MINING NEWS.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 504, 17 January 1906, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

The Chicago is working steadily, but the ground remains poor. The Enterprise No. 1 has been overbau' ing for the past two weeks. The repairing is now completed, and dredging was resumed yesterday. The Molyneux Hydraulic resumed dredging on Monday last, everything working well. Besides strengthening the ladder other necessary repairs were effected, and the dredge is now in good working order. Mr F. M'Mahon, of Cromwell, who ha« (writes our own correspondent) been engaged in the dredging industry for a number of years, left last week for West Africa, where he has received an appointment with a dredging company. The Perseverance No 2 resumed dredging at the end of last week after undergoing a necessary overhaul. The No I is working into the bank and doing very well. She was recently dropped downstream, and is now engaged in taking up another cat inside the one previously worked. We learn that Mr H. Watson, who left here over two years ago under en-1 gagement to a company in WestAfrica, has relinquished his position as dredgemaster. He is at present in London, and proceeds to Terra del Fuego, whete he has been appointed manager of a company. Mr E, H. Watson, who was also in Africa, is now in the Home country supervising the erection of several dredges for his company in Africa. The Golden Beach resumed diedg* ing at the beginning of the week, .everything on board working satisfactorily. This dredge is now being driven by water power, the machinery and appliances for which were erected by Mr R. Stewart, of Waikaia, who is to be complimented on the successful manner in which the dredge is now working under the new method. It is estimated that fully £9OO a year will be saved by the adoption of the water power.

The hopes which a few of the more sanguine shareholders in the recently liquidated Unity Gold Dredging Company held ont of having a farther ran oat of their dredge after their original claim being proved worthless have been far from realised, for a scheme on hand to transfer the dredge and work a new < claim at Blacks Flat, Ophir, has completely fallen through. What was intended was to form a new company with a capital of £3,500, consisting of 3,500 shares of £1 each, of which 1,600 were to be actually offered to Unity shareholders. Ihe time has now expired for the receiving of applications for these shares, but of the 1,600 only 50 were applied for, consequently the scheme falls through. Should nothing else present itself the liquidator will realise on the assets—dredge, claim, etc.—and finally wind the company up. Although the results of the operations on the Bendigo goldtialds for the year 1905 are not as striking as those for 1902 and 1904, the figures for the term emphasise the flourishing condition of the industry. The year has been one of great activity in prospecting, and this fact explains the magnitude of the sum expended in calls (£175,281). New mines have been started on the northern and southern limits of the field, old mines in the main line of reef have been re-opened, and prominent companies whose names have disappeared from the dividend-list for the time being have been vigorously opening up new ground in search of fresh prosperity. The record for the year is:—Gold, 215,000oz; dividends, £230,009 12s 41; calls, £175.281- 4s 6J; surplus of dividends over calls, £54,728 7s lOd. In 1903 the dividends amounted to £322,415, leaving a net profit of £180,438; while in 1904 the records were:—Dividends, £367 896; calls, £168.094; profit, £199,802.

NEVIS. (Own Correspondent.) The weather has been very changeable since the New Year, and during the past week we have experienced two or three nights of sharp frost, the evenings in consequence being somewhat colder. On the Lower Nevis all the sluicing and dredging claims are now working. The Crewe No 1 resumed dredging on Friday last after undergoing an overhaul, and she should now have an unbroken run. The Ngapara No 2 is working steadily, and report says is winning fair returns. The No 3 is still idle, and it is doubtful whether she will start again. The New Era keeps plodding along, and I understand this party is doing very well; - On the Upper Nevis all the claims are hard at it, and thiogs are veiy brisk in the sluicing line. The only dredge in these parts— Crewe No I—has had an unsuccessful

run up till the present time, but rumour hath it that good ground was struck last week carrying splendid pro* speets. No doubt the report is correct, and everyone on the Nevis is pleased to hear of this good news, as the com* pany has displayed great energy and perseverance in working this claim. The wash I hear is very good, and it is to be hoped that the good prospects will continue for some time to come. Of the sluicing claims, O'Oonnell and party have been unable to bottom in Wnitton'B Creek, having been down over 32 feet. They are now busy shift ing the plant nearer to the hill. Macdonald and party have struck shallow ground in their claim, and I believe it is very good. Milne and party still keep pegging away into the old hill, and are doing well. The Chinamen are also working

steadily in their claim, and seem quite happy. I understand thoy have every reason to be, as the ground is paying splendidly. Altogether the hydraulic sluicing claims in these parts keep yielding a good quantity of the much soughtafter metal, and if the Orewe No 1 on the Upper Nevis is successful in winning good returns in future there is every reason to expect that more ground will be taken up in the immediate vicinity for dredging.

DREDGING IN SOUTH AMERICA.

As many of our dtedgemasters and dredgemen have gone to South America, and strong inducements are held out to others from time to time to enter into engagements for subtropical countries, the following extract from a letter written by Mr F. F. Sharpless, of Westbury Station, New York, to the ' Engineering and Mining Journal,' will be of interest:—" If located in the low countries, the miner will be more sure of his fever than he will be of his salary. Of the various quartz-mines that I have visited in South America, not half-a-dozen have been in unhealthful climates, and of such as were badly located all could have had their dwellings conveniently placed over the ! danger-line. The quartz-miner will not be troubled by sickness as much as the gravel-miner. The gravels of a number of the topical rivers have been worked for years, and many of them are still being profitably washed ; but it is in the working of these rivers, on their banks and bars, that the white men have sickened and died, or left the country. Several of the rivers have sand and gravel of an ideal character for dredging. On these rivers the matter of transportation will be of less moment than that of keeping the staff in working order, These rivers are attractive, and it will not be long before foreign capital will begin to be interested, as has been the case in the more healthy country to the south. Whether it is possible to live in malarial districts and avoid the fever entirely, the writer is unable to say, but it is certain that much of it is due to pure carelessness. Those who are intending to operate dredges or to work placers by other means, in or near the tropics, should bear in mind the climate; they must prepare for it and guard against its evil effects if they do not wish to be disappointed in South American mining ventures."

DREDGING RETURNS

oz dwt gr Golden Bed, Millers Flat 93 I 0 Golden Kun. Millers Flat 90 0 0 Waikaka United No 1, Waikaka 68 1 0 Perseverance No. 1, Alexandra ... 63 0 0 Sandy Point, Alexandra (130hrs) 50 7 0 Upper Clutha 46 5 0 Waimumu Queen, Gore 41 8 0 Alexandra Eureka Alexandra ... 40 1 0 MolyneuxEobinoor, Roxburgh... 34 9 0 New Roxburgh Jubilee 32 13 12 Golden Gate, Miller's Flat ., 3 J 13 0 Punt, Clutha River 29 2 0 Royal Waimumu, near Gore 28 15 0 Alexandra Lead, Alexandra 26 15 0 Waikaka United No 2, Waikaka 25 15 0 Hessey's Waikaia .„ 23 13 0 Waikaka Queen Waikaka (107brs) 23 3 0 Ettrick, Roxburgh 22 3 0 .Vaikaia, Waikaia 21 17 0 Garden Gully, Waikaka 21 4 0 Central Charlton, near Gore 19 12 0 Mystery Flat, Waikaia 18 5 0 Waikaka, vVaikaka 17 17 0 Majestic, Millers Flat 17 7 0 Rise and Shine No.*2, Cromwell 15 14 0 Golden Treasure, Miller's Flat ... 15 0 0 Junction Electric No. 3, Cromwell 12 13 0 Chicago, Alexandra (194hrs) 11 9 0 Charlton Creek, Gore (5days)... 11 0 0 Total 950 2 12