THE REEFS.

Evening Star, Issue 3012, 14 October 1872, Page 4

THE REEFS.

An interesting article on the Shag Valley reefs has been contributed to the Tuapcka Times, and from it we extract the following ; —lt is only within the last few weeks—since the advent of fine weather— that work has been resumed w:lh anything like vigor, and there are signs of a change in the state of matters. One of the causes which threw a damper on the place w 7 as parties being over sanguine as to their prospects. In fact, at first, people here were all quartz mad ; and incurred great expense, making roads, erecting machinery, Ac., before giving the reefs a proper trial. Even at the present time, it is nothing more than mere surface prospecting, there not being one single shaft of any account sunk on any or the reefs. There are two crushing machines erected on the ground. The Perseverance Company have erected a compact little battery of five stamps ; likewise has Mr Duncan, who had a crushing a few weeks ago of about 100 tons ; but it did not turn out according to expectations, and has caused him to hang fire for a time, and been the means of checking the enterprise of several private parties, ■which is a great pity. It is to be hoped the efforts at present used to develop them will not be checked because success may not be met with at first. Another cause was that at the t.me Mr Duncan was crushing the roads were in a fearful state, it being almost impossible to get the quartz to the machine. But the chief reason of his failure was the want of experienced quartz miners. The men employed, with two exceptions, were totally unacquainted with quartz mining; thereby not possessing sufficient judgment for the work, as well as selecting the stuff for crushing. But it is only doing Mr Duncan justice to say that his energy and spirit displayed on the occasion deserved success. The Perseverance Company have made a fresh start; they had a crushing last week, which went IGdwts. to the ton. The reef in this claim is from two to four feet wide. They have now employed some ten or .twelve men; are engaged fn putting in two main tunnels to work their ground ; and have struck some rich stone in one tunnel. They have about thrty to forty tons of stone stacked, and are only waiting the arrival of horses for carting the stone to commence crushing, and it is confidently anticipated that the yield will be something good. Harvey and Co. are about throwing their claim into a public company, under tho Limited Liability Act. The name is to be the Shag Valley Freehold Quartz Mining Co , and is to be in 2000 shares of L 5 each. This company have a splendid show before them. They hold ninety acres of freehold, and a mining lease (part of the original prospecting claim) of 1200 feet. They have had several crushings from their ground—one from the prospecting claim went 17dwts tp the ton, and one from the 90-acre block went 18 dwts. per ton. The distance between the two is some 000 yards ; so there is every prospect of their possessing a very valuable property. They have leased Mr Duncan’s battery for a month, and are now actively engaged m crushing from the block on the ninety acres, which is expected to turn out well. The roof is from 7ft. to 9ft, wide, with gold visible iu the stone. Should ic turn out payable, it is the company’s intention to at once get over and erect their own battery, they having purchased the plant of the Old Duke of Edinburgh Co., Macraes. They have been very fortunate in obtaining the services of a very energetic and experienced manager, in the person of Mr G. Bell (at one time manager of O.P.Q. Co., Waipori, and other well-known reefs). One great drawback here to private enterprise is the want of a public machine for parties to get their stone tested—they having now to send it to Dunedin, which is rather expensive, it costing L2 per ton for carriage, and LI per ton (unless in quantities) for crushing. It is also feared that the different companies will be retarded in their crushing operations this summer, for the want of water, not one of the companies having made any provision for the storage of that necessary liquid during the wet season. Harvey and Co. at present are only able to work halftime. Doyle and party, of the Shamrock claim—five men’s ground - have just sold out to some Dunedin capitalists, the price, I bear, being LSOO. Two tons from this claim was crushed at the Government battery, the yield being 19dw 7 ts. to the ton It is the intention of the new proprietors to at once erect machinery on the ground. Likely reefs have been discovered at Teviot and between Wettherstones and Bun»town. Regarding the latter, the Tuapeka Times ;—The discoverer has formed a company for the purpose of thoroughly testing the value of his discovery. On Monday last, a prospecting claim of 1,200 feet by 300 was applied for, and has been granted by Mr Warden Pyke. The stone which we have seen is of a gold-bearing character, and contains mundic, which is regarded by quarts reefers as an auriferous indication. On the news of the discovery being publicly known, great excitement was caused, and several cla ms were marked off; The prospectors have also secured a water-right from Reedy Creek.