A Trip to Sandhurst. [From Special Correspondent of the "Aroha AND Ohinemuri News."]

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 250, 28 March 1888, Page 5

A Trip to Sandhurst. [From Special Correspondent of the "Aroha AND Ohinemuri News."]

U aviso made up my mind to take a fnp o Sandhuusl, tho premier gold - mining city of t! oAusU-nLisian colonies! decided on loa\ino In the 5.10 p.m. oxpiess t.om the •SuenceV-Wt .Station. " bs press -n\lm u cha>i» -.hoie i« in that wonl when one nab been accustomed to tho monotonous jou«ness on a ]Ne\v Zealand wihoacl with iLs "fa*f ju^cnoor trains ciawling along about fifteen miles an hour. I'uuotually to tluMninuto wo starred, and tho action of the porters in locking- Che doors, inspecting ide tickets &0., reminded one of tho cv pre^es at Hoini' Our lirsb stopping place ; iis Snnberry, about, thirty miles from Melboiu'iio, aniving at 5.50. Here wo Mayed to water tlio engine; from heie we had a. good run to Kyiieton, arriving at 6.50 p.m., a dNtanco of lifty-eight miles, in one hour forty minutes, the line being earned over >omc heavy gradients. We stayed at Kuicton twenty minutes for rcfre^hmenbs. The countiy from Melbourne to Jkyueton hcin"- all in* a state of good cultivation, but ha\ ing a slightly-burnt look, had a decided Kndith appearance, with trees dotted over it. and well-built homesteads peeping up hoio and there. Leaving Kyneton ab 7.10 pin., we had a good run to Sandhurst, a distance of forty - rive miles, arriving there at 8.5 p.m., including two stop pa«'es, a distance of forty - hvo miles, vifhin the hour or a run of 103 miles in three hours— a slight diflorenee to your wains- n Xcw Zealand. Another gieut feature is the fact that they i-smic refeurn tickets available for a fortnight at reduced rates, 25s 9d being the {u\-,t-clabs it-turn fare to Sandhurst, thus giving the public every encouragement to travel. Ai - m h\cr at Sandhurst at dark, one could not see much of the place. Having been recommend to stay at the City Family Hotel, kept by Mr F. Salmon, I accordingly, on leaving the station, made for it under the o-uldance of a fellow tra\eller, and 1 nwy'as w ell remark here that for excellence or appointments this hotel is second to none, and should advise any New Zealander travelling through the colony in visifcino- Sandhurst to put up theie. where he will meet with every corntort and attention. Here during the even-in'-r I had the good fortune to fall in with Mr Wm. Hemming, a gentleman who lias been identified with "Bendigo" for the last thirfiy-iive years, and he \ery kindly offered to s-how me around the next day. Early the following morning I was .noon astir, and as I had a letter of introduction to Mr Yon der Heyde, a gentleman, who has been connected with Sandhurst and its mining for pome considerable time, 1 presented it after breaklast, and he very kindly gave me every facility to visit tome of the best mines on the field. 1 cannot speak too highly of the kindness and courtesy shown to me by this gentleman as well as several others during my stay, presenting my letter of 'intro," and getting orders, etc., to visit the mines. Having- taken a little rime, I went round to bee if Mr Hemming was ready for a start, and found he would not be able to go for three-quarters of an hour ; so detei mined to have a look aiound the city ; and a very fine city it is, one of the nicest and cleanest to be seen an y where. Ha\ ing with suburbs between thirty and forty thousand inhabitants, some idea of the extent of it may be gathered. The. two principal streets are named Tall Mall and Charing Cross. In the centre of the street, between the two, is a very handsome fountain, and some of the buildings will compare very well with Auckland buildings, the Post and Telegraph Offices, Town Hall, Masonic Hall, Museum, etc., being particularly handsome, la the Post Office they have a clock which rings the chimes, giving the city a homelike sound. One thing which adds greatly to the appearance of Sandhurst is the avenues of English and Australian trees which are planted on each side of the streets, with the exception of the principal ones. In the centre of the town and on one side of Pall Mull i.« a recreation ground, nicely planted and laid out ; and in part of this recreation ground, with engine-house adjoining the footpath in Poll Mall, is situated the City of Sandhurst mine. Up to the present this mine has not been much of a success ; they are only working one shift, and are down about 900 feet. Ifa\ing finished the threequarters of an hour allotted, I made my way back to our stai ting-place. Arriving there, f espied Mr Hemming crossing the road with what appeared in the distance to be a small bundle of papers. On coming up he informed vie he had been down collecting his dividends, and judging from the number of cheques, they must Lmc been pretty fair. However, as everything was now ready we made a start in a four-wheel conveyance, ha\ing the appearance of a covered waggonette. Very soon atter leaving the town we came into the land of mines, poppet heads and stacks sticking up in all directions. About half-an-hour's drhing brought us to the

North Johnson. On alighting the first thing that arrested my attention was a flag at the poppet heady '•dividend day,"' a pleasing si<rhl for the shareholders. Captain Agnew, lliO manager of this mine, coming forward just then, the ceremony of introduction was gone through, and learning ( was from New Zealand, he at once uioposed to go helow. Going into the ofh'ce •and making a change afterwards 1 found it was scarcely necessary, the mine being perfectly dry) we proceeded to the shaft; and were noon lowered to the bottom a distance of 1,000 feet. On stepping out of the cage a deafening noise assailed my ear*?, which Captain Aguew informed inn proceeded fiom the rock drills. Journeying along the eio<-seut, we soon came to tho workings and took the drive going north along the line of reef. This drive at present was in a distance of 100 feet, carrying gold A\e whole way. Aniving at the tace, a line body of quartz was to be seen about three feel wide ; the quartz was of a milk-white appearance with veins of mineral. Black •Jack and galena running through the stone. In the face gold could be seen in several place 3. Just at the time of my vWt the men were busy putting down a hole with the rock drill, so I stayed a short time watching the operation, and for quickness, efficiency and simplicity certainly it is second to none. I was informed that a hole four feet in depth generally takes an hour or so putting down, seven to nine holes per shaft being reckoned a fair day's woik. Proceeding along the stopes, the reef varies in size, pinching out to three or four inches in places. In several places gold was to be seen, but as the reef was covered with dust and no watev was at hand, Captain Agnew could not show me as much as he would like. About 150 feet along the stopes brought us to the south face, and here, as they had just been breaking down, I hncl the opportunity of seeing a good show. In one place gold could be traced for severalteet along the roof, and some very coarse 1 gold was to be seen in the face—gold that one could stand back some distance and fee plainly. Here we found another rock *iwU at work, as -well as one we passed in

the stones. The rock drills have now taken thetalace of the old system entirely, and Capcin Agnew informed mo that blio locally- ] madp ones wore licking the imported article out of tho market. Having inspected the vaiibus Ayorkings, and seen the splendid manner in which this mine is worked for the shareholders, as well as the systematic opening at the ground, wMrunding one of the Wniotahi, we piocccded to the surface. Here I was >hown the winding engine* as well as the engine for compre^inu the air. The comproved air is sent into a tecuiver, and from thence taken down tho shaft in pipo«, prosHue in a icocivei legfctennj; about 701b. Captain Agm>w then took me to tho specimen chest, where he had sor^c very nice pieces of stone with course pieces of gold, about the si/o ot peas, scnttorod over the Ftono. In bicaking" the btone gold could be seen in tho mineral, thus showing they have (ho same difficulty as in New Zealand. In fact, he informed me that the pyiite* when sent to the pyritc works trenerally go about 7to 80/s. to the load. Tho quartz at the present time crushes* abont three to four ounces to tho load, cost oi crushing and carting about 6s por ton. They are paying about 2s per fortnight. Thcro arc 26,000 f-h.ues in this claim, and since it has been lesri&torod as a |iub!ic company, it) has paid about £100,000 indi\idends. and judging tiom the present appearance oi the reef and the conbideiablo amount of backs, the shareholder may expect dividends? tor some considerable time to come. The amount; of tho Company's propivty as it staud3 in the market at present is I t"65,00C or 50s per shuie, and as they have boon paying from 5* to 4s per month for the la-t six montlis.it give very good interest for the money invested. With regard to gold £oing down, Captain Agnew inlormed me that gold had been carried down the whole -way, although not always as good an now, but payable, and that he had leit %cry good gold on the floor of the bottom level. (laving thanked Captain A^newforhis courtesy and kindness we bade him adieu and staited foi t.ne next on tho list.

South St. Mungo With the intention ot inspecting the winding enginesand battery, but on Captain lioulden heaving lwasfrom New Zealand he insisted on mj going bplow, where he I should sco some mining, and as I was in a hurry promised not to take me below tho 450 feet level. Arriving a& the above level, I was quite unprepared for the sight that presented itself. Proceeding along the level with its tremendous timbering of boxwood and innumerable passes, we came into what appeared to be an enormous ea\ crn, but iv reality was a tremendous reef between thirty and forty feet wide, the whole of which, with the exception of a fesv feet in the centre, was being shot down and sent to the surface for crushing. Passing along the leading slope, one sees the magnitude of the work and the responsibility attached to taking- out and afterwards securing .such an immense body of stone. Passing along the &tope«, one could not help noticing the number ot passes and escapes for the men in case of a fall of sfcone, every provision being made in case of an accident; but fortunately, up to the piesent nothing of j any consequence ha* taken place. In | beveial places were to be seen men building up emormous pillais for support, and certainly, as one proceeded along the st»pes, I it gave one the idea of an immense quarry. The reef has been followed down 950 feet in ! this mine, and I was informed operations of ! an equally oxtensive character were to be i seen in the other workings. On arriving at the surface, fueling inteies>ted in what amount of gold would pay, and upon asking ( the question, Captain Uoulden informed me that 4dwts. would pay expenses very well, and he kindly gave me the following of the last three years' returns, nora January Ist, I 1884, to July 31st, 1887. During that period, 45,92S tons ot quartz has been raised and crushed for a return of 24,8350z5. gold, or n little orer Aoz. to ihe ton. There are 30,000 shares "in the Company, and the j callcd-up capital is £6,000. Since the formation of the Company, they have paid J 4:58,000 in dividends, besides paying for their | \\ indincr engines as well as 40-stamper i battciy. They have iv the mine the finest pair oi winding engines on this, side of the j line. They v\eie purchased at tho last Melbourne Exhibition, where they took the ] prize. The amount along the line of reef is 533 feet, and on looking around one cannot j help seeing the cause of the prosperity of ' .Sandhurst, for within a stone's throw are ] half a-dozen poppet head*, all at work, thus stowing that small aiea* are the be^fc for legitimately working a iield to achantnge. * Thanking Cape. Goulden for In'& kindness, we proceeded to the next on our list, the

St. Mungo. Being rather }ate, I decided on not going below. Beintr on the same line of reef as the last, the workings are on the same extensive scale, except as regards tho battery, etc., which is the mo-:b complete for its sue on the field. It is a thiity-stamper battery driven by a .sixty-two horse powe% low-pressure condousing engine. Going into the engineroom, one could nob help being struck by the bcautitul appearance and noiseless woiking of the different engines. Here together with the engine ior driving the battery are two 22 cylinder winding engines coupled together as well as a four hcrse engine for dm ing the d) namo. The battery and mine being lighted by electricity, Captain Butson, the manager, introduced me to Mr Toy, the engineer, who very kindly -showed me over the battery, and explained the diUbient systems in vogue. Leaving tho engine room we pioeeeded to the battery, where, as in the room just left, everything was spic and span. It i? an ordinary thirty-stamper battery, but with improvements not yet \ in use iv Kew Zealand. It is fitted with ] Anley's patent percussion shaking tables. , These tables are of local manufacture and are .supej ceding the concentrators, all the batteiies on the iield being fitted with them. They do the work of .separation wonderfully well. The name of tlih le tables w uive a slight idea of the ' action. The tables are in the same form as the lipple tables, ntted with springs. On a shaft at the lower end a cam is fitted, or, in other words, a large ratchet. This gives the table the desired forward motion aa it re\olves, allowing at each notch a sufficient rebound for the" tables to strike a buffer fixed at the upper end, the concussion thus shaking the pyrites back and allowing the lighter material 1 to flow away with the watei. The tables arc cleaned according to the nature of the stone Tho pyrites are then sent to the pyrites work and sold or treated, as the , owner may wish. The pyutes from the mine generally yield about three to four ounces to the )oad. In looking through the battery one cannot help noticingthe length of the silver tables—about twelve feet,, thus giving every chance to save the gold. Not in any of the batteries I visited are to be seen the berdans, and on mentioning the subject they smile at tho thought of such an old system being still in u«e. They burn 53 tons of wood per week, costing 7s 6d per ton. The battery is fitted with tailing pump and every convenience! for economical working. Being, on tho same- line of reef as the South St.! Mungoi they have te contend with the same'

poor returns, and to give some idea of the almost perfect systom ot management Cap* tain Butson i\m% I give you bho returns for the past four years, up. to September 19th, 1887, as taken from the, manager's books. During that period they have raised and crushed 77,796 tons quarts for a return of 19,8850z5. gold, or an average of a little over sdwts. to the ton. Out ot fchis they ha\o paid overdraft £3.423, and £21,300, m-17*9d pershare, in dividends. Thisspeak j \ olmnes«, and it seems rather a pity that instead of going- to America to set '• wrinkles " a few good " experts " do not come over lo Sandhurst. Having finished my \ i-iik hate as it was xathei lafco, atitl luv\ Ic.q tim-ikocl Captain liutson and Mr Toy. who^o abilities as manager and engineer iho Company aro very fortunate in posv-esvMnu;, ye started for Sandhurst, arriving; there at 5 o'clock. Next day, furnished with letter.- h'om Mr Yon dor ] [cycle and M r Hemming, T went to \isit tho New Chun. Consolidated, North Shenandoah and She^nandoah. Arriving at tho i

New Chun* Consolidated, one of tho deepest mme 1* on the (ieid, I soon found Captain Bo'and and presented my letter. He at once asked me it 1 v otdd like (,o go below with him, and answering in the nilirmative wo iceordmgly put o;i tome diflbrent clothes. Our lirst (stopping pluoo was the 1,33 c foot k->el. In this level operations ac^ confined to sinking; a witv/o on the reef to connect with the 1,770 feet level. At tho cimc of my visit, they were down 33 feet, atv! had about 30 foet further before connecting with ti&c. In breaking down tho ie«t Chut, morning in the winze, some e^"ellen!> gold was to be seen, tho reef in the bottom being about 3 feet wide, of a. nice kindly appearance carrying ft good deal of mineral From this level avc were lowered to the 1,770 feet level, wh«re a lucre number of men are employed breakrio out quait^ for fchc battery. In the drive going 1 snuth the body of ore is about 10 feet; wide, two-thirds of which is being- crushed. At times in breaking down some veiy nice gold is seen. The quartz is of the same milky white appearance as In the Sb. Mungo, and heavily nu'wrilL-ed. I*" is only about two mile-, from the St. Mungo. As the stopes ate carried along, tho reef gets cousideiably smaller, and ab present abou 1; two feet is taken in tho leading- stope. Although at such a great depth th<* tut was fairly good, and as soon as the connection is made between the lise and wnr/e a thofc-rafca current of air will bo obtained a3 well as the opening of a large extent of ground. Here, as in the other mine?, aro to be seen a large number of rock drills at work. Leaving the 1,770 feet level, we lowered ourselves by means of a rope to the 1,820 feet level, at present the deepest in the mine. Hera they are working on a tery large body of stone, the reef being siX to ."even feet wide and heavily mineralised. The ore raised averages about an ounco to the ton, value £3 17s 6d. The country at the bottom is very hard sandstone and slate formation. To give some idea of the coarseness of the gold the amalg'iro squeezed in cold water goes two-thirds. There are 28,000 shares in this mine, of 30s, or £42,000 : 13s per share has been called upand£3ss6dper share paid in dividends. This mine is under the able management of Henry Yon dcv Heyde, E-i., legal manager with Capt. Boland as mire i-.ai»agm\ With regard to the theory whether gold goes down or not, I think that must "be exploded by this time. Captain Boland informs me that fiom the 800 feet level they sank through a barn?:: country to a depth of 1,780 feet, when the eastern po:tion of a reofwas cut about 16 incho3 wide, heavily mineralised, and showing fair gold. The manager then went to the 1.680 feet level, and drove a crops-cut to pick up this lode, and eventually fo'md it in about two hundred feet of driung. Sinking on ifc, gold was discovered 33 feefc down, thus showing that 900 feefc of barren, or to all appearances barren country, had been gone through before picking up the gold again. To Mr Lan^eil n given the credit of finding the gold at a great depth, he having given his manager instructions to sink '2,000 feeb before opening out. Gold being found, other mine? soon followed suit. Had^itnotbeenforMrLanseH'H pluck, Sandhurst probably would now have been in something the tame state as the Thames. Leaving the New Chum Consolidated, I soon arrived at H\c Shenandoah and North Shenandoah, situated to the south, and on the same line of reef. The Shenandoah and North Shenandoah aro two companies working together. They put down a shaft conjointly as near the boundary as possible, and drive their crosscuts —a very gooc idea to save expense. Here I found Cap'iun Parker, and on handing him my lettet he, although late in the afternoon and t bin king of going home, very kindly ofteied to take me below. Attached to these mines i 3 a 35 stamp battery, twonty of which a^e let to the New Chum Consolidated, ond the remaining 15 employed on quartz coming fiom tho 1,312 level in the Shev.atvioaU Company's ground. Having seen the battery and engino house, all of which are lighted by olectiicity, we proceeded to attire ourselves for below. In this mine, the only one, I had to put on an oilskin on account cf the water. We were lowered to the 1,312 feet level. Here operations are being carried, on by the Shenandoah Company in their portion of the ground, the reef being about three feot wide, with a considei-able amojnfc of black jack and galena. The reef in this vi orldng is rather poor, just paying expenses. Ha^ ing- gone through the workings we were lowered to Lhe 1,630 feet level. J?rom this level they are putting down their shaft, and at the time of my \isit had just finished the lift ISO ft 31; and weie making preparations to cut fcheit chamber with a view of cross-cubbing- to tiy and pick up the New Chum Consolidated leef, the manager estimating about 200 foet will be sufficient. The- clasa of groundatfche bottom of the shaft h very haul sandstone. At the 1,630 feeb levol they have a compressed air winch for hoisting the dirt to this level, and thence it if went to the surface in Lhe trnke. Voi y little atter tho cross-cut is in will have 6o be dono to open up the largo block, a» the manager has already sunk a winzo some 114 feet on the reef, bu t was swam ped ou fc by the water. Gold has been seen more or lo^s the v/hole way, po Hie two com pantos have every reason to expect good dividends shortly. They have seven rock drill* at woik in the two mines, and Captain Parker states that he finds tho local one by tar befoLC the imported article—Horfttield'd, the Sandhurst one, costing only £50, whilst the American one costs £100, so the .saving is considerable, Whilst at the 1,530 foot le\ei the men came up from below to <:i6 a hole, it being exploded by electrioiiy, a battery of, the same description us exhibited by Mr W. T. Firth being uhed. AH th? work in the mines is done by day work. <cry little contract work being let. I asked Captain farker which ho thought was fcha cheapest, and he said that owing to having the rock drills they found day work far cheaper than contract. Six men afc 50s per week can drive a cross-cut 9 feet x 7 feet through hnrd ground with the rock drills 42 feet per fortnight, or about 14s 6d, nob including fuse, etc. Whilst speaking of fuse I find they use nothing butche locally made article supplied to the mine* at 7£d per coil. No misses have .taken place, and tho

fuse is considered equal to BickfovcVs In Sandhurst} wages are very good, men getting 50s per week, and shaft men i' 2 12s 6d. Good men, as a rale, can find employment. It being after three o'clock, and seoing thab Captain Parker and Mr Kdailo, the clerk (who gave mo a good deal of information as well), were going to leave, and as our roads happened to be in the same direction, wo accordingly wended our way homeward. After having a drink, I parted company with two as moo follow.'. .•!■> 1 hn\e mot for some time. In conclusion I must say that the iSandlun.>>t people rk-erve a great credit tor the way in which they have proved to the colonies that gold goes down to a groat depth. Had it not been for their pluck and perseverance, Sandhurst would ha\o boon at a very low ebb to-day. For as soon as tho gold gave out, outside capital vanished and they had to take the responsibility of pioving whether gold went deeper or nob, and as shown above sank some 800 feet through what appeared to be barren country before finding gold again. In my next' I will give you information on tho pyrites works, which are such a aucce&a here. To form some oxtent of the mining carried on in bandhur&t, tho New Chum lino of reef is opened up for seven miles, and the Garden Gully reef at about tho same distance, the holdings being small neaily tho whole way. and mines that have been stopped arc, now at work with lenewed energy, sinking to get into the gold-bearing channel ot country.