GOLD, PLATINUM AND COAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9548, 21 July 1909, Page 5

GOLD, PLATINUM AND COAL.

REPORTED riICH DISCOVERIES. EXCITEMENT AT OREPUKI. By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERCAKGILL, July 20. Excitement is at fever heat at Orepuki, and everyone id talking of black sand, platinum and gold. The correspondent of the "Southland Times" explains that the beginning excitement was the discovery by a party of piospectors oI a lode carrying platinum in great quantities, so much so that the smelting expert, Mr Wilde, said that if there any great quantity there would be a fortune in it, and it is reported that he has offered a figure for a quarter share at once. The party has applied for a hundred acres prospecting license. Consequent on this find another party was got together and they found the reef or lode reported' on Sunday to contain rich s gold. This party has applied for a 150 acres prospecting license, and other parties are busy. In regard to the platinum the "Times" correspondent was informed by a party that they had found a place where a dray could be backed in and filled with the same substance. In the words of the smelting expert Orepuki is inundated with platinum—at least it is saifl ti) be. The correspondent is careful to warn possibly excitable people about the danger of being precipate, seeing that as yet everything is coloured by the glamour of the rush, but he j assures his paper none the less that all his information has been gathered from reliable sources, and .that he has made sure of his iacts as far as that has been possible. On top of all the other discoveries now comes news of the finding by ar. [nvarcargill syndicate of a coal seam near the same locality containing the best coal this side of Westport. To-night the correspondent advises as follows: —"This thine has fairly taken possession of a lot of our most reliable men. Erom a few I miles across the Waiau. right to Blue Cliffs the whole beach for eight or nine miles is every inch taken up. Men were coming into Orepuki last week with determination' stamped on their features getting miners' rights and going away 1 on the long dreary ride towards Blue Cliffs, riding all night and waiting for daylight to see to I i peg off some of the beach."