MINING NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2734, 21 November 1871, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

From Skippers we lea,rn that the trial crushing of poorer stone in the new ground opened by the Phoenix Company, Skippers, has exceeded expectations. The yield of retorted gold is 105 oz. from 110 tons crushed. As 6 dwt. (according to the calculation of the manager (Mr H. Evans) will pay a dividends, the returns will probably he large this summer, there being an abundance of stone already obtained. The Alexandra correspondent of the Dunstan 7'tme.i writes Among the miners greater activity is discernible than for some time previously, consequently a decided impetus has been given to trade. The quartz reefs at Conroys and Butcher’s are the principal attraction, but as yet the prospectors claim at Conroys is the only one getting gold. Up to the present time everything has gone on satisfactorily; the claim continues to produce plenty of quartz, and the machine, which is the neatest and most compact things in quartz-crushing machinery I have seen for a long time, is steadily doing its duty of disintegration. A clearing up will take place some time next week. I hear that during this week some very rich str.fi had been come across in some part of the workings, as much as 17 dwt. being washed out of a very small piece of ground. My informant told me the prospects of the party were better than ever. The discovery of payable gold at the rear of the New Orleans Hotel, Arrowtown, has led to the supposition that a run expends throughout the terrace on which the town is built, and which the Government, after repeated pel suasions, sold in allotments. Regrets are now expressed that a more convenient site, from a mining point of view, had not been chosen. Eight years ago a

good prospect was obtained at the rear of the New Orleans Hotel, but the matter was quietly hushed, for fear that holders of business licenses might be inconvenienced. Of mining in the Mount Ida district the Chronicle, is only able to say that it is being carried on much in the same jog-trot kind of manner as before—all doing a little but nobody making, so far as reports reach us, a “pile.” The supply of water is not so abundant as could be desired. The workings appear to be taking a decided course towards the south and west of the Main Guliy, as alto on the road to the racecourse claims are being daily taken up. Ihe ground •••■ localities is what is known as poor ground, ana out, -urm-kfid to advantage by large parties. Already we hear ol one special area being granted, of another applied for, and of several intended applications under the acre per ppu system. We have at length reliable hews from Cambridge’s Diggings, owing to several of the miners from this place going there on the 7th and returning on the Ilth for provisions, &c. Although it cannot be said that any of them were fortunate enough to get good payable ground, still they saw sufficient to aatisy them that there is good gold getting, and a likelihood of more gullies being opened. In fact there is a now gully being now prospected, and it is said that one pennyweight to the dish has been got in it, but that bad weather prevented it being thoroughly tested, In the first gully there arc only three or four payable claims sofar, but it is supposed that a good deal of what is considered unpayable now will ultimately pay when a more systematic way of working is adopted, the present being a most primitive style. The greate t find I have heard of is a half ounce to the dish, and it is vouched for that one man was making two ounces per day and I kuow that oue man was Imreou Saturday who showed the proceeds of two days’ work for himself and mate, it being over six ounces. It must be understood, however, that tjp;se aro exceptional cases.