The New Geldfield at Tadmore (Nelson).

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2559, 20 March 1877, Page 3

The New Geldfield at Tadmore (Nelson).

.^.The following .particulars of the- now rush in the Province of Nelson aro. from the Otago Guardian, .telegraphed by its special reporter :— r Foxhill, Sunday, March 11. *■" I visited the whole of the claims at the Tadmore yesterday. The goldfields are situated 42 miles from. Nelson, and 22 from the Foxhill Railway Station, but the road over Spooner's Range is so steep that the journey occupies five hours with good horses. The claims are four miles up the Tadxnore. Valley, and near the road to the Waugapeka. So far gold has only been found in a stony bed of the river. At present there are 50 men on the ground, and six claims are being worked and are paying good wages, but" no extraordinary yields have been obtained. Beyd sold his interest in one of the ; ' best claims on Friday to T. Bell for £20. Faucetts are doing well, making good i wages. A prospect taken for me showed five grains to the dish, and a second one between five and six grains. Claim JSTo. 2— Parata'g-—is considered |T" the best claim on the lead. There is four feet sinking and no stripping. The prospects showed averaged fully four grains to the dish. Parata has been working in the Tadmore and- Sherry districts for 12 years, and does not think there is anything to justify .ft rush. There are good wages to be made for a very limited number of men. It all depends on whether the lead continues up the river, and this is doubtful. Should it take across the flat it would not pay to work, as the average stripping would be 12 feet. Seven miles further up the river a party has discovered gold, but this may be scattered gold, and not a lead. Six hundred yards above No. 6 claim a party funk a hole, but did not. get the colour. All payable mining is confined to the bed and side of the river, where floods have done the stripping. The yields of these claims would not pay if 12 feet stripping had to be done. ' White and party are making good wages working on the bank of the river, but they think it is scattered gold and not a lead they are working. Biggs and party have been working their claim for about a month, and have done well, as previously reported. Where the most of their gold was obtained, the yield was five to six grains to the dish, and the ground now worked showed four . grains to the dish. The mates are making „A f rom 25s to 30s per day each. ; The next claim, held by Jno. Edwards and party, is also, making good wages, but nothing more. No. ,6 claim, Geo. Gee and party, has four feet of washdirt, yielding four grains to the dish, and they have but little stripping. They are making good wages. yA.mile further up the river, Smart and party have, met goldin payable quantities, but there is no defined lead. ■ These are the whole of the claims. None of the new ■prospectors, of which ' there are two or three parties, have met with gold in payable quantities. The claims in work adjoin each other,; and extend up the, river between three and four hundred yards. 'Opinion,is divided as .to whether the lead makes tip the river of across the flat. Should it-be up river ;there would be wiges found for a;good number of men^ but not otherwise. - In any case miners - consider there is no reason to expect much beyond wages. \ For many years ground in the district lias been worked and gold always obtained, but only occasionally in payable quantities. ■ / - Several diggers returned from the Tadmore on Saturday disheartened, but about 50 diggers passed this morning on their way for the field and others are expected. A coach will run in a day or two from Foxhill,.and a store has been, started at Tadmore. Living is cheap, and does not cost more > than 15s per week. ■.•-.<•- - ---1 Another week will show the character of the goldfield, but at present the prospecting is too limited to test its value satis* factorily. • So. far results are fairly encouraging, without there being anything good enough to excite a gold rush.