WARDEN'S REPORTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 237, 15 August 1872, Page 5

WARDEN'S REPORTS.

Mr Warden Beetham, under date July 29, writing from Qaeenstown, reports to the Provincial Government as follows :—: —

In forwarding my report for the quarter ending 30th June, 1872, 1 have the honor to remark that the severity of the winter quarter has not been without its usual effect upon mining operations. Heavy falls of snow and one very severe and continued frost have had the effect of very considerably retarding sluicing and creek working. The result is that the escort for the recent quarter is less than the one preceding it by 1215 oz. The total yield for the quarter ending June 3Cth is — Queenstown, 5231 oz. ; Arrowtown, 3263 oz. : being 9485 oz against 10,700 oz. escorted during the quarter ending 31&t March, 1872. This decrease is triflng, taking into consideration the severity of the season.

In quartz mining a new reef has been discovered in the neighborhood of Skippers, which promises well. Tbe ordinary crushing operations have of course heen suspended during the winter season, so that the return from that source may be said to be nil. I have also reason to believe that valuable reefs will be opened up during the summer in the neighborhood of the Moke Creek. Considerable attention has lately been directed to the probability of the existence of deep leads in the great basin formed by the embouchure of the Shotover and Arrow Rivers, and I understand that during the ©pen season operations will be undertaken with a view to proving the correctness or otherwise of these conjectures, by sinking a shaft and making gross drives in the neighborhood of the Big Beach. It is supposed that the present* course of the River from the Big Beach to the Kawarau is of comparatively recent date, and that its old bed will be discovered to be under the Crown Range, in the direction of the Arrow Flats and Hayes Lake. Probably the expenditure of LI SOO would settle the question. The f>>rmati n and general appearance of the country point unmistakably to tho existence of these deep leads in the bed's referred to ; they will when discovered probably be found immensely rich. A very large breadth of laud will be sown in wheat and other cereals this season ; while land is being readily taken up under the Agricultural Land Regulations in all portions of the district. There appears also to be a very evident desire to improve the style of farming by freely manuring land already cropped, and by laying down paddocks with English grasses. The wheat and oaten straw, which by a suicidal process unknown in any other place used to be burned to get it out of the way, is now saved and turned into valuable manure by treading it with cattle, &c. The population o? all classes is also steadily on the increase.

The popul vtion of the district is as follows : -Queenstown division, 1461, of whom 60 Europeans are engaged in quartz and 701 in alluvial mining, and 700 Chinese, all working aU'ivinm. In the Arrow division, there are 500 Europeans and 500 Chinese, all engaged in alluvial miming. The mining plant in the Queenstown division comprises 504 water-races and 6SO sluice-heads, constructed at a cost of L2OO 000 : 384 tail-races, which cost L 38,400 ; darn* 56, costing, 1.5,600; and 31 reservoirs, costing L 3,100. Besides this there are 4 quartz-crushing machines, 59 stamp-heads, and 3 water-wheels, valued at L 24 ,000, and 111 sluices and toms, 3 water-wheels, 30 hydraulic hoses, 20 pumps, 500 sluice-boxes, 1 quicksilver compound cradle used in alluvial mining. Iv the Arrow division there are 100 sluices and toms, 2 water-wheels, 20 hydraulic hoses, 15 pumps, 400 sluice-boxes. The alluvial plant is valued at L 13.000.

Mr "Warden Carew, writing from Clyde, reports as follows for the quarter enling July 3lst :— Nothing of unusual importance has occurred during the quarter. The weather for the first two mouths was favorable, and the water-races and dams were kept well supplied with water ; but during the greater part of June frost of most unusual severity existed, and suspended mining operations of almost every description. Kivcr dredging was the principal exception, and the rivers being low from the in ense cold of the mountains, this class of mining was favorably affected. Gold has again been struck in the deep sinkings of Blacks iSo. 3, and within the same claim for which the Try Again Company was promoted to work. The company failed to bottom the ground ; owing to the difficult nature of the wet drift it was in vain attempted to sink through. Ultimately the claim passed to other hands, and with a few weeks labor a shaft wss put down in shallow ground outside the course of the drift, and passed through the reef to a depth of 140 feet. A tunr.el was then put in from that level in the direction of the deep ground, on reaching which excellent prospects of coarse gold were obcained. Judging from the discoveries made from time to time in this deep ground, there se^ms to be ample reason to believe that rich deposits of gold exist in the Ida Valley. Within a few months a considerable quantity of water will be diverted to command ground in the slopes and gullies in the Wai-ken-keri Valley, and make employment for a considerable increase to the number of miners in the neighborhood of Clyde. The quantity of gold forwarded by escort from this district during the quarter is 10,309 ounces ; of this 2091 ounces was the produce of quartz working in the CiOinwell a

livision.

From the statistical tables appended to the report we glean the following information. There are 100 European and 590 Chinese alluvial miners, aud 252 Europeau quartz miner*. Alluvial mining gives employment to 6 water-wheels. 49 hydraulic hoses, 10 pumps, 255 sluice boxes ; and quartz mining to '6 steam engines and 8 crushing machines, 55 btampheads and 5 water- wheels of the value of L 46.000. There are 106 races, valued at L 40,850 ; 97 tail races, valued at [-15 625 ; and 52 dams, valued at L 3,590. Sixteen miles of ground are actually worked upon, and the price of gold is L 3 15s an oz.

The " finisher of the law," as the Evening News call the Sydney hangman, appears to be a remarkably affable and impressible gentleman. After launching Nicholls and Lester into eternity, "he remained a few minutes chatting pleasantly with one or two of his acquaitances. ' This Colonial Calcraft is the sort of a man who, as Jeirold said, would sharpen a knife upon his mother's tomb-stone to cut his father's throat. 1 rtukees are proverbially smart, but there are Britishers who are quite as spry as their American cousins. _ A gentleman carrying on business in a magnificent store in the middle of tbe city of Melbourne had a brother who acted as his English agent. Being dissatisfied at the manner in which he conducted his department the Melbourne man wrote to say that he was coming to London to make other arrangements, and followed his letter by the next mail. The brother, who by his position had acquired friends and influence in the trade, set to work, arranged for consignments to be sent to him, started for Melbourne and arrived here in due course. He took a store a few doors from his brother's place of busiuess, and started an opposition establishment. One may have some doubts as to his brotherly love, but there is no cjuesion as to the business sagacity.