OKARITO NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1926, Page 1

OKARITO NOTES.

(From a Correspondent). On Thursday evening Inst, the n euchre party of the season "'as held in the school-room, at Okarito and proved ns usual, a great success. Upwmds of thirty players engaged ,n J h ® “ " tost visitors coming from Matainm, Wat'aroa, and from South Waiho. I he With native scrubs, ferns and ilone.s a. blazing log fire shedding its rays of warmth and welcome over all. U winner of the ladies’ prize a valuable tea service "-as Miss A. Vincent, of Mntainui. The gents’ prize, a knitted pnH-over vest, being won by - James Green, Junr., «t Into - Coffee and sandwiches, tea and cahes. provided on a liberal scale by the h ies of Okarito were handed round at the conclusion of the contest. Miss y,] q Donovan who acted as organise!, earned the congratulations of all for the efficient manner in which the niraimements for the evening were carried out. After the supper an adjournment was made to the Hall youth, with hero and there a spnimiin>r of middle-age. tripped the. “ligh fantastic,” well into ‘‘the wee sum ’oors ay out the twal. Mr C ! . Glass supplied the music and .Mr J. iNilsen made an efficient master of ceremonies. SHIPPING. The atmosphere of hopelessness which has for so long been characteristic of the shipping service to South Westland. seems now likely to be dispelled the recent effort to raise the necessary new capital with which to equip the “Kisie” with more powerful Engines, having met with a fair measure of success. It is hoped that the arrangements now in hand may be carried through without a hitch and the alterations to the boat put in hand at an early date. MINING. On the Wataroa River, about eight miles above the bridge, seven or eight diggers are at work on the beaches. Some are recent arrivals and others have been in the district for a year or more, enduring the hardships of a prospector's life, at the same time enjoying its freedom, and we hope, earning a rich reward.

Since April last a prospecting party from Otago has been engaged in prospecting the famous Five Mile Beach at Okarito with a specially built Keystone boring plant. The results have not been made public, but it is rumoured that some exceptionally rich prospects were obtained. Altogether thirty seven bores were put down. Operations have now been suspended temporarily, the boring plant being stored at Okarito. It is proposed to sink a number of shafts for the purpose of verifying the results already obtained by boring before proceeding with the erection of a dredge to work the ground.