THE THAMES GOLD FIELD. A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE. (Written specially for the Aroha and Ohinemuri News.) [Continued from last issue.]

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 285, 28 July 1888, Page 2

THE THAMES GOLD FIELD. A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE. (Written specially for the Aroha and Ohinemuri News.) [Continued from last issue.]

Thames, July 14. How many shareholders there were whoj in the course of a few weeks, found themselves suddenly transformed) as it were, into possessors of considerable wealth, and moderate fortunes — how many tradesmen and others who were upon the verge of bankruptcy, when lo 1 in a few days they were enabled to pay their creditors in toto, and retire from business upom the remaider of their wealth. But, as the old adage says, there is always a calm after a storm, and the case in question proved no exception to the rule. The enormons returns which had kept up for fully 1 2 months, gradually began to decrease — the patch of gold was almost, worked out — the mine had seen thp zenith of its prosperity i — shares began to fall in price, and those persons who had bought them at fabulous prices, began to look thoughtful* Then shares fell more rapidly, and the dividends grew less, until it became evident to many that they were ruined by the loss thus occasioned, and in some cases resulted in their being compelled to " seek fresh fields and pastures new," But this is invariably the case upon a goldfield — some become first of all excited, then infatuated, with the thought that by the outlay of a few pounds in the shares they can, without the least trouble or risk, reap an abundant harvest. But how frequently does that infatuation turn out to be a myth ! Then, again, several other mines were paying good dividends, notably the Central Italy, Nonpareil, and All Nations, the latter distributing £14,000 in one year in dividends. Good gold was also found in the New Whau, situated in the Moanatairi Creek. A crushing of 15 tons | yielding 6120zs of gold. The history of this mine up to this time was not without interest, and might be briefly referred to, as showing the uncertainty attached to gold mining. From some cause or other the first Whau Co. were unable to make the ground pay, and aa they got into financial difficulties, the mme -was sold to a few private individual^ who at once commenced to put in #¥b\T level.- From the first crushing. 'taken out they received more than they had pnid for the mine, while they were afterwards rewarded with handsome dividends as the resuit of their enterprise ; one parcel of 6cWt. of specimens yielding 1 over lOOOozs of gold, while 2*- tons of qitartz selected from the general dirt on, account of its richness, likewise produced llOOozs gold. The general dirt, irres-* pcotivc of this rich quaitz, went 2^oz3 gol 1 to the ton, nnd as a result of a little over nine months' work, the shareholders received a total of £9000 in dividends. And yet this mine, like several oF the present day, was eonsideied worked out and almost worthless I The history of the Golden Calf mine is no less remarkable. In IS7O, after expend--ing a laige amount of capital in sinking a main shaft and working on the main reefs of the mine with but little success, it was deemed advisable to remove the winding engine, and orecfc it over a shift stink in the old Jtist-in-timo claim, previous to its amalgamation AYith the Golden Calf. This mine had been worked to a depth of 150 ft by the old shareholders with considerable success, but the reef was of a mullocky character, and contained very little quartz, although the body of crushing stuff was 2ft in width. The Golden Calf Co. determined to sink this shaft a further depth of 3 00ft ] but subsequently, when the shaft had been sunk 260 ft, they opened out afc the 200ffc level. Here one of the most extraordinary finds of gold which has occurred on this field was met with — • embedded in the mullock, of which the lode was composed, were found large flakes of apparently pure gold, sonic of which were about 3 inches square and of an inch thick, and others smaller. i There was a large deposit of this stuff found, in all some SOOozs, and it required no other treatment than melting in the; 1 crucible. These flakes were not, I may remark, of the usual consiscence of melted metal ; they looked father as if the particles of gold in the lode were sufficiently fused to make them adhere together, but they could be separated with little force* Other deposits of this singu^ lar composition were found, although not in such large quantities as that to which I have referred. In addition to this, however, the general crushing dirt from the reef averaged 2-|ozs to the ton, and good returns were obtained for some time. Perhaps the most important discovery made in 1875 was that in the Manuka u. This mine was generally considered exhausted, and work had been suspended in it for nearly 18 months, ■when [a crosscut began before work was stopped, Was Resumed, jmd a dis-* distance of only 2ffc was driveii when a strong reef was intersected, It proved to be 18 inches in thickness, from which fully £12,000 were afterwards paid in dividends. Mining matters then went on smoothly for some timd, though good returns of gold were obtained from the Queen of Beauty, Central Italy, Nonpareil, Bright Smile, Black Angel, All Nations, and several others too, numerous to particularise, so I will pass on to another memorable era in the history of the field — when the rich gold was struck in the Moanatairi Cos. mine in 1877* ( To be continued.)