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SOUTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (T. McMillan, Inspector of Mines). Quartz and Alluvial Mining. Waitaki County. Maerewhenua Ooldfields Development Co., Ltd., Golden Gutty, Livingstone, (A. Adams, Manager).—The tribute arrangement has been continued during the year, and mining operations have been carried on whenever water has been available. Work has been carried out in Blacksmiths Gully, and also in the main or Golden Gully. The tunnel tail-race is functioning satisfactorily. Six men have been employed when water has been available. Mining House Concessions, Ltd., has been operating at Maerewhenua under the management of R. Webb, mine foreman. As the area previously worked by Fenning and party was becoming exhausted, another area has been prospected. Three men have been employed. The small alluvial mines in the Maerewhenua mining field have been operated whenever water has been available. Diggers Gully, Kurow. —Very little work has been carried out during the year. A total of eighteen men (inclusive of the companies) has been employed in the Waitaki County during the year, winning 330 oz. 1 dwt. 9 gr., valued at £2,509 6s. Bd. Waihemo County. Macraes Flat Gold and Scheelite Co., Ltd., Golden Point Mine, Deep Dell, Macraes (H. P. Lewis, Superintendent, and seven men employed).—Mining and crushing operations have been carried out during the year. Ore has been mined from the home and dip-reef sections of the mine above the low-level tunnel. There were 922 tons of ore treated during the year, yielding 447 oz. 15 dwt. 7 gr. of gold, valued at £2,743 Bs. 7d. Cattery and Bradbrook, Bound Hill Mine, alongside the Macraes - Golden Point Road. Prospecting-work has been carried out in the western and northern portions of the lease. A considerable amount of driving and sinking has been done and 655 tons of ore have been treated at the treatment plant in Deep Dell. Four men have been employed. Galli's Gold-mining Co. (J. Phelan, Mine-manager).—Two men have been employed throughout the year. Driving and stoping have been carried out on and above the 70 ft. level. There were 78 tons of ore crushed at the treatment plant, situated in Tipperary Gully near the Macraes-Dunback Main Road. Macraes Gold-mining Co. (J. McKenzie, Manager). —Twelve men have been employed during the year. The two gravel-pumping plants have been operating steadily, and 153,100 cubic yards of auriferous gravels have been treated for return of 1,420 oz. 0 dwt. 14 gr. of gold, valued at £10,441 10s. 4d. The Macraeburn Mining Co. has been formed during the year to take over on the upper section of the Macraes Flat. Prospecting-work has been carried out on this area. A total of sixteen men (inclusive of the companies) has been employed in the alluvial mines in the Waihemo County during the year, winning 1,439 oz. 5 dwt. 7 gr., valued at £10,579 2s. 9d. Maniototo County. Earl and Brown Mining Party, Ophir (S. Earl, Manager). —Two men have been employed during the year, and an intermediate and a low-level tunnel have been driven. There were 78 tons of ore treated at the treatment plant during the year. Kildare Consolidated Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (W. J. Wade, Manager).—Sluicing operations in quartz gravels have been carried on steadily during the year in Redmiles Gully, near St. Bathans. Seven men were employed, and the gold won amounted to 206 oz. 2 dwt. 6gr., valued at £1,537 lis. 3d. Vinegar Hill Sluicing Co., Vinegar Hill, near Cambrians (T. E. Morgan, Manager).—This company reconditioned the water-races, installed the necessary pipe-lines, cleaned out and reconditioned the main tail-race, erected sluice-boxes, stripped an area of heavy overburden, and resumed active mining operations at the old Vinegar Hill Alluvial Mine. Six men were employed. Patearoa Hydraulic Sluicing Co., Patearoa (E. Carr, Manager).—Work was carried on steadily when water was available. The various privately-owned alluvial mines in the Cambrians, Vinegar Hill, Kyeburn, and Patearoa and Naseby Districts have worked steadily during the year when water has been available. There were eighty-five men employed (inclusive of the companies) in the Maniototo County during the year, winning 1,635 oz. 7 dwt. 7 gr., valued at £.12,035 6s. 6d. Tuapeka County. New Gabriels Gully Sluicing Co., Ltd. (D. Boyes, Manager).—Sluicing and elevating operations have been carried out in the remaining portion of the hard cement on the western side at the head of Gabriels Gully. Drought conditions prevailed during the first seven months of the year, and much sluicing-time was lost through shortage of water. The cement has also been very hard. The gold won amounted to 194 oz. 12 dwt. 14 gr., valued at £1,463. Seven men were employed. B. S. Thompson, Wetherstones (I. D. Walker, Manager). —Sluicing and elevating on the Wetherstones Flat, near Wetherstones Road line, have been carried on steadily whenever water has been available. There were five men employed. Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (J. Homer, Manager).—Sluicing and elevating operations have been carried on in the south-west corner of the Waitahuna Township, and the amount of gold won was 401 oz., valued at £2,988. There were seven men employed. Sailors Gully Sluicing Co., Ltd., Waitahuna Gully (J. Hore, Manager).—Sluicing and elevating operations were carried on from the beginning of May until the end of the year in the cemented conglomerates. Mining operations could not be carried on during the first four months on account of the very dry season and the consequent shortage of water. Approximately three-quarters of an acre of conglomerate, with an average depth of 55 ft., was treated during the working-period. This section of the cement deposit was harder and more difficult to work than usual. The gold won amounted to 135 oz. 7 dwt., valued at £1,067. There were six men employed. Tuapeka Mouth Sluicing Co., Ltd. (J. Cartwright, Manager).—On account of the shortage of water in the Tuapeka District the low-pressure turbine, used for supplying pressure water, could operate only for about three months during the year. Two men were employed during the working-period, and the gold won amounted to 120 oz. 2 dwt. 2 gr., valued at £974 4s. 9d. The Fifty-five Gold Mine, Tuapeka Mouth (C. Taylor, Manager).—Sluicing and gravel-pumping operations were carried on during the year. The deposit proved to be very difficult to handle on account of the large percentage of heavy boulders encountered in the opening-out paddocks. Suction-gas engines are in use for operating the Gwynne pressure-pump and generating electric power for the Thompson gravel-pump. There wero eight men employed during the year. Fruidburn Sluicing Co.—Very little work was done on this area during the year.

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