THE SOUTH STAFFORD

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1766, 31 August 1874, Page 2

THE SOUTH STAFFORD

The South Stafford, although a comparatively new name on tho Thames? for a mine, is likely to he before long favourably heard of. It is situated on the Hape creek, and was known to some in the good old times as the Black Forest. The ground never was —so far as I know —held by a company, nor is it now, the men working it at present holding by '-minors'right. A great deal of speculative dead work must have been done before the present holders took possession. Mr. Smith; of the Queen of Beauty tribute law case, seems to be at the head of the'workings of the mine, and is working a reef found in the main shaft, 95 feet from the surface, and about the same distance from the bottom.. The last crushing from the same lode gave from 18 dwts. to 1§ ounces to the ton, and, as the lode is of a good size and easily worked, sufficient stuff is expected to be broken out to supply 15 head of stamps with constant crushing work, and from my past. knowledge of the claim, I am inclined to think the men can send that amount of quartz to mill: but howp;is the rub. It is an easy glide from a Hape mine to the Hape tramway. I have not the pleasure of knowing the gentleman in charge ot what I know to have been a very expensive work, and may have been constructed at the charge of the Thames goldfield, but most certainly fche supervisor of Government property in this case wants supervision. In many places the tramway presents the appearance of having been done with, giren up like. In one spot I noticed a creek freshet coming down the very centre of the road, having apparently been diverted from its channel by some quarrying operations above. I may be wrong as to the cause, but I am sure lam right as to the effect. Ballast had in many cases been washed away from places where it ought to have been to places that it is anything but, needed. I cannot compliment the Board, whichever it may be, that owns the piece of road at the bottom of the Hape tramway on the condition that the object of their care, or carelessness, is in. It is only disgraceful; it seems to lead nowhere, and wants no traffic, or rather invites none. 1 could not find much mining news in the upper part of the Hape Creek, nor am ; l likely to do so till somebody mends its ways. Of the mines nearer Shortland, at the bottom of the Hape, I will report further, and, from what I can gather, favourably. ' ■ . : ' .