Plan of the occupied Ground, Te Aroha.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1314, 30 November 1880, Page 2

Plan of the occupied Ground, Te Aroha.

Up to the present little that is new has transpired in regard to this field. As may have been expected, it will take some time before the ground can be prospected with anything like thoroughness. Reports are not wanting of finds in different parts of the field, but these should be received wjjth due caution, as in many cases they can be traced to a common source. We heard yesterday, for instance, that gold had been found in a certain reef in payable quantities, and about the same time another report reached us to the effect that stone had been found with a band of gold 2}j inches thick running through it. Upon enquiry we found that both stories related to one claim, and that the latter of the two was without the slightest foundation. It is quite true that good prospects have been found in the claim worked by Mr W. Wood's party, of whom Mr W. Pearce of Hamilton is one, and steps are being taken to have the stone tested. In a few days, no doubt, reliable information will be at han I regarding this and other claims. We are enabled in this issue to present our readers with a sketch plan of the claims pegged off in the neighbourhood of and including 1 the Prospectors, fur which we are indebted to our Thames evening contemporary. The particular spot most sought after was north of the Prospectors' claim Here Mr Macdonald Scott, ard party pegged off heven men's ground ; Mclntyre and party, thirteen men's; Paltridge and party, seventeen men's ; Reuben Parr and party, fifteen men's ; a Maori party, four men's ; and Captain Dawson and party, twelve men's. The other side was innoh less favored. Only one claim was taken up by Comes and Williams, on the east or top side. On the west side, Scanlan and party took up eight men's ground ; Heeley and party, mx men's gromid; Dillon and party, six men's ground; Austin and and party, five men's ground. On the South side, Redman and party, eight men's ground ; McCrombic and pirty, seven men's ground ; McGuire and party, six men's ground, Brown and party, 3 men's ground.

As will be seen by reference to the plan, the claims overlap each other in a very mixed fashion, and it will be neces<ary to have all the surveys completed before the Warden can have any chance to decide on the matters in dispute. There is every probability, however, that serious difficulty will be avoided by the miners themselves coming to some airantrement, and amalgamation has already been decided on in ip any instance. The natural result of this will be the formation of companies, under whose auspices the mining operations will be prosecuted with viaror. The nature of the country, indeed, will render the establishment of companies almost necessary, as few of the claims can be worked without capitnl, and, as in most ca.ses, the majority of those engaged in the work ot prospecting are men of little or no means. <A report got about on Thursday that alluvial gold had been discovered some miles away, but after diligent enquiry we could glean no satisfactory intelligence regarding it. Undoubtedly, good indications have been found further up the river, but they are in the reef. As we stated in our last, there was nearly as much excitement over the town sites as over the claims on the hill, and some difficulty will be experienced before all the claims for business sites have been finally settled. A number of Waikato people were foremost amongst those applying for sites the township, as well as many from the Thames and elsewhere. The following are the names of some of those who mads application : — Messrs R. F. and T. G. Sandes, W. H. Pearce, J. Moses, W. dimming, R. Gwynne, Capt. Dawson (Hamilton), T. Wells (Cambridge), A. Hogg, H. R. Jones, W. Barton, Veale, Farrell Bros., McCormick, Seddon, Clotworthy, Cassell, T. Y. Fitzpatrick, Richmond, O'Halloran, and L. Phillips. Applications lor water-race licenses have been made by Mr Gibbons and Mr Adams, both purposing to use the same stream, but the Warden has not yet given any decision on the latter matter. The number of miners' rights issued is now considerably over 500, and the number of business sites applied for about 80.