THE GOLD FIND.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1924, Page 4

THE GOLD FIND.

PAST GLOSIES OF CULLENSVILLE BLENHEIM, April 9. The operatives of the Mahakipawa Goldfields, Ltd., a Christchurch company formed in August of last year, who have been sinking a shaft in the Cullensville Valley between Queen Charlotte and Pelorus Sounds, yesterday struck the long-looked-for deep lead. The company is working on land belonging to Mrs G. R. Stratford, of Christchurch, a descendant of the original pioneer Cullen, who long ago was granted a big area of land in the vicinity. The company has named its mine the Queen of Sheba. To the casual visitor to Mahakipawa and the old goldfields in that locality the days of ’88 and the fevered gold rush seem very very far away. What the observer sees in deserted Cullensville does not assist him greatly to conjure up a vision of hustling settlement on the now practically deserted area unless he possesses quite a wonderful imagination ; yet, nevertheless, there could be written a page in the annals of Marlborough which would read like a romance but still would be nothing more or less than true and solid fact. In 1888 and after Cullensville could boast of 3000 inhabitants, miners all eager for wealth. Some of them secured it. Many left after years of labour, disappointed and just as poor as when they came

except for clearly bought experience. In the palmy days of Cullensville £3,000,000 worth of gold was taken from the earth in the vicinity. Shortly after the discovery of the goldfields mines were opened on the Crown lands adjoining the 775 acres of private freehold land now being developed by Mahakipawa Goldfields, Ltd. Subsequently with the consent of the owner of the freehold, a small area at the top end of the valley was opened for mining as the Crown lands became worked out after producing a large quantity of heavy alluvial goal. Of the mines developed on this small area the principal were the Hibernian, Golden Gate, British Empire, Lucky Hits, Alice Fell, Nelson and Johnstone’s, Davis and Carr’s, Wairarapa, and last, but by no means last, the famous King Solomon mine. Unfor-

tunately many of the records of actual yields are not available, but to give an indication of what there were the Hibernian balance-sheet for one, halfyear showed a return of £2452 and gave a net profit of £1534. The value of the wash dirt treated averaged £4 1s 4d per cubic yard. Prospectors’ Claims yielded 7000 ounces worth approximately £28,000. A former bank manager has stated that he purchased on behalf of his bank £10,500 worth of gold from the King Solomon mine alone. But the remainder of the records are disconnected as to yields and in consequence no idea can be given of the actual returns.