EXHIBITION MINERASALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1923, Page 4

EXHIBITION MINERASALS.

(To the Editor). (Sir, As the writer is not able to join any one of the committees at the chief West Coast centres, but is desirous of assisting in any way within Jus power, towards a first-class representation of West Coast resources at tlio British and Intercolonial Exhibition to be held at Ilokitika at the end ot this year, lie begs to offer a iew suggestions in that direction. Coal.—An excellent and varied exhibit of coals is possible, such as anthracite from Fox’s Itiver, steam coal n»» cmm.fillt limcite from the l’aparoa

mine, bituminous coal of various kinds from Seddlotiviile, Waiimmgaroa, To Kuha. Murchison, Blackball, I’o’nt Elizabeth and Brunner. Then there arc the semi-bituminous coals and brown coals and pitch coals at Hc-efton. t.'aple.sion and Inaiigahmi; also that most excellent lignite from Charleston, at which place a very thick seam exists. Mineral Oil.—Kotuku oil is wellknown, and J have no doubt that Air Taylor will be ready to assist the Crcymoutli Committee. A very fine quality of petroleum is found in the Murchison district, and this writer is hopeful cl geting a sample exhibited. Building Stones, etc.-- Several varieties of ruck occur. A beautiful red granite of a line fresh, colour is to ho seen in the Bnller. particularly in the neighbourhood ol Newton Mat and by,>||. possibly, some of the Wainihimlii serpentine is still available for -how. At Xgakawau there occurs a llagstoiie having a very excellent cleav-

age. A slab of ibis sent by the writer lo the IlKlfj exhibition ai Christchurch

won a second prize and a silver medal. Hi,, set: of beds in the Grey coal menI .in-os called the “Island Sandstone'!,” jis a freestone suitable for building. It has boon quarried to a small extent at. the Dobson quarry. Large deposits el very “fat” limestone occur at Cape Foulwihd near Roefton. and at Jioss. At the lirsi-namcd place they may possibly form a basis for cement msnulnctii re. being associated with apparently large deposits of a clay, which makes with tile ‘'Cape” limestone a combination closely resembling the best quality of Roitland cement. Near Kcefton, the beds of limestone, being close to coal and to water lesources for hydro-clor-irieitv. may have some potentialities in the direction of carhiile or cyannmiilc. tile hitter being a fertiliser. Clays.—A variety of brick clays, fircclay, tile clay etc., leaves an opening for a good exhibit in this department. At Wnimnngaroa bricks, drain pipes, etc., are made from the local clays rod are of very excellent quality. The under-clays of the Reoton coal scams make pottery ol such a quality as to well warrant, their utilisation in due time, mid although tlie works are not in operation at Brunner now. that place could supply a useful exhibit ill fireclay in the raw state, fire-bricks fire-files and other articles. Gold and Platinum. Rcefttm possesses an energetic committee which, no doubt, will, through the courtesy of the managers of their quartz mill's.

obtain a good display of gold-i car.ug quartz for exhibit, and possibly seine

of the very interesting gold-bearing conglomerate which occurs at banker's ( reek. The writer i- trying to arrange for the display of several distinct v:ii i-*-lies of gold-bearing i|Ui:rtz; ciic i quartz in v liic'i. the gold is associated with arsenical pyrites, another in whi* h antimony sulphide mid iron pyrites accompany the geld; a third in which Hie gold o cU's mostly in pyrilmlito. a magnetic iron sulphide, in a quartz icol ; also a refractory or,, in the shape of antimony or ( . containing high gold values; and lastly a platinum-bearing quartz. Each will, if possible, lo shown in the exhibit from its own district. A u extremely interesting exhibit in tin- class would he a piece of the intrusive granite from Karame.i. which carries flee gold. It is tu lie. Imped that somebody at Karamoa lilt; be enthusiastie enough to secure and .-end along a sample. Results Ironi

1 1 1 i-. deposit are economically disappointing so far. lint wind is laid bare may be only an off-shoot from ’a, ye and valuable deposits, so i lint, this parricidal' granite is not only of liigu scientific inleiest. Inn lias some significance.

Antimony. lead etc.- A wrv go 1 grade of aelimmiv ore i< found cios" t Recllon and ids:) at tli -* Victory 'line near St il!w ater. This writer will eu deavour to get some of the latter on shown, and will try to pr-quiiv c. samg 1

ol llie regular and of star antimony Lv smelting a little of tlm ore, also a specimen of the ground, roa-ietl ore. thereby changed to n pure white oxide

somewhat resembling white lead, and which is sometimes employed as paint, li there is a (ommit iee lit i’oss. they ought to try to show an exhibit of tin-silver-lead ore and nvritic ore from Ml. liangiioto. An attractive entrance in a mineral court may la* made t v having tin: entrances in imitation of the entries to mines, the opening lining trained lev a mock set of timber, making on the outside of the frame an imitation coal scam or quurrv reef with f rns and moss about it to make ii appear like an outcrop on the hilKide. A coal seam mav lie shown by making a wall of mine brattiec-dotli or ordinary sacking stretched tight with a coating of a kind of asphalt made of fragment - of coal, and pitch witli perhaps some larger pieces as tied on w itli blackened j wire on t lif lower portion and larger j lumps still on tbe. tloor. An imitation : or a <|iiartz reef outcrop can bo made i with a light board wall, the beards he- i ing rough sawn, witli a thin coaling of , cement, or ‘vonipo” stuccoed thickly j with small quartz fragments; a hang- | ing-wall and foot-wall being shown in ! the same way by using rock in place ( .f ; quartz: larger pieces of quartz and j reck being placed lower down similar; to tbe arrangement for coal. (Hlier do- ' tails such as small grow ing tree-ferns. | growing moss on little walls of rock. , supplied with tinv trickles of water. J could also be utilised to give a greater , appcaranc" of reality. 1 lie writer, working on similar plans to tbe above. : obtained some good ctfecls ensile, and : cheaply some years ago at a small exhibit ion held at, Westport in aid of the local School of 'Mines. I’loliahlv ihe, most appreciated exhibit in tbe above- : mentioned show at Westport was *- u up ; by a well-known and esteemed resident j of West part. Mr Oeoree T'ergusmi, now ; dead several years. Mr Ferguson, a I- j tbotlgb in business as a tailor at the j time, was in fact one of tbe pioneer ; gold miners of the West Coa-t, and was ; able to fix up a tvpical miners’ ramp j and work an alluvial claim bv washing ; gravel in a miner's “cradle." and extracting thereby some very nice looking j nuggets of a yellow metal, widen lie j gave to anyone wanting ir. telling them ; that there was •‘plenty more where that : came from." I Aquarium.—Tbe general commit tee j will no doubt aim at having at least a ' small fresli water aquarium, and it .is to 1 •• hoped that tliev will capture a , good supply of whitebait before the , season gets too far advanced. They , would, of course, give the whitebait a I tank or pond to themselves, taking care , t i pick out from the catching net. any j cocknbullies, as the latter love white- ] bait, perhaps “wisely" but certainly ; “too well." Early History.—The Exhibition Com- ; mittee might obtain some interesting , exhibits under the above-mentioned ; heading by offering a prize for the best ; exhibit in that class. It might he an old hook or newspaper, an early photo- j graph or plan, or picture, an ancient j “miner’s right.” ail old letter from j “home” or anything in fact which ; touched on the early days of New Zen- , land. Models.—There are no doubt many j ingenious people amongst us who have ; made interesting models of machinery, boats, c-tc., and local conimittes should . try to find out as many as they can and , encourage others to make something, j Such tilings as a model, however simple, of the overland route from the West i

Const to Christchurch would ho topical just now, and some of the boys at the technical schools could make it. They call turn their own flanged wheels and ! wind their own armatures, so that with ; tm and wire they could (jtiiekly make nu electrically driven train to traverse 1 the route over a coloured surface of • painted clay, pierced hv tunnels and . railed throughout. Models of coal . mines with shafts, headings, pillars, jigs etc., are very easy to make out of wood with the aid of a little paint, and the * same applies to quartz mines. There 1 are innumerable other things of which ■ mining students can easily make models ; and which make interesting exhibits. This writer hop's that these few lough notes may prove to contain helpful and stimulating material, and would ask your Most Coast contemporaries to ' kindly capy, as stress of work pre--1 eludes writing to eaeli paper as he ' would wish to have done—l am. etc.. SIDNEY FRY.