Mining in the Upper Country.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4413, 24 February 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

Mining in the Upper Country.

KAEANGAHAKE, Feb. 5. The new reef opened in the Mabtha. last week ia a fine body of stone, and prospects well. The same reef has been found in the Wheel of Fortune with the same prospects. In the Keep-n>Di.BK, the owners are putting in a drive to cut the Crown reef, which runs through thia olaim. The Golden Cbown contractors are ranking fair progress with the drive, which has now been put in a. distance of 15 feet. The reef is showing gold freely in breaking down. A start has been made in the FAB Nor/OHT to cut the Martha reef, which has been traced to the boundary of that claim, and runs through the ground. The drive in the Diana is in 110 feet, and the reef ought to be cut in a fe« feet. The lower level in the Noble is being pushed od. In the Hatjbaki a large amount of stone is ready to be sent to the mill as soon as the tramway is finished, the timber for which is being cut at Waihi. This seems rathor strange, as there ia plenty of timber on the hill if sawyers could be found. There is a good opening for them at present, as a lot of timber will be wanted fur rails for the mines, and for buildings. There is nothing new to report from the Paeboa or Dubbo ; work is being pushed on. The question still is, When will the battery be ready to start ? I see the Tribune's correspondent says some ring wishes to amalgamate several of the Karangahake mines. I suppose . the majority of shareholders will have to agree I efore this oan be done, and they ought to be the best judges what to do; but one thing is evident, it will take a large amount of capital to thoroughly open up Karangahake, and we have no Te Aroha Battery Company and General Government, to spend thousands of pounds to help us ; and if one large Company can be formed to do this the sooner the better for the district. No matter who the ring are they cannot do good to themselves without helping us, and one strong company under good management would be better for this district and all concerned, than five or six that do little else-than get formed and wound up.

WAIHI, Feb. 5. The tram connecting the Young Colonial drive wiih the Waihi main tramway is finished, and, strange to say, has cost less than one-third of the estimate. The repairs to the water race are being pushed on with. The new dam is finished, and is a different piece of work to that formerly constructed. Some of the race has had to be raised three feet six inches to give it a uniform fall. The repairs to the mill will be pushed on without delay, and everything ought to be in order to make a fresh start by the first week in March, when it is to be hoped that there will be some return for the large outlay there has been in'this district.

OWHAROA, Feb. 5. A trial crushing is going through tho Smile of Fortune battery for the Nut claim. The shareholders expect a pay* able return. The reef cut in the Lucky Hit is supposed to be the No. 2 Smile of Fortune, and is some two feet thick, with fair prospects. In the Radical the tributers are under the winze from which they got some good dirt. They have out a few tons of stone, and will start stoping and forward another crushing to the mill without delay. In the Smile of Fobtune 11 head is crushing company's stone, which is showing for a payable return. The tributers are all getting out payable crushing dirt. Water has been scarce, but a dam has been constructed to save the night water: only for this the mill would have been idle.

TE AEOHA, Eeh 5. The late owner of your charming contemporary has taken to mining reporting, and is an original in that line. I will refer you to his last three publications for full particulars. The contractors for the tramway are making progress with the work in. hand, and will be finished within the contract time. Several other contracts have been let for the completion of the rest of the line, and all will be finished by May. In several of the mines a fair amount of work is being done towards opening them up and getting quartz ready for the mill, but a still larger number stopped work when they put in the pegs. The. prospects of the field improve daily, aud the general impression is that a large amount of good payable stone will be found in the,district, which is only being opened up. No Big Pump difficulty or gus to trouble us here —nothing except mosquitoes and a tight" ness of the chest.

From Waitekauri there is nothiog new to report. Several tributes have been let in the Welcome mine. A few old hands are still to be found with any amount of faith in the future prospects of this much neglected district.