MINING ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 673, 12 March 1875, Page 3

MINING ITEMS.

Clyde. Messrs M'Pheraon and Howjohns have opened a very promising sluicing claim on the west-bank of the Molyneux, near the old road leading to the ferry. There are two layers of very goad looking auriferous drift, full of what is technically known as 11 maories.” With an ample supply of water for sluicing, this claim should pay handsomely. The gold-bearing wash is a good height up in the bank, leaving plenty of fall for working. The Cromwell Argus says, Messrs Hall and M £ Nnlty, who have boon prospecting in the ranges above the Twelve Mile, Arrow, succeeded in discovering two auriferous quartz reefs, one of them six feet through. Prom samples of the stone, nineteen and eleven ounces respectively, one grain of gold in one case, and a trifle loss in the other was obtained. It has always been the opinion of miners experienced in quartz mining that this portion of the Arrow district would be found to be rich in auriferous quartz reefs. Garrick. The Standard battery has renewed crushing on a patch of stone belonging to Messrs Oliver and Baker. This is a trial crushing, and it is confidently expected that the yield will be from Iddwts to ICdwts. There are about 120 tons of stone to crush. The reef is said to be from three to four feet in width, so that good and frequent crushings may in the future be expected. The contractor for Heart of Oak Tunnel is pushing on the work vigorously, and anticipates completing the same before the contract time. Star of the East.—This company arc now busily engaged in getting out stone which is considered very rich. Tho new reef recently struck is thought by many to be the old Star reef. It is about 2J feet thick, and fair prospects are obtained. The battery is now undergoing alterations, new rippleboxes being introduced upon the principle recommended by Mr Ulrich. The machine manager is superintending the construction. Elizabeth.—This company is still pushing ahead the long tunnel with the determination of striking the reef. The whole of the directors inspected tho mine on Monday last, when they resolved to lot another contract for further prospecting in another part of tho mine, and the Mining Manager was instructed to let the contract privatcly, so that the work may he proceeded with at once, and I believe the same has been let at twelve shillings per foot. Too much credit cannot be given to this Company for the enterprise they have evinced, and the determined manner in which they have persevered in the prosecution of the work in face of many obstacles, and it is generally hoped that they will in tho end bo handsomely rewarded. Tho Crown and Cross. This Company crushed sixty-six tons of stone at tho Standard Battery last week, and obtained therefrom eighty-seven ounces, which must be considered highly satisfactory. The Try Again Company aro getting very good atone, and contemplate putting in a tunnel at a lower level. Young Australian Company. Work has been almost suspended owing to the want of water. The mine is opened up, and so soon as water can bo had, crushing will bo commenced.

A beer-seller in London has been fined for putting 250 grains of salt in every gallon of beer.

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. —o—

[Wo do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents.]

THE LATE INQUEST AT BLACKS (to the editor of the dcnstak times. ) Sir, —Permit mo, through the medium of your own columns, to inform yourself and your readers that the statements contained in the report communicated to you relative to the |inquest on Mr S. Leask’s child, and published in your issue of the 2(ith February, are utterly false from beginning to end. Had the writer been contented with amusing himself by the ingenious exercise of his maliciously inventive imagination relative to the inquest alone, I should have read his report with contemptuous indifference; ns, however, it contains statements regarding insobriety on my part, and that for two whole days, I heg to inform both you and him that it is my intention to seek redrees, if it is to be had, .for the writing of such a libel on the one hand, and tiio publication on the other of such deliberate falsehoods.—lam, <oc., ■T. D. Niven, M.D. Blacks, March 2, 1875.

Note. —We have only to say that our report of the inquest referred to was taken from the evidence adduced at tire inquiry. We have a second time referred to the notes and find that our report whs quite correct. The matter for complaint was the substance of the evidence of the female witnesses Mrs M‘lntosh and Miss Ellen Murphy. We are of course sorry that the subject has proved a painful one to Dr Niven, but we do not sec that wo could do anything else than givea fair and impartial summary of the proceedings.— Ed. D.T.

CORRECTION. (to the editor of the denstan times.) Sir, — In the heading which you placed over my letter, in you issue of the sth instant, I consider you insult both myself and the gentlemen of the Committee by whom the letter was sent you for publication. Besides this, by inserting “ the ” before “ minutes,” you completely destroy the sense of a sentence, and the meaning of the paragraph in which it stands. The passage 1 refer to should have read thus : “ Prom the very nature of minutes, it often happens that there is matter before a Committee in some shape, which it is not necessary to embody in the minutes, if no resolution has been passed regarding it. This happened to he the case in regard to the matter omitted in the report of the minutes in question, which I considered it due to myself to supplement in my letter.” (dated 22nd ultimo. 1 have to request that you will be good enough to insert this note in your first issue.—l am, Ac., Geo. Reid, Alexandra, March 11, 1875. Note.—This must close the correspondence.—Ed. D.T.