OUR MINES.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3960, 7 September 1881, Page 2

OUR MINES.

CALEDONIAN. The news that good gold had been found in the reef in east drive at No. 1 level of this mine caused a stir in the Caledonian scrip, and the price in a few hours rose from 12s to 13s, and sellers were as high as 14s 6d at 7 pm. last evening. I visited the mine again this morning, and found that the reef had' again been shot into. The stone broken out continues to show gold, and the. mineral indications left in the face are? Very favorable. The stove contains a deal of mineral very like in appearance to gold, and the precious metal is therefore, hard to distinguish unless it is in good strong dabs. About four feet of the reef have been shot down, and there is no indication as yet of the footwall, though, a small horse of mullock has, at one portion of the face, been come upon: Quartz has, however, been found under this. The reef, where cut in the crosscut, is about 18 feet'through, so there is every reason to believe that here it will be of great size. Even if the quartz went about an j ounce to the load it would pay well to ! crush, and the present indications certainly favor the supposition that the return will be much better than that. At the No. 2 level the work of cleaning out the old crosscut is progressing, and a fine body of q.uartz is showing in the drive, though at places it seems rather white and hungry looking. Until the crosscut is cleaned out, its value, of course, cannot be tested. OLD GOLDEN CALF. The contractors are making good progress with their drive, and are in a distance of about 40 feet. The junction of the three portions of the reef has not yet been come upon, and from their underlay it is probable that it will be met with below, this level. In the stopes, the banging' wall portion of the reef is rather broken up, and is composed of rubbly quartz but averages from iwo to three feet in thickness. Gold is seen in it occasionally, and it is proving payable at the battery. The reef taken down in the drive' being put iv by the contractors is also sent to the battery, and somejnice colors .of» gold, are seen in it,oc(ibsiou&lly. SOUTHERN CROSS. About a week ago the manager started a crosscut from the south drive at battery level to cut a reef which had been partly worked some time ago. After/driving about 100 feet through a good class of country, the reef was met with at a point where an old winze had been sunk upon it. ' Driving was immediately started, upon it, and several pounds of. picked stone were obtained on Monday and yesterday. The reef is composed' of a number ot stringers, and averages from three to four feet in thickness. At one point in the drive the stringers have come together, and have formed a nice, compact, body of quartz, about 18 inches through. Should the whole of this reef prove payable, a large amount of quartz will be easily obtainable. In the other drive at battery level sinking in the winze was stopped a few days ago, and a drive opened out on the specimen leader under the drive put- in about two months ago. The drive was put in about 40 feet, when driving was suspended, and stoping on the leader started. In the stope the leader is from four to six inches through, and as it shows colors of gold whenever broken down it is more than probable that the block from here to the old stopes will prove payable. GOLD RETURNS. Albuenia.—Mangan and party have banked 52ozs lOdwts gold, toe result of a crushing of 21 loads. Pbimbose.—Brett and party had an interim retorting yesterday for the return, of Bozs lodwts gold. Moanataibi. —Gordon and party have banked sozs 17dwts gold. Don Pbdbo.—Kneebone and party have crushed a small parcel of quartz for the return of loz ldwt gold.