THE PROPOSED SLUDGE CHANNEL

Kumara Times, Issue 461, 19 March 1878, Page 2

THE PROPOSED SLUDGE CHANNEL

[to the editor.] Sir—l see that twa auld bletherin bodies hae been rackin their brains to tin oute wha " Prank Truman " is, and a' the time it's the' " Cove up the Lead " they want. They are anxious that somebody should .say something about that muckle sheugh that's been talked so much about, and so little been done to it yet; an' as I'm no vera thrang I'll gie them my breath on't.

I don't think, Mr Editor, that the j miners as a "body realise the vast im- . portance this sludge channel would be; to them' directly, and the district]! generally, or else it would be pushetf | ahead a little more lively. As a rule, tb'essL'd ; gi£ngs are very poor, and the

great desideratum is-"the amount of | washdirt you can put through your'r hands in a given time. Now, if tliia sludge channel were constructed in the j manner Mr Gow : submitted to ' the ! miners at Dillman's Town, it 1 would be a great boon, as instead of otic of a party .say ,of five men, two are. for, the most part at'the 'windlass," ' if ; the ; i channel' was constructed, any three or i four claims that were conveniently ! situated could put down either a,. shaft j or an incline tunnel into it for washing purposes, and, with a small paddock', below, all hands would lie getting wash- \ dirt; and with a weekly outlay of say i 25s for the use of_.the sludge channel, \ would thus effect a saving of £i 15s per week. Some might object to mak- i ing a paddock below, but a very small | one would do, as three or four parties ; could use a head of water in a day, I and wash a little oftener. I

As regards, ground sluicing.every one knows the great advantage it would be where the ground is suitable for that mode of working. Mr Gow was anxious on the part of the Government to get at an idea of what the minets would ; pons|der a fair pries to give for the use of the channel and how many were likely to use it. Supposing that three hundred miners box-sluiced into the channel at five shillings per week each, that would give £75 per week, and say two hundred ground sluiced at seven shillings and sixpence per week each; would give another £75 per week, making a weekly income of £l5O, or £7,500 per year of fifty weeks. If the Government, expended .say £SOOO in tlvo;constructs ,v©f this channel,accordthese figures it would be a pay-' ing'speck,' but- suppositig it would' yield,'the one half/ the. 'Govern..; erit would soon have th-ir capital refunded witli interest, and considering the general'_ prosperity that would result from it it would he ad-vantage -his to the district at large and miiutaio a large population profitably, that must otherwise soon find fresh'fields and' pastures new. There is any amount of ground within range of the proposed channel that would pay for that system that would never be touched " otherwise. Another advantage this channel would be, it would prove the "round at a great d-pth and thus save to the mine s probably as much as it will .cost, as a great number have faith in d-eper 'levels on the Kumara. I think it'-highly desirable that the miners should have a meeting to discuss, the subject and ini-

press upon the Government the importance of the work. Hoping, Mr Editor, you jwill give ns lift with this subject, I am, &c., A Cove up' the Lead.