MINING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 36, 9 February 1884, Page 2

MINING NEW S .

New Find. — One day' during the week gold was visible in no fewer than, a dozen places, and as the stuff is going well at the battery, it is evident that there is no deterioration in the nature of the reef. South of the winze near the blacksmith's shop, the block is beginning to show signs of being exhausted, but to the nerthwnrd there is a splendid block which gains in height of backs towards the Canadian. The footwall branch of No. 2 reef at the smithy level going northward is improving, good gold showing in many parts of the face. But little work lias .been done on the hanging wall branch lately, though gold was seen last breaking down. The malinger considers it probable that these two sections of the lode will re-unite shortly. Good payable quartz is coming to hand from the No 1 reef going towards the Canadian, and fully 150 feet from the big " blow." Driving operations have been suspended in the Arizona tunnel during the past few days, the men being engaged clearing the shaft sunk on the boundary. This had been left full of qnartz and the ventilation of the works was impeded thereby. It is almost impossible to estimate the value of the discovery of gold-bearing stone in the Arizona tunnel. Although only 10 feet of the reef has been opened out, it is evident that the gold-bearing run of quartz extends at least 500 feet through the company's ground, while the fine clean walls and undisturbed sandstone country holds out every hope that the shot of gold will be found to go downwards. It is never very safe to prophecy in goldmining — indeed, it is a Cornishmau's proverb that " no-one can see a foot into the ground,'* and we do not mean to assume the prophetic role, but we can say with safety that if the New Find shot of gold does not go down, at least to the depth of the present low level tunnel, we will never again place any faith in indications. The contractors in the low level drive are making really first rate progress — 90 feet has been driven, and if the same class of country exists right through they should be up to the reef in five weeks. The length of contract is 225 ft more or less. Since the resumption of crush ing two bucketsl'uU of uncleaned and unsqueeze I amalgam have been taken from the plates. A clearing up will take place on Monday, when the amalgam will be squeezed. During the current week the four berdans employed on the Company's tailings have produced 52 ounces of hob water squeezed amalgam — a really excellent result. Prior to tins 7:3 ounces had been obtained from tailing?, and 81 ounces from blanketings, so that there is 206 ounces of hot squeezed amalgam already in hand, the retorting of which will go to swell next month's return. Goldisn Hill. — This mine, which is under the supervision of Mr 11. T. Howe, occupies the site of the old Prospectors' claim on the western slope of the mountain. The operations comprise a drive 72 feet in length ami some 50 feet below the Prospectors' drive. A reef has been followed which varies in size from a couple of feet to four feet in thickness. Sometimes it shows solid quartz from wall to wall and at others it is split into a number of sections. Gold is occasionally seen, but barren blanks are frequency met with. That a considerable portion of the quartz is auriferous is, however, boine testimony to by the fact that a trial crushing of one ton tested a few weeks ago at the Thames produced the encouraging result of 11 ounces of gold. The face of the drive is now within a few feet of the old Prospectors' winze. The operations of the Golden Hill have made it apparent that the operations of the prospectors were confined to a bifurcation of the main lode. the Prospectors driven from the bottom of the winze referred to, they could hardly have avoided striking the Golden Hill main lode. Canadian. — Noihinghas been done in the holidays, but it i? now reported that the directors contemplate making a fresh start. Of the " outside " mines the Canadian has one of the best shows on the field, situated as it is between the New Find and the Colonist — both of which are on payable gold. Wrlcomk. — The upper drive on the lead from which the rich trials were