From The Tarnagulla and Llanelly Courier March 22, 1890
THE GOLD MINING COMMISSION
The Royal Commission on Gold Mining held a meeting at Tarnagulla on Friday, the 14th inst., there being present the hon. James Bell (chairman), and Messrs A. Young, Gordon and Hunt, M.L.A.’s, and Messrs Burton, Roselles, Martin (Clerk to the Commission) and Wade (shorthand writer). The following evidence was given:- 신용카드현금화
James Cheetham, Esq. M.L.A., called upon H.C.Bristol, town clerk of the borough, to give evidence, who stated that he had been here a great number of years; had been engaged in mining in other parts of the colony before coming to Tarnagulla. Had great experience in quartz mining, more especially in Poverty Reef. This reef was worked to a depth of 60 ft. when he was appointed manager for Mr King, who held several of the rich claims on the line of reef. He held that position until the reef was lost at the 400 ft. level and had been connected with the several companies on the line since that time. The stone from the surface to the 360 ft. was very rich. The quartz in the early days was picked and and carted to the Loddon for crushing, and a great deal of the picked stone yielded 50 oz. to the ton. Afterwards, when crushing power was erected on the mine, and the whole of the quartz from 16 to 20 ft wide crushed as it was taken out, yielded from 1 to 12 ozs. to the ton. They got from 5 to 6 ozs to the ton from quartz taken above the 360 ft. level. There has been several companies working this ground, but as yet they have not succeeded in finding the continuation of the lost lode. The company now working on the ground, has sank [sic] a new shaft from the surface to 800 ft., and are still sinking their main shaft. The Yorkshire Company is situated one and a half miles north of the Poverty reef, and is supposed to be on the same line. 신용카드현금화 The mine formerly gave very good yields, but is not now payable. The Yorkshire Co. is now prospecting the reef at the 500 ft. level, and can get a little gold but nothing payable yet. Many other reefs in the locality were very remunerative to a depth of 1 and 2 hundred feet. The Greeks Hill, Ironbark, Western Reef, Sandstone Reef, Cambrian Reef, Corfu Reef, and many others have good returns, but are now mostly all abandoned for want of capital. Do not think the Wanda or Greeks Hill and Ironbark line is the same as Poverty reef, it lies further west. The reefs mostly lay flat and run on three different lines. Have had as much as 5 oz. to the ton. Believe that the formation is what is called Sandhurst reef channels. Believe that the use of a diamond drill would be likely to develop something good on this line of reef. The Kangaroo Reef was very rich on the surface, giving an average of 6 oz. to the ton. The Yorkshire Co. do crushing for the public, charging 7s per ton, or one horse load. The Cambrian Reef, Llanelly, is a line of reef deserving of further development. Was about 4 ft wide. Reef dipped north with a western underlay and was successfully worked to 380 ft. Shaft sank to 500ft. Water very heavy, Reef situated in a flat and is very wet for a quartz mine. The ground was abandoned because the gold run [sic] out and there was a great mining depression at the time, and capital could not be got to carry on the work of prospecting. The Sandstone Reef was given up about the same time for want of capital. The reef was formerly a very good one. There are a great many other reefs. The Great Western Reef has yielded as much as 50oz. to the ton. Tbere is a good deal of shepherding leases in this place. 신용카드현금화 The holding of large areas of ground without employing labor is detrimental to the mining interests, such land should not be locked up but should be available for prospecting by private parties. Think the leases should be voided after a reasonable time if not worked. Am opposed to holding large areas. The ground is not prospected. Think 1000ft. a fairly large claim, and enough for any company. In alluvial ground think there is a large area of alluvial ground not prospected. Think the valley of the Loddon contains an extensive alluvial lead of gold. The best way to test the resources would be by using the diamond drill. The area is a large one comprising many miles of untried country. The shallow ground in this part has been worked out. Could not say but the Tiffin auger would be better than the diamond drill. Think there is also a reasonable chance of finding payable gold on the extension of Tarnagulla and Moliagul leads. There are no prospecting associations here. The work would have to be undertaken by strong parties or companies. He thought that the mining boards and prospecting boards should be abolished, and their powers vested in shire and borough councils, and that they should be authorised to spend the money. The Government had acted wisely in subsidising the companies that are willing and in the position to carry on deep and expensive prospecting. He thought that plans should be kept of all workings. He did not know of any better plan for treating quartz than the stampers, etc, now in use. 신용카드현금화
In reply to Mr Roselles the witness said: With regard to the distribution of the vote thought the government had acted wisely in assisting companies to carry on expensive prospecting work both in quartz and alluvial ground by subsidising those companies who were in a position to contribute in carrying out the work. It would be a great advantage to have plans of all work done by former holders, as it would facilitate future generations where there is water, also as a guide to operations of any new companies taking up the ground, as they would find such plans very useful. In quartz crushing simply use ordinary stampers with quicksilver in the boxes, gratings 150 to one inch, drive at 70, have also copper plates. Can crush with 16 head 150 tons a week. The tailings are stacked and do not contain sufficient gold for subsequent treatment. The blanket sand is sent to Sandhurst for treatment, and average about 8oz. to the ton. Believe that the mining boards should be abolished, Can see no reason why they should be continued. Think the work should be done by municipal councils. They (the Mining Boards) have no power to make laws.
The Chairman: They make bye-laws. 신용카드현금화
Mr Bristol: The bye laws only govern a very insignificant class of mining
E. Rosman, Esq. said,I am an accountant and was for several years a legal manager of several companies about this district. Have heard the evidence of last witness and agree with him and therefore will not repeat it. Have the statistics of several of the best reefs which I produce. From the several claims on the Sandstone Reef �80,000 was raised; Corfu Reef gave �14,400 53 tons giving 1075 oz. of gold; Garibaldi and Last Chance �2500; Woolshed �1300; Working miners �8,000; Kangaroo �20,000; Young Australia about �3000; Stony Reef �4000; Sabbath reef �3000; London �6000. The Poverty line of reef was the richest but the returns are not complete, as there is no records of gold from some of the richest claims. It is estimated that the yield from the Prince of Wales claim (80ft.) was �200,000, from three small claims 24,860 tons gave a return of 59,527oz. There is no record of the gold taken from King’s prospecting claim, one block of stone gave 6oz. to the ton, taking the reef 20 ft. wide. Estimate the yield from this reef at �1,025,000; the Greeks Hill reef yielded �80,000; Ironbark �10,000; Needful Reef �8000; Great Western �7000; Goshen Reef �13,000; Jim Crow �8000, Rise and Shine and Phantom now Tappitt Hen �15,100; Specimen �6000; Yorkshire �80,000; Cambrian �500,000, and paid �79,000 dividends in 18 months. This mine was very expensive to work, one sink of 50ft. cost �2560, water was very heavy. There are several other reefs which have yielded fair returns when opened. Estimate the value of gold taken from reefs here at �1,620,000. Have no record of returns from the alluvial workings. Believe that a diamond drill would be useful in the Greeks Hill, the reefs being mostly flat. Think that shepherding leases are a loss of the mining interest, ground is locked up which should be open for prospecting. Think that the present mode of distributing the prospecting vote is equitable. Do not believe that granting large amount, say �2,000 or �5,000 to one company would do more good. Think that by distributing that amount among several lots would increase the chance of success. Believe that the mining boards should never have existed. There is plenty of timber in the district for mining purposes. Think that the old gold workings should be leased for orchard purposes. 신용카드현금화
“Mr H. Joyce stated that he agreed with the most of the evidence of the last witness, but he did not think the abolishing of the mining board, and giving their powers to the municipal bodies would be any improvement on the present system. Represented this place in the district mining board for upwards of 20 years without a break, and during that time had many occasions to report against the alienation of auriferous lands, and frequently had modifications of surveys and marking of selections so that known reefs were still kept available for mining. He would advocate the alteration of the law so that mining board members would be elected from the Parliamentary rolls, and extending the powers of the board. The supervision of money spent under the prospecting vote was very lax, and this could be done by mining board members if they were authorised to do it with some advantage to the State. There were many other ways in which the board could be made more useful to the mining interest. 신용카드현금화 In addition to the duties they now have they could also report on the labor covenants of mining leases. There is not much shepherding of leases in this locality at present, as work was being done on most of them now held. There is plenty of timber available for mining in this neighborhood, but it is getting thinned out owing to so much taken away by rail to other places for props and fuel. Believe that plans should be kept by all companies or parties carrying on extensive operations, and that tracing copies should be filed in the mining department as records and for future reference. Believe that the prospecting vote has done a great deal of good in assisting companies to carry on deep and expensive prospecting works. Think that the Yorkshire Co. and the Prince of Wales Co. would have stopped work three years ago only for the assistance given from the work three years ago only for the assistance given from the vote. Both companies are doing good prospecting work by sinking deep shafts and crosscutting at various levels, payable quartz may be found by one or both of these companies any day. Was opposed to the free or unconditional grants of money to mining companies or others, except in very urgent cases as occurred in the Duke Co. or the old Inglewood Lead. Once introduced such a system would have to float a loan to keep pace with the demands. Believed that those who stood to benefit by the expenditure of the government assistance should contribute fairly to the cost of the undertaking. Am averse to leasing old ground for orchards or vineyards, more especially on nuggetty ground. In July last year a nugget weighing 461 oz. was found here in and old worked out gully, the nugget laying in a piece of solid ground not more than three feet square. 신용카드현금화
D.J. Duggan, Esq., Mayor of the Borough, advocated prospecting the Loddon Valley by a series of bores from Newbridge for a distance of four miles east on the Sandhurst road, gold having been found by farmers in several places in the locality in drifts when sinking wells. At Mt Moliagul the largest nugget ever found in Australia was unearthed, viz., the “Welcome”. The alluvial ground at the base of the mount had been very prolific in nuggets. Believed that a tunnel through the mount would open up rich quartz lodes. Am opposed to large leases on quartz bodies; should not exceed 12 acres only in exceptional cases. The government should offer a bonus for manufacture of cheap horse power pumps capable of lifting 2000 gallons of water. Thought that deep-sinking quartz mines should be encouraged and liberally supported from the prospecting vote. One shaft should be selected in each mining centre, and by deep sinking and crosscutting be a test shaft, if successful abundance of capital would be found to open up other mines to work. Am decidedly opposed to the abolition of Mining Boards. Would abolish prospecting boards and vest their powers in the Mining Boards whose powers should be enlarged. Do not believe in centralizing the management of all mining in the department in Melbourne. Miners should be allowed to retain local control of their interests. Would not relegate the functions of the mining boards and prospecting boards to municipal councils. Members of the mining boards should be elected by voters having a vote for parliamentary elections. 신용카드현금화
Mr Mitten, President of the Bet Bet Shire, said, am an old quartz miner but am now engaged in business in Llanelly. There are many valuable quartz reefs laying idle here and at Llanelly for want of capital. The Sandstone reef once very rich and payable to a depth of over 400 ft. is a case of this kind, also the Cambrian reef. Thought that the government should assist companies to purchase and erect machinery on such places. If such assistance was granted to the Sandstone Co. no further aid would be required or asked for. Suitable machinery for those places would be expensive as the water is very heavy. A pumping plant on the Sandstone Reef would drain a large area north and south of the line of reef. To secure the government against loss a mortgage could be given over he machinery. There was payable gold left in the Sandstone Reef when abandoned. S. Nicholls, Esq. farmer residing on Murphy’s Flat, said he was for many years connected with quartz mining and believed that with a judicious expenditure of capital, the reefs in this district would again prove payable. He worked the Sabbath Reef to a depth of 150ft. when it became poor, and being able to make more money elsewhere abandoned it, crushing at the time being very dear. Have paid as much as �4 per ton for crushing quartz. The facilities for crushing now are fairly good, 7s per ton being charged. There are two crushing batteries in the place. Think that it would not be advisable to lease old worked out land for garden purposes. Have known of gold being found in a well in Newbridge. Also some good leads from the shallow reefs in the same neighborhood. The land is all private property. Believe atiffin augur would develop some payable alluvial gold at Newbridge, also at Murphy’s Creek. 신용카드현금화 The land is mostly private property but believe that owners would consent to boring being done on their land without any charge. The sinking at Murphy’s Creek would be mostly shallow, but pretty hard.
Mr Denby, miner, resided here since 1854, have been engaged in mining during that time. Am now working old lead, was the dirt by means of trough and cradle. The present depression in mining is caused by want of capital to further develop the reefs. Those who had benefited by the former such [sic] yields have left the district and many are dead, some have left the country.
Joseph Willan said, have been here 30 years, have been engaged in alluvial mining during that time, mostly in the vicinity of the hard-hills. And now engaged in prospecting at the 70ft hill near Arnold’s bridge. And receiving pay from the prospecting vote, got wages for self and mates. Have received about �60. Applied for the grant for self and party. Have sunk 5 shafts from 50 to 60 ft. each, and drove about�. indistinct line towards end of item�.. if the ground was not so hard to drive. No one overlooks our work, report sometimes to the member of the prospecing [sic] Board and once a month to the secretary for mines. Send in sworn declaration, with wages sheet once a month, believe it would be better to have closer local supervision in some cases.
The board sat until 1 p.m., when the meeting closed, and, after partaking of lunch at the Victoria Hotel, the members proceeded by rail to Dunolly.
________________________ End of Courier Report _____________________________
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