Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1661, 27 February 1883, Page 2

Axd now we will reveri to what we consider the centre of attraction^sind the ohjedS ,6fGnWrest on the^'field&s^lessrs Firth and Clarkes new, .battery on the Creek. • Doubtless not a 'few look at,the batitory in tije same light as' we ourselves do, for upon, ip, ,and the other works connected, therewith rests the sacrass^i^uch^^ingi be/possible) of the field. Had the work of constructing the battery not been undertaken by private enterprise the Waiorongomai j'^^irt ?o? ot t h W?*?ceiv t earthe imp^s^Vhfch^Hey 1 dftf, ind'thV field for. spine copsMerab.^ -tim^ , to. ,090^,- piay k Wv« 'rertained' the 1 victim of faithless <*>&&&&. \!$P battery, iwhich: loonsists of forty head of stampers is situated on tber ri&htJfiana'.lbaiik>o^%Ke immediately where the creek strikes the amuiance which, jnayi Kaye .been found •successful "itt*>tt# 'Wa/- of^eoinomwing >\*b<Wy, ,**& |4w6i, c i hopp*fraf>ifaave t«W pjade to contain" 500 tons of qiiartar, .uflwj^k^^fP^l^ij^wyOTL^tne stftQijScrs. r nicii r liftV6i' i Dc6ii''^rccmirGd% F *^o^flnovcl ths

wore run at considerable expense, No expense has been spared apparently to make the building a commodious one, and one replete with every convenience. The 1 turbine fe I 'She only tfart 'of I the machinery which has not as yet been erected : but this is ' only a matter of a fewda!y« labouJ 1 , eVery thing "being; ready to put in jwsition as soon as required. But; the works in connection with the battery, the water races and the tramway, .the %ityer , costing in itself over £10,000, ( are ; pbjecta i moie , particularly worthy of notice, and to the casual observer, the vastness of these works indicates what great faith and confidence the projectors have had in their prospect- There are two water,-races, one 111 chains long conveying water from a, creek in an adjoining gully,' i and the otl)£M62 chains long which ' strikes the Waiorongonial creek some distance up the hill. A sufficient supply can be obtained from, .either race, for the required purpose, but both ha\e, been constructed so as to provide against accident or emergency. The races junction at a selfacting sluice 225 ft. vertically over the battery ; and this fall will give an idea ot the power which can be commanded to turn the crushing machinery. The entire work, both battery and water-races, indicates excellent workmanship in every respect, and is well worthy a visit from^he; traveller who may be passing through the Arolia district. Mr Adams, a gentleman who has been connected with many works of this nature on the other goldfields in this province, is the contractor, and the work which has been carried out under his supervision reflects great credit on the very practical nature of his knowledge in these matters. The tramway contract is being steadily pushed ahead by Messrs Darrow and JFoughey the contractors. We have before given «i detailed account of this work, and it is now needless to enter upon a repetition. A considerable portion of the earthwork f lias already been of, and the engineering part of yt\\a work having been got over, everything will now be steadily proceeded with. Over 100 men arc engaged on the contract, and doubtless, with good weather and other circumstnnces favourable, it will be completed well within the .specified time. The managers of the various mines have been neither idle nor neglectful usiegnrds their p.irt of the work. A large quantity of quartz has already been taken out and stacked, and by the time the woik is completed there will be sufficient quartz available to keep the battery crushing at the rate of 200 tons a week. Comparing the Waiorongomai of the present day with the Waiorongomai of eighteen months ago when it was visited by the Hon. John Hall, Minister ot Public Works, in company with the hon. the Attorney-General and several other gentlemen, including the members for Wai pa and Waikato, the visitors cannot help being struck with the magnitude of the progress which the place has made in such a comparatively short space of time, At the time to which we refer there was nothing on the ground to indicate even approaching settlement; nor did the place then exemplify any indications of what it might be eighteen months hence. Certainly gold had been discovered, but the tiamway which is now in course of construction had not been moottd, but instead the work of constructing a new load or track up the gully to the claims in which gold had been discovered was spoken of, and it was this that the Government were at that time asked to subsidize. Then as the claims threw out fresh and more reliable prospects, prospects which guaianteed almost unlimited cnterpiise, the gigantic work of constructing the tramway was conceived, and so convincing and unmistakeable were the prospects that the Government was easily induced to make a special giant in aid of a work which they knew was not merely destined to benefit the countiy in u'hich it was carried on, but the entire colony as a whole. Again, the Government in subsidizing this important work, know that by assisting in the development of the resources of the field they were greatly enhancing the value ot the extensive tiacts of Crown lands in the distiict, and thus adding considerably to the general levenuc in more ways than one. If we take the pi ogress of the past eighteen months as a ciiterion of what the future progress of the field may be, and we have every rea^ou to bplieve it will be gi eater in the future than in the past, tlie prospect is a tiuly great one. It is not too much to anticipate that befoie many years have passed by T,e Aroha and Waiorongomai will follow tlje example of Urahamstown and Shortland, and both extend their boundaries until they meet along the foot of the mountain, foiming one large and important town. Then what we indicated in opening our remaiks on the progress of the field will have come to pass — a good market will have sprung up ; settlers will be encouraged in the reclamation of the wilderness, fanning operations v ill receive a stimulus ; and gaueral prosperity is sure to follow.