A River Paved with Gold.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5287, 30 December 1885, Page 2

A River Paved with Gold.

The title of this article sounds some* 1 what like a romance in these practical, matter of fact times, but we have in this very colony a rirer whose bed is said to be literally pared with gold, and Sir Julius Yogel has given it as his opinion that it is possible to turn it so as to get the golden treasure lying thick on the bottom. The river is the CluthaJ and in his late address to the Lawrence public Sir Julius spoko of the scheme as by no means impracticable, though not one that the Government could take up, but better suited to private enterprise. Of course the very suggestion of such a project has created quite an enthusiasm, and the feasibility of turning tho river has been discussed in the Dunedin Star and other papers. We fear, however, that it is a work of such vast magnitude, considering the volume and velocity of the river, that it is one which, if even practicable, is beyond the scope of any private enterprise. The gold is said to be there, sure enough, but how to get it out is the question; as dredging will not accomplish much. If Sir Julius Yogel considers the soheme feasible, he has a golden opportunity of immortalising his name, as even at the cost of borrowing ten millions, success would mean paying off our entire colonial debt, beside having a large margin in hand to construct railways, start local industries of all kinds, and do away for ever with any more cries of depression or financial crisis.