MINING NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2037, 15 November 1869, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

ALEXANDRA. (From the Taap'-k" /VtW Corrcspondml. ) It is now nearly three years since that E. TV. Jones ami C. Galley found a quartz reef between butcher’s and Conroy’s Gullies about three miles from Alexandra, and sunk a shaft to a depth of 51 feet, carrying the reef or rather rubble all the way, at which depth they came on a solid reef of store with gold in it; in fact, there was a little gold from the surface, hut not enough to pay. About the time they struck this reef Galtey had the misfortune to fall from the top of the shaft to the bottom and break his leg, which made him a cripple for life, and Jones died some time after, consequently the ground has been abandoned ever since. But the stir at Cromwell infused a little energy into some of our townsmen who have formed a party, and taken possession of the abandoned ground, and have succeeded in bailing the shaft dry (which Mas full of water from the

drainage of the two water-races that flows past the shaft) and are now sinking in the reef, which is three feet in width, with welldefined walls. The stone is very good ;in fact gold is plainly visible in every stone. There are eight men at work, night and day shift ; they intend to send a sample of about four tons of stone to the mill belonging to the Ida Valley Quartz Mining Company to get crushed before erecting machinery of their own. They have made application to the Warden for a prospecting claim of 1,200 feet; and 1 hope they will realise their expectations. Early on Sunday morning the quiet of this place was disturbed by a good many of the inhabitants rousing no one of the pnntmen to be put across the Molyneux llivcr at five o’clock in the m ruing. The reason f>r this early stir was the news of a rich renf being found by Messrs Iverson and Co. of Conroy’s Gully, in the vioiuhy of the Great Eastern tunnel. Iverson and Co. have sunk eight feet into the reef, which is about one foot in width, and gull is to be seen in almost every stone. They have applied to the Warden for a prospecting claim of 600 yards along the course of the reef, and have also made app’ication for a gold mining lease of 400 x 200 yards on the same line of reef, but I am iufoi mecl the prospecting and 'ease claim is one and the same ground, and that they have made both applications to secure the ground. Claims on each side of Iverson’s were marked out on Sunday morning for a di-taneo of two miles, and the roa I from Alexandra was lined with people going to see the reef ; in fact the punt struck a patch on that day. There arc parties out prospecting in all directions, and I have no doubt before long the population will settle down at quartz mining as an occupation. The late E. W. Jones of this place found a lod: of plumbago in Conroy’s Gu ly some three years since, and I think, forwarded a sample to Dr He tor to report on, (but never heard tho result. However one of our enterprising miners, with plenty of means, has applied for a learn of the ground. Ho intends to thoroughly test the lode. I sincerely trust he may be rewarded. There is a company formed here to construct a large water-race from the Gorge Creek, which takes its iise from the “ Old Man range,” and which the Teviot road crosses about midway between Alexandra ami Teviot; tho distance will be about twentyfive miles, and some portions of it is very rough country; but the company is formed of the right sort of stuff, and, consequently, will not allow rough country to baffle them. Garrett and Company’s last crushing was above the average, and the stone is looking better tho further they sink, which certainly looks well. They are about erecting another battery of five heads of stamps, which they very much need. This company hold two gold mining leases, and a piece of spare ground between the two leases, making in the whole nearly forty acres of ground ; and I am informed one of the leases has not been worked for the last two years, and that certain parties have made applications to the Government to have the lease cancelled, on the ground that it is contrary to the Goldfields Act, 1806, for any one party to hold more than 400 x 200 yards in the whole on a quartz reef; also, that they have not complied with any one condition of their lease. If this be true, which I will not vouch for, the Government can have no hesitation about what they should cto in the matter. On the other hand, no doubt Garrett and ('ompaiiy are the means of opening up the district, and are entitled to ev ry consideration —they have borne the brunt of tho day, and I would allow them to reap the harvest, but the quantity of ground they hold, as regards size, is more fit for agricultural than mining purposes, and if the law under which they hold the ground, has not been complied with, they will have no one to blame but themselves if they lose it.