GOLD AND THE GOLDFIELDS.
The Argus in its last monthly summary reported that the mining industry has continued during the last month in the quiet state into which it has lapsed for some time past, no new discoveries of quartz-reefs or fresh alluvial diggings having been recorded to-restore the interest of the public, and especially of 'investors of capital in mining property. Work is, however, steadily pursued in the large number of mines opened out in the colony, and, judging from the most authentic statements published, with ordinary profitable results in gold-yielding minesi Prospecting in quartz claims is also carried on to a large extent, and'there is no doubt from the dimensions which quartz-mining has already assumed, together with its profitable nature - by far the largest part of the gold being now ob* fcained from quarlz reefs—that it only requires the discoveries of a few new quartz reefs, or improvements in the qualities of those already yielding gold, to. create such a reaction in favour of thi3 branch of industry as will lead to. the further development of quartz-mining, and most probably to an increase in the weekly returns of gold.. One very favourable feature as regards the permanency of quartz claims has been shown during the past month by tlie general yields of the Sandhurst mines. The returns of that district have been very good; and when the full accounts for the month of August are published, it is said that it will be found that the yield of gold and dividends declared are largely in excess of those of August, 1873. What is also of considerable importance is, that the dividends of August, 1874, are more widely distribu- : ted, no less than 11 public companies having shared in them in one week. Iq addition to the gold returns of the public companies, some private claims are just now giving very large yields, one wellknown raining investor and employer of mining labour having been for some time past in receipt of an income which is estimated not to fall far short of £1,000 a day. During tho years 1870-1-2, some very large returns were obtained at different times from individual mines at Sandhurst, and the total yield of the diatrictwasconaiderably increased thereby, but of late, with the exception perhaps of the gUuiu of the Harden Gully United Company, the returns have not been particularly heavy from any mine. It is therefore exceedingly gratifying to notice that the yield of gold is kept up at the present time to the same extent as it was last year, because that can only have occurred through there being more paying mines at work now, or through the claims which yield the gold having improved in quality, J[(j__ is also a matter of congratulation from the fact that when they are so many paying mines in work it is almost certain that one or more of them will soon meet with extraordinary rich runs of gold in their quartz, such as have been met with in other claims previously, and when such, yields are added to the present very respectable returns of the district, the total will be higher than any that hus yet been recorded. The reports of the Government mining surveyors and registrars for tho quarter ending 30th June, 1874, have just been published. The surveyors and registrars estimate that 271,8390z. 12dwt. of gold was obtained during the quarter, of which 108,9340z. siwt. was alluvial gold, and 164, 9050z. 7dwt. quartz gold. I he amount actually exported during the quarter was, according to the Customs returns, 233,2720z3. lldwt., and the amount of Victorian gold received into the mint here was 2A,110,410z, The number of miners employed on the goldfields during the quarter was estimated at 46,488, of whom 18.467 were Europeans, and 12,484 Chinese engaged in alluvial mining, and 15,432 Europeans and 105 Chinese engaged , in quarlz mining. The approximate value of all tho mining plant employed was £2,074,972, the number of square miles of auriferous ground actually worked upon 1,0165", and the number of distinct quartoreefs actually proved .to be auriferous 3,367. The miners were distributed over the seven districts' into which the colony is divided in the following proportions Ballarat, 10 2 )4; Beecliworih, 6,657--, Sandhurst, 7,4(53; Maryborough, 8,687; Castlemaine, 7,253; Ararat, 3 554; and Gipps Land, 2,580. The plant was distributed as followsßillarat, £437,298; Beech worth, £258, 548; Sandhurst; £506,540; Maryborough, £309,537 ? Castlemaine, £284,668 ; Ararat, £136,284; Gipps Land, £L4i,097. Of the quartz • reels, Ballarat possessed 201; Beechworth, 887; Sandhurst, 755; Maryborough, 569; Castlemaine, 393; Ararat, 77; and Gipps Laud, 482. ' The number of square miles of ground actually worked upon in the Ballarat distriot was 150£;: in Beechworth, 280|; in Sandhurst, 14l}> in Maryborough, 82f; in Castlemaine, 165 j; in Ararat, 83^'; and in Gipps Land, 158. •
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Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1887, 5 November 1874, Page 3
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799GOLD AND THE GOLDFIELDS. Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1887, 5 November 1874, Page 3
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