Summary of the Week.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3987, 8 October 1881, Page 2

Summary of the Week.

There has been nothing of great irnportauce in the Thames district proper during the past week, but ad> cided improvement is manifest in the field as a whole. The New. .North Devon mine has attracted a good deal of attention, and judging by the result of the last crushing, this minw will very speedily come to the fore again. The mines in its immediate neighborhood, the Alburnia and New Whau, have been rather quiet, and though the discovery of gold in the httccess reef in the former caused a little stir in the scrip, they have again become dull, there being very few buyers. la the latter mine operations on the Sons of Freedom lode at 160 feet level are being steadily pushed ahead, and crushing will probably be started next week. We learn that Mr Chas. H. Wilson, who for some time has been manager of this mine, has resigned, and intends to try his fortune at VVaitekauri and the upper country districts. In the' Caledonian,, the prospects at the No. 1 level on both Nos 1 aud 2 reefs continue very encouraging, there being every indication of a deposit of the precious metal being near at band. Iv the Old Golden Calf a slight improvement Ims taken place in the stuff sent to the battery. The New Golden Crown prospects continue very good, and from the appearance of the lodes and their size, payable returns should be forthcoming for some time to come. "Very little, change has takeu place in the other mines; the Kuraum tiiil crushing from the eurftwe

workings in the Poverty section is not shaping so wellJas expected, but as yet it is too soon -t'6''-%rm an adequate idea of the value of this section.

The Upper Oouutry mines, notably those of Waitekauri and Waibi have attracted a deal of attention, and many new claims have been pegged out. Another splendid return is reported from the Waitekauri tributers, Hollis and party, who have crushed 95 loads of quartz for the splendid return of 7980zs retorted gold. The Waitekauri No. 3 Company shares have been selling at very high figure lately. £375 being paid for a j quarter share, or a 32nd interest in the mine. We are informed on reliable authority that the " new " discovery in this mine referred to by our morning contemporary, is in reality nothing fresh, the company having been working on it for the last four mouths. A new rush is reported from the Waihi, and good gold is also said to havo been found on the High School reserve at Te Aroha. Should these two discoveries turn out to be good ones, they will Ho a great deal towards opening up the Upper Country. The following are Mr Hilton's suggestions for extending the long tunnel:— The Moanatairi G.M. Oo.'s tunnel being in a peculiarly favourable position and having material advantages, its extension would tend to infuse vigor into present .operations, give an impetus to thorough prospecting, restore business confidence, and secure the cordial support of the public and the local governing bodies. Among other advantages attainable by it are : —No pumping contributions; in place of making numerous low levels, the companies would work their portions direct from the tunnel; the vast country thus opened up would take years to exhaust; the tunnel being the key to the main operations on the field, competition by any other company would become highly improbable ; the economical mode of working (gravitation), material being received in trucks in tunnnel, through shoots and passes; the output of quartz brought into direct communication with the batteries; the debris would help to reclaim the foreshore, thus enhancing the value of the Harbour Board property; and sensible encouragement would be given to legitimate prospecting. . To carry out the extension it is proposed to request Government to grant a subsidy to prosecute a main tunnel to trig station D, Punga Flat, above the Alburnia G.M.C'o. From present face this would give a vertical height of* 1200 feet, and be productive of thousands of tons of quartz for years to come; also, to make a main crosscut from, end of tunnel, thus intersecting) the whole line of 'reefs to Karaka creek ; and a series of crosscuts from main tunnel, and parallel to main crosscut, with shaft for ventilation and output. A shallow level, starting from Point Russell rise, would take the upper portion of the auriferous gifftind and be economical in putting up rises, &c, to surface along- the route; .■