MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 3083, 20 September 1886, Page 3

MINING REPORT.

[By our Special Mining Reporter.]

The Lead, September 18

For the last week or two an unusnal number of parties have not been using ■water, from various causes. Some connected with No. 2 channel are not finished driving their tail-races, and in No. 1 channel the board in the wateroffice window has showed very few on the shifts for some time. The Executive Committeo of No. 2 channel appointed Charley Hood to look after blockage in their channel; but that gentleman proposes selling the signal balls, as his occupation is completely gone, there being no blockages to signal. I wish those of us who are connected with No. 1 channel could tell the same tale ; but still it is quite possible we may arrive at the same results by a different method, for if we go on at the same rate as we have been doing lately, the signalman will not require to pull down the signals, and his occupation will be gone, and ours at the same time. Those connected with No. 2 could easily arrive at the same happy condition that those in No. 1 are in by simply allowing an unlimited fall to a few parties who could get it, and give them an opportunity to block their chaunel when they liked ; and then, if you complained afterwards, they would ask you, wonld not you have had a big fall if you could have got it 1 ? With such an unreasonable argument as that, some of us have to be content and look on while the water we are still paying too much foils running to waste. All sorts of nostrums have been proposed to cure the tendency of the signal balls of No. 1 channel to rise. There has at different times been the heightening, widening, and narrowing of the boxes, proposed as a cure; but the only effectual cure is to run the stuff into it at a rate commensurate with the rate at which the channel travels, and all concerned will be benefitted; but so sweet is it to hold the advantage of your fellows, that those who hold it will not forego that advantage even to benefit themselves. I am afraid some of tbeKamara contingent who started for Kimberley will be wishing themselves back again under the spray of the nozz e. There never was any trustworthy account of Kimberley to cause such a stir j and if the country had been less difficult of access, with a more genial climate, there would not have been such a rush. It has always been the same with diggers. A wet lead, a deep lead, a belt of hard rock, or any other difficult undertaking is sure to contain something good if only these difficulties were overcome. In my opiniou a low-level tunnel or deep shaft on the Kuruara to test the main bottom was a more legitimate speculation to spend money on than going to Kimberley. Wherever any tunnel has touched the main bottom going in. there has been wash with a little gold, and the probabilities are that if the dip was followed down, Bomething payable would be got.