QUARTS MINING MEMORANDA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 213, 9 December 1873, Page 5

QUARTS MINING MEMORANDA.

——♦ —- BENDIGO. Mr Colclough reports that the Lucknow tunnel is in 330 feet. The manager finds it impossible to procure suitable men for the work. The country is unchanged since hist report. At the general meeting to-day, the difficulty of procuring men will bo considered, and some steps will be taken to proceed with the work more vigorously. The manager of the Cromwell Co. has only to report that the crushing of sixty-eight tons cleaned up last week gave a result of about 278 ounces, being at the rate of a little more than, four ounces to the ton. There is nothing of interest so far as the workings themselves are concerned. Nothing is known of the intentions of the Aurora Co. It is believed that no meeting of the company took place at the time appointed. The Reliance Company is still busy sinking on the reef. No test of any kind has yet been tried on the reef.

carrick Range. The Elizabeth Company continues on very good stone, giving every prospect of a yield superior to anything from the mine for the last two years ; and the fact that it is at the very deepest workings gives encouragement to the directors that a permanent improvement is at hand. The John Bull Co. cleaned up on Saturday last, after crushing two hundred tons at Mr Logan’s battery. The stone yielded fifteen dwts. to the ton, the cake weighing 150 ozs. The company will have a meeting in a few days, for the purpose of appointing new directors. Seven men are still employed on the claim, and the company will no doubt be in a position to have another crushing within a month or two. The tunnel in the Caledonian claim (the low level) is being proceeded with. It is now in about ninety feet. Last week they had a hard bar of rock to go through, and the progress made was only six feet; the rock now,' however, is favourable for driving, and good progress is being made. There is also an increase in the quantity of water in the tunnel, which is supposed to come from the reef. The reef itself is supposed to be on the lefthand side of the tunnel. It is not considered advisable at present to make a cross-drive for the reef, on account of the difficulty of procuring Suitable timber. The height of the tunnel clear from the rails is seven feet. The Young Australian stulf is being crushed at the Star-and-Oak battery. There is nothing of any great interest to

report from the Star or the Oak claims. The Star is busy filling in the old ground. The Oak is still driving to cut the reef. The Colleen Dawn Company have again struck the reef, although it is thin at present. The place where it is struck is in a different portion of the claim to where their shaft is situated. They have now about ton tons of stone at grass, estimated to go about from 18 to 20 dwts. to the ton. 1 The Vale of Avoca stone will bo crushed next, after the Royal Standard' is finished with the Try Again stuff. The Try Again Company is in great favour with a number of the miners on the hill. There are now about fifty tons of stuff at the mill ready for crushing.

Carriok Water Race.— The following is from the Manager of the Carrick Water Race to the Directors •: —• “ I beg to report that since my last report a month ago, about a mile and a half of the race has been finished, and that we ate now about half a mile from the first branch of the big creek (Long Gully). We have had this mouth some heavy bluffs to get round, where it was necessary to blast a way-for the race. This was of course slow work, but I am glad to say that we have some water running round them, and it seems to bo a good standing piece of work. For the last two weeks we have had two men going back over the piece cut last month, taking out the 'rock and making up the parts that could not then be done. Much of the country we are going through now is very bad. Although it is but a short distance to the creek, there are some very difficult places to be got over ; in fact, as bad as any portion of the race will be with the exception of the Coal Creek bluffs. There is one piece, about two and a half chains in'length, a mass of large rocks where a precipice seems to have fallen, that will take a deal of labour. I should wish the directors, or the gentleman appointed by them, to inspect this bluff, and advise whether it is best to cut the race or flume it. I think myself that the race can be made much cheaper than finming. considering the difficulty of getting material to the ground and the cost of erection, to say nothing of the liability to injury through the weight of snow and ice it would have to bear in winter. “I believe we shall get to the creek before Christmas, with the exception of tins difficult place. The portion of the race in whioh the water is running stands very well, but there is not sufficient water to carry along silt to prevent the soakage in the bottom of the race. In many places the rock is very loose and open, and will take a good deal of puddling,’but when we reach the big creek, I think we shall be able to tighten it up very quickly with the increased supply of water.”