The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 395, 21 February 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1880.

A. CORRESPONDENT of a Wellington contemporary writes that having had a large experience as a gold explorer-and mine manager in Victoria, and hearing that a payable quartz mine had been discovered at the Rimutaka Ranges, Wairarapa Lakes, at the close of last year, he visited the district to examine the country for himself, He soon found that some parallel quartz lodes were cropping out on the suface of the eastern side of the ranges, on the western shores of-the lake, appearing from hill to hill for a distaucc of upwards of 12 miles, in a north and south direction. It was reported to him that gold had been found in several places along the course of these lodes, and from general appearances lie did not doubt that these, reports will be verified by closer examinations by practical miners .whenever the people of that neighborhood, aided by the citizens of Wellington, arouse themselves from their present apparent indifference to see and feel the. great commercial advantages that would accrue by the early development of a payable goldfield within an easy distance by railway of the Empire City of New Zealand. He more particularly examined the mine, for which a Government lease was granted to Messrs Brandon, Williams, George & Co., known as the Caledonian Company, or owners of the mine. There lie found a well-defined quartz-lode, wide, and running through slate rock in an ..easy direction .for working to advantage, with good road approaches,, plenty of firewood, sufficient water, and' every natural facility a practical miner could reasonably desire. He saw some fine gold in the face of a cross-cut through the reef, and the general appearances .'and indications were so good that he naturally asked the proprietors' —"Have you tested this'quartz by crushing any reasonable quantity?" The reply was—" We had one ton crushed at Auckland, there being no trial machinery in Wellington or nearer, This ton cost us .£2O expenses, but the- result was satisfactory, as showing the value of.our find. The yield was 'J3dwts to the ton; about 75s per. ounce—probably more, The sample ■ :of the quartz was a fair average of that you now see. in this lode. We have also Jiad Government tests, showing 12dwt and Udwfc to the ton token as before, as average.,of the quartz." He found on his return to Wellington that these statements were correct. He made some tests of quartz taken out by 'himself from this mine, and found .payable goldj if'worked properly' and .by •proper .machinery,, ijfe also obtained gold ten miles-'; distant. Jf 'suclr good: prospects as already shown at the Wairarapa reefs were obtainable in any part ' of Australia, capital would goon be subscribed to furnish machinery, and woj'k. vigorously , and payable re-

salts • _would':v-fi>jlow^—a : ' ; reward \ for proper ( enterprise, Why, asks the ' Avviter in conclusion, do not the people of Wellington follow the example' of other parts of New Zealand and of the .'Mistralians;:..ancl.''' make', themselves', ■better acfluainled"VltK"Uie"ramefat' resourcerttt least of their own district, nnd endeavor by a combination of wellcapital and labor to open, say, onfe mine at the Wairarapa to begin with, and commence by furbishing say a=lo-head battery of stamps with suitable engine, &e., the cost of which need not exceed <£l2oo if properly gone about, plant would produce 100 tons per week average,--which'would yield about 50oz gold, worth about £2OO, while the working expense? need not exceed under good . management £4O per week, fut the yield of gold as low as Sdwt to the ton, it still leaves a good margin of profit, both for the miner and the furnisher of the machinery.