BLUE SPUR MINING NEWS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 9, 11 April 1868, Page 3

BLUE SPUR MINING NEWS.

(From a Corresponds.) The heavy rains of Sunday last caused both the races of Morrison & Co. and Ponsonby & Co. to break away in several places, and consequently water was rather scarce during the early part of the week. Morrison & Co. repaired their ditch on Monday, but their large dam being nearly empty, the supply of water was short for several days. Ponsonby & Co. are busy repairing a break near the head of their Waipori Race. At present nearly all the Blue Spur Companies are sluicing, and there is a great demand for water, on account of the heavy streams of water now generally used. Morrison & Co. use a head of 300 inches, when washing in their upper face. Mouat& Co. use 250 inches, and Livingstone & Co. have often 4.50 inches of water at work when washing down both forks of their race. It often happens that a number of companies are washing down and tunneling together, and water is in little demand and running to waste, and at other times all are washing, and the supply of water is insufficient to meet the demand, this is to be regretted but from scarcity of powder and other causes it is often unavoidable. Powder is now plentiful, but on account of the number of blasts fired about a month ago, most of the companies have plenty of loose cement on hand, and the demand is veiy limited. Miner's wages have not materially altered during the last two years, and lls. per day for eight hours, is the current rate on the Spur. The price of water is L 7 per week for 100 inches. Most of the washings up which have taken place for a length of time have been highly satisfactory, but most of the claimholders for obvious reasons are very unwilling that the quantity of gold obtained should be made public. Altogether gold mining on the Blue Spur was never more profitable than at present, and there is every reason to believe that many of the companies will pay handsomely for a number of years to come.