MININING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 82, 27 December 1884, Page 2

M I NINING NEWS .

New Find. — Tie lust week of the yaav has seen no diminution in the excqll'Mi t ret urns which ha ve been main tame* I from this mine for more than a month past. The crushing for bhe eight days immediately previous to the suspension of work for the holidays, came fully up to the average of the preceding three or font* weeks, and there is reason to helieve that this satisfactory state of things will continue for sometime to come when I operations have been resumed in the ensuing y *ar. The improved yield for the last month has been largely due to the excellence of the stone obtained from the stopes over the south end of the low level, and from those going northward in the block over the No. 2 level. These parts of the mine have contributed most to swell the returns, but other portions of it have also shown up well, especially the winze going down in the Arizona level. The depth now attained there is Fully seventy feet, and the quartz is still of the same fair payable grade as has all along beenjj met with since sinking was commenced. There has latterly been a slight falling oft' in the size of the reef, its present width being about tiiroe feet i>nt in otlier respects it presents the same healthy appearance as heretofore. Tne bottom of this wi we is now within 12 or 15 feet of the level of t!ie lower drive that is being extended on (he reef in this direction, and the fact oF payable gold having been traced downwarl to within so short a distance from th-it level, gives strength to the supposition that stuff of equal qmlh.y will also phort.lv be found in the drive as it is brought on towards tins point The f.uv is* still IGO or 170 feet distant, but as quaitz of similar grade to that met with in sinking the winze exfcen Is for more than 100 feet southward of it in the Arizona lovel, and as the face will soon be under that part of the workings, an improvement may at any time be looked for. As it shows at present the lode looks well for gold, and the colour is occasionally discernible, but it can hardly yet be said that the stuff is quite payable. It is satisfactory to have to record at the closo of the extensive operations of the year just ending that tho mine is still far from showing signs of being exhausted. Large blocks of the reef yet remain to be worked in the upper levels, and the extensions of the low level under the Arizona winze will there open np a long stretch of the lode that is almost certain to pny hundsom •- ly. On the whole, the prospects in the mine may be regarded as very safcisfac.'ory, 9\m\ there are good grounds for believing that the output of payable stone during the coming twelvemonths, and rerhups for yenr<* afterwards will equal that of the period now closing. Colonist. — Although the recent crushing (which was mainly from the branch of the reef last opened up in tho low level) has not como up to the expectations that where formed, wnere the lode was 6rst crossed there is yet reason for supposing that as the workings are extended to the north and south of the short crosscut between the two branches, stone of paying quality will be found to continue for some distance in both dictions. Overhead in the level above, the reef gave good returns, and in the \vin*e sunk from that level to the place wheie operations are now going on! in the drive below, stuff of payaiilo grade was obtained the whole way down. It may, therefore, be fairly expected that as the blocks at each end of the winze are opened up large, bodies of gold bearing stone will become available. These workings are, to, the,, south of the main cijosseut. Northward of that comparatively little has been done on the lo I >. as the^qnantity ofgoldiproduc d inol er piarts of, 'the -.mine has , qf-Jate ,not bi t-n sufP oieiitly .large/* to - justjfy "the carrying, ■ on oLmore Vthan^ontf qi\t'vvo \ pro'^ress^tST "\ybf^.ttfc>the- snni.^ ttiue, but r noHj r t|ftit| tKe^Yiymze" im tje *gpqth v 'entl^liftB&}s9s

Jam I er- exjst%con4ifi6n«fiJlir«^M ;safificieh^qnaHt]*ty 'o^Bj?l|oaMbe^^™ charges; but -until r'^^MM^^^S treated at' a ni^ c^'9^eajp^r^rt^^S»^P^^B ,'4 present' the « a sef4t:isl|ainrlo|^ff^^B to expect, there will %bef any ' samiuOfor^K distribution in the, sh^ap.e:^)^. (ji^iij^p^fe? In the mine there yet- remains '^la'rilC'fi^ quantities of qnarCa that, ,witli '^eVsifij^Di terms could he made 'to, payj;foj* .takjngO^ out, hut which under oXtstniijs ciYeutiu-^-stances rau^t remain where it is". % Jf; ,"' .shareholders are to derive thaf • ben'f £i '^ \ from the working of tneir p*t>perh7 ' which tliey certainly have, a rii>lit Vto! expect, it can only he hy soiivi concessions - on the part of the B tttery Ou. It is to beY hoped these concessions -will he m;ide, and that the owners of this and other mines will at the end of t ! ie coming year be in a position to point to a better re-. ■ tuiul'orthe mon<>y they lutve invested than they are able to do at the close of the one now expiring. Canadian. — Mutters m tiiis mine havu recently assumed a "more hopeful aspect. The western branch of the reef r Wiiiohjiad .been ., f olio vyM J ( about tiO feeb without success, was abAncioned £< -me-i -' two or three weeks ago, and w^rk vaa resumed oii the eastern one. This h;is been driven on a distance of uore than 20 f*e' since the fresh start was made, and signs of a marked improvement arenow inanifesfc The lode is at presentrather small, but it lias a most promising appearance, and gold is at timesvisible in the stone. There was not an opportunity of testing any of the staff at th«* battery before the holidays, astiie stampers were fully engaged, but when the next crushing docs take place,, it is likely to show up better thanprevious ones. Pkemier. — The appearance of tiling? underground continues satisfactory. Work has been going on for the lasttwo or three weeks on the vein [horn which the excellent crushing was' obtained last month, but it is now being operated on at the lower level. For convenience in working it is at present being followed in the old sn.ifc .y drive r and, although not so rich there as where worked on above, it is still quite payablet.ie return from 21 trucks of stuff crushed last week being 26 ounces of gold. The average size of the vein is over a foot, bub as the country is comparatively easy a considerable quantity of stuff will be got out weekly, when preparatory arrangements now in hand are completed. Diamond Gully. — In this mine also matters are in a satisfactory slate. Operations nave for sometime been confine ! to the block over the old level, and the recent crus.iin^s of ytuff taken indiscriminately from the different s<op->3 prove chat a considerable extent of thereof them will pay well for wor«ing, the-exce-w v<> hardness of the country notwiths'aidiug. Below the old level a> winzo w.is stink so notime since to a depth of abonl 20 feet, ih.> reef yielding good gold bearing stone all the waydown. Tnis lower block yives promise, when opened up, of proving quite equ-il to the one now in hand above the level, and, should this turn out to be the c i^e, the next year's operations in this mine are likely to be very successful. May Queen. — The good repute in which thk claim is held has been further enhanced by t!ie return from the parcel of stone crushed prior to the holidays, the yield from the 22 truck loads treated being .Bozs sdwt9 retorted erold. Most of the stuff was taken hurriedly fr^ni the surface block over the upper level, and though it gave fair prospects when being broken out. it was not thought to be of such good quality as it proved to be when treated. Tiiis crushing has [ shown that a large portion of the reef regarding which there was considerable * doubt, will pay handsomely for wot king, and goes far to ensure for the claim a | lengthened period of prosperity. In the low level th» l reef has a most favourable appearance, and as the face is now approaching near the bottom of 'the lower winze, it is likely that payable stuff will be met with shortly after work is resumed. Waiorongomai. — Most of the work done during the past few weeks has been on the reef in the north end of the ground near the Wellington boundary. The stuff got from fche stopes there during that period has been of fair quality, and seme of the gold obtained is the coarsest that has' ypt been found in the mine. Tfie quaitz on hand from these workings was forwarded to the battery and crushed iast week, for the good return of 50 ounces from 32 truck loans. As soon as the new hopper an>.l shoot are completed',, which,, will^be, shortly Rafter the , holidays/ ppepaijii £>ns , , will bo resumed on the reef-- in^the"; Virginia City section of the claidutp, There is a considerable quanfcifcy/off r quarfcz al- f . ready stacked on the t,s.j,li\[ace t ,s.j,1i\[ace there and ; supposed to be pay^al^lef |If .it^hapes as I it is expected to do Jwn'en brought nnder the stampers, t it l 'will,valonV l with«,the?stui'f; ' , g.»t out as.jwork goes on undergroun 1, be/. , snfficient^tOskeep/five hear] employed- foi?% : a considerable length 'of; f inie. ' t \ r ; ' : ' :"j "_ , Inve~rneSB> extension/ ? ;6t ' T th\Jt ; lovy/1 e vel Ji as ; ao f ar -beetv the only; wjfcfrfcv */» I ; jlone,sma<3 Iwlqlc < icU^S|&^?;^;