MINING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 42, 22 March 1884, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

The Battery. — The following are the returns of amalgam obtained from the different crush in^s at the Battery For the week ending Saturday, the loth inst : —

As will be seen the yield from the Vulcan trial parcel has not come up to expectations. The Vulc.in crushing of 04 tons was finished dnring the week. The retorting lias since taken place and resulted in a yield of 2tfozs 3dwts of gold.

New Find. — Work in the different parts of the mine is steadily going on with re->ults no less satisfactory than heretofore, and with the same appearance of permanence. The reef in both ends of the Arizona level looks much the same as it has done all along, except, perhaps, that the thickness of crushing stuff in the south face is a trifle less than it has been. The rise from this level was recently let to a party of contractors who are pushing on with the work as rapidly as possible. The length of the rise is twelve feet, and the price (!5s per foot. In the No. '2 level the north face still shows rather poorly, but the lode is beginning to assume a more compact appearance thau it lias done for some distance. The stopes on this reef continue to yield excellent stone, and the same may be said of tho.v" 1 in the upper workings. The sinking of the No. 2 winze is being prosecuted a« quickly as circumstances will admit of. A )irH<> water v.is been mot, witn, but not in suilicient quantity to cnuse much inconvenience. The depth is now about ten feet, the reef is the full width of the winze, and fie stone of good avenge quality. The country in the low level th.it is being put in to cut the reef i» -still tight though a little less hard than it has been.

Colonist. — The various work'? are being pustteil on with th- \un il energy, but t.iere U no change of any impoitanue to record. The winze and rise that are to connect the two level" will meet in a ilny or two. In both places tne reel' looks wHI and yields a large quantity of crushing dirt. As soon a? communication bitween the levels is effected stoping out north and south will be at once started, and from the blocks thu<= opened up stuff sufficient to supply 1 5 or 20 head of stampers will be obtainable for ,i length of time to come. The blocking nut of the reef from where the low level broke through to the surface back towards the cross-cut is steadily .going on, and the chief portion of the quartz now being treated at the battery is obtained therefrom. Tn the south end of the low level work in the face is suspended owing to the drive being blocked up with stuff from the rise. As soon as possible after holing through dtiving will bo resumed.

Canadian'. — lite breaking out of tlio trial parcel of slonc from the Colonist end of tlio mine is still going on. A sufficient quantity would by this time have been got out but for some little distance the reef has been smaller than usual, and has not yielded the average amount of quartz. Some very fair goldbearing stone has however been gor., and the manager is sanguine of having a payable retnrn when the lot is brought under the stampers.

Hero. — The high .are now engaged in breaking through the reef near the end of the lower drive .ami close to the bottom of the rise. Tenders have been called for erecting trestle work fora road to convey debris from the mine across the County tramway. As soon as this work is completed preparations for putting in a low level will be set about without delay.

Premier — There is no news of importance to relate concerning this claim. A few of the hands have bePti paid off for a time, and with the reduced staff operations will be carried on until measures have been decided upon for the further development of the mine.

Couqktte. — Since the discovery of gold in the drive put in by this Company as referred to in onr last issue the cross-cutting of the reef lias been continued. It has now been driven through fo more than six feef, and is of larger bt/e than was expociod. Tne show of gold latterly has not been quite so good •as in the iirst 3 or four fcefc, but the stone is rcill of a very kindly nature. As soon as the western wall is readied the drive will be carried along the reef towards the centre of the Company's gronnd, in which direction Hie manager is hopeful of tracing payable stone for some distance.

Army. — Hm trial lot of stuff from this mine was forwnrdcd to the battery on Wednesday. Should the crushing prove to be, as is hoped, a payable one, the' working the mine' will at once bo vigorously proceeded with.

Vermont. — The drive on the roof is now in ten or twelve feet from the crosscut. The face shows a fine looking body of stone five feet, in thickness. Gold lias been seen, bnfc not yet freely enough to warrant the sending of any of the stuff to the battery for trial. As good gold-bearing quartz has been cot by the Inverness people a little distance ahead on the Fame reef, there are strong grounds for believing that payable quartz will be found as the drive is extended in that direction.

PimsNix. — The leader is at present small and does not show as much gold as formerly. It is also less compact than it has been for a length of time Probably the disturbance is owing to the proximity of the larger lode which crosses the course ot the one in hand, and is daily expected to be met with.

WAioitoNGojrAi. — The contractors for the winze on the "VVaiorongomai reef gave up after sinking- to a depth of 38 feet, leaving 22 feet, the remainder of the contract, unfinished. The work will probably be resumed shortly. The prospecting of the Three Fools reef is still going on. but so far without any startling result. A meeting of the shareholders in this Company was held at Mr F. A. White's oilice, Auckland, on Friday, the 14th inst., Mr Joseph Newman in the chair. Amongst other matters considered was the question of taking up shares in the new ICxcelsior Battery Company, and a discussion arose as to whether it would bo more advisable to dispose of some of the reserve shares of the Company to raise money to purchase Uattory shares or to make a call for the purpose. It was finally resolved that 8000 shares be disposed of, and that £300 be invested in the new battery. This in a step in the right direction, and we would gladly see other companies in the same locality do likewise so that a work of such vital importance to all of them might be commenced without delay. A suggestion was made at the meeting that portions of the Company's ground might be let to tribute parties but it was not adopted, the feeling of the shareholders present being opposed to this being done, except in those parts of the mine that had already boon prospected. The proposal accordingly fell through.

Alphabet — i here was trial crushing of two tons from the \P portion of this Company's ground, hut the result has not yet been made known.

Uolonist — 20 heart 6 days Find — 10 head, G days . . .'remior— s head, G days Vulcan — 5 head 7 days 055. ctwts .. 323 10 .. 275 10 .. 31 15 .. 52 15