DREDGING FOR GOLD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 January 1931, Page 4

DREDGING FOR GOLD

. 1 1 TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES ON THE WEST COAST OPERATIONS AT THE FIVE MILE j < BEACII j, j t An interesting' story of seemingly in- j ( surmountable, difficulties successfully 1 overcome was unfolded by Mr It. T. 1 Stewart in the Christchurch Chamber of, ( Commerce in connection with the opera- 1 I lions of the Okarilo Five Mile Beach t Gold Dredging Company, of which ho f is the resident engineer. Mr Stewart’s I name is familiar to Christchurch people ‘ f in connection with the river-sweeper, ( but that project was child’s play com-' 1 pared with the full-sized man’s job ] lie tackled in South Westland. Tho'; story was told in a series of lantern; \

slides which graphically illustrated the many transport difficulties that had to he overcome. THE EARLY DAYS Mr Stewart (says the “Press”) gave some particulars of the early days of Okarito. Tho township, which is 93 miles from Hokitika, is now reached by a good motor road. In 1860 the Maori chiefs gathered at Okarito and concluded the negotiations by which the Crown became possessed of 7J. million acres of land on the West Coast for 300 sovereigns. “It. was first proposed to make the offer 4CO sovereigns,” Mr Stewart said, “but the deal was entrusted to a gentleman named McKay, who started by offering 300 soverengns which, after great deliberation was accepted.” (Laughter.) Okarito was also noteworthy from its proximity to the Five Mile Reach from which £7,000,000 worth of gold was taken, and an equal amount, it was declared, was taken without having

been declared for duty. In the s Ejties, Okarito carried a population of 7000 or 8000, possessed a Customs house, 27 hotels, and several banks.. A photograph of the township as it is to-day showed too plainly that its glory had departed. ROUGH COUNTRY, Tho slides shown told the history of tho company’s activities starting with (he conveyance of tho small Keystone boring plant to the Five Mile Beach for prospecting operations; tho transport of tho pipes for the pipe line to supply water from Lake Alpine to the claim ; and the transport of the dredge machinery from the old dredge at Saltwater Creek. A rough pack track between Okarito and the Five Mile Beach had to be made into a corduroy road over which the pipes and some of the machinery were hauled on sledges. The dredge machinery was taken round the bench, and some exciting scenes were shown of teams of horses almost

,' overwhelmed by the ride dragging heavy ' loads. On one occasion a load had to ’ bo abandoned temporarily, and it- was i three or four weeks before it could be 1 moved. The company .had to erect _ a sawmill to cut timber for houses for tho workers arid for the dredge pontoons. Several slides showed the pontoons in course of construction, and ! finally launched The machinery is being i erected on the pontoons at present, and ! the dredge is expected to start operations some time in April. The audience was composed largely , of shareholders in the Company, and Mr , Stewart, at the conclusion of his address, answered a number of questioris regarding the claim and its prospects. He was accorded, by acclamation, a vote of Thanks for his address.