WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 27

WEEK'S MINING NEWS

September 1. Patereon's Freehold dredge won a return of 20oz lost week for 132 hours' dredging. The Gore Standard understands that tho Gow's Creek Water Race Company, Waikaia, has struck the rich lead which was known to exist in its claim. If. is stated •tfiat the return for last month was 150oz. The party has a very satisfacory future before it. The manager of the Welcome quartz 'mine reports having completed the air rise to the surface, making a total of 127 ft. The last 45ft showed good stone carrying payable gold. The staff is now ■driving in the main leveL The Mystery Flat dredge had a steady run until Tuesday, when a stoppage was tnade to put in a new top tumbler, dredging being resumed on Wednesday afternoon. The return of 50oz lOdwt was oblained in 113 hours, from . about four chains of the western section, it being necesasry to,, keep there in order to dam tfoe tracer off on that side. Writing on August 29, the master of ths MasEerion dredge states: — ''Wo wad a fair run this week. The only extra stoppage ■wijs to renew the corner bars in the top tumbler. The ground has deepened during the week; but there is no change to report in the nature of the wash." The master of the South Waikaia. dredge Tepons that he was engaged dredging en a face of five chains. Gro.und very cirifty and deep, the depth varying from 24ft to 51ft. The whole cf this cut is on maori (bottom, -.the prospect being very poor. Since last wash-up tho ground got a little shallower in tihe east corner, that being 4!he deepest 'portion. " Ther machinery was ■11 in 'good- wcrfdng" order. The secretary of the-^Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company reports that tho repairs to the No. 1 rao& " were completed on 'August 25, and sluicing was resumed on that d<ate. Since then the progress mad-3 ihas been satisfactory. No. .2 reports that ■rthere is a plentiful supply of water. A etart was made on Monday, August 23, to blow out a new course for the creek, and this was completed en Thursday. Sluicing was resumed on- Friday, and the elevator fcas been sunk 14ft. The Lion race is in t <most places still- full of snow.* It was exjpected that the- men would be cent up on August 31. There is a email rush in the Callaghans •district (says our Greymouth correspondent). The ground, although limited, is said to be rich- In the- same locality tho lucky owner of a sluicing claim with a checkered history stretching: back to something in the vicinity of four decades is said to have washed up, after six weeks' sluicing, for 200oz. September 2. Tho Dunstan Times states that on tho Glutha River, what is known as the Lowbum basin has been, and is still, turning out a. large quantity of gold. — The two Rise and Shines, Rising -Bun, New Alpine, and Riley'e Revival dredges are all working in the stretch, of river from Deadman'e Point to Quartz Reef Point. The master of the Olrig dredge reports that the ground is rather drifty at present, and is a bit dcaper than it has been for some time past. The dredge has been turned alongside the tailings again. The master of bhe Punt dredge reports having had a broken week's run through having- to disconnect the bucket belt and take out the bottom tumbler to renew the , bearings, also riveting the point of th-e ladder when the tumbler was out. Dredged seven chains and a-half for last | ■week's sma.ll return. The -depth below I ■water is 37ft 6in, and 12ft above water. | The dredge has been turned to dredge up j the channel for the river. The master of the Electric No. 3 dredge '• reports having had a steady run last week, I and by the middle of the week the bottom had been opened right across the river, and some good-looking: wash was struck on the Kawarau Station side. The ground at present^ being worked is deep ! and not very rov^. The- bottom is composed of soft stuff, and the prospects are only moderate. Since the report a wire Hi as been received advising the rise in the o-iver. Not being 1 able to brst the drift, the dredge was stopped on Tuesday until tbe river recedes. Writing on August 29, the master of the ..Good Chance dredge 2 stat&s that the drift lias been, very heavy, and had had considerable effect on the return. The dredge .ivill have to shift back to work the cut up on the east side of the. river, where the master expects the drift- to be so particularly heavy as to materially affect the return. Materials for repairs arrived on Saturday, and he stopprd dredging on 'Monday morning to put in angle irons and plates. At the time of writing the river was rising. On Monday a large boat came down the river and got under the pontoons and jammed on the ladder. In getting this boat out five hours were lo*t. I «.nd the boat was smashed to pieces. " I >ill therefore/ he concludes, "do some

necessary repairs for a few days, and see what the_ river is going to do." Reporting on August 30, the master of the Electric No. 1 dredge stated having •worked 132 hours, and advanced 24fit ahead. The strip of maiden ground on the Bannockburn side continues very rough, but the river and red clay bottom coming in oh this side shows improved prospects. The sample of gold continues scaly and fine. One large nugget weighed^ 4dwt, with small particles , of quartz at'taohed. A wire yesterday morning- from the dredgemaster stated that the drift had been very bad. Electee No. 2 dredge put in 104 hours' dredginor up to Saturday, August 28, work having been resumed that afternoon. During the stoppage a quantity of drift and silt accumulated, and practically a whole week was occupied bailing it out of the paddock. The drift was very bad all last week. A telegram was received at the Stock Exchange on the 2nd stating that the manager of tho Wa'hi Grand Junction mine had cabled to London as follows: — " Crushing 202 tons per day. No. 5 level — Crosscut north 275 ft; opening out at 220 ft east; drive 12ft; e?am 66in; assay value £1 9s 6d per ton. West drive. 12ft ; seam iQin; value £1 4s 3d per ton. No.. 5 level — Crosscut south 454 ft. No. 4 lode north-east; No. 5 level west 150 ft width of drive 69in; assay value £6 ss. per ton. No. 4 lode — No. 5 level west 98ft ; low grade. No. 4 lode, No. 4 level — West winze No. 4 down 85ft; width of ore 42in; value £5 5s 3d pcr } ton. No. 6 lode — " C " west winze No. 1 down 50ft ; j width of ore 51in ; value* £4 10s per ton.". The Cromwell Argus states that the Keystone borer will make a start putting down another bore at Kawarau Gorge, naaper to the river than the last one. It is thought j the borer, will strike rich wash, as it is not a great distance from where the Electric Company's dredge felt exceptionally rich gold running into the bank, and the top layer was also very rich. when_ worked in the early days of the gorge at this place- — The Nevis sluicing claims and dredg-Ps will soon be in full swing, as several parties hjave been going out during ' last week. There is plenty of water just -now, but unlees the season is a wet one tlie ■ outlook for tfi3 hydraulic claims is bad, as the heavy snow missed that portionof the district N September 3. The secretary of the Undaunted Sluicing Company reports & return of 40oz from theboxes for six weeks' work. The master of the Waikaia dredge reports a return of 6oz for 137 hours' work. He reports that the river is high, and that he has been balinar silt for three day 6. A telegram from Auckland states that t the Taro.ru Mines Company (Ltd.) has been registered. The first meeting of directors will take place at Auckland next Wednesday, when the shares, which have been ever-subscribed, will be. allotted. It is understood that the Thames applications W'l! be allotted in full. The secretary of. the Otago Dredging Company reports a* good week's run from both dredges. Tho drift continues very troublesome, and unless the river goes down it J b» ira&seary to shift the dredges to ' J'.nmer ground. 1 h,e manager of tho Roxburgh Amalgaima'.rid Mining and Sluicing Company repor.j a return of 51oz ldwt. for August. The manager advises that as the ground is dipping co as to render it difficult to work to .-idvantage with the plant in its present position, 'he intends moving down towards the river «nd working up to the ground he is ' ovv operating upon. Tijs Rise and Shine No. 1 dredge worked the 'usual cut of 520ih last week, making 4ft alioad. The depth was from 52ft to 48ft, and i'ie bottom consisted of various clays, sar.c's'.ine, and some coal. JCo. 2 dre<lg3 worked a cut of similar width, advancing i Bft on i(. The depth varied from 3:ft to j 46ft. and there was a good deal of* coal bottom. ; The sccrefary of the Electric No. 2 dredge i has receiver] a telegram from the dredgej master stating that there was another rise in the river on Wednesday. The drift was I'cry bad, and !b& was doubtful of being able to wash-up this week. The master of Riley's Revival dredge j «tates that the dredge was stopped on Wedj ncsdav morning, and start-ad again in theevening. Ec reports that pro c pccts remain i about the same as at the time of the previous report. Had the dredge b»on ab! n to work full time tho return last week would have been equal to about 60oz. Mr Herman R»eves has received a cablegram from Manila staling that the StanIcy Paracale dredge machinery was working well and the dredgemaster expected to get the claim opened in two or threeweeks. v He doubted if any return could be ! looked for before that time. | The following items are taken from the Alexandra Herald : — " There is talk of the Nenthorn goldfields being revived, after being desolate for quite 20 years. Two Rillstone brothers have pegged out the Victoria, the Croesus, and the Blue Slate claims. Mr C. Rillstone, father of the two prospectors, and manager of the antimony mine at Alexandra, with his mate (Mr Moyle), sunk the largest shaft that ever was put down in Nenthorn many years ago. Permission to work the field^is now being awaited. — Messrs Fink and party, of Alexandra, recently took up an area of pround at Mount Highlay, in the Macraes district, embracing some scheelite-bearing reefs. We understand a company, known as the Mount Highlay Quartz Mining Company, has been formed in Dunedin with the object of working the reefs for gold and scheelite. Want of water as a motive power is felt in this district, but Messrs Donaldson Bros, have opened out a splendid seam of lignite within a mile of their battery." September 4. In reporting a return of lloz sdvt for five dave dredging, the maeier of the Electric No. 2 dredge pays:— " Drift still very troublesome; river receding." The master of the Good Chance dredse reports having no wash-up this week, owing to repairs being effected. A telegram received at the Stock Exchange on the 3rd from th-e manager of theTalisman Consolidated mine reported : — "No. 13 level: Driving north has been resumed. Driving north on branoh vein ; progress 32ft; width of reef 30in; values low." / The- master of the Waikaia dredge reports: — "We had a broken week's dredging owing to the top tumblpr shaft of elevator breaking and twisting' top of i ladder. The breakage occurred at 2 a.m. on Saturday, and a new shaft -was pro- j cured an-d dredging resumed at neon on j Tuesday. The ground continues \wj poor, [

but the top of t«he block will be cut out on Tuesday.". The- master of the- Sandy Point dredge reports having dredged 103 hours during the week. Width of out, three chains ; average depth, 30ft ; average height of face above water level, 25ft. Worked most of the week on the river side of cut. He had to lower the ladder 3ft to allow the buckets to bottom, but it was very poor, being a hard white clay, carrying 1 very little gold. The best .of the ground at present is on the inside of the cut. being niuch shallower, with sandstone bottom. Worked 15ft ahead for the week, with the deep ground and tailin^gs slipping in from the first cut. Taking up caused a lot of baling. The master of the New Trafalgar dredge re-ports: — "We lost a shift last Saturday putting in a screen section and a Get of top tumbler T>ars, otherwise we have had a good week's dredging of 124 hours. The bottom has continued very deep, being about 15ft near the centre of the out. We were unable to bottom for a few shifts. The western corner •is still shallow and poor, but the rest of the face shows fair wash on the bottom, with plenty of boulders underlying a ' floating ' or false #bofitom. I fully expected lOoz more this week,, but the gold has changed since last week, being a light sample, whilst the bulk of the return this wee-k was a very heavy sample. I will continue dredging thas face for another week, and then shift to the eastern section." A company is being formed at Coromandel to acquire tho OJd Harbour View claim on the Tokotea, comprising 24£ acres. This area is said to have been a consistent gold-producer in years gone by, and rich ore was obtained at the lowest point worked (No. 3 level). It is proposed to put in a level about 100 ft belo.w No. 5 level, and it is estimated that 600 ft of driving will intersect the .whole .of the known .gold-bearing' lodes, eight or nine in all. The nominal capital of the proposed company will be £12,500, and 80,000 shares are being offered to the public at 3d on application, and 3d on allotment. This will realise £2000. The manager of the May Queen mine (Mr W. Baker) reports that the footwall branoh of 'the Queen of Beauty reef >in the couth drive has turned sharp to the left and joined the main reef again. Some very nice mineralised quartz sJiowing gold has been broken from the lead during the week. We are now timbering the level, and wihen finished the leading stope will be brought forward. In the northern crosscut the stopes on the No. 4> lode art being carried on as usual, and the quartz coming to hand shows gold, and is of fait grade. A few pounds of picked etone hava ako been selected. Driving eastward on the north-west lod© at the intermediate level is being carried on, and gome nice , dat'3 of gold have been seen in the quartz broken. Pneparaitians axe now being made f fo timber the level and start etoping. No. ( 6 level : Stoping on the footwall branch of j No. 4 lode is proceeding, and the quartz coming to hand shows gold, a-nd is of a j fair g-rfide. At the battery oruehing is proceeding. j The manager of the Waiotahi mine, reporting on operations, states that the stopes on the dropper above No. 6 level are in progress 'as usual, the leader being about 18in in width, and dabs of have been seem The rise on the Mariner's re?f is up -a distance of 18ft; the reef so far is of a pugrcry nature, and no gold has been Bsen. No. 5 level : The drive to pick up the main reef east of the break has been in hand, end although 40ft hos been driven in rh-e 'direction the reef should | have been tl , no sifrn of the reef J has yet been .• with. The No. 5 rise j on the main reel is up a distance of 19ft, ] but the resf so far is of a mullockv j nature?. The stope on the dropper west of j th? rise has been taken out io the floor of No. 4 level, and as soon as the filling- in is completed the last stope east will be taken in hand. Cure reef : The fourth stone has bpen carried west of the rise for ! a distance of 57ft, and colours of gold have been s-ssn. No. 4 level: The rise on the 1 hnngingr wall leader is up a distance of 39ft. The leader was broken down to- ' day (Mond'r 1 ), but no picked stone was obtained, arH the leader is now somewhat split up. T'ne leading stops on the hanging wall leader has been carrisd to within about 45ft of the point where the picked : stone was obtained in driving 1 . The leader o( piv»«»nt is about 15in in width, nnd dabs of gold are occasionally sscn. Cleaningup for the month will take place on Wednesday. At fh« May Qm"en Extended mine (Thames) driving on the reef east and w^st is being pushed forward with all possible sp*ed. In the eastern end the- country is of a decidedly better class than has been met with for some time. The reef at present is about Sin wide, and when breaking down come nice strong dabs of gold were seen tlrrough the stono ; in fact, a few "pieces could bo classed as picked stone. In the western end the reaf is about 12in wide, and although no gold lias been seen lately tha quartz looks most promising. At Dixon's Consolidated mino the work of croea-cutting through the reef intersected at No. 2 level is being continued, and the reef has been penetrated for a distance of 13ft, without as yet any sign of the footwall. In the low level a start has been made to open out on several leaders, which were passed through at a, distance of about 300 ft bcek from th-e present face, and these are being driven on in a southerly direction, and appear likely to come together and form one body further on. The Thames Star says that the Scandinavian mine is now ma.nn.ed, and the manager reports that the Nightingale reef, on which he intends to open out, is a com- _ pact body of ore 2ft to 3ft wide. This reef ' was cut in the low level, but as the object then was to find Laurie's re-ef, nothing was ('•on 3 on it. It is stated that in the early days specimens were obtained from this ] reof en the northern sida of the spur. Mr < M'Connell has located the old drive, and i will clean it out. t September 6. ( The master of the Golden Bad dredge i wired on Saturday: "Xo wash-up to-day.'' 1 Tl-<» master of tho Punt dredge reports 1 — " Working in old paddock: ; baling silt, s Will he in solid ground Monday night at I riv»T." The manager of the Mount Rex Tin Mi us c (Tasmania) reports: — " Open cutting : Have s proved 4fit of the lode at this point payable, i t Inclined train from hopper to cutting com- I ] pleted." I t Tho Thames Advertiser stat-s that the s result of a trial crushing- of dirt from the ] new reef at No. 3 level in llie Victoria mine c resulted most satisfactorily. In a'l 15 lead--, a of gercral dirt and 81b of picked stone r : wcie ciu=h:d and tieatcd for a return of t

14oz melted gold, valued at £39 4s. The reef should provide a good payable block, for there are 100 ft of backs above where the trial crushing came from, on which the reaf has beem driven 60ft. n September 7 The Molyneux River was 6ft llin above the normal mark at Alexandra od Monday morning. The weather was frosty. The secretary of the No Town Creefe Company reports a return of 2Soz for 133 hours' work. The secretary of the Barewood Gold Mining Company reports a return of 1740z from 523 tons of stone for the month of August. The return from the New Roxburgh Jubilee* Dredge last week was 14oz. The emallness of the yield is accounted for by the fact that the ground became very shallow. The dredge has, as a result, been moved to where sfoe was working during the previous week. I*he benefit accruing to the Rising Sun dredge through lengthening the run of the tables is apparent. Since the overhaul the dredge has worked three weeks, aad has won over 140nz of gold. On Saturday the dredgemaste-r washed the mate of the second table, and the result was only 3oz. for the three weeks, the remaining- 1370z being got on the first table for this period. The dredgemaster in hi; report for last '< week stated that he worked 129 hours and shifted 9ft ahead on . a cut 200 yds wide. The bottom was' partly clay an partly sanstone. The prospects continued" fair, and the machinery was running well.