MINING NEWS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1172, 15 August 1884, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

The following report has been kindly placed at oar disposal: Jjly 6 th, 1884. To the Directors White’s Reef Company, Qsntt.emen—l have the honor to report since taking charge of your mine (ounuary 14tb, 1884) the following wo r k has been execute I.' A shaft was sunk on the re< fto a depth of 70ft. A reef 2fc, thick, carrying payable gold, existed in fhia shaft to a depth of 40 ft; the reef then went off at an angle of 22deg. Sank the shaft some 30ft further, then driving across, cut the footwall portion of reef, which was about 3ft thick, payable (say about 7dwt. to the ton). Continued cross-driving 13ft, but owing to the heavy influx of water had to discontinue operations without reaching the hangingwall stone. The men were then placed in the tnnnel which had been commenced at the lowest level obtainable, and in close proximity to the Last Chance Sompany’s boundary. After extending this tnnnel 270 ft, - and not getting stone, the local directors deemed it advisable to cease driving, and sink another shaft. No. 2 was commenced 65ft east of No. 1, and sank to a depth of 84ft, that being the base line of tunnel. Driving was again resumed, and shortly afterwards the workings were connected. A little stone was found in No. 2 shaft, but the greater portion of the stuff was of a mullochy nature, carrying a little free gold. Driving has been continued along the line of reef till the present. Some 35ft, from face of drive struck the fist payable stone, carrying in thickness from 4 to Din. This about of stone did not reach the low roof of drive.

On Jane 30th an improvement took place, and tho following day the reef was 2Jft in thickness, and prospects very well. The end of drive is immediately below bottom of No. I shaft, and 110 ft fiom surface. In all probability stone will be found on the foot wall als >. Tho walls here are not less than 20ft apart. Total length of tunnel, 360 ft. Have pus in several crossdrives In the aggregate some 90ft have been driven in this manner. The hanging wall being so difficult to follow until lately, 1 found it necessary to cros-i-cut at intervals. Very good stone exists on surface 150 ft ahead (west) of face. The range rising in that direction will give additional “backs.’' The prospeers of the mine are very good. Part of the time six men were employed, the last two months only four have been kept on. A pirallel reef known as McKenna’s exists about 200 ft north of While’s line, locally supposed to ba rich, but 1 cannot speak p .silively about it, having only tried a few places along the surface.

I would suggest the advisability of obtaining from tho adjoining Company (U C.) a site for stacking quanz upon, your urnpany not having one at the level of their workings, I wrote to Last Chance direct.r a asking permission to deposit spoil ami quartz upon their claim, which they granted verbally. I am, etc., J. B. Neale, Mine Manager. P.S.—There are about 40 tons of quartz lying at “grass” worth at least loz per ton.—J.B.N.

Moat cheering news has come in from the Old Man flange, a very rich ve nof atone having been struck in White’s Company claim. We did not clean the full particulars, but from what we can learn the atone was not of great thickness but was of ex eroding richness, both in loose gold and in the stone.

All tho other claims on the range are idle, they having no under vround workings. The river, in spite of the continuous and heavy rains, maintains a h-w level, enabling the l each claims and the dredges to lie worked to every advantage. No great finds are reported, though fro u many signs there is a good bit of gold being ohtaine I. The Messrs Wicks Brothers, who for many years past have beau mining in Black* man’s Gully, during the past weak disposed of the whole of their interests there to Messrs Angus and Buck well for the sum of LIOO. This is a valuable property, and it is hoped the present hollers will do as well as their predecessors. At the he id of this gully, and indeed right along tho slope of the Old Man Range, embracing the heads of the Aldinga, Conroys, and Butcher’s Gullies, right along until the basin .of tho range is reached, where White’s and all the other rests have been discovered, there are numerous strong indications of reefs welt worth following np. Doubtless if White’s and the others in its locality during the coming summer turn out anything, and prove permanent lodes, the whole range side will got a thorough pros peeling; hut whether or no, the field is a good one, and equally worth the attention of capitalists and mining speculators, if, indeed, not more so than many of the places that have of late been overwhelmed with attention. Everything is in its favor ; it is within the boum's of civilisation ; every part of it is accessible on ho sehack ; and given the road to the Waikaia Bush, timber suitable for mining is within from tea to fifteen miles of anv part of the field.