THE BRUCE QUARTZ-MINING COMPANY.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 621, 15 June 1876, Page 3

THE BRUCE QUARTZ-MINING COMPANY.

The Otago Guardian reports : Some eighteen months ago Mr Ulrich, of the Mining Department of Victoria, having inspected the auriferous reefs in the Tokomairiro district, gave it as his opinion that the mines there would be fairly remunerative if worked upon a more comprehensive system. A greater amount of machinery and a greater number of men were required to reduce the cost of producing the gold, and this being done, he thought the mines would become a profitable investment for capital. In pursuance of this opinion, a change has been made in the operations carried on at the Bruce mine, at present the only working one in the district. The mine is worked on a more extensive and a much more economical plan than hitherto. Under the superintendence and direction of Mr W. J. Dyer, the legal manager, the plant and staff have been increased to three times their former strength, and a great saving in the cost of working has been thereby effected. The yield of gold from the mine has been about 4dwt to the ton ; that may be stated as the minimum product of the mine. With the small plant of five head of stampers and a staff of eight men, 4dwt to the ton, it was found, would barely pay working expenses ; but now with fifteen bead of stampers and eighteen men, a fraction under 3dwt to the ton, will, it has been proved, cover working expenses, and anything beyond ibeing clear profit to the shareholders. Supposing these calculations to be correct—and there is no reason to question them, —the mine may be expected to pay a profit of Idwt of gold to the ton, which would be a very satisfactory return upon the capital, especially when it is remembered that the working power might be further increased and the cost of production reduced.

The cleaning up and retorting for the month took place on Saturday last. During the month 480 tone of quartz were crushed, and yielded 128 oz 9dwt of gold—sdwt 8 gr per ton. The machinery only -worked for twenty-three days out of the month, and with the stone there was a considerable quantity of mullock, so that the first trial with the new machinery was under somewhat unfavorable circumstances. However, the yield shows a result of £236, or a profit of 61 per cent upon the paid up capital. The capital of the company is £6400, in 6400 shares of £1 each, 16s paid up. The mine is situated near Table hill, and next to the Canada Company’s ground. The quartz reefs of both claims are said to run parallel, and to be very similar in character. The reefs are most extensive, and can be easily worked. In the Bruce Company’s ground the main drive on the lode is 800 ft. so that the company has reason to be satisfied of the existence of a well-defined lode, and there is a slope of quartz 150 ft long by 70ft high, with an average of 3ft in width. A shaft 80ft has been sunk in the gully, and the lode has been traced for a mile in length, so that a tunnel has only to be driven at a lower level, and any quantity of quartz can be obtained, for the same reef has heen found at the river, 600 ft bo’ow the present workings. The reef which has been traced for such a distance is believed to be one continuous lode. The present workings are from 600 ft to 700 ft above the north branch of the Tokomairiro river, which runs about a mile to the west of the mine. A tunnel has recently been pub in, 29ft from the river, and driven 135 ft into the hill, and the boundaries of the same reef as that which the company is now working, it is believed have been reached. The extent to which mining operations might be carried on if this is the case is almost without limit. It is the intention of the company, we understand, ultimately, when the reef is fairly visible in the new tunnel, to erect crushing machinery hear the river. -Provision has been made for this by driving the tannel at a safe distance from the river, out of the reach of floods, and in such a position as to supply the machinery with stone easily and inexpensively. The tunnel has been driven at an incline of one in fifty, in order to allow the water to run from the mine, and so that the loaded trucks can be moved with very little labour. The expense of pumping and hoisting will thus be saved, and, as any quantity of machinery can be employed, the value of the mine will be increased accordingly. The company’s plant at present consists of three batteries, of five head of stampers each, a berdan, winding-gear and pump, and amalgam barrel, the whole of which are efficiently worked by a Leffel’s 10-inch turbine-wheel, erected so as to make the Table Hill Water Company’s race available, with a fall of 60ft. With the 'present machinery and number of workmen employed—-eighteen, including the mine manager, Mr Todd—the company is able to procure and crash 150 tons of quartz per week. The battery house is erected over the mouth of the shaft, and every precaution whereby expense could be saved, and the mine effectually worked, has been taken. The motive power which drives the whole of the machinery, including pumps and winding gear, is obtained at little more than a nominal cost; and if judicious and economical management 'will make a mine prosperous, then the Bruce mine certainly ought to be a first class paying property. The cleaning-up on Saturday was the first since the new.machinery has been in operation, Prior to June last the whole of the quartz obtained from the lode in the main drive consisted of about 2000 tons, and gave an average yield of four and a-half pennyweights to the ton, but as the mine was then worked upon a small scale, this did not pay, though it would have paid well if the present system of working had been in vogue. With the last crushing there was a large quantity of inferior stone (mullock), owing to it being taken from near the surface of the ground, and the difficulty of preventing the mullock from falling and mixing with the quartz could not be completely overcome. For this reason the last crushing may be regarded as a fair test of the general capability.of the mine It was not picked stone. Mining upon this and adjacent property is likely to become a very important industry, and ultimately to employ a large number of men, and to give fair returns to capitalists. The facts before us indicate that the mine is one which, with-

out creating the excitement caused by the heavy yields that are invariably followed by sudden fluctuations—at one time being very profitable, and at another very ruinous to speculators,—is likely to be a permanent industry of a remunerative character. It is worthy of remark that this property has never been dealt with for speculative purposes, Since it was'first taken up it has remained in the hands of some six or seven individuals, who are interested in the general prosperity of the district, and they have perseveringly but cautiously worked for its development as a bona fide raining property, and not merely as a gold fields lottery. Anything like mere speculation has been avoided, and the mine has been treated as a natural means of wealth, requiring time, labour, and capital for its steady and progressive development.