GOLDMINING IN QUEENSLAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 91, 28 February 1885, Page 6

GOLDMINING IN QUEENSLAND.

An old Aucklander at present in Gympio, Queensland, sends us the following notes regarding that El Dorado :— Gympie, which is 60 miles inland from Maryborough, was opened in 1867. and the total yield of gold to August, ISS4, was 93i,050 ounces. Tlrj dividends for the eight months to August, 1884, are £186,8t>2 3s 4d. Seven companies out of the 150 in the district are paying dividends. There are from 1,000 to 1,200 miners on the field, and 200 head of stamps, including one public mill of 63 stamps. The cost of crushing is from 7s 6d to 10s per ton, and the averago value of the gold £3 10s per ounce. The cost of hardwood firewood is £1 per cord ; hardwaod props, (any size), 3d to 4d per foot ; slabs, £3 per 100 ; sawn hardwood timber, 14s per 100 feet. All the principal miners belong to the Stock Excuange( which numbers 160 members), and do their own broking. The membership fee is ±'3 3s ; fee for placing Company, £5 5s ; salary of secretaries to companies, 10s to 15s per week. Tho deepest mine is the United Smithfield, 780 feet. The Phoenix No. 1 North employ 120 men and 30 stamps. The monthly expenses are £1,600. 50 tons per day are crushed, the stuff averaging one ounce per ton. Seven pennyweights will pay dividends. Tailings are worth 10 grains. Only one mine is working three shifts. Wages, £2 10s per week— £3 for sinking. The Pho?nix prospectors uso the electric light in their claim, have their battery, assay, smelting and laboratory osI tablishments, also a branch of the Queensland j National Bank, all on the mine. . . I I have seen simplo cases of mining swindling here that a boy of twelve at the Thames would have laughed at. . . The Mount Morgan mine, containing over 700 acres, is a valuable property. The original owners, the Morgans, were bought out for £95,000, i and are reckoned to have made altogether, includingdividends, £140,000. Theinterest would now be worth twice that amount if the concern were placed in a public company. The Thames would go wild did they possess such a mining property. The last salos were at the rate of about £1,000,000 for the mine, and the figure I consider moderate. The 25 head of stamps owned by the Company crush 2SO tons per week. Half of the stuff is worth 4 ounces per ton, with ahout as much loft in the tailings. The chlorination process for healing the tailings was tried, but tailed, and Wheeler's pans are now being used.

■At a special meeting of the Harbour Board on Wednesday, Mr Owen was appointed chairman, on tho motion of Mr Devore, seconded by Mr D. H. McKenzie. Mr Owen briefly thanked his fellow members, and in the course of his speech said lie thought Auckland Harbour must of necessity be the centre of the commerce they had with the Pacific Islands, and one thing, to his mind, that would go very far to foster the trade would be to make this port a free port. In a short time they would have a dock— one of the finest in the world— and they had all the appliances required by vessels in order to refit ; and besides, they could be supplied with all necessaries by their farmers. A great benefit would be derived by the people in making Auckland a centre of commerce for the Island trade, and a receiving and distributing port. He often thought they did not give the encouragement to the Island trade that should be given to it, and while some industries were encouraged, others were not encouraged as they ought to be. An accident; recently happened, resulting in the death of a young man named James Begbie (business managor of the Flint Glass Works, Rosello Bay, Sydney), who was well known in Auckland. In company with another man. he went out in a punt between 11 and 12 o'clock to have a bathe. After skylarking about in the water, he got into the punt again, but one of the paddles going overboard, the deceased sprang over after it, and the boat drifting away, he had a good distance to swim back. While doing this he sang out that he could not swim, but as he was in the habit of playing jokes, and 1 was a good swimmer, none of his companions took any notice of his cries until they saw his head go under the water. His brother and a young man named John Cooksey jumped in and swam to his assistance, but wnen they arrived at the spot Begbie had sunk for the last time. They dived for him, but without success. The, body was afterwards recovered by a man named M. Detepson. The deceased, who was very much respected, was a man of only 25 years of age. He leaves a wife and one child. Musical Auckland !— Our local Presbytery has been appointed by the General Assembly a standing committee on Church Praise,