ARROWTOWN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 809, 19 October 1877, Page 2

ARROWTOWN.

—o—(from our correspondent.) Quartz mining at Macotown begins to look a little lively, and there is now scarcely a claim but what is in full work. As a rule prospects generally are improving, and most of the longest wrought claims arc getting out exceedingly good stone. Tho Homeward Bound in their lower tunnel are upon a run of splendid gold, something like ono hundred feet in length, and which they have traced down nearly twenty feet, both stone and gold promising great permanence. Should the present run of stone continue good for another twenty feet in depth, tbo company will proceed with tho erection of a ton head battery at once. The All Nations are upon first class stone, equal to tbe very best over obtained in this celebrated claim. They are underhand stouping out the reef, and find both quartz and gold give every evidence of a permanent continuance. Tho battery is engaged crushing. About one hundred tons have already been put through, and the plates indicate a generous yield. About another hundred tons passed through the reducing process ; wc may therefore expect a handsome cake of gold, sufficient to satisfy the most sanguine of shareholders. Thi machine will crush about forty tons per week, and there is ample power to attach another box of four heads. To this battery is attached an ingenious contrivance m tho shape of a “ concentrator,” which receives all the tailings from tho blanket and tables, allowing nothing to escape unless it can raise and pass through vertically nine inches of water; any flowered silver escaping from the tables is successfully secured, also the pyrites, winch oftentimes are highly charged with gold, and upon which tho quicksilver has no effect. The Victor Emmanuel is getting out very good stone, and have about one hundred tons to grass. Tho Maryborough are driving a tunnel to out into the reef at the shaft so as to secure better ven--1 tilatlon, which, owing to the sulphurous nature of the quartz, renders the air veiy bad white working in the quartz. The | Garibaldi is also tunnelling for similar ! reasons. The Ladye Fayre has struck a j good run of stone at the lower end of their ! claim, and are now engaged opening out on i it. Messrs M'Ardol and Mackay have also ; struck good gold in their lease adjoining tho ; Ladye Fayre. '1 hr Premier and Gladstone j are in law, so nothing but litigation oxis s i here instead of quartz raising. The TipI perary and Geraldine are similarly affected, ! but it is to bo hoped that these unfortunate 1 disputes will soon bo finally disposed of. A | company for the erection of a public crushj ing mill has been floated at Arrowtown, and the necessary machinery ordered from Messrs Kincaid and M ■Queen, of Dunedin. In alluvial mining there is very little doing, although now and then 1 hear of some very good patches being obtained in the terraces on the Arrow River. The agriculturists arc getting down in the dumps owing to tbe extreme dryness of tl o season. As yet the crops look splendid, but this cannot endure long without rain. The fruit tiees look lemaikably well for bearing, they never were so loaded with blossoms ; the settled, dry, warm weather appears to agree with the oichards up to the present moment. 'l'lie market on Friday and Saturday last was not so successful as could bn wished, the farmers having little to sell, besides being busily' engaged rolling and harrowing. His Honor Judge Harvey gave his written decision in the celebrated case Cope v. Williams as follows In answer to the case staged by me for tbe opinion of the Supreme Court, the learned judge states that ho is unable to discover from the regulations that the appellants were under tho necessity of employing any definite amount of labour in their claim, but that if in my opinion the evidence shows that tbe clafin has been nmvrnnght beyond the space of two cleai' working days, within the meaning of the regulation 25, section IP, tho claim would be deemed to bo abandoned and the certificate would be liable to ho cancelled. The complaint was brought before the Warden for the cancellation of tho certificate under regulation 2d, sectirn XVIIL, and was so dealt with by him, and was not brought as a case of abandonment under regulation 25, sections Hand HI, and, as a matter r.f fact, no evidence was given that would bring the case within the meaning of the last mentioned regulation. Evidence was given that the requisite labour was not continually employed on tho claim, but no evidence w as given that at tho time the complaint was laid the claim had remained unwrought beyond the space of two clear working days. It was, so far as it went, to the contrary, viz,, that tho claim was wrought, although not with tho full amount of labour required, but as tho claim was not for abandonment, and as tho term “ prescribed conditions” has not been explained by the learned judge at tho Supremo Court in bis written judgment, I must recur to tbe. definitions previously explained by me, ‘‘That tbe term applies only to such special conditions as may be piescribed by the Warden at the time of tho granting of the certificate of regulations and , to such conditions as may be prescribed hy , the regulations specially relating to (!) of certificates, and does not apply to general I rules and regulations applicable to all : classes of claims alike. Appellant-‘having been guilty of a breach of the general regu- | latimiß, tho Warden should have inflicted a • fine under secthai 101 of tho GoJdficJiU AA |

and not. have ordered cancellation of tin. certificate." Appeal allowed with coot', L 7 Ba.