THE AROHA GOLDFIELD.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1496, 4 February 1882, Page 2

THE AROHA GOLDFIELD.

It will be remembered that a short time ago the Piako County Council appointed Messrs Aitken and Bayldon, 0.E., to act in conjunction with - the county engineer, in reporting on the requirements of the goldfield, more especially with a view to facilitating the progress of the mining industry on the "buck" reef. The following is the report of these gentlemen, furnished to the county 1 council at last meeting :— " To' the chairman and members of the Fiako County .Council. Gentlemen, — We have the honor, in reply to your communication of' •the 14th ' inst'., ' to recommend that the undermentioned works be undertaken for the development J 6f'the Te'Ar6ha'gold- f field. That the road^ leading fronxthe ,T^ Aroba'mara road, npwfficbvfie of f6rma- > tiotf, l^dlnJE toitne iJresen|^clc trackj up. the'siding of r iKe*Wa'iorb'r?gom'ai i 'creek be f made fit. •for I "traffic.'^iTKat u/ iKe? i^rei" sent p t ack,~ track from hence to its termip^tiqn. in'^he/Arisonai, Uqensed^ 1 holdings be]Jmpxoved^faad7madej' wjde enojighjfor^jslejgb.jtrack.-fapdte^liended to the Golden Cr6wn : licensed- holding, »about 35 chains, .throughout to bavo.gjw?^^ »* feet W tMe saUdj arid"

the bush-to be cut down a width of half a chain on the sunny side. The work above referred to would afford immediate facility for the conveyance of trial parcels of quartz from the principal claims to the battery at the Te Aroha township, and would be of great service in the future development of the field. Gold has been discovered at various points on the line of reef for a distance of three-quarters ot a mile, and also on branch lodes for a distance of nearly 20 chains from the main reef. From what we have seen at the several workings," we • consider the' field will prove a payable one, and when fully developed give profitable and permanent employment to a large number of miners. A road should be at once surveyed- from the point where the Waiorongomai creek reaches the flat, marked "A" on the sketch, to the junction of branch creeks, marked " B." This road should be laid out on the best possible gradients, which would be about lin 12. The road should be cut to a width of six feet in the solid, which would enable crushing machinery to be conveyed and erected in the nearest place to the mines where water power is available, and also for conveyance of quartz to batteries. It can at any future time be made wide enough for a dray' road or tramway. The length of this road will be about 140 chains. Sleigh tracks would connect the various mines with the road, which would be superseded by self-acting tramways when "the per* manence of the field is assured. The present workings in which a fair show of gold has been found have an elevation of from 1800 to 2500 feet above the flats.— We have, &c, Alex. Aitken, D. H. Bayldou, G. H. A. Purchas.— Te Aroha, 27th January, 1882."