MINING ITEMS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 26, 6 November 1871, Page 3

MINING ITEMS.

Under the heading “ Good News,’ the Alexandra Times reports: —‘‘the long talked of deep lead on the U.T. Flat has been found. On. Tuesday last the U-I. Creek Gold-mining and Quartz-mining Company, in their second bore, at a depth of 149 ft., came upon the bottom with line wash. From about a pound weight of stuff brought up in the auger and washed, we saw seven coarse specs of gold, about a grain. Several other prospects were tried, and each time a few colours obtained. The wash is about 4ft. thick, and from the prospects got the existence of a valuable deep lead of gold in the U.T. Creek is now established beyond a doubt. A great portion of the creek, which is 10 miles long, has been pegged off and registered. As soon as the gold was found the Union Jack was hoisted over the claim, and the usual glass of grog served out, with “ Success to the U.T. G.M.C. C 0.,” and hip hip hurrah! Lawrence, our celebrated bellman, marched through the township, followed by about 100 young urchins. Many wonderful evidences of knowing a great deal about the U.T. Flat were related at the bars of hotels in Alexandra on the occasion, and an unusual quantity of native beer and imported P.B, was disposed of. Alexandra never was so full of hopes of a bright future. The Ovens Advertiser has been shown by Mr. E. H. Dunn some specimens of tin crystals of large size, the faces and edges of which are so perfect in many cases that they cannot have been much waterworn, or travelled far from the matrix. Mr. Dunn, in sending some of these crystals to Mr. G. 11. F. Ulrich, in Melbourne, thus describes where they are found: —“The crystal tin sent is from Madden’s gold claim, Woolshed, and my sou has often assured the miners that a tin lode ran through their claim, and endeavoured to impress upon them the necessity of giving a sharp look out on the bottom for veins. Last week I was there, and they then gave me the tin, and told me that there were two or three veins from which the coagulated tin came ; the veins, as described, were composed of dirty quartz in the granite, and run north and south nearly in a line with the tin lode known as Hensley’s, which is situated on the range about a mile distant. The bottom of the claim - was covered with water when I was there, so that I could not examine for myself, but particularly requested them to try and get some of the tin in matrix, and I promised I would forward it to Melbourne free of cost to them, so that it might be carefully examined.” In reply, Mr. Ulrich says : “ I verily believe that you have at last a good chance of discovering a payable tin mine. The ciystals sent, for which I am very much obliged, are indeed the best I have yet seen from the district, and are more promising for good payable veins than any previously found.”—Australasian.

Ballarat mining enterprise is finding fresh fields and pastures new. Says the Mail, “ Some five or six months since a Ballarat engineer named Wallis left for Western Australia, in connection with the Rockingham Jarrah Timber Company. While staying at an hotel in Fremantle, the landlord of the hotel showed him a well-developed lead lode. The Ballarat man was somewhat startled, and at once arranged with Mr Herbert, the landlord, to form a company in Ballarat to work the ground. Mr Wallis returned to Ballarat, and arranged with a few practical men as to the formation of the company. He has since left again for Fremantle, and is engaged in erecting smelting furnaces on the claim. A shaft has been put dorvn 30 feet, and the lode at this depth is four feet in thickness. The company is now being floated in Ballarat, in 6,000 shares of 10s each. The claim consists of 80 acres of freehold property. From assays made of the ore, it is anticipated to yield from GO to 80 per cent, of lead. Assays made by Mr Sleep gave 72 per cent., while some samples assayed at one of the banks gave a return of 78 per cent. One of those accidents which unfortunately, are of such frequent occurrence amongst the mining community, and, in this instance, fatal in its results, happened on Thursday, the 7th instant, at 7 a.m. to a man named John Lyttelton, a miner, employed by the Australian Agricultural Company in their mine at the Borehole. It appears that Lyttelton, who bore an excellent character for sobi iety, was pursuing his ordinary avocation at the time fetching down a face of coal, when a mass of it, stated to have been about a ton in weight, not having beon sufficiently propped up, buried, and killed him.