LARGE GOLD NUGGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 29

LARGE GOLD NUGGET.

LUCKY PROSPECTORS ON WEST COAST.

HOKITIKA, September 11. A nugget of gold, valued at £450, was found a few days ago in Ross Borough, •within a chain of the Ross Goldfields claim.' Two men (Sharp and Scott) were working a small piece of abandoned ground near Donnelly's Creek, wherd they picked up a couple of small nuggets. They were encouraged to continue operations, when they came on a large lump, which, is about the size of a white stone turnip, containing a little quartz. WELLINGTON, September 11. The Mayor of Ross telegraphed to-day to the Minister of Mines (the Hon. R. M'Kenzie) that a nugget weighing lOOoz had been found in a claim .adjoining the Ross Goldfields mine, and that a request had been made that the nugget should be named the " Hon. Roddy." The Minister replied: "Will fall in with the suggestion re name." HOKITIKA, September 13. The big nugget discovered at Ross changed hands on Saturday for £400 cash. It mv bought by Pedrazzi, Ross, and Free, "of Southbridge. The official weight is given at 990z 12dwt 12gr. It was exhibited here 6a Saturday night, large numbers inspecting the nugget. It will be taken to ChTistchurch. (Fhom Oub Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, September 12. The exact weight of the nugget found at Ross proves to be lOOoz lOdwt. When weighed on a grocer's scale it went 71b 2oz "avoirdupois. The circumstances surrounding the discovery are interesting. Two years ago a miner named Jack M'Carthy was engaged in mining a piece of land a few chains, distant from the eastern boundary of the claim of the present Ross Flat Goldfields, Ltd. One day, when attending to a tail-race, he overbalanced himself and broke his neck. Since that time the ground has been shunned by all till a few months ago, when Messrs Sharp and Scott commenced operations. In digging the ground they soon produced lucrative rebulte, a few small nuggets being obtained. The big nugget itself was discovered some days ago. Rumour has it that it was found on Tuesday last. Why the discovery was kept m> quiet has not been made plain. Mr J. A. Murdoch, Mayor of Kumara, haspurchaased the nugget. The immediate result of the discovery is to cause all -the available -land in the vicinity of the find to be pegged out, •whilst} shares in the Ross Flat Goldfields, Ltd., have hardened considerably. . September 13. Several nuggets have been found previously at Bullock Point, close to where the big find ("the Hon. Roddy") was made at Ross, but the latter is the largest yet unearthed in New Zealand. In 18,69 a nugget weighing a trifle over 90oz was discovered at Lyell, while later on several varying from 60oz downwards were found at Moonlight.