MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1860, 17 September 1874, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Nonpareil.—A crushing for the Nonpareil has taken place at the Prince Alfred, and the result, although the average is only moderate, has fully met expectations. The greater portion of the stuff has been in the paddock for a long while from old workings, but there was a portion from the winze on the No. 1 reef near the slide, and some from the winze on No. 2 reef. The whole of the stuff in the paddock was not crushed. There wore only 40 tons put through the mill, and from this parcel a yield of'3oozs 4dwts melted gold was the result obtained. The new .manager since he took charge has not broken out much stuff. He has been enlarging and timbering tho winzes and otherwise getting the mine into a better state of working ordor before proceeding to open up the reefs for permanent workings.

Bed Whiie and Blue Tribute.—A small crushing of 15 tons of stone was completed yesterday for Brown's tribute of JNo. 2 section of this mine. The result was 9ozs 9dwts 12grs melted gold. Golden Calf,—Thero are now two .drives progressing at the deep level of ;the Golden Calf shaft, one of whioh is I •:•■ ■• ■•■■•' -.-.:■ " ;• ■ .

being driven to intersect the lode recently cut through in the shaft and the Jusfc-in-Time reef. The other is to intersect the old Golden Calf reef. The latter has only been started, but the former is in about 20 feet. There is some quartz showing in the .face, and a few stringers have been cut through, but neither of the lodes to intersect which the drive is entered has yet been reached. The driving is through moderately good country in both faces, and from a calculation which has been made it is estimated that the lode cut through in the shaft is not now far ahead. This, it will be recollected, was not what could be considered a well-defined lode. It was rather a bunch of stringers which lay between two fairly defined walls, but the stone taken from it showed good rich gold, and it is expected that when traced beyond the influence of the disturbance which has broken it up at the point of intersection it will be found to bo a well-defined auriferous lode which in all probability will pay well for working. So far the operations of the mine,-in-cluding the sinking of the shaft in the face of a heavy inflow of water, have been carried out in a most satisfactory manner by the manager, Mr G. Thorns.

. Old Witatj.—Gold has been struck in the Old Wnau mine in the new winze which is being sunk from the upper level to meet the rise from the adit level. The show so far is not a heavy one, but it is nevertheless satisfactory that gold is visible in tin's portion of the workings, the only part of the lower block in which quartz is being broken down at all. The rise, it will be recollected, is being carried up on the ; foot-wall, and the whole of the reef is left standing on the hanging-wall. This is for the double purpose of expediting the work at present and to facilitate timbering afterwards. Besides the reef is wet and considerably harder than the wall, so that considerable difficulty 'and inconve-' nienceis avoided by the course which has been adopted. But the winze is on the reef, which here is a fine large and compact body of stone. It will take about three weeks' work to effect commuuioation between the two, but when this is completed it will effectually open up a very large block on the reef's with backs for stoping nearly 100 feet in height. The new. rise and winze will open up the most important section of the mine to much better advantage than ever could be done from the. old winze, no matter how much money might be expended on the latter, as it is not only inconvenient as an outlet; but is unsuitably situated. Besides, there was •in it only one pass, which had to be.used for quartz' and mullock, and we have reason to believe that very often quartz which if properly treated would yield a handsome profit, has had its value so much deteriorated by mixture with worthless mullock thrown down the pass by the workmen, that it has been crushed at an actual loss to the company, The .new .winze will be provided with two passes, one for quartz and the other for mullock, so that no such inconvenience and loss will in future arise, and in the middle, between the two, there will be a ladder way.. At the bottom of each pass there will be a hopper capable of holding large quantities of stuff. Altogether, this new winze will afford greater facilities for working the mine than ever the mine possessed before, especially as it will be quite close to the junction of the two reefs and close up to the strike of the shot of gold. : . ,' ' Otago.—The management of this mine has been handed over to Captain .Richards, manager of the 'Caledonian, and as it is .being now worked through.the Caledonian level and shaft, he will be in a position to bestow the requisite care and attention on its operations without interfering with his other duties. The drive on the course ■of the reef has reached and passed the slide, which is the recognised boundary of the shot of gold worked previously in the. upper level of the claim, under Mr Mitchell's and Mr O'Brien's management. The drive.has been extended; 10 feet past this.slide, and is still being continued, in order to reach the line of the winze. The latter will be aunk to connect with the level thus opening up that portion of the reef which is of greatest value. What further operations may be started we are not at present aware, but we believe the intention is to work the mine vigorously so as to obtain profitable results if the lode proves payable. Under the present circumstances, the claim can be worked with greater economy and system than could be done when the only outlet for quartz was through the company's own shaft, where it had to be raised by a horse whim.

CaIiEDONHN.—The only new feature to report in connection with this claim is that the new reef which is now being driven on in both directions—north and south—is not quite so large in either faces, as it was at the point where it was first intersected in the- cross-cut, otherwise its quality is unchanged. Atrial crushing from this reef is, we understand, to be'treated at the Prince Alfred battery this week.