MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1043, 14 April 1882, Page 2

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Dunstan Mining Operations.—Tlmre aro no new finds of gold to chronicle in the district; hut we un lerstand that several claims known to be rich in the precious metal and which have been lying idle from one cause and another for the past few years will this coming winter be opened up. Coleman’s and Anderson’s claims at Butcher’s Point, below Alexanlra, are amongst the number. At the former now owned by Messrs M‘Benzie and Co a steam Engine will be employed to drain tho claim of water; an IMr Anderson, wo un-

derstand, will convey the Butcher’s Gully water across the river Molyucux in an iron pipe flume to aid him in his labours. Mr K. Little is constructing a wate-roco from the Wai Keri Kcri Creek on to tho bank of the Molyneux between Alexandra and Clyde, where ho has taken up a new claim. Other claims are also talked of being taken up. Altogether the prospects of the district are better than they have been for some time past, and the good times so long wished for appears to he drawing near. Dunstan Range Diggings.—The late rain has given fresh life to all the diggings under the Dunstan range between Clyde and St. Bathans. LatGythe claims were either idle or working with only half their usual supply of water. Now they aro in full swing and working with full heads.

The Dredges.— Neither of the dredges in the neighbourhood of Alexandra are just 1 now at work, though we understand that both will bo in full swing in the course of a few days. It is sincerly to be hoped not alone for the district, but as a reward for the

enterprise of the spirited proprietors that when they do sot in to work the amount of gold obtained will bo remunerative. Mining at St. Haitians. —Mining news from St Bathans district are encouraging. The companies who have in their bands the whole of the St. Bathans hill on the opposite side of the gully from the township have united for the purpose of testing the deep ground. With that object they have accepted the tender of Mr Giles Talty for the construction of 45 chains of a drainage channel for the sum of £4OO. According to the survey this will open up the hill to a further depth of 55 feet, and it is thought pretty well deep enough to reach the bottom where gold in untold quantities is supposed to be. This hill has been in constant work and employed a largo body of miners since early in 1803, nearly 20 years, yielding all the time large quantities of gold, and it is thought that working from the lower proposed level another 20 years will not see it worked out and that gold in equal if not in greater quantities will be obtained, as it has been proved by shafts and hydraulic sluicing that the ground contains the precious metal in such quantities as to warrant the outlay in bringing up the drainage channel. Scandinavian shareholders may take heart, as if the result is equal to expectations a rise in value is sure to follow. At Vinegar Hill, in this neighbourhood some tall sluicing that is well worth visiting, is being carried on with superlatively happy results.

Wising in Blacks —At Blacks No. 3 the Deep Lead Company are hard at work. They have sunk another shaft bottoming at between 50 and (50 feet with the usual prospect half a dwt to the dish of dirt; from this level they purpose driving along the reef working that out first before going into the deep ground, keeping that well drained in in the mean time. Mr Ilobert Love, one of the original shareholders on the Lead some 15 years ago, has the management of the workings, and from his practical knowledge of undergound working and of the lead he is the right man in the light place. On Tuesday evening last he had a very narrow escape from a terrible death It appears he was down in the newly-bottomed shaft engaged in opening out the drive, and just having sent up the bucket (which by the bye is half a cask and holds five or six buckets of dirt, and would weigh at least 3 cwt.,) and was picking away in a corner to admit of the sole plate of the opening set going into its place, when the men on top screamed in alarm, Mr Love at once squeezed himself into the croner when down dropped the bucket and its contents falling within an inch of him, in fact the rounded part struck him on the shoulder making a nasty bruise, another inch or two and he must have been smashed as so heavy an 1 compact a weight falling so great a distance must have fallen with terrific force. Beyond the bruise on the shou der and tke smashing through of some of the well boards no further injury was done.