MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1792, 18 April 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Tookey—The manager of this mine has continued further operations upon the hanging-wall leader from which the recent crushings were taken by rising on it. A parcel of 18 tons of the stone taken out has been forwarded to the Prince Alfred battery, where it is now being crushed. The return is not likely to prove a very rich one, but will at all events be better than that obtained from the last crushing. United. Pomping AssoouTioN.-The new reef met with in the drive towards the Albion shaft has been cut through, and'sliows a thickness of 18 inches of hard solid quartz of a by no means bad description, and heavily' charged with mundic, but it does uot show any gold. At present active, preparations are being made for connecting the new. plunger lifts. It will take some time to complete this work, as very great difficulty has been experienced in procuring the massive long timbers necessary for the pump rods. Meanwhile the driving at the 400-feet level, is progressing as usual, but there has nothing of importance transpired recently ".beyond the cutting of the leader already alluded to. , , . • , Central ItXl'y.—The, prospects of the mine continue satisfactory so far as they, can be made so by a good general show of gold in the mine. In the main reef, at and below the No. 3 level, there is a fair general show of gold in each shaft, and the, now flat leader found in the bottom level is turning out well in stoping. Gold shows through the stuff pretty freely, and occasional patches of good specimens are met. with like those which came to hand yesterday forenoon, onsisting of a good parcel weighing about 151bs. There is already a large amount of stone in paddock; and crushing will probably be commenced next week, or as soon afcer as a battery can be procured. . Exchange.—ln the drive towards the Bright Sinile boundary,' at the 190-feet level, and at a distance of 160 feet from the main shaft, a reef was intersected yesterday, in the Exchange mine,. but beyond the fact that the reef is 18 inches thick, and of a nice description of quartz, nothing is yet definitely known regarding this discovery. It is, however, supposed to be the cross-reef, of the City of don, but whether it will, after .all, (prove to be this can only be judged when it.is further opened' out on. The lode has been intersected close to the boundary, but it evidently .strikes back through a very large extent of the Exchange mine. The country surrounding the lode is of a good quality and easily' worked; and although gold has not been visible in the reef at the point of intersection, it is more than probable that it will, prove auriferous -at least, it contains promising indications. A survey is to be 1 made to-day, for the purpose of testing the exact locality of tho lode, also its strike and underlie. Old Whao.-Tlio rich show in the Old Whau mine was as prominent as ever. We have little to add to our report in yesterday's issue beyond the fact that yesterday a fine lot of rich picked stuff equal to about 7001b3 weight came to hand from the main reef in the block towards the Alburnia boundary, and a fine sample of rich specimens weighing lOlbs came to hand from the right-hand branch leader. The show of gold through the mine was in every respect very rich. CoLißiN,—ln this mine it was found necessary yesterday to break down a portion of the lode above the spot where the slip occurred on the previous' day, from which the rich specimens alluded to in yesterday's issue were taken, and the show of gold, was quito as rich as could be expected. The reef is over 3 feet in width, and basides the specimens which l it contains, .there is a good general show of gold through it, and it appears to be just such stuff as would yield handsome returns. Operations on the lode will be fairly commenced on Monday next, and in the course of a few days there will be sufficient stone in paddock to start crushing. Red White and Blue.—A crushing for Laphem and party, No. 2 tribulers of the Eed White and Blue mine, was completed yesterday at the Prince Alfred battery, after 54 tons had been put through. The yield was a payable one,; amounting to 34ozs Bdwts gold. Cbown Pbincb.—Gold was Bfcruck yesterday in the No. 3 reef of the i rowni Prince, where the manager has just; started driving.seaward in order to connect with the new main shaft, for the purpose of procuring ventilation.. There, wereno specimens found, but a good general show of gold through the lode, which is about 7 to 8 inches thick. The country surrounding it is remarkably good,' and there is every reason to believe that the lode will increase in size when it is further, opened. This lode, we may rem irk, hasj been very little prospected. When it was first cut through in the cross-cut drive it was about a foot thick and very' mullocky, and the other two lodes being larger and more promising were worked on principally. The present lode is, however, likely to prove of considerable importance. In the main work of the mine, the sinking of the new shaft splendid; progress is being made, and up to last night it was down a total depth of 89 feet, a depth which has been reap led in rather less than 4 weeks, The country is remarkably .good,' but the contractors deserve every credit for the manner in which they have, pushed the work ahead. Bright Smils..— There 'will be a cleaning up and retorting far the Brigfit Smile Company to-day at the Imperial Crown battery, after a month's crushing with 20 bead of-stampers, but it is not expected that the yield will -be-more than about 5500z5. - The firstportion'of the crushing, which was exclusively from the "stopes of the No. 1 reef above the present main level, was poor, but latterly it has been supplemented by stuff from ; the'winzes which are being sunk on the several lodes, and in consequence there has been .a great improvement in the quantity of amalgam produced daily.,' On Monday next the company's own mill will be started to work, but the force at the Imperial Crown battery will aho be kept employed, or at most there will not bo a reduction of more than 5 head. Tho progress nude with the sinking of the main shuft an'd winzes is remarkably good. . ' New Caledonia Thibejib.—A large specimen broken into pieces was exhibited _ at the Corner yesterday morning by a gentleman who was taking it to the New Caledonia 'ompany's office, and it attracted a good deal of attention on account of its size and richness. It formed part of a specimen crushing which was then going on at vSpencorand Hall's battery for McDougal and party, tributers.of tho Saw Caledonia Company, whoso claim is situated on the Waiotahi Creek.. It is part of the mine ■ formerly know as the Digget'3' Friend. These ttfbuters during fclw last ge vea

months have performed a largo amount of dead-work, and during-that time have had only one crushing, the specimen crushing yesterday being their second. They had in all about 1601bs of stone, some of which was very rich, but there was a large proportion of it of inferior quality. Tho return is not yet to hand. We may add that they have a considerable quantity of general crushing stuff taken out of the same leader, which is expected to pay handsomely. The lode is only about 6 inches thick. Their operations are cramped by a; want of ready transit to the batteries. A short time ago a deputation waited on tho Superintendent, requesting the extension of the Waiotahi tramway to this mine, but- although a favourable answer was. given nothing has yet been done in the matter. i T nder existing circumstances these tributers have first, after getting their quartz out, to fill it into bags, and sledge it as far as the Golden Age Hotel, where it is loaded into the tramway trucks, and conveyed down the line, from the termihation'of which it has to be carted to some battery. Ibis, of, course l; entails a heavy # expense, and spoils the'profits of what 'would otherwise be a good payable crushing. There are, we are informed, 'numerous reefs in this locality which would yield from lOdwts upwards, which would pay well for working if there was a cheap and ready means of transit to the -mill's.