THE MOUNT RANGITOTO SILVER MINES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4908, 14 December 1876, Page 6

THE MOUNT RANGITOTO SILVER MINES

i Notwithstanding* "'differences.; .of opinion • jamong thoapwho have, pa very ,'unequar tests, reported'uponthe,value of the' silver ore disboveKsd'ih the’vlcimtybi the_so-called Mount , Eangitoto, id Westland,,recent explorations .of , the, cpuntry contiguous, tothe scene of jtho first; ' discoverieshave i enced miners as td .the extent, and value of the lodeq that a fresh impetii3.,has,.he.ea! the already considerable interest taken in these discoveries,., and;the ,public .are likely soon;,to have their attention more prominently directed to,,them than.;it has, 'hfthertp-jbeen. Some twenty mineral leases .-.were; at; ,the, outset ■ Applied for, but only,a fejv;off these have been : takep up, and this, after careful.examination.oL. the country by the original prospectors and by' others immediately 1 interested’ 'ih these new leases. .One of these is Hudaoij, and, party’s; Ipase, or what'is now proposed.^tq { ' t be.,;called', l the Virginia, Consols Compauy’s ( '.,clain3. ). 'lt :iß,* Situated to’the, west of Company’s mine, and is l descnbe’d..asy l cqiyenng' two"distinct lodes’ pflore, ,onp .fifteen,,inches,in,: thickness,’ the other ‘.yaryijbg, ;,f^om,Vthroe/ to’f five ‘ ;feet' / J at’j,,thp‘ v;<>utpron.,, (1 f v ,By ) ,the ; original prospectors of* the 1 district,,:,and : ! by. Captain Leslie, an,, experienced;, manager of 1 silver- mines, in 1 .'.California;, ,the .gijopnd has 'been' inspected, ’’and -iOW.-jifeportsin of, both are. highly favorable, elthor.aa regards-the-particular , grpund un question, or the\general| prospects of the new field. The original pros-? ’ peotprs—-J[ameo .Ealmer . and,Edward. Kehway .-■-in a report which;they:have mode upon' the mine, after,, describing ; the jodes,-.to. be of the dimensions,,yStatod: above, ®ho - oreMn’ this lease we consider equal in -richness tp that.' in. / the iMouht* mine, i There is at.Kand'plenty bf /timber for bmeltipg 'purposes; and we are of opinion I that .'the' 1 mine .will turd out an exceyd-. .ingly valuable property.” ■ Captain Leslie's re-' ! piort on West ’Ooast ,Kroc»,'iof/th'od3th : inst'.;inhdis to’ ; ’thisreffocti-i-'f I 'disoovered '.att/extensive' out-- 1 /crop of two distinct lodes ofiorbj oneJlsin.- , , ; - ■ the othaf-'Sft. to >Gft. ’"wide,'/ anil; visible ' : for several yards-in its. course! !' ! Thff’'bdßfi,of j;he Ipose/spjtnples of ore in the larger Wtdrdpi wffl fold several hundred ounees'toHlie'toh I .''"The ’’ des here, too, belong : not--to;the irregular or 1 ulty,'!hutitpltho trne or regular,Class; ;i f.’e.v'tiie classof lodes that go downand provepermanoht! - They occur in the.kindof ■ country in’‘wliich; Ipdes! usually* exist; and /when l ' capital'hrid’ .science are brought to bear ia : the ’develop--mont i- of ■ its resources, ’ • the blocks-- in l the if j rr ~r „ n , , ‘y "

Rangi to to, ~cqun try. will,. in. .torn out" equal in - richness to‘any things discovered • in CalifomidiW-nCaptain ‘Leslie,’whose report, is’ thus'"quoted,' leaves Hokitika ~’to-3ay "for i Wellington, bringing with him the prospectors’ i report and specimens of the ore, for sub-1 mission to those who have already taken i shares on the faith of information received; from -what, are believed 1 to. be, thoroughly re- ; MWe^diWm 1 taken up,,.ar^, r being adhered..toj by their; owners aiiitfe 1 this' fresh" information has gotj abroad, but the intention is to float companies; locally or in the other jected company .a yery large proportion of shares liWbeen applied’for W Wellington, and it is probable that hsip, when the company is thoroughly 1 constituted, directors will be appointed, ~and arrangements will be made mine, the preliminary cost of which is estimated at> small amount compared with the prospective results. Simultaneously ,with the intentioh i to ‘float this new company there comes the report that a fresh lode has been discovered in the prospectors’ claim at Mount Rangit6to, T .and : present of Suver'-minihgfbeihg for some Mine to come a subject of considerable interest among the speculative and enterprising in communities mining and commercial. • .. v-i-rfriyAr y, r ■ v, i ;-t :h '.iuAa