GABRIELS GULLY GUARTZ' MUSING COMPANY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 337, 11 March 1874, Page 2

GABRIELS GULLY GUARTZ' MUSING COMPANY.

A great many inquiries as to the operations of the above Company having reached us, as well as several reports of a damaging description having got abroad, we resolved to pay the claim a visit, and endeavor from personal observation to ascertain the present position and future prospcts of the mine. The past history of the claim, from the time the tod© was first discovered by Messrs. Mark and party, is so well known from previous roporta which appeared in the columns of this journal, that any further explanation is unnecessary. During the time the Company were crushing from the upper, or 60 feet level, the stone though not rich pail fair dividends. The fine cake of gold, weighing upwards of 400 ozs., that was exhibited in Lawrence aomo few months ago, raised a hopa in the breast* of the inhabitants that Tuapeka might yet become a second Sandhurst, and the Gabriel* Gully claim might rival the world renowned Hustlers. After doing a considerable amount of work on this upper level, the directors decided upon driving an adit 120 feet below their first main drive ; and ultimately the Clarks Hill Prospecting.'. Company was floated, whose object was to penetrate th© dividing range between Gabriels and Wetherstones, and by this means ascertain if there were any mineral lodes intersecting the hill. Arrangements were made with the Gabriels Gully Company to commence the tunnel near their battery, and thus allow them to work their claim from the prospecting tunnel, the Gabriels Co. to pay a certain per cent&go on the cost of the tunnel during the time they would require the use of it. The Clarks Hill Co. drove up to and passed the lode some 150 feet. Another 150 feet will carry the dive, which is now 1100 feet in length, through the Gabriels Co.'s ground. The work has been/" done by contract ; and tenders were called for another section of the work, but declined, as the price was considered excessive. Thedrivinjj throughout has been good. A hard bar of rock was passed through soon after commencing operations ; but since then, the country piercei has been of a slaty description, and therefore easily driven. Where the Gabriel* reef is crossed iv the drive it is narrow but well defined, although the Company have not yet opened out on it to any great extent. They sunk a winze on the lode from the upper level, but found the reef narrow all the way "down. They are now engaged sinking one 'further south, in which the reef is rapidly widening out. In fifteen feet of sinking it has increased from two inches to as many feet. The stone is f-Jl of mundic, and sliows every indication of gold bearing. A trial of stone from the winze will take place as soon as sufficient quantity is got out ; but, up to the present time, it has not been thought desirable, as. the lode was very narrow. Two shifts of men are employed sinking the winze, and when it is completed a drive will be put in 'from the Clarks Hill tunnel to meet it. By that time the ground between the two level's i will be- partially prospected, and, if payable, ! crushing operations will be prosecuted - vigorously. At present the Company Tiave not a large quantity of stone ready for the mill, the whole of their energies having been employed in prospecting and placing the mine in thorough working order. A tramway is already laid from the line of reef in the lower level to the battery, co that when onco they commence breaking out stone no further delay need take place. One of our principal reasons for entering .on this subject was to dispel the prevaling opinion that the hopes of the Company were blasted, and that fhey were, as the miners term it, worked, out. ~lf old Victorians look back on the early days of quartz reefing in that colony, and compare the results with those of the Gabriels Co., we image they will admit that the claim shows far more favorable indications than many of the now. dividend paying claims in Victoria did some few years ago, after thousands of pounds had been spent in endeavoring to develop .their resources. We therefore desire to see this line of reef thoroughly prospected before an unfavorable opinion of its gold-producing propertiesjtakes root in the district. If snen an opinion were allowed to prevail, it would greatly retard prospecting in other district*