MINING NEWS

Dunstan Times, Issue 1237, 13 November 1885, Page 3

MINING NEWS

Of mining news there is nothing fresh of any note to chronicle, though we know of several parties who have, and indeed, are still put prospecting One party, we learn, has got a prospect at the lower end of Tonng Hill Creek, between the Blacks road and the Mannherikia River, sufficient to warrant the patting on to the ground a small sluicing plant, but whether the result will come up to expectations has yet to be proved. We saw a very nice parcel of rough gold, more or less mixed with quartz, from the neighbourhood of Thomson’s Gorge, but whether it was from the neighbourhood of the old workings, or was a new discovery, we did not learn. The same locality wo look upon as being well worth a thorough and systematic prospecting, not only for alluvial deposits, but for reefs, of which latter there are no end of indications. Thomson’s Gorge itself has been worked riehtfrom the top of the range down to Tinkers by. stray, parties off and on for the. past 20 years and over, and it would surprise us greatly if there are not lota of gold still to .be go* in the locality were it bat properly searched for, ' As the making of any fresh discovery would do so much good, especially locally, it is much to be wondered that the business people and farmers do not unite in forming a prospecting association, and applying to the Government for the subsidy under the newly made regulations. The prospects in the Blacks drainage channel now being constructed still hold good, and everyone is now anxiously awaiting its completion, so that the ground carrying gold on either side of it can be worked. It is generally supposed that when the channel is complete, a steady seat of work for years will be found for fully 100 men. The location of so large a number of men in on*, neighbourhood means a something, consequently all are anxious for the completion of the channel.

Mr Green is doing but little as yet with his reef at Blacks, not having got his crushing apparatus complete, We have all through held to the opinion that a puddling machine would be the best machine with which to treat the class of stuff composing this find. It would be quicker in its action of releasing the loose gold and -quartz specimens from the mass of pipeclay slate in which they are embedded, and, moreover, it would be not only the simplest but the surest mode by which the dust gold could be saved. With an iron puddling machine similar to what we have seen used in several of the Victorian fields, and a light crushing machine, either a Berdan, or a Chilian mill, or three or four heads of light stampers, (the whole together, if necessary, could be worked with ordinary horse power), the find, we feel assured, would turn out a competency. Work at White’s reef is being got on with but slowly, though from the manager’s reports, surely. According to the manager’s last report, the shaft that is being sunk on what is known as McKenna’s reef, carries a gold bearing reef between two and three feet thick in thickness, and in the tunnel a good sound reef 3ft thick is being followed. Surely with such prospects the compauy would be warranted, now that the weather is fine, in putting on more hands, working a mine of this class with two men and a manager is simply absurd. The foundation for the crushing battery is now being cut out, with the battery erected a decided impetus will be given to the whole district, as many claim holders will be inclined to get out stone instead of merely hanging on.