THE Thames Gaurdian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1872. MONTHLY SUMMARY

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 187, 15 May 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Gaurdian AND MINING RECORD. WEDNESDAY , MAY 15, 1872. MONTHLY SUMMARY

OUR GOLDFIELDS. During the past four weeks, and since the publication of our last summary, mining matters have been most seriously retarded, owing to the want of blasting powder on the field. Towards ihe end of April it began to be rumoured that powder was getting scarce, and such indeed proved to be the case. The firm who bold the contract for supplying our principal mines had allowed their stock to run out, and during the first week of this month every pound of powder was used up, the consequence being an entire suspension of work, except in such mines as had soft ground to work. By the end of last week there must have been at least four hundred men idle on the field, and as a natural consequence, the yield of gold for the month is less than it otherwise would have been. The Caledonian was entirely idle, and their fine battery of forty head of stampers was shut up for more than a. week, and has not, indeed, started to work yet. On the lltli of May a supply of powder arrived from the South, and now the mines have all got to work- again. As will be seen by our gold returns, the Caledonian has not yielded as much by one thousand one hundred ounces as it did last month, but this is in a great measure attributable to the want of powder, and to an accident which happened in the mine, the ground over part of the old workings having collapsed and come in. This, however, did no serious

damage to the mine as far' as future working is concerned, but it of course delayed operations, and created an uneasy feeling ir. the market as regarded the value of shares. They have been Sinking the shaft down for another level, and are getting on very well, the water not being more than they can cope with. They also have declared a dividend of £2 per share, amounting to £5,720. This being tiie first dividend this year. The Tookey Company have done very little during the month, though they pushed the main shaft down a few feet farther. Their different tributers have beeu working well and getting good returns. The United Pumping Association works have been progressing most favourably, and everything is now in a most forward state. The shaft has reached a depth of nearly three hundred and ten feet, and sinking is going on well. The increase in the quantity of water is most noticeable, and the present pumps have as much as they can well do to enable sinking to go on. The engineer expects to rig up the large engine when the shaft is down some twenty-five feet further, all being now in readiness for this purpose below and above ground. A substantial building has been erected over the boilers, and everything around the uiineis in first-class order; and ere long we may expect to see this company’s pumps draining the whole of the reef to the depth at which it will be cut in the shaft. The Albion Company’s works above ground are being pushed ahead, but sinking, cannot be resumed until the machinery is erected, which will

not be for Borne time yet. This company’s tributes have been turning out excellently well, having given six hundred and seventy-seven ounces of gold during the past four weeks. The Moauataiari mine has fulfilled the good promise it gave last month, arid has yielded three thousand three hundred and sixty-four ounces of gold, and paid a dividend of 10s per share, amouhting to 410,750. The prospects are still good—better, in fact, than they have ever been, as they have now communication with the Kurauui tunnel, which is some sixty feet below their lowest working level, and this will enable them to open up splendid blocks of ground, which have been proved rich where touched. The prospects of this company are certainly second to none ou the field at the present moment, and they seem to have a lo jg career of prosperity before them. The All Nations have been crushing regularly all through the mouth, and though the yields do not come up to those of ihe month or two previous, they are still very good, amounting to one thousand one hundred and eighty ounces, out of which the directors found themselves in a position lo pay a dividend of 5s per share. The manager is now sinking his main shaft and winze down below the main working level, for the purpose of opening up another block ou the main lode in a short time. The Inverness, next door, have been very quiet during the past few weeks, the lode not having turned out as well as was expected. The Shotover have beeu pushing ahead their prospecting works at the bottom of their shaft, three hundred and eighty feet below the surface. From the indications visible the main lode is now near at hand, the country near it bearing a most favourable aspect for gold bearing. Want of powder has greatly retarded operations, or no doubt we should have been able to chronicle the striking of the lode ere this, but we shall be able to do so next month, and trust thet the report may he a satisfactory one, as the striking of gold at this depth would do a great deal of good to the whole field. The Nonpareil mine has started to work again, the machinery necessary for lifting the stone from the low level having been completed and put into first-class working order. A rich find of specimens was reported shortly after work was recommenced, and there was certainly some very rich stone taken out, but only a small quantityof .it, as eighty tons of stone, together with the specimens, ouly yielded one hundred and sixty ounces of gold. Crushing is now going on, and will be kept up continuously for some time to come, until the block now in hand is worked out. The Central Italy have not done very much lately, but have now started to "work to drive from their shafts for the lodes cut whilst sinking* and iu about five or six weeks these lodes will bo in hand and can be tested. The Golden Calf have got to work again after the burning down of their engine house, but had to cease bailing for a time owing to the breaking of a steam pipe. The mine is not yet empty, but will be so iu a few days, when work will be resumed at the low level, where the reef was greatly improved when the accident happened. The Sons of Freedom mine has come to the fore and proved itself to be a splendid piece of property. The manager having got iu an intermediate level, lias opened up splendid blocks of ground, and is enabled to send large quantities of stone to the mill. During the past six weeks he has milled about three hundred and sixty tons, which have given the splendid return of one thousand and thirteen ounces of gold, out of which the directors have declared a dividend of one pound per share. There is still a very large quantity of ground to be worked out above this level, and iu the mean time the main low level adit is going in which will give backs of perhaps one hundred and fifty feet ou the reef the whole length of the company’s ground, which was increased lately by the purchase of the Flying Cloud mine, which is included in the block of ground now being worked ayd which contains some very rich stone. The Cure mine has had another crushing during the past month, ond the result, as will be seen by our list, is most satisfactory. Work was delayed for a long time through want of powder but now it has been resumed and crushing has been started, and may be expected to yield well, as gold can be seen fairly distributed through the stone in the paddock. Tho Bright Smile has not beeu able to do very much lately, owing to the law suit pending, which prevents them working on one part of their ground until it is decided. The City of Loudon have resumed crushing, and with excellent prospects of a payable return. They can now keep the battery constantly employed, having put up a tramway and shoot from the mine to the flat for sending down the quartz. The lode being a large one, and easily worked, crushing can he kept up for some time. The Californian tributers have had a very good month’s yield, and the directors have declared a dividend out of the tribute percentage. As will bo seen by our mining report elsewhere, they have now got the reef in the low level, and have started to crush again, so that some more rich returns may confidently he looked for. The Yankee Doodle, their next-door neighbour, are pushing oil with their opetiing-up work vigorously, and are gettting out enough gold as they go on to pay all the working expenses of the mine. The El Dorado, on the Punga Flat, which is being worked by tributers, has turned out very well indeed, having given given five hundred and twenty-two ounces of gold from two hundred and seventy-two tons of slone. The reef in hand seems to be a well-defined and rich lode, and will no doubt yield largely for some time to come. It has always given rich returns, and now that the ground is being opened up, it ought to pay very well indeed. The Ruby mine, next to it, has been placed under the management of Mr William Rowe, late of the Caledonian mine, and will be vigorously worked from this time forward. The Bendigo Independent Tributers, who are on the opposite side of the El Dorado from the Ruby, are now crushing a large parcel of stone, which may be expected to yield well. They are also pushing in the low-level tunnel to cut the reef at a good depth from the present workings. The Alburnia have opened up a new reef iu their low-level tunnel, which is supposed to be the continuation of the Sons of Freedom vein, and it is confidently expected to turn out well. Work in the mine has been greatly kept back, all the hands being discharged, through want of povvd r, but uow the mine is fully manned again, and crushing with the full force of the battery has been resinned. In the way of additions to our crushing machinery, two very large and fine batteries have been added to those already at work. The Caledonian new battery of forty head of stampers lias been finished, and now does all the crushing for the company, in place of the stone being sent out to Tararu. The Imperial Crown Company’s forty - head battery has also beeu finished and is now ready for a 6tart which will probably be made to-morrow or the next day. This battery is the first

on the field which is made with a double discharge, the boxes being fed from above and there being gratings and tables on both sides by which means a far larger quantity of stone can be put through without any extra expense. Attached to this machine is a splendid reservoir which will always contain a large supply of water on hand, being filled at every high tide, or as often as may be found necessary, and the water will then be pumped from this up to the boxes and boilers as required.

COROMANDEL. The Coromandel field has attracted a great deal of notice lately, and drawn a large number of our surplus population away from us. Companies are being formed there right and left, and an enormous quantity of ground is daily being taken up, some of it, and a great deal too, no doubt, with excellent prospects, but what we said last month we repeat again, they are going ahead too fast, and sooner or later that dread functionary, the Official Liquidator, will have his hands fully employed in winding up a few score of companies. As a gold producer the Tokatea of course comes first, it being about the only really well deveveloped rich mine on the field. As a proof of its richness, we may state that for seven weeks’ work and five weeks’ crushing they obtained one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight ounces of gold, and since then the yields have been fully equal to this. Manv of the mines there arc being systematically worked, and will undoubledly prove highly remunerative after a time. Some remarkably rich stone lias been obtained from several of the mines ; the Bismarck. Green Harp, and Golden Pah in particular, and sharebrokers have had good times in consequence. But with all this the number of companies formed there is something enormous, and, as we have said, some one will suffer for it by-and-by. One thing we are pleased to notice, and that-is the starting to work the old Kapanga ground by an English company, for whom Capt. Thomas is manager. This company are prepared to lay out a large amount of capital, and from the known richness of the reefs in the ground, there i? no doubt hut that they will be well rewarded for their speculation.

During the month the following dividends have been declared and paid to the shareholders :

Appeuded is our usual list of gold returns, and, notwithstanding the great delay through want of powder, we are pleased to be able to chronicle a large increase in the total yield. Of this increase 210 oz. must be credited to Coromandel, and the balance to the Thames Goldfield proper : CRUSHINGS AND RETURNS OF GOLD FROM APRIL 18, TO MAY 14, 1872, INCLUSIVE.

All Nations, 5s per £ share - 1350 s. 0 d. 0 Caledonian, £2 - 5720 0 0 Californian, 2s - 295 4 0 Flying Cloud, 2s 6d - 250 0 0 Moanataiari, 10s - 6750 0 0 Sons of Freedom, £1 - 1600 0 0 Thames, 10s - 3000 0 0 Tokatea, 5s - 5000 0 0 Total - £23,965 4 0

Company. a o x. £3 £ £ a 5 o A A Albion Tribute ... 35 0 0 *387 2 0 ft ft ■16 10 0 *263 7 0 ti ft 15 0 0 *17 6 4 Alburnia 800 0 0 *274 V 0 All Nations 380 0 0 *667 8 0 if 250 0 0 *513 4 0 Beehive Tribute ... 16 0 25 *36 12 12 Bright Smile 150 0 0 *337 0 0 if ff 24 0 0 *35 9 12 Ballarat and Rising Sun 25 0 0 *23 14 12 ft ft 3 0 0 *2 14 0 Caledonian 280 0 0 *911 10 0 ff 300 0 0 696 0 0 it 300 0 0 960 10 0 a 100 0 0 238 0 0 Californian Trib.... 210 0 0 *138 8 19 u it 300 0 0 *205 0 8 City of London ... 77 0 0 78 18 0 Cure 8!) 0 0 *158 16 18 “ mullock 10 0 0 *3 12 9 Courier 0 0 3 *i 2 6 Dauntless tribute... 0 1 0 *62 17 0 El Dorado 272 0 0 *522 15 0 Eureka 30 0 0 15 15 0 Golden Crown 100 0 0 *57 3 12 if if 100 0 0 *70 i 0 “ Tribute ... 80 0 0 18 6 i fi CO 0 0 *122 10 0 G olden Spur Tnbutc 25 0 0 *18 15 0 if u 20 0 0 *9 2 18 Gentle Shepherd... 80 0 0 39 0 0 Great Surprise ... 3 16 0 *6 0 0 George Stevenson Grove’s Bank 80 0 0 *75 12 0 20 0 0 *6 3 0 Inverness Imperial Crown 60 0 0 18 0 0 Tribute 15 0 0 *28 12 6 Independent (Coromandel) 5 0 0 *32 10 0 Kuranui 280 0 0 *168 9 0 260 0 0 *168 5 0 Ladybird Tribute... 30 0 0 *12 7 12 Laura Lincoln Castle Tri2 0 0 4 0 0 bute 7 0 0 4 10 0 Moanataiari 450 0 0 *2063 6 0 if 400 0 0 *1301 15 0 Messenger’s tribute 5 0 0 *28 3 0 Missouri 100 0 0 *27 18 12 if 80 0 0 29 0 0 Multum-inParvo... North Devon tri-... 65 0 0 *168 6 0 bute 20 0 0 8 0 0 North Pacific 28 0 0 *40 11 18 Nonpareil 60 0 0 160 0 0 Point Russell 40 0 0 22 10 0 Prince Imperial ... 70 0 0 *60 10 12 Queen of Beauty... 130 0 0 *154 0 0 200 0 0 *212 16 0 Red Queen 25 0 0 *110 2 12 Red, White, k Blue 22 0 0 *8 0 6 do. Tribute ... 30 0 0 16 10 0 do. Tribute ... 17 10 0 *24 6 8 Sons of Freedom ... 140 0 0 *497 7 0 Sink to Rise tribute 220 0 0 516 0 0 60 0 0 *70 17 0 Sbotovcr 16 0 0 12 0 South Devon 5 0 0 *23 8 0 Shamrock 12 0 0 *16 9 0 “ tribute ... 5 0 0 *6 15 0 Sundries (from tailings, specimens, and unknown quarters) say 1,000 0 0 Tokatca ' 384 0 0 *1345 18 0 Tookey Tribute ... 12 0. 0 *38 9 0 SO 0 0 *33 18 12 if fi 15 0 0 4 0 0 « if 25 0 0 58 15 0 ff it 30 0 0 56 0 0 Una 180 0 0 *89 11 18 <i ft 250 0 0 *133 0 0 Unicorn 18 0 0 *5 12 0 Victory fi ff 15 0 0 11 13 18 20 0 0 16 1 12 Wade 15 0 0 *9 14 15 West Const tribute 9 0 0 3 9 12 Waitemntn 60 0 0 *48 0 12 Waiotalii Tribute 25 0 0 *24 16 0 Yankee Doodle ... 75 0 0 *58 5 0 Total...7,787 17 28 16,o50 8 19 Previous month ... .14,338 7 20 Increase ... . 1,712 1 7 * Represents Melted Gold