THE THAMES TESTING PLANT

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 213, 30 July 1887, Page 1

THE THAMES TESTING PLANT

Prior to the advent of Mr J. I). Lamont the majonfcy of the miners working at the different mmmg 1 centres on our gold fields were under the impression that all the gold and silver contained in local ore occurred in the metallic form, and that the loss of bullion by the ordinary battery system of i eduction was comparatively trifling. Since then hoc a few of the most stubborn ones have had reason to alter their views, and the pi availing opionion now is that gold as well as silver occurs in Upper Thames quartz in iorin-. other than metallic, and that the battery pi oof* 5 ? does not save more than 25 per cent, of the assay value of the bullion contained in the ore. At both YVaihi and KarauLjahake stone in which there was not a coin. 11 of gold nor a vestige of silver \ i-iib!e has yielded an aserago value of Ll'iO per ton by the me test. By \\n} oi illustrating what we mean, wo append ~fi om a record furnished to us by our Olu:.oiiui.i correspondent of work done by Mi C. Rhodes, assayer, Bank of Now Zealand, Pueroa, during the past 18 months — tiio roouka of a few assays of ore in which the. o wan not a particle of gold or silver \ i-^ihlc to the unaided eye, and wherein no evidence of the existenco of either of the above-mentioned metals could be detected u ithout subjecting the stone to the action of the fire :—: — No. 1 sample was taken from n reef averaging 4ft in thickness in the Crown mine, Kaian^ahake, and it gave a return equal per ton to GGGoz of bullion, which on being separated proved to contain at/ the rate of lOoz of gola and 6560z of silver per ton. No. 2 »ample came from the Rosemont mine, Waihi, and its treatment resulted in a retm n of 507oz6dwt 6gr of bullion, which on being parted gave gold32oz, silver 4750z —or at that rate per ton. No. '-• sample was obtained fiom a reef 3 feet thick in iho Woodstock mine, Karangahaki', and the following are tho results at per ton obtained therefrom according to a- ay volue : — Bullion, 2.6780z 13d\vt 8 gr ; gold, '2uHoz sdwfc ; silver, 2,4700/. Bdwt Bgr. No. 4 sample was the product of a reef about" 12 inches thick in the Adeline mine, K.uanyahake, and upon being subjected to the a^-aying process it gave a return per ton equal Glooz lodwt Sgr of bullion, which proved to be gold 420'0z sdwfc 4gr ; silver, ISikv tkhU ISgr. No ,"5 «ample, which was brought from ! the Union mine, Waihi, and was described j as " kui en .-tone," gave a bullion result at pn tiii- of ore equal to 2490z ldwt IGgr. 1 Tliio v, a-5 composed as follows: — Gold, IGo. Gdv, t IGgr; silver, 2320z lodwt. N<\ G sample was taken from a private claim called the Comstock, situated at Kai mgahake, and it yielded at the rate of 70!'g.: of sih cr and a slight trace of gold per ton. N'"> 7 sample was obtained by a pait} ot prospectors who were operating on a Luge reet at a place called Parakawai, neat the Ei«it Coast, where an auriferous belt of countiy was discovered about 12 mi.'pf'is ano. This stone, when tested, p\\\e a bullion return equal to 272 ounces per ton of ore, and of this 30 ounces proved to be gold, and the balance of 236 ounces Mas madu up of silver. No. 8 sample was composed of tailings being the residue of a parcel of rich ore. Treated at the Martha battery for the ►Sihcrton mine, Waihi, it gave a return equal to 282 ounces of bullion per ton, and the bullion wa3 worth 52s per No 0 sample was from o reef Gft thick inthe Lnpeiial mine, Karangahake, and it pa\e a bullion return at the x-ate of 455 o/ 7dwfc llgr per ton. When this v,-,ts parted, the results were : — Gold, 2Gsv 12ih\t llgr ; silver, 42Soz odwt to the ton of ore. Altogether, the book contains a record of three hundred assays, and the largest bullion return on the list was obtained from a sample of quartz treated for the Woodstock Company, and the bullion results of which have already been quoted. This was broken out from the reef known a^ the Maria, and in general character and appearance it was not unlike a piece of tho oulinary broken road metal, which is used for macadamising purposes. Nov.- we think these results will make ie clear to the least skilled in mining matters Ilia*- the future of the mining industry in Auckland district at any rate, and no doubt in many other parts of the colony, turns upon the introduction of processes for the profitable treatment of refractory ores. With free milling ores, the battery process will, no doubt, notwithstanding the lows of gold, still be the most profitable, because of iN cheapness ; but there are mines rich in oold which cannot be worked at a profit unless other processes are introduced. It is with the object of obtaining a plant which v iil prove the actual value of the varied samples of Thames ore, and indicate the ] n-cper method of treating it, that an effort i-, now being made to obtain, subscriptions from the mining community ; and the object is one of such importance to our whole mining; industry that many who. are interested in it would, we believe, be willing to sanction a small call rather than that the project should fall through. Tho suggestion we made somo time ago that the- Government might offer a bonus for the discovery and introduction of a plant 'for the treatment of these ores is still worthy of consideration. But as the Minister of Mines has promised to bear half the cost of the testing plant, which will confer an immediate benefit upon our mining interests, we hope the project will not be allowed to lapse for want of a little enthusiasm and liberality expended at the proper time. — 'Auckland Star.'

"Look here, waiter," said a man in a city restaurant the other day, "is there any difference in your roast lamb and roast mutton ? I don't detect any." " Oh, yes," .said the waifcor. " You will notice that yesterday, when you had roast lamb, I gave you als 6d cheque. To-day, when you had roast mutton, I gave you Is cheque. There's the difference." He (at dinner) : May I assist you to the cheese, Miss Vassal* ? Miss Vassar (just graduated) : Thanks, no. lam very comfortable where I am. Bufc you may assist the cheese to me if you will.