MINING

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 165, 19 April 1872, Page 3

MINING

Willis’s (Too key Co.) Tribute. A crushing of thirty tons of some was completed yesterday, at the Alauukau Maeiiine, for the above-named paity of tuil mi tors, and the result was thir-'y-four ounces of retorted gold, or a little over an ounce to the ton.

Lowe’s (Tookey Co.) Tribute. —These t 'ibuters also had a clean up on Wednesday evening at the Alauukau Battery, and the twelve tons put through gave thirtyeight ounces nine dwt. of retorted gold, or over three ounces to the ton.

Elrkka. —The manager is now reducing a parcel of thirty tons of stone t om the No. 1 lode at the Simtover Battery, and lie expects to get a good reimn f'om it. lie reports that the lode has verv much improved in appearance ns worked on upwards, and the stone wil 1 , lie thinks, yield very well.

Bright Smile.—The eh an-up for this company will probably take place to day, ns Lie paddock is nonLy empty. Tinlode under the flat towards the bench looks very well indeed, and continues to turn out r . client sione, ns is evidenced by the quantity of amalgam wnicli has accumulated from the clearing of the plates during the crushing which has now been going on for about lil'.een days or so, Next week they will recommence crushing. The stuff to he put through will come from ground which is under dispute between them and the Queen of Beauty, as they have been working that part of the mine ever since the survey made by Air Y\ . C. Wright. Oriental. —Tenders have been accepted by the Dircctois for laj-ing down rails in the low level tunnel, and breaking down 20 tons of quartz from the reef for a trial crushing, to take place as soon as possible. A fair show of gold lias been taken from the reef during the past day or two, and the management intend to test its value, which lias not been done up to the present.

Yankee Doodle.— The prospects in this company’s ground are still good, the show in the face and stopes being very fair, and the country in hand also good. Crushing was again started yesterday with five head of stampers at the Alissonri Battery, and good average returns are looked for. Caidfornian.— The reef has not been yielding as web for the (ributors lately as was expected, the country having become hard, and the lode a l'itle disarranged. However, they’ hope, when they got it again in a lower level, that it will turn out as well ns it has done where worked on in the run in the upper workings. AVest Coast.—A parcel of nice specimens were taken from the Beehive lender in this company's ground yesterday morning. Caledonian.— The crushing of the p.'.ivL or eleven tons of s*one taken from the No. 2 lode, and tested separately at tiie company's battery, has given a far better return tuan was anticipated, having retorted eleven ounces of gold. This is encouraging, the reef King four feet wide and over where it was cut through, and we suppose that (lie manager will now think n Advisable to work vigorously on this lode, as well as on the main vein. Cure. —Various reports were afloat yesterday regarding this mine, as to first-class

gob] having been obtained. We found on enquiry that some very nice specimens were picked out of the paddock, and one la-ge stone taken from this place showed gold in a sma'l vein tliiough it. In the lode itself gold was visio’c yesterday evening within a foot or so of the hanging wall, and we were told that the precious metal had been seen also rearer Lie centre of the reef, during Lie day. The crushing at the PLuce Alfred Battery is shaping for about li.oz. to Lie ton, a very fair return indeed for the si/e of the lode. As the leef becomes more opened we shall he better able to judge as to whether this is .only a small patch or an extensile win of gold. , , i -

Sons of Freedom. —The clean up and retoiting for this company was completed yesteiday, and the result lias exceeded the good estimates Jformcd of it beforehand. There were in all 147 tons of stone put Brough the mill, and a nice parcel of picked stuff, and the yield was 5030 z. of retorted gold. This was lodged in the Union Bark of Australia and melted, when it turned out 4970 z. 7d- v l., being at the rate of over 3os. to the too—a splen-

did return indeed, for about a fortnight’s woik.

Watchman. —The following is the report of Air W. C. Wright, Mining Surveyor to the directors of the ahovenamed company with respect to their property :

■“Grahamstowu, April IG, 1872.—T0 the Directors of the Watchman G.M.Co.— Gentlemen, —1 have the honour to inform yon that I have completed the survey of your Company's mine and of the mines adjacent, and beg to furnish you with the accompanying pkm. The principal reef in your ground is that which underlies towards you from the noLli-western boundary of the Star of the Thames, and which L have no doubt is the same lode that is being woiked hv the Windsor Castle, Colibii'i, Aliddle -St<aSons of Freedom, and Black Angel Goldmining Companies : that it is the same lode that the Middle Star Company has wo Fed lies been proved !>v a drive communicating fiom the low level of that Company to the winze of the Star of the Tnames Company, which winze and drive a'O paitly within your boundary. (See plan.) The Star of the Thames Company sunk the \vinze above mentioned with the object of tracing and working the nm of gold which yielded such rich icudiis in the early days of the fiehl when the mine was iii possession of the Shooting Star G.M.Co. They have succeeded in following tins run with the underlie of the reif to your boun-

dary where very rich stone was obtamed. The reef is from two feet to seven ieet in

thickt ess, and has been undersioped a distance of seventy feet along your boundary. The Star of the Thames Company has been working under great disadvantages, having no low love l , and being obliged to raise all the quartz to the surface by means of a winze. The ground of that Company will. I beneve, be shortly for sale, and shoo'd you pmchuse the same with the object of increasing the value of your mine, I would strongly guard you against adopting the some melbou of working, as the quartz must lecxec .ingly rich to pay by so doing. Your low level being entered from Aladman’s Cully will give you considerably more than a hundred feet of backs, with about four hundred feet of (hiving - it wall he advisable,

however, to turn it from its present ditection, and to drive straight for the shot of geld. This will lie found the very best method of working (he mine to that level, and although the drive wi'l pene'aa c a liaml dyke sys'ein it \v!U be by far the most economical way of oneii'"g up Lie mine. The surface (hive in your own ground has proved the eiusomce of tln'ce other reefs above the hangmg wa'l of the Aliddle Star reel: by simply passing t lnough them, but no driving has been done on any one of-hem so Liai no prom exists as iO their vnhie. t would ad v-so prospecting these, hut not unl'l Lie l ow level is in when by its continuation they mav be opened up immediately opposite the gold in the Aliddle Star reef wlieie you will probably lied payable stone, in conclusion I would advise yon to continue on the low Jet'el as emu ueneed, changing its direction to a more noitlierly one, provided your grant will enable you to do so, and not to attempt to woik the mine till such low level is in to,the reef, and I may say from what I have onset ved of the Star of the Thames wmkings that there is every reason for aiit’eipaiing a rich return from the reef if worked in such a manner.— l have., \V. C. Wiiight.”