MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 1742, 1 May 1882, Page 2

MINING REPORT.

[By. our Special Mining Reporter.] April 29, 1882. Mining matters look very cheerful, and on my visit this week to the lead I found all hands hard at work, the only drawback being the inclemency of the weather, and, as one of the old Kumara ideutities said, " we have had plenty of water this week without having to' pay for it;" and from occular demonstration I was fully satisfied that he was correct. Whatever may happen as regards the. guage boxes below, Jupiter Pluvius seems inclined to be liberal with those above— may he long continue in the same frame of mind say I. We, here in Kumara, are similarly situated to those who have for months' suffered from severe droughts in a neiglib -tiring colony, and the prayer of Bishop Moorhouse would, with the same force, apply. God forgive us for not having taken advantage of the benefits conferred. May he, in his wisdom, teach ns for the future to be more provident; may. the powers that rule from time to time listen to the warning given. The cry from' the diggers of Kumara is water, mote water, without water we eannot liyey without wa'er we cannot move, without water wecann>t s'uice the dirt, cannot wash up, pay our tucker bills, or ask a frierid to indulge in a Jeremiah tizzler. As for going to the Christchurch exhibition or shouting for the mining reporter Why it is out of the question. SHALLOW LEAD. The Long Triinipl Company have ceased taking water froni Government, and will, no doubt, profit thereby. The want of water pressure will be felt whilst breaking down, but when the washing up comes the increased dividends will more than compensate for the extra trouble. By the West tftast Times it appears they are forming themselves iuto a limited liability company ; seeiug they ate taking up the scrip amongst the pre e it shareholders, I am inclined to think that they would have just been as well off if the surplus cash they have to spare had been spent locally ; or, at all events, if they had any gratitude at all the Hokitika Star should have a strong claim upon the good things that is goinsj. And upon my honor should the Kumara correspondent of that journal " boycott" them I, for one, would not blame him. Before leaving this subject I think it only fair to the miners of Kumars to wain them against allowing'any monopoly to be created, and to have a moveable special claim is very objectionable. For two years the principal ground on she Shallow Lead was held by this party as a special claim, Boatswain Brown, Tom Muirhead, and several other old chums of mine were driven away. Now when most of the miners were away at the Woodstock rush, another special claim is applied for, and the. Shamrock Lead is to be serveil the same as the Sh.tllow L-a-l, the result will be that there will be 110 fossicking ground left and poor Fil Garlic will be driven away. Knowing as I do that many poor fellows will return from the Woodstock rush stone Woke, and that the only availal.le tucker ground is on the lower end of the Shamrock Lead. On behalf of the block, pillar, and gouge fraternity, your reporter strongly objects to this attempted monopoly. Tb>» Knmara lieserve was bad enough, bye-an.l-bye the Long Tunnel Company will be infinite!}' wor.^e. Harris and Party, Upp r e->.d Shamrock. —This party are making very fair headway, and the face looks very well. From the size of the stone 3 that disappear down the jump up I think there can now be no doubt as to how the slxdge-chaunel will work. Frenchman's Party, Lower End Ross Terrace.—This party are hard at work. The ground on the surface is beginning to shew that it lacks support, and in

the course of another irtonth I anticipate a very good tec.- to the ground will be got. The qiie.iti<>ii as jo which is the besj; principle to opeii out upon" will be solved by these men, and Hanii and Party, the are opening out from below jmd the latter froui above. Johnny Bourke°s Party.—This partyare opening bit froni • below and are getting on very well indeed; \he worst and most dangerous part of tne under* taking Has been gone through, and liow that there is a good operiiug made witn a good supply of w.ite'r, rapid headway should be made., ... Kowley and Party's Chancery Claim.—This unfortilnate party ard still wandering about like motherless* Jambs. The lawyers and-advocates have taken pretty well all tlie golden cream out of the ground, and now tlie partys is fighting to have the. question settled as to who is to shift the stones for nothing. In all my goldnelds ex? perience the glorious uncertainties of the law were never so thoroughly exemplified a£ with this claim. First the party were fined for" non : maintenance of pegs, next week the groiind was clared Crown lands because it was not in the.first instance pegged legally 4 then tlie partys who pegged off what they considered Crown lands, were fined for trespass; then the Supreifae Court said the Warden had given his decision; from what appeared oh the face, of the case as stated, - and it had no jurisdiction ; then the Warden gave His decision, declaring the claim Crown lands after the case had been Heard three months; then each party Had signals; the former owners t.?us*tirig to guns—the other party to flag signals. Flag signals beat souuds. Tlie ground; whilst pegging was going on, reriJindea one of tlie Limericlt racecourse,, late in the evening, on race days. How the services of our local J.P., were not called into requisition is ne£t to a miracle; and redounds very much to the good sense of both theparties interested who, under ui'dsfc trying circumstances; kept from violence, an, .appeal :to the District Court against the Warden's Court decision has been entered and even then it is a question whether matters will be fihally settled. This dispute has atrived at that, stage wheri friends of both parties might, with advantige, step in and prevent them froni throwing away money which they cari ill afford. A division "of the gr.iund -would be tb-i ; most sensible 1 and profitable solution of the difficulty. \ The claims up the -Larrikin's are all in full swing/ v Ori the sVvface there is little or nothing to be seeri; but froni the number of men who ascend and cerid the shafts to tathesludge-chanriet I Bhonld imagine there is gome tall driving going on below'. A goqd many df the tail-races will be finished within si m'onth, and then opening 1 out" will commence in earnest. * Borlase and party have Had some trouble owing to the Larrikins creek breaking irito their workings; a few days will however pn'6 things to right again, Meader and party are getting on very slow. To do things once, but well, seems their policy, perhaps iUef are 'right,, still a li£e more expedition would do no harm an I would be more satisfactory to your re? porter: Pascoe and party »t 1 driv : n { their tunnel tail-race, and stone turn el, and are m iking very fair hra Iway indeed. Another five montfis should se i their ground fully opened out and the first washing in hand.