MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1884, 6 August 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Pumping Association.—The tender of , Ir Matthew Box has been accepted for inking the Pumping Association shaft a irther depth of 100 feet, and the confactor has already commenced making I reparations for carrying out his contract, t price has not transpired. It will robably be Monday next before sinking 1 ?ill be fairly started, as there is a good c eal of preparatory work to perform. h Bos is a man well fitted for carrying j ut this work, not only on account of his , irge experience in pit work, but from his f horough knowledge of this particular ' haft and its machinery. He has for many ears performed the duties of underground oreman in this mine, and is thoroughly 1 onversant with all the details of its 1 workings, and the peculiar dangers which j ittend it from from the deleterious car>oniG acid gas which infects this and ' idjoining mines. The principal work at iresent going on is the excavation of a ihamber at the bottom of the Tookey ihaft and timbering it up securely. Queen of Beauty.—We are informed - hat out of the result of the last fort- i light's crushing a dividend of £43 10s : ler seventh share has been paid to the shareholders. There were heavy liabiliies outstanding which absorbed a large portion of the funds, otherwise the lividend would have been much larger. Hie manager has now started to break stone from the No. 1 reef, and a large injrease in the average yield may be anticipated in consequence. Centbal Italy.—The gold lodged on Tuesday was melted yesterday into a bar weighing 182ozs sdwt. Mr Comes surrenders charge of the mine to-day, and ;he management will be temporarily issumed by the underground foreman. Bendiqo Indepbndent. — A small jrushing of 25 tons of general stuff and i parcel of specimens was finished up yesterday at the Alburnia battery. The general stuff was poor, but the specimens compensated for its poverty. The exact result is not yet to hand, but it is expected to yield about 60ozs of gold. The company's mine is now to be worked with greater vigour than hitherto. On Tuesday afternoon an extraordinary general meeting of the company was held at the company's office. Mr A. Beetham presided. The directors were empowered to dispose of the shares forfeited for non-payment of calls. An increase of capital by the issue of 2,700 new shares of the nominal value of £1 was authorised, which were to be distributed amongst the shareholders pro rata on payment of Is bonus. Messrs S. W. Cochrane and P. Amodeo were added to the directory, and the meeting terminated. Exchange. — The newly appointed manager takes charge of this mine to-day, and commences operations under very favourable auspices. In reference to the appointment of Mr Comes to this mine, we think the directors have shown sound judgment, not only in their choice of a competent man, but in tbe regulations which they have laid down for his guidance. Kesolutions were passed at the directors' meeting that any new discovery or important change in the mine must first be reported at the company's office before any information on the subject is given to any director or shareholder, and a notice of such change or find is to be immediately posted in some conspicuous place in the office for general information. The effect' of this wholesome rule will be to check any attempt at operating on the market, and will serve to create a feeling of confidence in the minds of shareholders anil the public generally. Our attention has been called to these minutes of the directors' meeting at which Mr Comes received his appointment. Crown Prince.—The No. 1 reef was reached yesterday forenoon in the bottom level cross-cut, and after it had been stripped the men commenced to work into the face. They had penetrated the lode for a depth of three feot up to a late hour last night, but there was no sign or indication of the second wall of the reef. It is a splendid-looking body of stone so far, and the stuff taken out of it shows gold freely. There has been no driving carried out on the No. 2 reef for several days past. Yesterday the engine was started. Steam was got up for the purpose of adjusting the winding ropes on the spiders and over the pulleys at the top of the poppet-heads. This was successfully accomplished, and winding will be started this afternoon as soon as the shackles and couplings are fixed at the ends of the ropes. Wade.—The final retorting for the Wade took place yesterday at the Shamrock battery, and the total yield from the six tons crushed is 23 ms gold, which pays very handsomely for the time and labour expended in getting the stuff out. Eureka.—A small crushing of about 18 tons of stone has been put through at the Euranui 6-head battery. The amalgam will be retorted to-day, but the result will bo a very moderate one. .Bed White and Blue.—A crushing for Skidtnore's No. 1 tribute of the i\ed White and Blue mine was commenced yesterday with 10 head of stampers at the Manukau battery. So far as could be judged from the show on the plates yes> terday, the result would be moderate, bul there is, we understand, a better class ol | stuff to crush, and there are some specimens on hand which will increase the average yield. Albion 1 —Kelly's Tribute. — There is a considerable quantity of stuff from Catran's tribute of Kelly's old claim in paddock at the Prince Alfred battery, and crashing will be commenced next weei

on a lot of about 70 tons. The stuff is from the same workings from which the recent cruskings were taken, and will no doubt turn out aa well. Old Whau.—The engagement made by the old Whau Company to employ 20 head of stampers at the Moanataiari battery having terminated, they have surrendered 10 head, but will continue to employ 10 head until such time as arrangements are completed for resuming crushing at the company's own mill. The defective tubes in the boiler, have been removed and new substituted, and an engine-driver and amalgamator are advertised for. The manager has also improved the means of obtaining a water supply for the boilers from a source which is not so liable to corrode the tubes as that hitherto in use. The manager expects to be able to keep the company's mill well employed [upon good payable stuff. There will be a cleaning up (probably a final one) at the Moanataiari battery next week. Shamrock Tribute.— Another crushing for Logan's tribute party has just been completed at the Shamrock battery, but retorting has not yet taken place. There were only 9 tons put through, and there are already 7'lozs of hard squeezed clean amalgam with some more to come, so that the result will be an excellent one. It has already surprised the tributers, for the stuff was put through as a trial from which little was expected, and while it I was going through the mill little could be

seen on the plates. The greatest portion I of the amalgam was obtained from the 1 berdans. .Retorting will take place to- 1 day, and the yield will doubtless be a i very handsome one. ; Montgomkry Bbos. Tribute.—A small 1 parcel of five tons has been crushed at the dhamrock battery for the tributers of the i Montgomery Bros., but the yield was a moderate one, only amounting to 3ozs 12 dwts gold. Moanatauri. — The manager has started the 10 head of stampers vacated by the Old Whau Company on stuff from the company's mine, in addition to the 20 head hitherto employed. Dauntless and Sink-to-Rise Tribute. —& crushing of 18 tons of general stuff and 30lbs of specimens and picked stuff was completed jyesterday at the Prince Alfred battery, but the retorting was not finished up to a late hour last night. The probable yield will be about. 80ozs gold.