OHKEMURL 4. SPECIAL VISIT TO THE DISTRICT. POSITION OF THE MINES. (KBOM OtJK OWN COKIiJSbl'ONUitM1.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 294, 29 August 1888, Page 5

OHKEMURL 4. SPECIAL VISIT TO THE DISTRICT. POSITION OF THE MINES. (KBOM OtJK OWN COKIiJSbI'ONUitM 1 .)

Tins first mino met with after leaving the mining' camp was the

WOODSTOCK, which i& located on a bald blufl standing up to a height of 650 feet above the oiclinary level, and which contains an area of 11 acres. There are quite a number of reefs running thiough the claim, but as yet only two of these have hud anything like an appreciable amount of work done upon them, and the results have proved that both contain a veiy high percentage of gold and silver, the latter preponderating. For the past 18 months, Heiteman and party have been working a section of this mine on the tribute system, and the returns obtained from saevoml large parcels of quartz tieated by the battery process left a handsome margin of profit after all working and other expenses had been liquidated. The leef upon which this party are working will average 10ft. in thickness, and ot this iully 4 feet in width is exceptionally rich in the precious metals. The auriferous and argentiferous oie bodvoeeuis on both walk of ihe lode, while the middle is occupied by what is known as "buck," or barren quart/;. When asked whether this, so-called " buck " was absolutely barren, the tributes &aid : "We only know that it is not rich enough to pay ut. for bieaking and treatment, becaube we cannot deal with anything under t!10 per ton astiay value." This party have now on hand about 100 tons ot quartz, from which they expect a battery return of 4oz. per ton, and the bullion will be worth atlea&tsos per oz. But before subjecting it to battery treatment, they have decided upon sending an average sample of 10 tons to the Woodstock Company's plant, where it will be ground up, sampled, and if the assay value realises expectations — £20 per ton — the whole parcel will be sold to Mr T. M. Chambers, who represents the Parkes Gold and Stiver Smelting Company, and who has already notified his intention of purchasing all kinds of gold and silver bearing ores at a certain percentage on their assay value. The next claim encountered, going southward, was the

KENILWORTH, upon which operations aye aLo eonhned fco tributers. Shipherd and party are working upon a vein of sandstone intermixed with decomposed quartz, and averaging about eight inches in thickness. This aurifei'ous vein bears such a very close resemblance to the enclosing country rock that it requires the eye of an experienced man to distinguish the difference, and even then it can only be done after a very close scrutiny. It was first discovered on the surface, and it is now being worked upon at a depth of 40 feet beneath that point. Here it is very rich in ! both gold and silver, with strong indications ! of further improvement going downwaidt.. A dishful of loose rubble broken out from j the lode and panned oil in my pic.^encc, [ gave up about half a teaspoonfulof tree gold; I and a handful of the residue resulting from the panning oil, when assayed by Mr Napier, yielded at the rate of 770z of gold and 300 of silver per ton. .Some time since, 6 tons of this ore were tieated by the batteiy process for a bullion return equal to £13 per ton, but its assay value was £42 per ton, so it will thus be seen that the loss by that system of reduction was a very heavy one. At present the tributers have about 18 tons to grass, and as this will be disposed of on its assay value an all ■ round gross return of not less than £40 per ton is expected. The discovery of rich gold and silvei bearing ore in a formation of this description opens up a new chapter in the history of mining, so far as this place is concerned, and it should go a long way towards convincing prospectors that quartz pure and simple is not the only nature of gold and silver in the locality. This lode is situated east of, and runs parallel with the Woodstock main reef, and it should run right through that Company's ground, but as yet it is still intact, except where the above-mentioned party ot tributers are working upon it. Further east still there is another rect, which is known as the " Maria," and upon which Moore and party, tributers, are now operating at a point about 350 feet beneath the counoy track, and this is the lowest level on the field at the present time. This lode averages 3 feet in thickness, carries gold and sulphide of silver in highly remunerative quantities, and it is richer in the precious metals at this hill than it was at any higher stage of its development. it wafs from this lode that the Woodstock Company obtained 28 tons of ore, which, when assayed, proved to be worth (J520, but only £250 of that amount was saved by the La Mont smelting process. Since taking: this section of the mine on tribute, Moore and party have disposed of about 50 tons of ore. Some of this was dealt with by fche ordinary battery, and some was put through Railey's mill, but in neither case were the results satisfactory. Early in the present year 25 tons were sent to London and Frieburg, and the average assay value of this lot was £18 per ton, but the cost of transport was so exceptionally high as to be prohibitory. Now the tributers have about 100 tons awaiting treatment. As this stuff was broken out, so it was classed, and its value will range from £12 to £50 per ton, with an abundance of the same class of ore still in sight. Arrangements have already been made for the disposal of this ore to the Parkes Smelting Company, and it will be amongst the first to be dealt with by that process. Hitherto this party have not been saving anything that was nob equal bo ten uounda per ton, but now that Mr Alexander Parkes promises to introduce, in November next, a " wet process," suitable for the treatment of low-grade ores, little or none of the reef will be thrown over the tiphead, and therefore the loss of valuable ore will be reduced to a minimum.

(To he Continued.)