The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, OGTOBER 13, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1182, 13 October 1882, Page 2

The Inangahua Times, PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. FRIDAY, OGTOBER 13, 1882.

A visitor of long mining experience. $vho was here recently, and made a stay sufficiently long to form an ppinion as to the future of the limnpjahua district, designated it as the poming Sandhurst of this colony, and, fhere cannot be the slightest doubt, that the same relation Sandhurst holds •to the colony of Victoria, Reefton will pne day till to the Colony of New Zealand. In time the eyes of the Colonial Legislature will be opened to the vast value of the goldfields generally, and amongst them the Inangahua must jcertainly hold a prominent position. The Victorian Parliament lias long re.cognis ul the mining industry as one of the great supports of the Colony's prosperity, and every help is offered, everything possible done to foster and enpourage vl. On tho other hand, hitherto, the New Zealand rulers have done hut littlo for tho goldtields, and, in pnost cases, even granted that but grudgingly. There is no doubt that the same change that has happened in Victoria will yet take place hove, but ive must wait for it. Amongst other things that Victoria does is to keep a most accurate record of all her mines, i(O notj tlieir progress and development,

and be ever ready to assist with advice or with cash where genuine enterprises are undertaken. As might be supposed, mining flourishes in that Colony, and the seed thus sown is returned a hundredfold in. promoting the advancement and the settlement of the country, We have recently come across an extract from an article, by Mr Brough Smyth, published in the Art/us, on the Victorian mines, in which he refers to Sandhurst, whoso equal and compeer it is predicted that Reefton will be. He says : — " Sandhurst derived her wealth origin. -illy from the gold contained in the older and newer drifts ; and now she has to depend on her quartz reefs, and she may safely depend on them. Nearly a quarter of a million tons of quartz are crushed every year, with an average yield of over 12dwt per ton." After speaking of the almost total cessation of puddling machine work in the district, he adds : — " Twenty-two years ago there were 126 steam engines, of an aggregate of 2060 horse power, used in crushing quartz ; and now the miners have 296 engines of 5082 horse power, driving over 1600 stamp heads. Gold-bearing quartz is found at a depth of 1700 ft, or (say) 100 ft below the level of the sea, Yields exceeding 1 Joz. of gold per ton on large quantities of quartz crushed are not rare, and averages below 3dwt., 4d\vt., and sdwt., per ton more than clear expenses. The estimated value of the lands hold for mining purposes is nearly three millions sterling, and yet the total area partially occupied dnos not exceed 10,000 acres." The number of ;inen emplo3'od on the leased lands alone is 3500, and the number of miners altogether in the Sandhurst division is less than 6000. Nearly half a million has been invested in machinery, and it is not surprising that the annual product in the shape of gold should reach the enormous sum of £800,000 or ,£900,000 per annum." Just as Sandhurst has grown, Reefton is growing, and the older district never had the reefs the Inangahua district possesses, whether regard be had to their number, extent, solid stone, or

richness. But Sandhurst, for a great many years, has been connector! with the Victorian metropolis, as well as a vast extent of country, by a first class railway and it is only since that was constructed that it has taken such vast strides. In time to come, some " sweet bye and bye " period, Reef ton will no doubt be equally well provided, and then her time will come. In the meantime, in the face of every difficulty, its residents are doing wonders, and the energy and enterprise that are almost daily being developed will, without question, at no distant date meet with due and deserved reward. If any one could look ahead 20 years, we venture to say that the progress of the Inangahua would be found more decided and infinitely more marked than even that that has distinguished Sandhurst in the last two decades. It will be seen that Hoz per ton is spoken of . as a very high yield, whilst we are '. told that 3d\vts, 4d\vts, and Sdwts per ton more than' clear expenses. We do not believe there is a mine opened in the district, the stone from which would not give double the latter q nan ti- ; ties, which, in Victoria, are payable, • This should be a great encouragement to miners here. There is no no doubt whatever as to the gold being in the reefs, the only question is to so arrange expenses as not to eat it up in its extraction. It is certain that great im- ; proveme*nts in this direction are pos- ! sible, and the companies here might with great advantage take some leaves out of the books of their Victorian neighbors in this respect. This will come in time, and in the meantime what Sandhurst has done, Reefton, with greater advantages in every res- ] pect save the railway, mny hope to - achieve, and so thoroughly justify the prophecy of the visitor above referred to, in becoming the Sandhurst of the southernmost islands of Australasia.