REEFTON LETTER.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 281, 10 July 1886, Page 2

REEFTON LETTER.

(from our own CORRESPONDENT.) Wednesday, July 7. lieefton is not so lively just now as I remember to have seen it on various occasions. The temporary stoppage of work in the Venus and Dark mines, happening together with the strike at Boatman's, has had a very depressing effect on trade, and checked for the time the circulation of a large sum of money, usually paid away in wages. Fortunately the stoppage was but temporary, and as work has been resumed in ail quarters things will soon come back to their normal condition. The effect however shows how dependant the place is on mining, and how readily it responds to the good or ill success of tue mining ventures of the district. One important item has enabled the most depressed to keep a stiff backbone during all the slackness, and that is, the almost absolute certainty of the midland railway being started, a consummation devoutly wished for, and which will undoubtedly have a most important effect on the future of this district. The aerial line at the Venus is again working satisfactorily. The stopes in the mine are manned, and a long era of erushing is now entered upon. ' The level has been driven on stone for fully 300 feet; occasional breaks have occurred when the reef has pinched, and its place been filled with mullock, but in the stopes above it stone has agaiu made, showing that these breaks are but temporary aad that the reef is continuous, allowing for these gaps which are observable in all reefs, particularly in those where the lode may be considered narrow. A fair width of stone is showing in the laces of the level, both north and south; but nearly all bauds being busy in the stopes exploration is limited to oue shift driving south. Owing to one of the cam shafts at the battery breaking, ten heads only are doing duty. Thirty heads are standing in this (the old Euergetic) battery, and the shaft of the disused ten will be utilised until a new one is obtained.

The prospecting that has been going on in the lower level of the Golden Treasure has not been successful. Owing to a movement of the country the strata at that level are found to be disturbed and slides have been met with cutting off both reeftrack and walls. This level is abandoned for the present, and future prospecting is expected to be made in the directiou of the old Golden Hill mine, now within the company's lease, where payable stone was worked in the early days of the field. The battery level will probably be extended to cut it should it be finally decided to operate in that direction.

The Inglewood cleaned up on Monday with the result of about lldwts. to the ton. There will be a stoppage at the battery for a week or two bafoi-p lcrushing is resiiine3~to enable a supply of stone to be accumulated in the p.aldocks. The contractors for the tunnel are still in fair driving country, and are making good headway. No. 2 Keep-it-Dark is driving on the track of Nil boundary. There is no stone in the face at present, but as the contract for driving is very reasonable, lis per foot, it is likely to be continued till more favorable prospects are met with. From its elevated position the Big River claim is a very inhospitable site at this season of the year. It is therefore not to be wondered at, that the work of erecting battery, forming tramway, and other outside works is not proceeding so rapidly as under a more genial state of the atmosphere would be the case. Owing to the bad state of the road no portion of the battery has yet landed, but is lying here and there on different parts of the track ready to be run through when the weather holds up. The water-race for the battery is well in hand, the line for serial tramway is being cleared, and timbei, squared and sawn, is being accumulated for the mill and mill-house.

Mr Hugh Campbell has the Happy Valley mine on tribute. He is now engaged getting out stone for crushing, which is intended to be conveyed by dray to the Oriental jittery, about'three miles towards Eeefton. There was an excellent surface show in this mine, and it is possible the working of the tribute may reveal the direction in-which the lode sinks into mother earth.

The Keep-it-Dark battery has started but not with the full compliment yet, fifteen heads being now going, but the whole are expected to be in motion soon when some unforeseen alterations are attended to. Four men only have been engaged in the mine during the stoppage but the usual complement are gradually being taken on. Your l\D. in my last letter transposed the figures relating to the depth between the present and the next level from 160 feet to 106.

The Eclipse, on the northern boundary of the Wealth is to be resuscitated. During the spurt it gave signs of promise and was the cause of much buying and selling, the Wealth having traced payable stone almost on to the boundary. Afterwards it was reported to have died out, and affairs fell flat. The ground appeared to have been abandoned no work going on; but the company have woke up to the necessity ot doing something and Mr S. Vivian is placed in charge. The Wealth is still extending the level towards the south. The trestling is up for the flummg at the winding wheel, when this is finished sinking the main shaft can be resumed at any time. The Welcome is again fully .manned, by day-labor and contract. The northern end of the block, always the richest, is being worked by wages, for here more care and supervision is required; the southern end is let on contract by the fathom, to Macquarie and party who have just entered on their labors. Continuous

crushing may now be expected and the Welcome takes its place as the leading mine in Boatman's.

The late excellent yi?ld in the Fiery has resulted in a one shilling dividend, and shareholders from the appearance of the mine are looking forward to various repititions of it. Accounts from the Just-in-Time are favorable, and from the present appearance of affairs at the battery a dividend for the fortunate shareholders is anticipated.

The Reform is still carrying stone in the southern stopes though small. Something over one hundred feet would take them to the boundary ot the S. Hopeful, and the block should be continuous all the way as the latter claim has evidently been sinking on the same lode. The Lone Star proprietors, Messrs Heaphy and M'Cafferty, are calling for tenders for packing twenty tons of stone to the Specimen Hill battery. From samples of stone seen at various times and from reports the yield from the parcel will be very good. Thady.