OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3679, 9 October 1880, Page 2

OUR MINES.

Mining Review of the Week.

For want of something to talk about persons interested in mining both here and in Auckland hare occupied their time in surmising the probabilities of the supposed Te Aroha goldfield, and gulping! down wholesale the many unreliable and pernicious statements and rumors which hare been made concerning it. All sorts of stories hare been going round, some in favor of the goldfield in prospective, others to its detriment,' and the probabilities are that only the slightest modicum hare any foundation in fact. We must deprecate these cock-and-bull stories, especially those writing in terms of praise of the " Te Arbha goldfield," as likely to mislead people at a distance. The pros* pectors hare the best reasons for keeping the particulars of their find secret, so it i would be far bettor for ail concerned if those people who " make" news would

keep their pens still till something definite and tangible is known. No one doubts for an instant but that gold exists in the vicinity of the Te Aroha mountain, but whether in payable quanti* ties or not is a moot point yet, and it is palpable that before the capabilities of tbe district can be thoroughly tried, the expenditure of a considerable amount of capital will need to take place. We cannot here refrain from expressing a feeling of regret that the late Government did not acquire the whole of the Te Aroha as urged on them two years ago by Mr Adam Porter. Were the whole of the auriferous land of the locality in the hands of tbe Government, dealing with the matter would be mueb simpler. News in mining generally has been unexpressably dull, the only event occur, ring to vary the monotony being tbe discovery of a small patch of specimen stone in the New North Devon. However, as it is taken as an earnest of better thing* to follow, it must not be overlooked.

With the increased vitality in mining matters up the Waiotahi Creek, and the endeavors of the County Council to supply cheap crushing power, some atten* tion has recently been called to the desirability of finding a cheaper method of conveying . quartz, the present high rates of cartage being freaksbtfy just the difference between profit and loss on low grade quarts. Several Waiotahi Creek miners wish the County Council to subsidise a fund to.,purchase an American quartz wagon* whioh they* estimate would reduce the cartage 100 per cent., and say that were it procured there would be plenty of -work for it.' Some are inclined to doubt the utility of. such a contrivance, but the suggestion is certainly worth thinking over.