to its position on the ridge hundreds of feet above. The creek where the specimen was picked up is now called Bull Creek and the new discovery, the Bull Reef. The discovery was actually made away back in January of this year (about the tenth of the month, 1 believe), but the prospectors did not make the discovery public until they were satisfied with the value of it, and had made themselves secure as to the ground round a I tout the reef itself. WE VISIT THE REEK. About three minutes’ walk from the but up the Alexander, the track turns olf into the ridge, up which wo climbed, after permission bad been kindly granted to take whatever specimens we could find at the reef. The ridge is very steep, but the ground is clean and dry as the slope on which the reef is faces into the sun. We reached the reef after a climb of an hour and a half, and the quartz lying about left no doubt as to our having reached the right spot. The reef is a strong looking body of beautiful quartz, about, eight feet wide, at the widest and exposed at various' points for a distance, of three chains along its length. The nature of the quartz is such that it will make excellent milling stone, and the gold is of such a nature, being free front as-' sociation with refractory substances, that the saving of the precious metal will be a very simple matter. The quality of the stone as it lies exposed is beyond dispute, as we were able to pick up several excellent specimens in a comparatively short time, and that there is good gold in the stone where it is ©ot visible, has been proved by i’ prospects obtained by crushing it. It would be idle to guess at bow much it will average to the ton, but one is quite safe in stating that, no reef has hitherto been discovered on the West Coast, I which gave the promise that the newly discovered reef on the Alexander certainly does give. The country rock in which tin 1 reef lies is kindly and of a nature which gives the impression that [ho reef will live down. As the reef is 1700 feet above the river level, a tunnel will give years and years of work without any sinking being necessary. There is abundant water close at hand and a splendid forest of timber suitable for mining purposes, two very great assets for any mining proposition. Reefs have been discovered some considerable distance away from the Bull Reef, but of these very little is yet known. NEW AREAS. Prospecting areas have been pegged out in large numbers, particularly coming north towards the Inangahua, and there are now probably close on three thousand acres taken up. Parties have been out pegging in all directions, and rumour has it that there will be some nice points for the Warden tg, settle, and incidentally, some pickings for the legal fraternity, in arguing the pros and cons of priority of pegging, insufficient compliance with the pegging regulations, and all those little details which go to make life worth living for our costs merchants.