MINING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 315, 10 November 1888, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

At Waiorongomai work in connection with the Te Aroha S. and G. M. Co., is being pushed ahead with much energy. All the forty stampers in the old battery have been raised four feet fso as to admit the erection ol 1 the Frue concentrators), and are again in position, also the stamper boxes. The contractor for this work, Mr Somerville, expects to have the tables laid down to-day. The shafting and new gearing for driving the stampers, stone breakers, and concentrators is also now being placed in position. Several hands are also busily engaged erecting the Frue concentrators, of which there will be no less than twenty-five at work altogether. The whole of the weather boarding and ! roofing for the battery extension has been completed ; and in about a fortnight the carpenters will probably have completed the main of the woodwork in connection with this portion of the plant, atid started work on the bnildings for the smelter and Boss pan plant, adjoining the existing tailings plant. The bricklayers engaged in building the chimney stack for the smelter, are already up a distance of about thirty feet. The sampling room is also now well in hand, and the hopper extension has been commenced. A number of men are employed in preparing, filling in, and making ready the site for the mixing floor. It is expected two sections of the water-race will be completed next week, viz., No. 2 (Montague, contractor), and No. 4 (Oookson, contnictor). No. 5 section has also bean let, and the contractor (Murphy), has started operations. This section is the last in connection with this work. The circular saw is kept going early and late cutting the timber to the sizes required, and the electric light has been extended to this portion of the ground. Operations in connection with the Parkes furnace process will necessarily have to be suspended for a time, as the coal provided ( Kamo and Kawakawa) ia found unsuited for smelting purposes, and has caused a great deal of trouble in trying to use it. All sorts of reports are afloat as regards the result of the smelting operations so far as they have gone, but it is premature to give a decided opipion in any direction. Refining will be at once proceeded with. At Waihi the Martha battery is engaged in treating ore for tributers. A work is steadily progressing in connection with the new plant in course of erection by the Waihi G. M. Co. At the mine stoping operations have been suspended for a time, but contracts have been let to put in owo new cross cuts. The contract lor brickwork for the revolving furnace lias been let to Messrs Kay and Co. At the Warden's Court Thames, on Thursday the following applications were granted :— --Edwin Edwards, Saxon licensed holding, Waitekauri. Protection was granted as follows : — Waihi G.M. Co., for water-race, three months ; W. Goldsworthy, Pay Rock and Hillside, Marototo, one month ; G. P. Quayle, machine site and water-race, Marototo, three months.