MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 62, 8 April 1870, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

MACRAES. I A private letter from Macraes informs us.that the machinery erected; for the Duke of Edinburgh Quartz Mining Company is first-rate and substantial and also that Mr. Imerie, the manager, is deserving of considerable praise and credit for the skilful way in which he has planned ■ the .working arrangements of the company. It is expected that the tunnel, which has cost such an amount of labor hi its construction, will be completed and ready for use in about two weeks. /We understand that a few tons of stone taken from the reef at Eullartons, on being crushed at the Macraes -Quartz Mining Company's works, yielded odwts. to the ton. A second lot of stone from the same reef was since the above, the result c being 4dwt3 to the ton.

THE MAEB.EWHENUA BEEPS

1 'There-appears now io be little doubt that a valuable quartz reef or reefs has been discovered in this district. The locality has already been described as ' between the Otekaike and Maerewhenua rivers. The direction is nearly due north and south, and there appear rto be nearly two distinct lines of reef riitming nearly parallel to each other. One of these, as'far as yet tried, appears to be about seven feet wide, and gold has been discovered in the stone taken from it; but the principal work done a3 yet has been in the other line of reef, which is about four feet wide. In the prospecting claim five holes have been sunk : one at the northern boundary, 37 feet deep ; one at the southern boundary, 27 feet deep ; and three others respectively 27, 10, and 7 feet deep. The reef is got in each case, and carj-ied all the way. The walls are well defined, consisting of schist, clay, and slate, and the dip of the reef appears to be slightly to the eastward—say about one foot in ten. Several holes have been sunk in the adjacent claims on the same line, No. 1 north and No. 1 south, 27 and 30 feet deep, and the reef has been got in each case; the total length of reef now clearly disclosed is about 700 feet. Several small crushings have been made of a few pounds of the stone, and gold got in every case, but ,a great deal of it is very fine, only a few specs being visible to the naked eye, and requiring quicksilver to give'the quantity at all accurately; but as far as a rough estimate can be formed, the prospector is sanguine of two or three ounces to the ton. About 100 tons of stone are raised ..in the prospecting claim, and from the,,ease with 'which the reef is worked, it' promises to be one of the most valiiable in the country. We are glad to see that' a spirited prosecution of .this discovery is now likely, ,to take place, the machinery being contracted for, and the necessary financial arrangements being' for the 'present'made without the intervention of any-joint stock company. We wish to see true enterprise devoted to the development of our auriferous resources, and not wild speculation. The necessary water power can be obtained at moderate cost from the Otekaike. A small quantity of stone has been sent to Macraes to be crushed, but no report has yet been received.—' Oamaru Times.'

THE CBOMWELL EEEF3. The Aurora claim is again in complete Working order, and from all we can; learn Ihere is no probability, of its operations beiiig interrupted for the want of water, unless the winter sets in with unusual severity. Water sufficient for driving at least seven head of stamps is at present discharged on to the wheel. The head' for public crushinjf purposes is nearly complete, and will be set in operation as soon as the cams arrive from Dunedin.. The crushing has extended over a period of one month, and it is estimated that from 240 to 250 tons of stone have been put through. ,It must, however,, be borne in mind, that during'one-half of the time only four of the stamps were at work.

The negotiations for erecting machinery on;; GolcloughV} ciaiin < have fallen through,, the.-.. conditions, for its,erection'being considered exorbitant by' the shareholders.. Other negotiations have been entered up with what re¥ulF remains to be seen.. It is, we understand, probable that the matter will ;be}-settled,-,either; ; one way \ or \ another 'daring the ensuing week; 'lt is estiva/led. that thertrja}.

at the rate of £2 ipa, r meluding cartage; atill the "majority of the shareholders are content to pay.that sum, in order that the real value of the claim-may "be ascertained. At the present moment, over 150 tons of stone is ready for the stamps. The men are engaged driving a tunnel from the bottom of the surface cut.. , Inside the tunnel the reef has been bared three feet in thickness, which proves that the lode widens as it goes down. The cutis not more than eight feet deep, and the reef found on the surface did not measure one foot thick.

The Victoria Lease, the adjoining claim to the Aurora in the same line, is about to be put into a Joint / Stock Company, with the view, of. being wrought on the limited liability* principle. . V Last week's retort from the Eendigo battery amounted to 1266z5, It is said that this was the produce of four days' crushing, but we. do not vouch for that statement. "The stone was taken out of the Golden Link claim,, commonly known as; the spare ground, and we have heard it stated on what we are 1 prepared to accept as reliable authority, that the stone'has gone at the rate of" between five and six ounces to the ton. dTour men_ are employed at the battery and twenty on the reef; Their weekly wages amount to £B2, which, together with £2O _ for cartage of stone, makes the working expenses of the concern £lO2 per week.—'Guardian:'