MINING SUMMARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 118, 16 May 1895, Page 2

MINING SUMMARY.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ■-■. ■ \ ■ Thames, this dliy. The past month has been a moat satisfactory one in connection with the mining industry, somo of tbe developments, being exceptionally important. This is particularly tho case in regard to the May Queen Company's mine, operations ab t}te recently opened-up low level, which ia the deepest on the Thames goldfield, having been attended wibh marked success, and, according to present prospects, tho outlook for the Company is* exceedingly satisfactory. The lasb crushing'of 216 loads of quartz produced bho excellenb yield of 38'20z of gold, bub thab. for bhe present month will certainly exceed 500oz. Quartz of splendid grade is coming to hand from the various workings, dabs of gold being frequently seen ab overy breaking down. Thero ia nothing of importance to chronicle regarding bhe Hazelbank mine, except thab ib is under offer for three months to a Glasgow syndicate, while the prospects of the Moanataiari Company are only fairly satisfactory. The Victoria, Norfolk, Alburnia, Occidental, City of Dunedin, and other mines do not pre'senb any imporbanb change, bub the prospects of the New Whau mine have considerably improved, strong dabs of gold having been freely seen in breaking down the reef in the rise. No new developments have taken place at Waiomo, where things are juab now somewhat quiet. The resulb of the treatment of tho Monowai I Company's ore has nob yet boon madepublic, bub in consequence of an opinion being prevalenb thab ib is liable to be unaabisfac-, tory, shares havo dropped to sellers 3s 6d. The other mines in tho Waiomo districb are pracbically neglected. Ab Tapu tho Sheridan and Royal Companies' mines are carrying on works with about the usual degree of | success, bub nobbing now has occurred in I tha Puriri districb, where a good deal of prospecting is being done. Things are flourishing ab Waihi, and bhe latest reports state thab the Waihi Company's mine is looking exceedingly well throughout, and j ib is almost certain that future returns of bullion will show a substantial increase. Excellenb headway is being made with works* in connection with the Waihi-Silverton Company's miue, while tho prospects of the Gladstone mine have materially improved, samples of ore jusb broken out from bhe reef having given an assay value equal to £10 por ton. Thero is nothing new to report regarding the various othor properties in Waihi district. At Karaogahnke, the Woodstock Company obtained £770 worth of bullion from 240 tons ore, but the noxt return is expected to bo much bottor. The Crown Company's mine manifests a marked improvement, and oro of splendid grade is now coming to hand. Thero is every likelihood of several of the properties in thia districb being amalgamated, and English capital introduced for their development upon a systematic s.cale. Tho assertion-has frequently been made by our mining experts that aa a result of tho general adoption of the cyanide process, especially in regard to ores of up-country districts, an unusually largo percentage of bullion contained in ores was being saved. The reports from those in charge of the reduction works have placed tiio valuo of bullion saved ab from 85 to 95 per cent, of assay valuo, but recent events provo that a mistake musb have been mado somewhere, and bhat an exceptionally largo porcentago ot gold contained in bho oro has been lost. A minor named H. Gordon recently secured a sluicing claim at a poinb in bho river whore tailings and refuse from Crown Goldmining Company's reduction works aro deposited, and in consequence of the excellent dish prospects ho obtained from the stuff, he decided to bring \ a parcoi of twelve ic-ns to tin: Th'itn -s lor j testing. This is now in course o; treat ment at tho Moanataiari battery by tho ordinary berdan process, nnd the results aie simply astonishing. Mr Gordon informs me thab ho is now treating by ordinary berdan process 12 tons of tailings which ho raised from tho bed of the Ohinemuri river, from which ho expoets a return of lOoz to the ton, valued at, about £2 10s per oz, or n total of about 120ozs of gold from the twelve tons of refuse Comment is unnecessary.