Gold in Central Otage

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1923, Page 4

Gold in Central Otage

AN AAJRiTIOCS Lt iIK.MK. DrXKDIX. Jan. Id The success of the big scheme now in hand to recover the gold still em-l.-edded in the rocky boliolti of Kawaia.li River in Central Otago—and the promoters have no doubt whatever that It will be successful—will bring with it a revival of tin- gold dredging industry that promises to rival the boom ol the-early ’sixties when the lure of tlm previous nmtal rJlr.ictcd people from near and far to seek their boTunc. fl tiie hopes of the promoters are fully realised a long step will have been taken towards regaining tiie prestige | which in earlier rears the province ol Otago and the city of Dunedin posses.'gvi among the commercial districts of the Dominion. The dredging industry in Otago, which was at its height within the memory of hundreds still living, sanlc rapidly and lor many years him ||,.-.p ;;i a low ebb. The days when r!;e population of Dunedin increased l,v leaps and bounds and when big ro'.nrus irom the goldfields raised excitement to fever heat were thought to have gone for ever, bid there is a prospect, if tlm workings of the scheme now unfolded are siu-cesslul. filial a big revival of the industry will soon lake plan- and that the saying that "histurv repeats itself will be proved to be true. The scheme provides ill short lor the dimming of the Kawaroa River right M the falls, where ii takes its rise M'nni the outflow of Lake AVakatipu :u I'Yaoklmi. A l uge concrete dam wili / be buih. and the turbulent waters oi the si ram vhieh are coiiiinerl 1.0 a narrow rooky bed lhal has a great tall wil: lie shut off for approximately eighiv lavs in the year, when the gold seekers will vet 1 o work. Tlm water will be I locked daring tlm winter months only. This means, therefore, that, in winter ilie compaUA will re<|iiire In • raise the lake to its summer h-vel. The Shotuver and oilier small rivwrwill ■ i\ r• the e"ii!|ianv I he water re ouircd lo i any out tlm opera!ions. The possible ponding of I bo Klmtovcr lias keen taken into consideration, and ibis ei -it l i agency has Lct'ii provided against. This i- short Iv llm .eheme ol operations-. il i-. an ambitious one. :: mi one w liicb, i I sucres J ill, w ill <TCate mulling short of a boom. .Members o! the eonipan, which lias la-en formed are acting oil the advice of .Mr !•:. .1. lies, well-known mxl successful mining engineer, and il ilu-ir optimism i- anv indication tlmn success will he msUred. Mr Res lias e.-siiivd I he promoters that I he unmet, 'hein ,-m cngiireoring poini of view, ia simple inaltcr. He lias reported fully "ii llm subject and lias thoroughly convinced these in tench with the s-'heme lhal the eeasi rilctie a of the rhi'i! and the nece--«:,.n works eau he C.-irrie;! (IP SO. re- I'll ||v. His ire.-11l work nl' damming the lower part of the river f; i l he irriga lion piirpo- • - of the Cri'inwell .HeveCpmenl Compauv Iris '■arned h r iiim lugh repuiatinu among iui"in<:; engineers. The throwing of ,i ale d reinforced reuricle span , i-.-ss 1 he riler and the axing ol --!:•«'! '.irders to re lime iho width of the vai- ■ ■ r - a’ d raise 1 hem to enable them to be u imped into a main distributing 1 a.. ■ was a. tils!; which rrouired ability Old elite,-pri'C. but under cxccedingl, lihieilh conditions il was cncried to a siiccessful is-.im. Mr lies is an Otago a an, who -I tidied a; tie mini eg scan. • it < It ago Cniversity. and, - ah- 1 > - t •. - 111 1. I •O- tied at Thames. w!w:e lie L --1 lin'd oil g”ol, ig_\ am! mining eagiHearing. i I- ilia, • . Imre tb" !\a .-.. ran I ; Lake V, aketipu al ’ raid l il : joins | ;.-<■« Inih.a al ( roiiiwell to I'm a t |,e i '.!■ 1 1 imas dim.r.m- i . ihiro Cm. ' d. -a" i i„e f i he whole <.( 1 ha- bog-: a j . . : 11 :»,i, ha . applm i., : - full j is. if I, p | L- intention, bow-1 v ***. to bold Ihc river. Imi i ■ b : it j -ol in - .el.mis. ihe ieogth ef v.!ii< I.' j mi; ie I reeled on at a g- rate. Tiie j i'.cr ha - been pi —e,! olf nude; I h ; '•mil eii’idi i i' ns. '! hi- w id iw all, «.f j -,u, :• e I: a i i a oy ot be; eonce: will j a in ■ r. iml. a d it i' i.-sl iiimled l bat , no fewer t lain 2J*‘l men will find einTims a iimaim v. ill be ;■<! io re- 1 d- ie ill- preset: 1 slaie of uneiiip!.;'.--,i:• 11 1. Tiie iair- 1 impel laiit poini of o-urs". , ■ I in- qiie-! ion a- to u hi tlmr Imre is enough gold in ihc river bed j o jtisfifv the expenditure. There arc few who know an;- piling of ihe river . iml disl riel w ho w ould deny i lm,t eimr- ’ 'inai.s ipeinl it ies of ~is hi si ill lie eaii, iidi-.l ill the lucky river bottom and oily ’-cullin' io la properly worked to ho lil.lained. Aiuoi rich papibes ol and i: the river can hr- mul rolled, is pr-.'po.sed. many rich deposits will tindoiibtetllv be won. People from (’rolil- t ei l ami (Jueepsl own. go out now . and again to do a little gob! seeking, .• mo-Hy as a bobby, have obtained quite a lot of gold during their leisure time Hu" nisi, secured no less than C-lOtl w o-1 h daring i hn-p month g A tlm s|r'liiniiiig of the ICawara'! would greailv deer-'l.-o the level of Hm i M':l\ nolix after it leaves (Yomw cli. numerous local residents have already Inriieil them altciP.ion in that direc-

;i ii r.nd have pegged out areas with t; ■■ i Ua of profiting by the scheme.