MINING NEWS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 464, 19 April 1890, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

April 15. Norfolk. During the past week work has been done five feet west on the course of the Californian reef. The foobwall portion of the reef is one foot thickness, remains solid and prospects very well. Work in this drive has been discontinued for the present for lack of mining timber. Tlio eastern drive on the Californian reef has been extended 16 feet. This does not prospect quite so well, but should improve, as it will junction in about another 20 feet with a large reef that was passed when driving on the Norfolk reef. A rise has been commenced on the Norfolk reef which has opened out about two feet, and is payable. Carting and crushing will proceed when the weather improves. Freedom. —Very good progress has been made with the new crosscut, 23 feet having been driven during the past week. The drive is now in 83 feet, and a favourable change has taken place in the class of country. Another 20 or 30 feet should bring the drive to the Twenty-third of June reef. Several small veins of quartz and good mineral have been met with in the drive. Norfolk. —A crushing of 40 tons of quartz, produced 70ozs 6dwts of gold, worth £3 3s 7d per oz. The weather is still showery. New Moanataiaiu. —At the Nonpareil section, stoping has commenced at the cross reef, in order to ascertain the value of the lode upwards. At the Point Russell level the Reuben Parr reef bears almost due south, which course should cross the main tunnel. The lode in the face maintains its promising appearance. _ A drain has been put along ths eastern drive which carries off the water and so saves baling. Another stope has been started. Blanche. — The winze is down 28 feet through an excellent class of country.. The reef looks well, and is from 6 to 7 inches wide and 3 feet in depth. The reef shows colours and dabs of gold. Trenton. —The footwall reef is 2 feet wide, but is rather disordered at present. At the leading stope the reef is 15 inches thick and looks well. It was here that the 51b of picked stone were obtained. Colours of gold are seen in the quartz. The crushing is shaping better. Caledonian. —Strong blotches of gold are seen in Rowe’s leader, which is 1 inches thick. The country is a splendid class of sandstone, and there is every probability of picked stone being got as the drive advances.

Surplus (Kuaotunu). —This claim takes in the surplus ground on the Bald Hill, which was thrown off by the prospectors. The reef outcrops in two places. One nine inch reef prospects well, and is believed to be in appearance like the Otama. Lone Hand. —A crushing of 38 loads of quartz gave 470 z lOdwt of gold. This is the last of the old Manchester stopes. Good progress is being made with the low level tunnel, and the break should be met with any shift. It is expected that the Manchester reef will be to hand within the month.

Thames, April 16. Saxon. —The directors in the mine held a meeting this morning, when a dividend of sixpence per share was declared. New Caledonian.— Some tine gold-bear-ing stone from this mine was on view at the Chamber of Commerce to-day. The stone presents an excellent appearance, veins of gold being easily discerned. It would seem as if this mine is likely to do well from this leader, as it is practically in new country. The result was soon evident on the Exchange, shares rising to 3s and 3s 3d right away. Occidental. —A crushing of 801 b picked stone has produced 750 z 15dwb of gold. Caledonian. —The prospects of this mine are decidedly encouraging, and considerable interest is centred on the work in progress at No. 1 level. Here a drive is being put in on No. 1 (or Rowe’s) reef, and when breaking down late yesterday afternoon good strong blotches of gold were again seen freely distributed through the quartz. The country continues a splendid description of white sandstone.

New Moanataiari.— A parcel of 251 b of picked stone was selected from the general dirtvesterday afternoon when breakingdown the Reuben Parr reef in the western drive from the bottom of the winze. In addition to the 251 b of picked stone reported yesterday 6 or 81b more have been selected from the quartz broken down. The stone is of fair quality, and there is considerably more ruby-silver mixed through the gold than heretofore. The drive is now in about 60 feet from the winze.

Saxon. — The drives are going through really good country. The north-east drive is passing through a hard blue bar, driving is therefore rather slow. The new reef has been picked up in the crosscut, and the winze has been holed into. The reef is 2 feet 6 inches in thickness, and the quartz is highly mineralised, and shows gold freely. A few pounds of picked stone are occasionally saved. The manager is positive that this reef will be picked up at No. 5 level, and a drive will be put in for that purpose. All the 3topes are carefully manned, and payable quartz is coming to hand with occasionally picked stone.

New Alburnia. —During the past, week the main reef has been stripped for 50 feet and 8 or 9 feet high. At the northeastern end colours of gold were seen. A reef 10 to 12 inches thick has been met in the south-west drive. It also shows gold. The manager expects to get specimens when he reaches the point where the leaders junction, as gold was left at last breaking down.

May Queen.-— The lode in the face of the drive is about 18 inches thick, and shows colours of gold. At No. 1 lode the drive is in 44 feet. The lode is 4 inches thick, and showed gold freely when breaking down on Monday. The country is everything that could be desired for gold. Some nice dabs and colours of gold are still seen in the quartz coming to hand, and it should now be payable. Lone Hand. —Colours of gold are seen in all the leaders at present being worked upon ; 38 loads of quartz crushed for 41oz, and 51b picked stone returned 6oz lOdwt, returning 460 z Bdwt of melted gold. Blanche. —lt will be a few days before the leader from which picked stone was obtained will be sufficiently stripped to. admit of its being broken down. An application has been made for a tribute of a portion of this mine. “ ‘ : '