C—2.

Golden Crescent Sluicing Co., Wetherstones. —An option had been granted to Industries Ltd. (Mr. G. W. Thomson, Superintendent), and active operations were carried on during the first six months of the year in' mining and treating cement for test purposes. The tunnel driven by the Golden Crescent Mining Co., with the aid of financial assistance from the Mines Department, was enlarged and securely timbered where necessary ; the tunnel track was relaid with heavier rails, the surface tramway track was relaid, strengthened, and extended to provide for a dump. An experimental crushing-plant, gold-saving tables and boxes, electrically-driven compressor haulage winch and Sirocco fan were erected, together with the necessary buildings for housing this plant. Air, water, and ventilation pipes were installed in the dip. A main tunnel was driven to the south for a distance of 130 ft., and from this tunnel uprises were driven to the west. This development work uncovered an area of 410 square yards of bottom, and yielded about 66 oz. of gold, giving a value of 3-2 dwt. per square yard. The results being considered satisfactory, a company, known as the Wetherstones Gold-mining Co., Ltd., has been formed to work this and the Golden Rise areas.by modern mining methods. During the latter part of the year a borehole was being drilled on the Wetherstones Flat to ascertain the depth of the schist-conglomerate contact m order to obtain data for the driving of the main inclined shaft and a knowledge of the values of the upper layers of cement. This borehole was completed during February, 1933, and was drilled to a depth of 412 ft., the schist bedrock being reached at a depth of 405 ft. The values for the upper layers of cement were low' being under 2d. per cubic yard, while the bottom 2 ft. averaged 3s. Bd. per cubic yard. The bottom few feet of the hole was in very crumbly rock; this, combined with the pebbles liberated from the cement, made it very difficult to clean up the bottom efficiently as the pebbles jammed in the Valve of the pump. On this account it is possible that the full value of the bottom 2 ft. was not recovered. The Golden Rise Claim, Wetherstones.—Work has been carried on during the year. The block of ground alongside the Lawrenoe-Waipori Road was worked out, and the plant was then dismantled and re-erected on the opposite side of the valley. The main pipe-line was extended and sluicing operations are now in progress The yield of gold amounted to 97 oz. 17 dwt., valued at £499 ss. 10d. Four men have been employed. Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Forsyth (R. Webb, Manager).—Work has been carried on continuously during the year. The mining reserve section, which had previously been worked, was finished and the sluicing and elevating operations are now being carried on in the freehold land alongside the Waitahuna-Lawrence Main Road Eight men have been employed. The yield of gold amounted to 633 oz., valued at £3,847. Total yield of gold since commencing work, 1,426 oz., valued at £7,378. The Sailor's Gully Sluicing Co., Waitahuna (A. W. Eaton, Manager).—Sluicing and elevating operations have been continued during the year in the cement deposit in the Waitahuna Gully. Seven men were employed The yield of gold amounted to 484 oz. 13 dwt., valued at £2,934 11s. Id. Total yield of gold since commencing work amounted to 13,624 oz. 15 dwt. 23 gr., valued at £55,197 Is. Bd. Tallaburn Sluicing Co., Horse Shoe Bend, above Beaumont (W. Meyer, Manager).—Sluicing and elevating operations have been carried on during the year for a yield of 85 oz. 6 dwt. 7 gr., valued at £441 11s. 4d. Tuapeka (including Lawrence, Waitahuna, Waipori, Tuapeka Mouth, Beaumont, Roxburgh, Table Hill and Tokomairoro, and Pomahaka and Kaka Point) .—Two hundred and sixty miners and prospectors won' gold amounting to 1,060 oz. 10 dwt. 8 gr., valued at £5,893 11s. 4d. The largest producers were J. A. Chisholm (Section 8, Block 8, Teviot Survey District), with 84 oz. 16 dwt. 2 gr., valued at £494 • H M Quilter (SAC 263, Waitahuna), with 59 oz. 4 dwt., valued at £364 16s. sd. ; and A. and R. Brown (Tuapeka Mouth) with 67 oz. 5 dwt. 6 gr., valued at £393 17s. 2d. Lake County. Glenorchy Gold and Scheelite Mining Co., Ltd., Mount Judah, Glenorchy. —On account of the prevailing low price of scheelite no productive work has been carried out at this mine. Big Beach Gold-mining Co., Shotover River, below Arthur's Point, Queenstown (J. M.cMullan. Manager)— Sluicing operations have been carried on with a reduced staff, five men being employed. The gold won amounted to 146 oz 4 dwt., valued at £845 Bs. 4d. The total yield of gold since starting operations is 2,814 oz. 13 dwt valued at £11,479 7s. Id. , Moonlight Mining Syndicate, Moonlight Creek, Queenstown (— Soper, Manager),—Sluicing operations have been carried on vigorously. The gold won amounted to 584 oz. 17 dwt. 4gr., valued at £3 168 18s 3d The total yield of gold since commencing work is 1,697 oz. 5 dwt. 16 gr., valued at £7,671 14s. Bd. The New Skippers Sluicing Co., Skippers (E. Sainsbury, Manager).—Sluicing operations have been carried on in an area which was driven out in the early days. The gold won amounted to 42 oz. 18 dwt., valued at £247 Bs. Id. A. E. Smith and Party, Maori Point, Skippers.— Vigorous sluicing and elevating operations were carried on during the year on the beaches of the Shotover River at Maori Point. The low-river period, coupled with the mild winter season, assisted the operations of this party. The gold won amounted to 823 oz. 0 dwt. 6 gr., valued at £5,294 14s. 10d. Hope, Oxenbridge, and Party (operating in the Shotover River below its junction with the Moke Creek) —Work has been carried on whenever river conditions were suitable by wing dam and elevating. Attempts have also been made to work the lead by sinking and driving. The low river period during the winter months assisted this partv The gold won amounted to 122 oz. 19 dwt. 19 gr., valued at £690 2s. Bd. Alley Bros.— Mining operations have been carried on in the special river claim, Shotover River, about two miles above the junction of the Shotover and Moke Creek. The gold won amounted to 31 oz. 18 dwt 17 gr valued at £196 11s. 9d. B '' P. T. Lynch and Party (P. T. Lynch, Manager).—Mining operations have been carried on in the Upper Shotover above the Sandhills. The gold won amounted to 193 oz. 4 dwt. 15 gr., valued at £1,094 6s. Bd. James E. Smith and Partners.— This party has been working in the old bed of the Arrow River at the bend near Scales Tunnel. The gold won amounted to 51 oz. 1 dwt. ] gr., valued at £318 12s. Id. J A Wilson, J Thornton, and Partner (Buckleburn Creek, Glenorchy).—Sluicing operations have been carried on steadily. The gold won amounted to 62 oz. 16 dwt. 11 gr., valued at £365 13s. 7d. Macetown, Shotover, Glenorchy, Skippers, Arrow River, and Rees Biver.— One hundred and two men have been employed prospecting, cradling, sluicing, and elevating for a return of 292 oz. 12 dwt. 9 gr., valued at £1 462 18s 5d The largest producer was John Walsh, McChesney Creek, Arthur's Point, with 49 oz. 2 dwt., valued at £250 9s. 3d! frystal Mine, at Head of Sawyer's Gully, Skippers (J. R. Tripp, Manager).—Work has been continued and the 1 nil o 1 n S P ros P eoted b y benching and driving. Thirty tons of quartz yielded a return of 15 oz. 6 dwt. 1 gr., valued Bit xy7 OS. od. Considerable prospecting work has been done by the Shotover Reefs Development Co., Ltd., at Ballarat Creek and bainsbury Creek m the Skippers district. Several hundred feet of driving and crosscutting has been carried out on the reeling system in these areas. Work is being continued. Vincent County. Symes Reef, Old Man or Obelisk Range, Fruitlands, Alexandra (G. Carson, Manager).—The Otago Mining Development Co. took an option over this area and drove a low-level adit for a distance of 725 ft The country driven through was very broken and heavy, and the results obtained proved that payable stone does not live down to the horizon or this adit.

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