MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1889, 7 November 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Loyalty.—-It will be remembered that some time ago this claim, located on the base of the Haraka Hill, was purchased by tho Thames G.M.C. for £1000, and for some time after tho speculation did not appear to be a very promising one. The former owners who had sold out had taken out several good payable crushings, but subsequent trials did not prove payable. However, the new proprietory were committed to the claim, and they proceeded to prospect it. They drove a main level over 300 feet without meeting any success. Then the air became poor, and air pipes and a fan must bo put up, or an air shaft must be sunk. The country, being good, the latter course was adopted, and fortunately so as events have turned out. At a depth of 45 feet in this shaft quartz was met with, which was cut through at 50 feet. The manager has opened out on this quartz, and it proves to be a lode nearly 8 feet thick, not particularly well defined, but showing gold. In fact gold has been seen in it on several occasions, and yesterday a few small pieces were picked out of a truckfull of quartz, in which there were rich strong colours. A crushing from this lode will be commenced on Monday next, and if it turns out as well as is expected the mine will become a very valuable property. Exchange.—The manager has commenced to open the No. 2 reef from the old level of the Crown Prince mine by extending the level into the Exchange mine. It has now been driven 15 feet inside the boundary, qnd the lode which has been broken down shows good gold. It is from 8 inches to a foot in width, but, being in splendid country, it can, although small, be worked to very great advantage. Gold is also showing regularly in the No. 1 reef in the stopes, and the crushing is, we are glad to find, showing up for a fine general average, much superior indeed to what was at first expected. In fact there is now no doubt but that the mine is a payable one, and we feel quite sure under the management of Mr Comes it will be worked to the very best advantage and with tho strictest economy.

Pumping Association. ■— The speed with which this company's shaft is being sunk is remarkable, and reflects credit on the energy of the contractor. It is now down a total depth of 455 feet, the 55 feet having been sunk under the existing contract, and it is still goiug down in a splendid class of country. Caledonian. —Excellent progress is being made fiitli the sinking of this company's shaft also, a depth of 28 feet having been reached since the contractors started, and the country is all that can be desired. There are 12 men engaged in sinking. In other respects there is nothing fresh to report from the mine. There is no crushing stuff coming from any portion of it, and the No. 3 reef which has been driven on for some distance shows no improvement in either the north or south drive.

Lincoln Castle.—The annual general meeting of llie Lincoln Castle Gold Mining Company was to have been held yesterday at the company's oilwe, William-son-street, but at the time appointed there were only 10 shareholders present. This did not constitute a quorum, and the meeting lapsed. The report and balancesheet prepared were read to the shareholders present. The report stated that at an extraordinary meeting of shareholders held in Auckland on June 13, 1873, it was agreed to purchase a fourth in the low-level tunnel of the of Freedom mine for the sum of £527 4s, from which to work the Sons of Freedom reef, which was then yielding handsome returns. After driving on the reef a distance of ICO feet, and not meeting with payable prospects, it was determined to prospects the reefs from the No. 1 level at a depth of 60 feet from the surface. A distance of 75 feet was driven on the reef towards the Sons of Freedom boundary. A trial crushing of 14 tons yielded sozs 15dwts gold, but the return not being payable, the directors decided to drive a cross-cut from the.Sons of Freedom adit to intersect the Twenty-third of June reefs. A contract was let, and at a distance of 122 feet 6 inches from the tunnel one reef was cut through. A further distance of about 12 feet would have to bo driven to intersect the main reef from which the priucipal gold returns of the Twenty-third of Juno Company have been obtained. There would be a large block of ground to work on both reefs, and judging from the firstclass returns obtained by the Twentythird of June Company close to the boundary, the directors hoped that the work lately undertaken would be profitable to the company. Owing to several shareholders not having paid their calls, the work was temporarily suspended. The balance-sheet showed that .the receipts from all sources, including a bank overdraft of £54 lis 6d, and calls, £1,297 12s 6d, was £1,416 14s; and the expenditure, including £527 4s for the tunnel wages, &c,, £064 10s Bd, amounted to £1,416 14s.

Cube. —During the last few Jays there has not been much done in the way of sinking the winze of the Cure mine, as the manager has been timbering up and making preparations, so that the quartz which is being broken out from the sides of the winze for crushing should not fall down the winze to where the men are sinking. These preparations were completed yesterday, and sinking resumed. A portion of the reef was stripped in the bottom, which will bo broken down today. The stone, although not showing gold at present, looks very well. A little quartz was broken down in the side of me winze, and through this gold showed at the side next the Kcd Queen boundary, and about 6lbs of very good specimens came from it. Queen'of BEiury. -The massive timbers which have been ordered for the chamber of the new level of the Queen of Beauty mine have been delivered, and some of the cap pieces are fully 3 feet in diameter. But ull this strength is required as the pressure in the chamber especially will be very great. .Now that these timbers have arrived the manager will have them fixed us speedily as possible, and then proceed to drive for the reefs and open up the level. One of the lodes, the iVo. 2, is almost certain to be found in excavatiug the chamber, and the other, the No. 1, will probably be to hand in about 12 feet of driving. We may add that the present main level is far from being exhausted, and the stuff from it aevor crushed so well as it is now doing. In fact, this will bo proved by the retorting which will take place to-day, when, aa the result of a fortnight's run with only Bull's and the company's own machines at work, the yield will be about 800ozs. This will pay the shareholders a very handsome dividend. Impkbial City. — Crushing for the tnperial Oily has now been going on at the Waiotalii battery since Monday last, Out only a small proportiou of the stuff i<ituslwil has bwu ftoia that portio.a q£

the reef through which gold is showing, and this, as might be expected, showed up for a good payable average. The remainder of the crushing was a series of tests from other portions of the reef; and in those places where gold did not show the results have been moderate. There will be another test completed to-day, and this will complete the crushings which have been made for the satisfaction of the management in testing the reef, and during the next week the mill will be eraployed on stuff from that portion of the lode which contains the shot of gold. Sloping is going on, but under great difficulties, as the ventilation is defective; but the manager is about to take steps to remedy this, either by putting down air-pipes or by m air-shaft, if that should be deemed most advisable. The crushing during next week, or until such lime as the air is carried in,, will only be continued with a reduced force of 5 head of stampers.

Golden Calf.—Gold continues to show regularly in the new lode of the Golden Calf mine on every occasion when it is broken down, and there being now a considerable parcel of quartz to hand, crushing will, we understand, be commenced on Monday. This will fairly test the quality of tho new reef, of the payable character of which there can be no doubt, from the quantity of gold which has shown through it and the specimens which have been taken out, but it will be more satisfactory to the manager and the company to obtain a good return from the crushing mill than the mere prospects.in the lode could afford.