THE WEEK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2087, 11 September 1875, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The accident referred to in last week's summary as baring occurred at the Bright Smile waa not of a very serious nature. Repairs were promptly effected so that work in the mine and at the battery was suspended only for a very short time, since which the stampers hare been hammering away uninterruptedly. The Queen of Beauty has paid another handsome dividend with unerring punctuality. Some interesting figures might he obtained from the records of this company, giving the amount of quartz raised, yield of gold,! money expended in labor and paid- in dividends. There is a probability of the Bird in Hand, a near neighbour of the .Queen of Beauty and Bright Smile, being resuscitated. The owners have acquired the Vanguard area and appliances by purchase, which should add materially to the value of the Bird in Hand. This piece of ground ought to be well prospected; its proximity to paying mines being such as to afford inducements for the expenditure of a little money in further search for the splendid reefs being worked ! in adjoining mines. There is, it would seem, a probability of the water supply being completed and ready for use by December next. Plans of the distribution scheme have been completed some time, and tenders may be called for any day. The other contracts are progressing fairly and should be completed within the specified time. The " distribution " contract will comprise a reservoir in the Waio-Karaka gully and other works, including a nine-inch main through the principal street.. Competent authorities state that this supply when completed will be the largest in the colony, and fully equal to the estimated power. Its completion should mark a new era in quartz crushing, and other industries should receive an impetus from the excel- ■ lent motive power which it will place at the disposal of the public. There is some hope that Tairua will soon affect the gold returns from this district to an appreciable extent. The four-stamper battery 1 erected by the Tairua Company (Prospectors) is finished, and is to be formally started on Tuesday. Although of small force the nafcire of the stuff in hand from the mine is such that the yield should be large. The stone is very rich and easily treated, and there cannot be a doubt that some good yields from this part of the field would have a great influence in bringing the southern portion of the Hauraki district into notice. Several other companies, it is said, intend erecting machinery at once. Some difficulties no doubt exist in" the matter of water supply, but to judge from the number of applications which have been lodged for water rights, these difficulties should be overcome. In. the matter of gold returns, last week's was the largest that has been recorded for some time. This may be accounted for by the fact that many companies clean up but once a month.. The returns this week are as follow:—

Name op Compact. Golden Calf ... , ... Old Wbau Inverness (Lapham's Tribute) Watchmaa (Tribute) Twenty-third of June Lord Ashley Black Angei (Tribute) Britannia (Tairua) Missouri ... Californian (Tribute) ... Moa ... Manukau South Devon (No. 1 Trib.)... National (Karaka) ... Caledonian .... Moanatairi ... dz. dwt. grs. 185 0 0 93 6 0 22 8 0 24, 10 0 7 8 0 4 3 0 58 0 0 2 0 0 6 5 0 24 9 0 19 12 0 97 3 0 8 2 0 1 13 9 41 19 0 180 0 0 £775 18 0