MINING COMPANIES
Charleston” to find new ground. None was found. Mr. R. G. Neale was the Secretary.
THE GENERAL EXPLORATION COMPANY LIMITED.
From about 1897 until about 1900 an effort to resuscitate mining about the Charleston, Addison’s Flat, and Buller districts was made by a highly-capitalised venture, The General Exploration Company Limited, which obtained many properties around Four-mile, Addison’s Flat and Mount Rochfort, and of which Mr. Pielsticker was general manager and Captain Dencker, engineer.
At the Four-mile were three, with an area of 259 acres, the claims being known as the Empress, the Aurora, and the Four-mile. These were under the management of Mr. E. C. Braddon who, in a report in 1897 stated: “These properties contain large deposits of cement. The gold is very fine, and has a coating of oxide of iron which makes amalgamation very difficult.” The company also took over the Four-mile water-race, and a number of areas adjacent to Charleston.
The first claim worked at Addison’s Flat was the Bendigo, a sluicing claim below Bald Hill, containing 140 acres. It employed 120 men. Much capital was spent in constructing a tail-race tunnel, a mile and a-half in length; in widening the water-race from the old Fairmaid dam for 21⁄2 miles with tunnelling; also on water-races from Reid’s Creek, Island Creek, Back Creek, and Waimea Creek.
Their mining operations were started in earnest about July, 1898. They also installed a large hydraulic elevator, or “blow-up” at Addison’s Flat.
The claim at Mount Rochfort was known as The Rochfort and was of about 100 acres. It had previously been worked for years by four partners. Much money was spent in enlarging the dam, bringing in another creek, and supplying 1,700 feet of piping. The new tables had a spread of 200 feet. The manager was Mr. A. G. Hill, who came from Wakamarina.
By 1898 the company had constructed 2,500 feet of water--
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