MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2034, 6 March 1883, Page 2

MINING REPORT.

[By our Special Mining Reporter.] 4. In taking my jaunt up the Lead this week and going along Blake’s tramway, I followed in the wake of some of the rising generation of Kumara ; and, just to shew that they are not behind other children in precocity, I will relate verbatim the subject matter of their conversation and merriment. “Ob, Mary !” said this blue-eyed light-haired girl of nine summers, “ do you know I could not help laughing at the answer Mary B gave Mr H when be was teaching the Animal Physiology lesson.” “ Oh !” rejoined her companion, “ I heard the children titter, but I could not make out what caused them to do so. What was it made them laugh? and what made Mr H look so cross?” “ Oh, I don’t exactly know except that indirectly Mary B made him out to be sheepish. It happened this way : Mr H put his two hands on his sides just under the arms, and said, ‘ Now, children, who can tell me the name of the bones on which my hands rest, and which form a protection to the heart and lungs ?’ Mary B held up her hand first. ‘Well, Mary!’ said Mr H , ‘what are they called ?’ ‘ Chops ! sir,’ said Mary. So Mr H turned red in the face, closed the book, looked at the time-table, and said that would complete the Physiology lesson.” “ Oh !” rejoined her companion, “ I know a worse answer than that, only I stopped Jimmy P from giving it. The lesson was in Physiology, and the stomach was illustrated. At length, after a considerable amount of drilling, Mr H asked us what was the name given to the lower part of the body ? So Jimmy P said to me, ‘ I know, but I don’t like to tell him.’ ‘ What is the name ?’ said I. ‘ B-t-m,’ said Jimmy. ‘Nonsense !’ replied I, ‘didn’t Mr H tell us it was the doughman?’ ‘ Oh ! oh ! oh !’ laughed little blueeyes j ‘ abdomen, you mean—you little goose.’ I coughed at this stage, and so put an end to their little stories. On passing them I could not refrain from smiling, and the last I overheard was—- ‘ Oh ! I wonder did Mr D hear us ? he will tell Mr W , and shan’t we catch it?’ “No fear!” replied her more confident companion, “ he’s a bachelor, and anyhow he never comes near our school.” “ Take care ! or I might be there the next time the lesson on Physiology is given !” rejoined I; and as I went along I could not but wonder at and admire the grand instition the Kumara State School—oh, if I had only had such chances in my youth ! —its not mining reporter now I’d be, but Town Clerk and Inspector of Nuisances of Kumara. By this time I arrived at Sellars and party’s claim, and, seeing the face well cleaned down, I saw at a glance that they had been washing-up. Luckily I met with an old chum who knows pretty well how things go up the Lead, and to my inquiries he replied : Sellars and party’s washing gave them a few pennyweights less than 60 ounces, and they have cleaned down right to the end box of the tail-race. Fred, Marshall’s party have washed up, and had a return of 72. ounces. Thorne and party have had a washing, and it has turned out first-class, S 3 ounces being their returns. John Moran’s party, the claim which Sam Agnew sold out of have also washed up, and it has paid them per day per man after paying all expenses; so that Donald Shaw has not made a bad bargain after all, even though he did give £370. Jimmy Smart’s share was sold dirt cheap at £IBB. I reckon there are 50 ounces of gold now in the tail-race, so ’Lis no wonder the mates would not let it go for the £l4O. And so our old friend Hugh M‘Masters has once more determined ,to try his luck at Kumara? £l5O looks well in the paper, but I think ray friend is too canny to pay that figure for the privilege of shewing the Tichborne crowd how to work their claim. £l2O was plenty for it, as things are. If all the mates were as capable as Hugh M‘Masters and two others of the crowd I could mention, why I would be willing to give the £l5O j but not other-

wise. I reckon ere long that the free-and-easy style of working must come to an end, or there will be some shares for sale. Then this claim should be christened the Phoenix; the ground is good, and if properly worked it will pay well. At some future time I intend to give further particulars and conclude by stating that the Tichborne claim-holders will not regret the advent of their new mate. Proceeding up the Lead I came to the claim adjoining that of Dave Moore and party. Down in the paddock I saw my oid friend Fergus Barrowman. Having heard him preach cold water until I fancied myself a pump, I had. on this occasion an opportunity of seeing my temperance friend practising with his favourite beverage ; and I must confess that although he strongly recommends it to his friends, he certainly gave it a wide berth himself; and it struck me how forcible the illustration of moderation was demonstrated. Water partaken of out of a glass is comeatable and drinkable. But just try to drink it when delivered out of a three-inch nozzle with 50!b. of pressure; the effect would be worse than drinking out of the bung-hole of a quarter cask of James Hennessy’s best pale' brandy. The former would send you spinning amongst the boulders, whilst the latter would simply knock you down where you stood. F. Barrowruan’s claim consists of a double-area claim for six men, and adjoins Roberts and party’s, Moore and party’s, and Evenden’s claims, and from the situation of the ground I should imagine it to be as good a claim as any up the Lead, although as yet the washing has not been anything to blow about. The depth of the wash is about 35ft., and, like all other claims in this locality, there are any amount of stones, many of which will not go through Gow and Co.’s patent riddles. The plant for hauling stones consists of a water-tank, worked on the incline principle; and here one can see that a thorough mechanic has been at work, the drums being regulated to the different depths of the tank incline and paddock. The claim can now be said to be fairly opened out, and seems as if worked systematically and to the best advantage. If this claim dont pay good dividends ’tis no fault of the owners, who are a steady hard-working set of men.