THE CHAMPION GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY, LIMITED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 313, 3 November 1888, Page 2

THE CHAMPION GOLD AND SILVER MINING COMPANY, LIMITED.

In Wednesday's issue we published some particulars re this mine we now publish Mr D. PI. Bayldon's report in extcnso. At a meeting of the directors, hold on Tuesday last, it was decided to cable Home for instructions to proceed with the construction of the tramway. Thames, N.Z, 23rd October, 1888. I have the honour to furnish you here* with a complete mining plan and section of your property, situated at Tui Cr^ek, Te Aroha, and beg to offer tlio following report and suggestions as to its future development. The plan shows the general contour of the ground, the various reefs which huve been discovered, and the relativo position of the various workings. The section shows the different levels and the proposed method of opening up the mino. Your mine embraces an area of 36a lr, situated on the main range or spur of the To Aroha mountain. The ground is intersected by numerous small watercourses, and is heavily timbered. The highest point on the line of the Champion reef i« nearly 2100 feet above the flat, or the point where it is proposed to erect the reduction works in connection with the mine. The principal reef is known as the Champion Lode. It is of largo size, ranging from Bto 20 feet thick. It boldly outcrops in seveial places, by which means it is easily traceable from end to end of the property ; there is 2300 feet on its strike in your mine. It lies in a channel of tufaceous sandstone, favourable foi the deposition of the precious metal. Its strike is generally N.E. and S.W., with a N.W. undeilie. The reef has been stripped on the surface to a considerable extent, exposing fine bodies of quartz. In suoh places it is coloured deep vermillion on plan. From "No. 2 diive easterly, the reef wheie exposed displays for the most part a fiee class of ore, containing gold, silver, (sulphide) and oxide of iron, and near No. 2 drive stiong traces of cinnabar are observable. South-westerly fiom No. 2 drive the reef appears to be split ; the hanging wall portion is 4 feet thick, and well impregnated with sulphide of silver and iron. The footwall portion is from 7 to 8 feet thick, showing strong; seams of galena, copper pyrites, and zincblend. From the point mentioned to the south-we^t boundary the various ores appear to occur in the reef in the order indicated. About 60 feet south-west of No. 2 drive a portion of the cap of the hangingwall section of the reef has slipped out of position owing to the precipitous nature of the country ; it is possible a fault has occurred. However, there is no ceitainty on that point until No, 4 drive has been extended sufficiently far to prove if such is the case or not. Irrespective of the Champion Lode, there are three others traceable in the ground, No, 2is about 4 leet thick, and is observable crossing the sleigh track ; it shows seams of galena interspersed with copper pyrites. No 3 reef is a well-de-fined vein 2 feet 6 inches thick, but where opened shows xio minerals. There is also a reef 3 feet thick cros&ing the saddle of the range near No. 1 drive ; it is in good country, and has all the appearance of being gold-bearing. None of these subsidiar}' reefs have had any work done on them of any consequence ; they are welldefined reefs, and there is every reason to believe, when they have been prospected, that they will prove valuable adjuncts to the property. Several dtives have beon commenced at different points, which can be utilised in the future working and development of the mine. At present I think it will bo advisable to confine the development operations to the western section, viz., from the wiuzo on the ape of the ridge to the south- west boundary; the whole of this mine can, with a minimum of cost, be brought under command, The following works for the full and satisfactory development of that section of the mine should be undertaken without delay, co as to form a system of connections fiom the top of the hill to the No. 4 level, from whence the ore will be for" warded to tho reduction works. The plan and section will illustrate the proposed mode of operations. Commencing at the top, tho winze requires to be sunk 10 feet to be level with tLo back of No. 1 drive. From this winze, and its vicinity, the best gold and silverbearing ore yet found in the mino has been obtained. If it is considered desirable to obtain the ore expeditiously, it will be necessary to extend No. 1 drive to intersect the lode near tho winze, and then construct a light contour tramway to connect with a ground shoot and No. 2 drive. To connect point B, where good ore is albo showing, a short crosscut of about 30 to 40 feet can be put in, and on the level of the tram line. By this means tho two most impoitant points, so far as is known, in No, 1 block will be brought into touch witn No. 2 block. The above-mentioned method is tho most expeditions of getting the ore from points A and B. But for tho permanent opening of No. 1 block it will be necessary to carry a drive along the course of the reef, which is the proper mode of proceeding. No. 1 drive on the lino of reef should be put through the hill a distance of some 600 feet ; it will give on an average 60 feet of backs. No. 2 drive is an impoitant level: 80 feet vertical below No. 1 is now in 50 feet, and should bo extended through the hill — a distance of 900 feet, and rises up at intervals to open the block ready for stoping out. The first rise should be at point A ; it will form the first section of a main pass to the lower workings. A very important advantage to be gained by carrying this drive through to the eastern slope of the hill is that a very superior class of timber for mining purposes will bo readily obtainable, the timber on the western slope not being of such good quality, No. 3 drive is a crosscut, for tho most part, in broken country. It was in a distance of 87 feet at the time of my visit ; tho face then appeared to be entering tho solid rock, and the reef should be only a few feet ahead. This drivo will prove to be of: considerable service bydividing the block between Nos. 2 and 4 levels. It is 85 feet below No, 2, and 60 feet over No. 4 drive. It should bo extended 275 feet eastward, and a connecs tion formed with No. 2 at tho point I

propose as a main pase. No. 4 drive is a good piece of work. Tt is 6 feet wide, by 6 feet 6 inches high, well and substantially timbered where required, but it is minus truck and rails. The crosscut is a total distance of 150 feet. At 87 feet a reef 3 feet thick was passed through, supposed to be a rontinnation of No. 2 reef ; at 135 feet the hangingwall of the Champion Lode was intorseeted, and the balance of 15 feet was continued in the reef towards the footwall. The reef has been driven on 11 feet east, and 48 feet west ; the whole width of the drives is in ore, showing 1 a strong body of galena, interspersed with copper pyrites and zineblend. A rise has been commenced in connection with No. 3 drive, and the oro body looks strong and well defined. Thisdiivo will for a very considerable time be the main adifc level" of the mine. It should be extended both north-east and south-west, and connected with the blocks above, ro forming the main artery of the mine. Towards the south-west a winzo has being sunk 17 feet from the surface, showing a good body of galena. This winze should be continued and connected with the No. 4 level, and the drive then continued from the winze to the boundary, a f Hither distance of 300 feet. The winze will require to be sunk 70 feet deeper to meet the back of No. 4 level. The works above enumerated, when carried out, will place at your disposal an unlimited supply of ore of different classes ; clean ore, containing gold, silver, a«d iron, from eastward of No. 2 drive, and westward from that, point more complex ore, containing gold, silver, copper, lead, and zincblend. The May Bell drive is for the present not lequired, but will at some future time bo valuable as an outlet.

TRAMWAY. In addition to tlio plan section of the mine, I have also the honour to furnish you with a. plan and section showing the proposed line of an aerial tramway from your mine to the most suitable spot for the erection of a reduction plant on the flat ground at the foot of the hills. The line selected is direct from the mino to the machine site, and is projected a little longer at both ends than will bo actnall}' required ; in the same instance, to avoid being cramped for room, and in the second, to secure a title to the line to the fullest extent that will be found necessary. The line, as measured on the various slopes in taking the section, i^ 2786.5 yards between p T egs 0 and XXXVII., and about double the length of rope, viz, 5573 yards will be required. As the line, in all probability, will not be constructed much beyond pee; I, the quantity above-named will allow about 100 yards to spare. The line, as laid out, offers no difficulties in the way of construction. It may be considered fairly regular thronghonr, and suitable in every way for the erection of an aerial line of tramway. In the most exposed portions of the line, particularly where crossing spurs, it will be necessary that the timber should be cleared for a distance of about two chains wide, in order to prevont the possibility of breakage in the tramway, occasioned by falling timber in the windy weather. In the less-exposed parts of the line, such as gullies, a clearing one chain wide would suffice. [f the bush were cleared throughout for a width of two chains, it would amount to seventeen acres ; but, in all probability, an area of twelve acres will represent all the bush-felling nece?sary. After careful consideration, I am strongly of: opinion that a revolving aerial tramway will be found the most suitable means of transmitting the ore from the mine to the reduction works. Such atramwa}' will bo found economical, both as regards con struction and the cost of working, and when constructed, I consider it should be capable of delivering daily about 50 tons of ore from the wiine to the reduction works, at a cost not exceeding 6d to 8d per ton. At present I am unable to enter into details as to the prime cost of the line, but approximately I consider tha f it should be placed into position and handed over complete for £1500.— 1 am, &c, D. H. Bayldon, Mining Engineer and authorised Surveyor.

Mr W. S, Collins new advertisement will be found in this issue. The following will give our readers some idea of the wonderful way in which money is being m;ido at Melbourne during tho present " boom." It seams hardly credible, but we give the facts from the published roport of the first half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the Cily, Suburban, and Provincial Investment Co., Ld., which was held recently in Melbourne. The report and balance-sheet showed a gross profit of £32,G37 2s Bd, and the not' profit £31,717 6s 7d, out of which £20,000 was carried to the reserve fund, and £5000 to the credit of the dividend equalisation fund, leaving a balance of £6717 6s 7d. This imount the directors recommended should bo apportioned as follows ; — Dividend at the rate of 25 per cent per annum, £703 2s 6d ; bonus at the rate of 50 per cent, £1406 5s ; leaving £4607 19s ld to carry forward to next'j-ear. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said the success of the company had been of an imprecedented character ; that was to say, no company since tho land speculation started, had over reached anything approximating that success. Their paid-up capital was £7500, but of that £2500 only recently came into the hands of tho directors, so that with a capital of £6000 only,' they had made a profit of over £32,000, which was, even taking the full capital, equal to 800 per cent per annum profit. And had the directors been disposed to do so, they could have sold a very valuable property of 700 acres which they possessed, and augmented tho profits by about£2o,ooo; but the property was so valuable that the directors did not see where thoy could have placed the money to better advantage if they sold it, so they retained it. No doubt it would bo tho means of returning a splendid dividend during the next half year. The dividend and bonus were equal to 75 per cent per annum. , The Thames Star pays ;— " From several gentlemen who returned to Auckland, yesterday from, "doing" tho Melbourne Exhibition, it is learned that tho placing and classifying of the New Zealand mining exhibits at the Exhibition is proceeding rapidly under the supervision of Mr Gordon, Inspector of Mines for this colony, while it is generally admitted that for richness in gold and other metals the samples sent aro superior to those displayed by tho other colonies,"