THE DEVILS CREEK QUARTZ CO.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 244, 3 October 1872, Page 4

THE DEVILS CREEK QUARTZ CO.

(To the Editor.)

Sib,— My attention has been drawn to the letters of •" Shareholder " and *' Another Shareholder " thajb appeared in your issue of the 19th and 2<?th pf September. Had the forme? been aware that the Co. were as yet prospecting fop the main reef, he would not have been so liberal with his suggesftons. When the reef ;s found, fch© directors no doubt will give his letter the attention it merits. Unless he is aware what the hut cost, he surely cannot be in a position to state if it pould have been, erected pheaper by .calling for tenders. He certainly must have overlooked the amount the company would have had to pay an architect for drawing plans, specifications, and enumerating the number of screws, naii§, &c, required for- building a sod hut. It will no doubt be new to him to hear that when tenders are called for the erection pf a building, as for example, the new Post-oflice, Lawrence, it js, necessary to state the number, size, and weight of sails, tacks, screws, &c. • as, also the amount of putty likely to be required to cover thejoiner's defects.

" The height of '•' Shareholder's " offending appears to be that he is some unfortunate whq did not take up the amount of shares (50) that would entitle him to bepome a pandidate for the directorship. He or anyone not possessing the necessary qualification (viz., 50 or more shares) daring to offer any " suggestion " deserves all the thunder hurled at his head from the pen of ••'Another Shareholder."

It would be as well for your readers to bear in" mind, -when calling for tenders for sinking or driving, that it js necessary to state the nature of the ground, if it is hard or soft, the different strata and colour of same, the size and number of stones likely to be met with in their course ; if wet, the amount of water at every given foot required to be driven or s.unk. If none of our miners are qualified for so doing, a medium h. ad better be engaged. " Another Shareholder'^ " ideas of economy are, Imust cpnfess, new to me, and I fail to see that any man practices it by faking 50 or more shares in a company whose prospects, like that of any quartz venture, of giving any return is at least doubtful. lam quite of # Another Shareholder's" opinion, to quote his words, " that a course of procedure carpfully decided upon by nine men is of more value than the advise given gratiously by one." That is, premising that some of the nine have bad as much knowledge of the subject as the one. Bornetim.es one practical suggestion from & n experienced man is of more value than twenty from the same number of inexperienced— not that I wish to infer that " Shareholder's " knowJedgp would have any weight with the directors, of the D.O.Q.M. and C. Co., a fpw qf whom, haye had considerable experience in quartz reefs in Victoria. Thenexttime "Another Shareholder" rushes into print, it would perhaps be as. well for him to confine himself to the question at issue —not imitate the skunk when closely pressed, by throwing out dust in the eyes of his pursuers. It looks as if he had a bad case tq defend when he rushes from the Devils Creek to the head of the RAver. — I am, &c, Joseph Cox."Vfaippri, 27th September, 1872: '