MINING ITEMS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1199, 4 August 1874, Page 4

MINING ITEMS.

[iA'ELL AIICIUS.] Maruia. —A third dividend (of £7i« per 2000 shares) is now payable. Since tho date of the first dividend, January 2nd, IS7-I<, there has boon no call, while £7-111 5s -Id represents tho amount that has been divided between the fourteen shareholders. In other words the mine has paid the whole of tho working expenses, and during six months has divided very nearly £BOOO. The result of the crushing of 102 tons of stone just concluded, is 552 ounces 9d\vts of smelted gold—about 3k>zs per ton. United Excelsior and Alpine.— The new low-level tunnel will be soon started on the old Excelsior ground, to test tho quality of the main reef, and for tho present this will bo tho only work to be proceeded with.

Monte Ciiristo. Since tho discovery of the rich stone last week, efforts have been chiefly devoted to further testing its value. The bad state of the air has been such as to almost prevent work at that particular place. This arises from the nature of the country. The tunnel itself is 071 ft in length, the jump-up started at the extreme end of the tunnel 65ft high, and the drivo is being put in from the top of the jump. Oriental. —The jump-up from the main tunnel to the leader is now finished. Tho leader presents much tho same appearance as heretofore, being thin, but containing line gold. The manager will start blocking out stone at once.

Lyell Cheek.—A leader about five inches thick has been met with in a jump-up driven from the end of the low-level tunnel. The leader is very well defined, but at present is not by any means rich. Break o' Day.— No. 4 level has been worked during the week, and the leader looks very well. Three shifts are now employed making preparations for blocking out. This block is 10ft high by 143 ft in length. Inside of this one there is another also 80ft high at the stoop, but harrowing towards the boundary (a consequence of the peculiar shape of the claim.) The distance from the stoop to the boundary is 170 ft or thereabouts. Throughout the whole of this distance the leader presents an average width of four inches and contains good gold. There is now about 140 tons of stone to grass, and Mr Jacobs expects to have about 200 tons in the paddock by the time Messrs Carroll and Cairns are ready for the stone. The various works at the mine are proceeding satisfactorily. Malonky and Party's Claim. — The steady .acquisition of good stone continues in readiness for crushing. During the past six months they have, without the aid of wages men, procured nearly 300 tons of quartz, and were to have the use of the machine from AVednesday last. Central.—The prospects of this claim are daily improving. The newly discovered Monte Christo leader is only 130 ft from the eastern boundary while the result of the surveys by Mr Woolley and Mr Wylde go to show that the Break o' Day leader runs through the ground, entering by the northern boundary. Calls are made in Lyell Quartz Companies as under : —Lyell Creole, one penny ; Oriental, one penny ; Long Drive, twopence ; William Tell, one peuu}'. All payable 12th August.