Author: New Zealand Mines Dept

Publisher: Theclassics.Us

Published: 2013-09

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9781230350202

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... public companies Now, in 1906, there are live dredges at work in the district, three of which are privately owned. There is a good supply of lignite in the neighbourhood, and this fuel is delivered at the dredges at a cheap rate. With regard to the restoration of the land after dredging, much can be said in favour of the dredging operations in this valley. Before dredging commenced the valley was low-lying and swampy, and totally unfit for agricultural purposes. Owing to its swampy nature it was also a menace to cattle. Since the advent of the dredges the ground has been turned over, raised in height, and drained, and is now capable of being converted into pasture lands. Mataura River. In 1889 a dredge was placed on the Mataura River, about three miles and a half above the Township of Fortro.se, by an Invercargill syndicate. They leased the bucket dredge from the Invercargill Harbour Board, and fitted it up with appliances for gold-saving. The operations were mostly of a prospecting character, and sufficient gold was not obtained to pay working-expenses. In 1900 Crookston's Mountaineer dredge was at work on the Eureka Claim, Mataura. The Otama dredge was also working on the Mataura River, and the Milestone dredge started work at the junction of the Nokomai Creek with the Mataura River. Messrs. Graham Bros, built a dredge in 1899 to work a claim about a mile above Gore, but being privately owned the returns were not made public. During 1900 the Mataura River, from Mataura Township to Riversdale, a distance of about thirty miles, was taken up under special dredging claims or prospecting licenses. In the same year the Central Mataura Gold-dredging Company purchased the dredge and claims of Graham Bros., and erected a second dredge. There...