MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2019, 17 February 1883, Page 2

MINING REPORT.

[By our Special Mining Reporter.]

Having taken a constitutional as far as the No. 1 Kapitea Dam, and not having been in that part of the southern hemisphere for some time, I took stock of things on the way up, or, to use a Yankeeism, “ dotted as I travelled.” Emerging from the mouth of a tunnel I met an old acquaintance, but was at a loss for some time to recognise him, he was so besplashed or bepugged that at a distance he might be taken for an Esquimaux or the boatswain of the Jeanette while exploring in the Polar regions. After mutual good wishes had been interchanged I asked him what he was up to. “ That,” said he pointing to the tunnel, “ is the Government head-race tunnel. I and my mates are working there at present. Since I last saw you we took up a claim in Larrikins; we grafted away for twelve months, drove a tail-race, fixed up the hauling tackle, and then found there was no water. The storekeeper stood like a brick until- this occurred, and then he run out of condensed milk, jam, and preserved green peas, and said he could not stand it any longer ; but told us that if we went the right way about it, that the race manager, as a Government servant, was bound to recognise the principle of doing ‘ the greatest good to the greatest number.’ Now, as the greatest number is always hard up, I reckoned we were in for a good thing, especially if the manager of the B.N.Z. would divide the longstocking deposits of the few canny ones amongst the many who bank at the Buck or other institutions of that ilk. So we, knowing storekeepers never tell lies, went down to Mr Gow’s office. But before going the storekeeper told us that sooner than there should be a breach of etiquette, that he had sent word we were coming, and in case we could’nt write, handed us a couple of resolutions which he said was bound to fetch Mr Gow. The result of the ‘ yabber yabber ’ was that, seeing we were the greatest number, we got all we asked for, and reckoned we had put a set on the delicate unfortunate twentytwo ; and of course the crime of jumping the first water in the Government race was declared punishable by hanging, or the alternative of dry rot. As we were to have water on the next day, to save time in cooking, me and my mates decided on having a tin of preserved sheeps’ tongues, and a bottle of red cabbage pickles. , The good news having reached our storekeeper, he was all smiles, and was surprised at my modest order. ‘ Better take a couple of tins ! How are you off for milk and jam ? Got some up now,’ said he. ‘Oh! you may as well give me a few tins; it will save me another journey,’ said I. And so we parted ; still, at the same time I could not get the wrinkle out of ray head— ‘ the greatest good to the greatest number.’ Why if Ned Blake had preached that doctrine, ‘ the Seddon-street wind-bag’ would have been nowhere. Well, we had the water on one day. The next clay the unfortunate twenty-two, or the ‘jumping dozen,’ headed by the sludge-channel explorer of rosy-faced hue, leaning on a good thorn, wended their way to the Tui-street sanatorium, and opened fire on the race manager, and claimed that as they were the greatest number they were entitled to the greatest good in the shape of first water. Certain tabular matter was produced, more resolutions passed, the bland and happy manager smilingly assured them he was pleased to find that such universal satisfaction was given, and as they had proved to be the greatest number, the principle must be maintained, and they should have the greatest good, i.e., first water. Now I dout believe in Socialism, but if the Russian Czar is anything like as treacherous as the Larrikin Czar’s party, I dont wonder at the bomb-throwing propensities of his subjects. I am only sorry that the Czar’s crowd dont deal with our storekeeper, for if they had we were in the swim, for if they had run the risk of their preserved tongues, pickle, jam, preserved milk, and tinned green peas being stopped, they would never have joined the jumpers, but would have remained in the ranks of the levelers, whose motto is—‘the greatest good to the greatest number.’ However, between the Czar’s treachery and Nobby’s 20001 b. shot, we got whopped. To prevent our storekeeper again running out of the little luxurious morsels afore referred to, and not caring to run the risk of being brought up under the Vagrant Act, we applied for protection for our claim, and commenced to look round for a job. Luckily some verbose and half-witted scribbler inserted a letter in the Kumara ‘Burster,’ and recommended the widening of the tuunel. Some of our chaps says it was

the manager himself; but I dont believe John Gow ever wrote such twaddle; besides, it would be inconsistent to recommend widening the sludge-channel when a six-inch bar on each tail-race would serve the same purpose, without costing the Government a penny. No; progression never emanated from the Tui-street sanatorium. At all events, out of pure charity to the levelers, the race manager determined to find them work by widening the head-race tunnel. So here you find me, and a tough job it is; the pug runs like sugar when wet with water. We have to secure the ground in the morning, and at night all has to be undone. This is done to allow .the water to run through the tunnel in the day time. If wet weather comes, we shall not be able to work at all. At the least it will take six months before the tunnel can be finished, under the most favourable circumstances.” “ Why,” said I, “ a new tunnel could have been driven in that time,” “Oh, yes;” rejoined my friend, “ but surely you. dont expect any Government work to be undertaken or constructed in a commonsense or practical way do you 1 If so, I dont; for I never saw it yet. Another tunnel should have been pot in, and I will give you a few reasons why. In the first place there is great danger in disturbing the timbers in the old tunnel. Then, again, for a great part of the distance she has caved and run from the surface, and unless great care is exercised whilst driving through that part of the tunnel, especially in wet weather, there is every danger of her running again, and a block occurring; this would mean a total stoppage of the field, and the risk should never have been run. As regards the cost, I believe a new tunnel would not have been a bit more expensive. The cost of widening the old one will be about 7s fid per lineal foot all through, though we have less for our lot. Now a new tuunel could have been driven for 10s per lineal foot, and though this would appear 25 per cent, dearer, I will shew that in reality it is not so, for whilst the widening of the old tunnel is going on only a limited amount of water can be put through—forty heads, I believe, is the limit. Now if the old tunnel had not been interfered with, there could have been another 20 heads running through her for the whole time, or making 60 heads of water available, instead of 40 as at present. Now, supposing the widening of the tunnel only takes the three months the manager estimates it to take, that means a loss of .£6O per week for three calendar months, or a total loss of £2340; or, even give it as only a loss of 10 heads per week, and at £3 per head it would amount to £ll7O. To this amount must be added the cost of widening the old tunnel. Say it only costs 6s per lineal foot, the total would amount to £792, or a gross total of for loss of sale of water and cost of widening old tunnel, £1962 ; whilst the cost of constructing a new tunnel, the distance being 40 chains at 10s per lineal foot, would only be £1220, leaving a margin in favor of the new tuunel of £742. Besides, with two tunnels more water could be supplied, and should an accident happen in one tunnel, it would not mean total stoppage of the whole field. With only one tunnel thero is always a risk of this occurring, and particularly with a tunnel in pug, with a span of 6ft. in the clear, like the one you are now looking at.” I thanked my friend for the information given and expressed regret that he had not given the same to Mr Gow, or at all events sent that view of the case to the Editor of the “ Buster,” especially as it would have been carrying-out the grand principle of “ the greatest good for the greatest number.” [To be continued in our next issue.]