Mining News.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 697, 13 October 1909, Page 5

Mining News.

The Island Basin Dredging Company has been .successfully floated. .V certificate of abandonment was j granted to Berry and party over a right I for 10 heads of water from Hopes Creek, formerly held by the Mauorburu Sluicing j Company. The application was heard at Monday's sitting of the local court, and it is understood that Berry and party, ' who hold au area of 160 acres of alluvial ! ground on Galloway ridges, iutend float- j ing a small compauy with a view to I working the property. The same party j also holds rights for 10 heads of water | from Hopes and Mt. Campbell Creeks. The Manorburn Sluiciug Compauy lias ; commenced operations on one of its claims on the Galloway ridges. Ground ; sluicing is being carried on with water j procured from the Government race. [ We understand that the compauy has j purchased a plant for hydraulicing a gully on its other claim. j Word was received in Alexandra j 3'esterday by wire reporting the flotation of the Karaunui Dredging Compauy, formed to acquire the rights of the. j Alexandra Lead dredge, claim aud | property. j The Sandy Point is now operating ou j a cut four chains in width, witli the j depth of ground averaging 32 feet. The j piddoi-k is fully opened out, and the [ bottom right across the cut is of a soft \ nature. Prospects remain about the same, aud the ground is expected to get better as the dredge works ahead. The manager of the antimony mine (Mr C. Killstoue) has, received word ! from the company instructing him to immediately proceed with the re-erection of the smelting chambers which were blown down some time ago by an explosion of gas. The manager intends effecting some necessary alterations to ■ the smelters, and when these are carried j out it is anticipated that little or no I difficulty will be experienced in the ! smelting of the ore. It has generally been recognised amongst miners that a quartz reef exists iu the neighborhood of Butchers Gully, but for unexplained reasons little or no prospecting work has been done to ascertain the payable nature of the ore. j About thirty years ago a shaft was put I down some 70 feet, about a mile ou the j Alexandra side of Butchers Gully hotel, ! but it was abandoned for some unac- j countable cause. A local party yesterday pegged off a prospecting area, in- I eluding the abandoued shaft, and it is their intention to clean out the old shaft aud proceed with the further development of the reef. Judging by the samples of stone taken out the outlook is very promising, aud if prospecting operations are as successful as anticipated the mine will be the means of adding considerable impetus to tie quartz mining industry j iu this district.

Good progress is being male with the development work in the Mt. Highlay mine at Hyde, in which several local investors are interested. A battery has just arrived at the mine, and its erection will immediately be proceeded with. Altogether ten iniuers are employed, and large quantities of ore are being taketi out. Gold aud scheelite exist in the niiue in payable quantities, aud a drive is now being put iu to crosscut the different lines of reef.

The Government Keystone borer is evidently going to be an expensive undertaking if any repetition of the present outlook takes place. The drill got down to some 110 feet near Bauuockburu, but all. attempts to withdraw the pipes hare so far prove! futile. The present jacks being unable to move the pipes, two 100-ton jacks have been requisitioned, and it is anticipated that these will bj successful when the uext attempt is made t) withdraw the pipes. When the cost of the extra jacks, together with the time lost through the machine lying idle, is considered it will be found that boring operations are much more expensive thau was at first expected.

DREDGING RETURNS. oz dwt. gi ttiseani Shine No 1. Cromwed 76 0 0 HUmg. Sua. Upper Cluthn 54 16 0 JtagoNo. 2 Aimers Flat 50 0 0 ioldea Bei, Millers Fiat 44 8 0 .Vaikaka United No 2. \VaiKam 35 15 0 4uddy Creek No 1, Waikaia .. 33 12 0 Vlasterton, Waikaia 32 0 0 Mew Roxburga J ubilee, Roxburgh 30 17 0 Mystery Flat, Waikaia 30 7 0 Muidy Creek No. 2, Waikaia .. 30 0 0 Sandv Point, Alexandra 28 7 12 iiopucai, Waikaia 28 2 0 ttiley's Revival, Clutha River ..., 28 0 o Oirig, Manuberikia . .. 26 4 0 tfolyneux HydrauLio, Alexandra 26 0 0 Waikaka United No 1 Waifcat ■ 20 1 0 Uolden Treasure, Miller's Fun.. 18 0 0 Vlauunerik.a Alexandra 17 0 0 Cine igo, Alexandra 13 7 12 Central Charlton, near Gore 11 14 <0 Waikaka Queen, Waikaka 10 15 0 Ocago No 1, Millers Fiat 10 0 0 Pant, Clutha River 9 U 0 Enterprise, Alexandra 9 l 0 Golden Gem, near Millers Flat .. 7 11 0 Waikaia, Waikaia 6 18 0 South Waikaia, Waikaia 6 11 0 Total 692 19 0