MINING NEWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1141, 26 May 1880, Page 4

MINING NEWS.

. REEFTON. We take the following items of mining news from the Inangahua Herald of Thursday;— Battery.—There is no crashing proceeding at the mill just now. The Fiery Cross Company will bring down quartz about the Ist of June, Slight alterations and repairs are being effected in the tenhead battery house. This work will be about out of hand towards the end of the week. Jtut-in-Time.—The winze is still being sunk on the reef, which maintains a good width. There will not be much done in the way of raising quartz till such time as the contract is let, for which tenders are sow being invited. A number of hands have been discharged, owing to the pending alteration in getting out stone. The slopes continue to be taken south, so that ,it may be anticipated that a much larger area of country will ultimately be worked than was expected when the present block was first opened up. The average thickness of the reef will not exceed fifteen Indies, but gold being well diffused throughput, the stone, the returns from each crashing have enabled the directors to giro a dividend after each cleaning np of atone taken from that part of the mine. Fiery Cross.—There are seven men engaged in the contract for stoping the reef. The average show of gold will warrant the conclusion that the parcel of quartz now tO 'grass will yield about an ounce per ton. This company are causing their .lowest level to be extended north. The work is going through entirely new conntty, and quartz is being carried in as this dming proceeds, showing, more or less, gold. There has been no stone sent to the mill for this company since the end of last year, so that there will be a large parcel of quartz crushed in the course of a couple of months, which should give a dividend to the owners, after providing for aU' liabilities. ■ Welcome.—ln a couple of months the block of country that has been in course of development for some time past will have been opened up. The block in mention Is in length over 300 feet, and in depth about 200 feet, including 30 feet of nnderly. In both the shafts sank the reef is in the bottom, and the sinking in both instances was commenced on the reef. Although I have no reason to suppose but that the reef in each shaft has been carried down the whole depth, still if there has been occasional breaks it would not affect the value of the mine. A large quantity of atone will be procured from this block of country, as has been proved in the construction of the intermediate level about half way between Nos B and 6 lev ala, which was driven from the south shaft to within a short distance of the north shaft. In this level the reef was loft in the face over three feet thick. No doubt most of the shareholders are aware that the south block is not equal in quality to the north block, so that during the earlier crushingo the yields will be smaller, but ultimately the north or Welcome block will be driven up to ; and, as all know, that stone was of splendid qualify.