GOLD STRIKE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 357, 19 October 1932, Page 3

GOLD STRIKE

THAMES AGOG INTEREST AROUSED BY REPORT OF LATEST FIND. RUSH TO PEG'CLAIMS. Considerable excitement has heen aroused in Thames following the report that Messrs. Sam Chapman and Son have discovered a rich' strike of gold at Coromandel. Messrs. Chapman have b'een prospecting for a considerable time, and . the son holds a miner's right over 15 acres situated between the Pukewhau, on the Tiki Range, and the old battery site at the back of Mr. Gerald Manion's farm, on the T'iki Road, and not far from the Mercury Bay Road. Very Rich Ore. During the week a leader was struck and the drive had progressed some 10 feet up till Friday, when it was seen that rich ore was being uncovered. Some 661b of very rich specimen stone was taken to the Bank of New Zealand, Coromandel, while a large bottle of extra rich stuff is also in the same custody. There has been a rush to peg out claims adjoining Messrs. Chapman's ground, and it is reported that- a number of miners are encamped on the place. The vicinity of the new find has been the scene of mining operations for a long time. The ore is not to he crushed at present, as the owners wish to develop their operations on the leader to iind out if the gold is making. A former resident of Coromandel, who knows the locality well and has been intimately associated with mining in the district for the past 40 years, says that the most promising feature of the new find is that it is in absolutely new ground never previously prospected, owing to the heavy nature of the virgin bush. The locality is th'e Tiki HUI, just beyond the site of Fraser's old tiniber mill. The reef is really a stringer about 3 inches wide, and a peculiar feature of the leader is that while the holding walls are fairly well defined the centre is dirt of a rubbly, puggy nature, carrying good values of coarse gold, while fine specimen leafy gold is found on the hanging walls. Good Showings. Our informant, who was over the claim yesterday, stated that all over the area good colourings of gold were obtainable right on the surface, and there were very good prospects all over the hill. The country all round the Chapmans' claim has been pegged out and taken up. The Chapmans had driven in only a short distance ahout 25ft up the hill, and he considered there were much better prospects on the lower level. It was confidently expected the country would get firmer as they drive in. A second reef, showing very good values, had been opened up hy those prospectors on the northeast side of the Waiau Creek, and prospects there were also most encouraging. The Long Trail. Regarding the operations in conneetion with the Long Trail mine, on the Cabhage Bay Road, our informant stated that from what he could gather the men were getting really good prospects, and were very hopeful.