The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1876; COLLINGWOOD SILVER MINE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 99, 13 April 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1876; COLLINGWOOD SILVER MINE.

To satisfy numerous respect--, ing the mine at Richmond-Hill, in the: Para Para , .district, we are glad to he enabled to present some information derived from an authentic source. The, Richmond Hill ,- .Mining . 7 Company, which whs registered under the Joint Stock Companies, Act about two months ago, has been formed to work 320 acres of ground leased. from the. Crown, seven miles from' Collingwood, for minerals otlier than gold, silver being the main object, though lead and copper are also : present in the metallic veins in such large proportions as to make it probable that tlieir extraction wili add materially to profits. The lode richest in Bilver on ..the leaise shows itself a few feet above the summer level of the TPara Para river iv a deep gorge which the latter has cut for itself through high cliffs of soap-stone down to the harder formations, gneiss and clay-slate, which form its prosent bed. The central and silver-bearing portion of this lode where it crops bufc is about three inches thick, but, in proportion as ifc is sunk upon, it is found to widen out, as is usual with argentiferous veins. The ■ General Manager of the Company, Mr, John Masters, who brought with him from the Thames the very highest character for metallurgical skill, has also undertaken the direction of mining operations, . and since he commenced sinking on the lode has seen reason to express himself in sanguine terras as to the prospects of the mine. He considers the ore, judging by what hns been .actually brought to grass will yield fully 300 ounces of silver to the ton, say of the value of £75. Several other lodes have been found on the lease, also silver bearing, but, so far as known, nofc so rich as the one above referred to, which we believe surpasses in quality that afc Mount Rangitoto in "Westland, of which the public has recently heard so much. The nominal capital of the Company is £18,000, in 1800 £10 shares, of which 1500 have been issued. Three-fifths of the shares are held, and three of tbe five Directors reside in this province, the remainder iv Auckland. In the above statement we have confined our* I

selves to a hare statement of facts; leaving^ to our readers; the task of calculating hy anticipation what the profitsvpf thefundertakin& af& likely to be . under-- good' management/ 'apd wh^afc oftecfc this new industry, now fairly started, may have on the prosperity of Collingwood and the province generally.