QUARTZ MINING MEMORANDA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 221, 3 February 1874, Page 6

QUARTZ MINING MEMORANDA.

B E N D 1.0 0. From Bendigo, wo learn that the prospects of the Cromwell Company are looking brighter in one respect than ever; that is, in the stone. There is now on view over a thousand tons of stone ,of the same—some’ say even better—quality that we lately had to report. Between one and two hundred tons have been raised. Part of it—about forty tons—is now through the mill, but it is feared that crushing operations are going to be seriously retarded through the scarcity of water, the driving power. A very small quantity only is now running in the creek, and unless a change in the weather takes place soon, the quantity will be nil. It is hardly necessary to say that the stoppage of crushing operations would not interfere with the raising of stone ; but things look pleasanter when the gold is actually being extracted. The Lucknow workings are getting easier, it is reported ; the stone is not so hard as it was. A good deal of uncertainty prevails in the minds of many as to whether the tunnel has not been driven past the reef, even if it did underlie so ranch as was said. If not met with soon, perhaps it would be wise to bail the shaft and discover how much the actual underlie really is. Some of the old employes say it was three inches, some six, some nine, and some even twelve inches to the foot. Whatever it is, it will be a caution to companies in future to insist upon their managers furnishing them with exact data from time to time of the actual workings in the various mines. A great deal of valuable time and money might thus be saved when one manager has to resign the reins of government to another. The Reliance is reported on good authority to have, at the depth of 100 feet, struck upon the true reef, and carrying payable gold. It will be well not to indulge in too bright visions of the prospects of this company. Another ten or fifteen feet further down will settle the matter, —with some reasonable cer tainty, at any rate. Another attempt is to be made to put a little life into the Aurora, but it cannot as yet be predicted with what success. The attempts are made in such a lukewarm fashion that no one takes much interest in them. The shareholders might increase their capital by one-half the original amount, and it is almost certain some good would result from such a step.

From the Garrick, we have not received ■ourusual “Mining Memoranda" this week. In reference to this, we may say that if the proprietors and managers of the different claims do not feel sufficient interest in them to see that we are supplied with notes of their progress, &c., a little more regularly, we shall accept it as a sign that they do not wish any statements regarding them published. They are the best judges as to whether it is for or against their interest to -let their exact progress be knowm. In the meantime, the “Me moranda” are regularly republished in the Dunedin papers, and it is to that city, as every one knows, that we must look for assistance in developing our reefs, which, we sincerely believe, are as yet quite undeveloped. They are not sufficiently developed, at any rate, to allow of our engaging a special mining reporter, and we do not alw'ays feel justified in giving publicity to the gossip concerning the reefs we may pick up about the township. We trust we shall have no occasion to refer to this again. The Star, Oak, and Elizabeth ’managers are the only ones who have been at all regular in supplying information 'hitherto.