OUR MINES.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 9, 4 August 1883, Page 2

OUR MINES.

The Tramway.— During the fine weather of the past week Borne progress has been made, and the result of the previous week's storm and rain is now almost; put to rights. The slips on the tunnel, the most serious injury, are now cleared away, and the tunnel is again open. Most of the minor slips have .been cleared. The rails are now laid on the f^ Butler's Spiur " solf-acting grade, and laying the line to the Werahiko commenced, Mr Adams has let contracts for carrying the material from the top of " tfujtler's.Spur*" to the Premier end of the line, in order 4 that while the line is being laid £rb,in " Butler's Spur n to the May Queen Spur, platelayirig can at the same nine be carried otf'from the May Queen Spur to the Prom iety 'and .thus all parts of this line completed at about the same time. Work on tue bridge near the Premier is progressing, and three shifts are employed ruutuiig up rails on to' the top of " Butler's Spur," so that it uiay be expected, with such energetic management and ordinarily fine weather, thai when the 15th ol! August arrives (the date yjiven for completion), the • inooinp leto work will be small. 1

' '-MINES. ■ iV 7;.K^::< Premier. — A<ithis mine haft^fieen^fors; sorne^ time attracting consideruble.;attdrif*^ tion, it, may not be amiss to 'describe; its; general ■ features. The ground_ vras[ first * , marked out by Hone Werahikobeca'use of . its being on tfye strike of the big* reef in, ' which gold 'was discovered in the NewyFind. This reef, which outcrops thrj|igh "} the wJiQle, leigth of the Premier, hasI never been prospected on account" ox ,tha^ , discovery of rich gold in a reef which ' runs south-east from the main reef. Rich gold has. since been fofindf *in what is,. .known as the No. 2 rdel . , these reefs \ junction about 60 feet front the Smile of Fortune, then run one on each side of a leading spui\ towurds tliK main reef and junction again. What were once considered tA as two separate reefs are, now judged to he " one, which branches and forms an immense loop, with .tfitTspur as a " horse " between them. Between the easterly and westerly junction of the loop are the workings, and rich gold is found in both branches. In the low level both reefa seem to have come together. The northerly branch is known as No. 2 reef, and the southerly as No. 1. The country in which these "reefs are encased is a kindlyicornpact blue sandstone, fuIJ,, of mineral, easy boring country, :, though'' totigfi. Driving in the top lleverl r N6V2, reef, during the week, gold wag freely seen in the stone, some being fair picked stono'. Tlie construction oi hoppers, shoots, and mine tramway is being oroceeded with.

Colonist. — Sinking the winze is still being continued, and lisa will be started immediately. Gold shows as usual. The level is connected by a ground shoot with a paddock, which is right over the tram line, and capable of holding 500 tons of quartz.

New Find.'— This mine will be connected with' the tram before its completion. No other work is being done.

W erahiko and W aitoki.— The hopper^ shoots, and connections of those, mines • being complete, Mr Cwnerotf , 'ititwtds'. putting a rise from the top level to 'the surface in both minef. in th;> Waitoki the rise is np about five feet from th«* roof of the drive. Almost the whole width of the reef, about eight feet, seem 1 ? composed of a curly, soft, brown quartz, full of black streaks, and in this quartz, even when gold is not visible, miners here know they are pretty right. Our Waitekauri miners fancy the class of country and quartz here more than any other in this district. That brown, soft, kindly looking rock, full of purple streaks, seems to remind them of palmy days gone of. About 200 tons from each will be stacked iv readiness for the battery.

Inverness. — A good many shares in this mine have changed hands at high prices. Some very good stone containing coarse gold is to be seen in the paddock, some of the quartz containing a lot of gold in the honeycombed parts and crevices, and some- showing course and fine gold scattered through the stone and well in the quai tz. The country which contain*, the reef and the reef itself has been rather [ broken, but as driving is being continuedthe country, which is a blocky sandstone, seems to be getting more solid, and the reef in the face better defined. As the> drive Js continued bucks are gained, unjlilL^, is likely the reef may improve as it gets - further from the surface.

Welcome. — Daring the last day or two some very nice picked stone has come to hand.

Eureka. — Rising is being continued, the quartz being of the same character as usual, showing nice dabs of gold occaj sionally, and gold showing at every break- | ing down. It is intended to connect this I mine by. a wire tram with the main line.

Golden Hill. — This claim, which comprises the old prospectors, the firat claim 1 marked out in the district, is being prospected again. Yesterday we saw some nice picked stone, which came from thet same leader near the old working.