The Silver Mines in Tasmania.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 16 April 1891, Page 2

The Silver Mines in Tasmania.

On the West Coast of Tasmania very rich silver mines have been opened, threatening to compete with the wonderful mines of America. A Mr Dickeu has favoured the Christcliurch Weekly Press with an account of the field, from which we extract the following particulars. The fieljd is called Zeehan and is 12 niiles from Trial harbour, a small narrow pool of water between two coral reefs. The country is partly covered with dense bush. The township of Zteehan is situated on a flat piece of country between hills moderately high. It at present consists of one long street, but it is growing in a perfeotfy magical manner, five large hotels,!^ present doing business, and nine more in course of erection.;! fTlie iwhqle of the buildings are of timber, which haw been imported from Hobarffilte price of dressed timber ou the field Ls Jiss per 100 ft: There a iv lour Bunks doing Business in the town, ii nd two wore jnsi about to stari. The climate is exceedingly

wet, the rainfall for the year being 100 inches. The population already on fche field is estimated at between 4000 and 5000, amongst whom are a very large number of Broken Hill experts atld speculators. There arc also I may says a number of American aiid'Gerraan silver miners there. One cannot help being very much impressed by their absolute certainty as to the ultimate future of •the.fiekt' As to the mines themselves ife was not until about hvo years iii,'G that any hnye amoum of jimspetM-iiitf N vas don*-. I'll" <le\>l<>[>jueiits thut Imve token place in this Khogjjn-gpacti of time are wonderful. Thihore is bulking 400oz ot silv^tfr thefpnj and yields a net profit of fro^ f |so to £60 per ton, after pa^^ ing the enormous expenses of transit. These expenses will be done away with so soon as the railway from Straban to Zeehan is complete, as the smelting companies will then be enabled to commence operations on the field. The Silver Queen is at present working two lodes, one carbonate and the other sulphide. I may say that the lowest yet attained does not reach more than 100 ft. It may be noted that the various Companies have not depended upon assays, but have sent large bulk parcels—in one case 90 tons— to Frieburg, Swansea, Adelaide and Sydney. The experts of Frieburg have a world wide reputation in smelting matters, and Swansea comes next. One mine — Grubb's Silver Mining Company — who sent the 90 tons referred to for treatment at Frieburg, received an intimation that their bulk parcel netted £19 per ton. Dundas the latest developed field of silver mining is situated seven miles from Zeehan, On this field discoveries of even greater extent have been made than on the other field. As showing the developement of the silver mining in Dundas, it may be mentioned tttat the Comet Company, originally a small prospecting association with 5000 10s shares paid up to 2s after having struck ah excellent lode, wished to place its shares ou the Melbourne Stock exchange, and therefore increased its shares to 100-----000. These shares touched 80s, thus making the original shares worth £80. At Dundas also is situate the Success Company, whose loa'e'is'cut at considerable depth by a ravine showing solid ore 12ft in width, which assays from 90 up to 2800pzs per ton of silver. To win a^ smelt oi'es may be stated as £1 per ton : for mining, and £2 10s per ton for smelting. On the road there are 'seventy-eight of the finest teams I have seen, varying from three to six horses, taking stores and mining necessaries. The road is considered fairly good there, the bulk of it being corduroyed, but it would be considered bad here. The price of cartage on the Toad is from £4 to £5 per ton.