[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1338, 27 January 1881, Page 2

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

The rumour which I forwarded to you in my last, stating that the crushing of four "ton's of stone from the Prosperity claim, yielded at the rate of one ounce and sixteen dwts to the ton,has since been contradicted, and it is stated by the shareholders thiit the|Jcruehing turned out so bad, that they do not care to state the actual returns. They aie. however, pushing on work vigorously in the mine, and intend to put iv a new drive to test the reef at a lower level. The report ,of the poorness of the return from this crushing, has made a somewhat depressing effect upon tho field, and several men have cleared out in consequence. I must warn your readers not to place any reliauce upon reports as to the poorness of the ground from men who have left the field at this early stage of its development. A large number of men have been here who have had no experience whatever in quartz reefing, some of whom entertained tho most absurd expectations, but when they found that capital, hard work and experience were required to test the grouud, their hearts failed them, and they left disappointed riien, aud of course denounced the field. A considerable number of men also took up ground in the hope that thoi^ neighbours would strike something good, which would enable them to sell their share-). These men never worked their claim beyond fossicking and scratching on the surfn.ee : they were content to await the development of the Field by the enterprise and energy of others. The->e were the men who weie the authors of all the false reports about extraordinary finds and other rumours, which have done much to retard the progress of the field by causing a want of confidence to be felt in any information, howeve- true which comes ficm the district. These men's patience is now exhausted, and they have loft the field in considerable numbers. In nonmiinng communities, then' return with the bad accounts they circulate have a tendency to pre\ent capital from being expended on the field, and also deters others from coming. In mining communities this kind ol men is well known, and no attention is paid to them, and the fact that none of the really pi actical men are lea\ mg.bularesteadily engaged in opening out their mines, expressing thorough confidence m the future of the place, should be a sufficient reason to your Waikato readers not to 2>lace any dependence upon false reports, but to steadily hold to their interests till such time as the Battery is erected, when they will be able to form a fanly correct idea of the value of the ground. The following tenders have been received by the Piovmeial Directors for the erection of the Battery, but a decision has been deferred pending the arrival of applications for shares from the Waikato and Auckland agents, and thooo persons who are really interested in our success should lose no time m taking up shares if they liave not .already done so :—: — Price Bros. : eleven head stampers, with concrete foundation, £986 ; ten head st unpeis, without concrclo foundation, ■CSS6. (Jh u lea Tonge, £115)7 ; Judd, nine head stainpeis, £o"30 ; (this tender was informal.) The following new claims have been begged out .—. — ''Ellou Vannin ;" three men's ground' adjoining tin* " Who'd have thought it." J. G. Blake and party. "Joker;" six men's grouud, north of "Morning StcU.'' James Oainck and paity. "Overland lloute ;" (late "Gem") four men's ground, bounded south by "Golden Anchor." "Cumberland," four men's ground, adjoining " Overland Route." Scott and pai ty. January 20th.