Mining News.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 364, 1 May 1889, Page 2

Mining News.

TE AROHA. CflAMpion G. and S. Mines, Tui : Work is progressing satisfactorily in connection with the various contracts in hand for this Company, On Saturday last eighty three sacks oF quartz were placed in trucks at the railway, and despatched to Auckland by Mondays train. Tins ore will be shipped from Auckland direct to London (to the directors), to be treated by some of the newest and most improved processes. Further parcels of ore will also be forwarded to London with a similar object in view, The work ol constructing the aerial tramway is being steadily proceeded with, and several of the trestles at this end of the line are already in position, Golden Crown Special Claim ; The following tenders were received on Saturday last for driving a further distance of 50 feet in this claim : H, Hyde, 12s per foot, supplying and laying rails and sleepers, £4 ; J. Wallace and party (accepted), driving, 9s 6d per foot ; supplying and laying rail? and sleepers, £5. Thos. Chenhall, tender informal. Wallace and party started their contract on Monday.

WAIQRONGOMAI, Te Aroba S. and G. M. Co, : The water was turned on through the water race extension for the first time last week, and everything is now in readiness to start the Boss pan plant, directly there is a rainfall sufficient to supply the motive power. A.t present the water supply available for any portion of the Co.'s works is exceedingly scant, and bu.t little can be done until the long looked for rain comes. The water race extension will greatly increase the area of watershed available. Very little work is being done up hill just now, everything in fact being practically at a stand still owing to the scant water supply. Ferguson Syndicate (i.e. New Era Special Claim and Reduction Works) : A number of men are being employed excavating the site for the tank house, and on other work in connection with the new plant about to be erected on behalf of the Glasgow syndicate who have taken over this property. The tank house will be erected alongside the present, battery building, near the creek. It will contain twelve percolating tanks, all constructed of heart of kauri (12 inch by 4 inch planks), and of the following dimensions, viz., 9ft broad, 12ft long, and 3£ft deep. Two Blaikie-Marsdon rock breakers will be erected, through which the quartz as it comes from the mines will first he passed ; and thereby reduced to the size of small road metal, say 1^ to 2 inch cube. Having passed through these rock breakers, the ore is next conveyed to Lamberton mills, and there further reduced until it will pass through screens varying in fineness according to the quality of the ore being treated. The powdered ore is next placed in the tanks already referred to, in charges of five tons to each tank, to which is added water say about half a toii to each ton of ore. The further treatment is by means of gas made from cyanide of potassium and termed cyanagen. Experts, however, sent out from Home expressely for that purpose, will take charge of this part of the process. It is the intention of Mr P. Ferguson who is supervising the work being carried out, as Superintendent for the Syndicate, to lay off several lines of tramways to connect the various mines with the new plant, and as soon as a certain amount of the plant arrives, steady work in the mines will be gone on with- Work will at first probably be principally in connection with the large reef in the mine known as the Piemier, , and also in the Inverness, Phcenix, etc. Grand Junction and Day Dawn : These Special Claims, forfeited for non woiking, and taken up afresh by Mr Jamieson, are now being prospected .