THE OHINEMURI GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 186, 6 August 1895, Page 2

THE OHINEMURI GOLDFIELDS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Thames, this day,

This parb of our auriferous-peninsula ia rapidly becoming one of bhe most important mining centres in the whole of the Australian colonies. Paeroa shows strong evidence of "substantial progress, as being the chief centre. Ib is only natural thab most progress should there bo noticeable. In order to furnish accommodation for bhe requirements'of the general public, Messrs Cassrell's and Bennett are erecting a large ball in place of the original public hall, in which to hold either public meetings, or concerts, etc. The building is a splendid structure, and lain informed bhab its seating capaciby; iaseb-down ab 600. The fronb parb of the;building-will be tenanted as places of .business, whilst bhe ~ upper storey will be • available" for offices, etc. The population';, of this town is increasing dailj, and, the, hotels. abd..pr'ivate lodging houses are/taxed bo; their übmos. capaciby. In consequence of the influx of population, ib is the intention of some-persons to erecb anobher targe boarding house in the vicinity of the Wesleyah Church.v New buildings are in the course of erection almosb in every direcbibh bhab you casb your eye—in fact, the town bears an air of permanent prdsperiby. The same remark applies to Karangahake and Waihi, the other two important centres of mining. As bhe main object of my visib to these districts is, however, to furnish reliable information as regards bhe developmenbs in the difierenb mines; I musb confine my remarks to the objecb of my tour.

GLADSTONE MINE (Waihi).

In a previous reporb upon this, property I gave a full explanation of the position occupied by this mine, and the various works that had been performed up to the time of my visit; Since then, Mr Holliß, the., Syndicate's energetic and courbeoUmanager, has opened up works which have every appearance of proving bo be of a highly remunerative character.: The drive upon, the No. 4 reef has been advanced eastward a distance of 45 feeb since my last visit two months ago, and the total length now opened up on this quartz body eastward of bhe crosscut is 65 feet. Ib will also be remembered bbab the drive was carried along the footwall of bho lode, and the greater parb of the reef was left Standing. In order to' ascertain the exact dimensions of bhe lode, Mr Hollis started the men to cub into the hangingwall, and since then the lode has been penetrated for a distance of nine feeb, and still bhere is no sign of the hangingwall. /The formation is compacb and well defined, and is composed of ribs of solid quartz separated byrubbly bands of the same matter, only thickly impregnated with silica and oxide of iron. The appearance of the lode is really;splendid, and it is certainly - worthy of further extensive development. Tb'wit. be recollected bbab this No. 4 lode did nob correspond with the large body opened up at. Us outcrop on the surface and that the presenb low level would have to be extended eastward a considerable distance to intersect whab will now be known aa tho No. 5 lode. Mr Hollis, I am pleased bo Bay, has adopted bhe same idea, - and: with' thab object in view, he has temporarily suspended the extension of the drive upon the No. 4 lode r -and removed the mento carry out the; further extension of the low level due east, and interseci) the N0.~5 lode. 1 Sofaira distance of 33ft has been driven from the hangingwall of the No. 5 reef, and anobher 15 or 20fb further driving ebould see bhis lode to hand. The country penetrated is of a very kindly description, and in the face of the crosscut numerous manganese seams and small veins are striking in the direction of 4 where the quartz body;should; be met .with. ; In addition bo these indications of the. .close proximity to an ore body, there is a good stream of water flowing; from the face. This alone is strong evidence that the level is approaching a formation of some kind. However, Ilookupon bhis No. 5 aa bhe richest lode bhab has so far been opened up in the property, and from assays baken from the winze sunk down ab bbc outcrop, the result has far exceeded expectations, yielding from £5 bo. £22 per ton. The ore which gave these handsome results was broken from the very centre of the lode, extending through a thickness of 2 feet of solid wavy silicuous quartz. The size Of .the lode at thiß Doint is fully four feeb in thickness, and is partly separated by a band of sandstone closely associated with the quartz portion of bhe lode. ,1 do hob for a momenb estimate bhe full thickness of the qttartz body at bhe above, but I ami prepared to say thab if the lode were shot oub from wall to wall, and : bhe ore passed through a stone breaker, the assay results would yield as high as £5 to £7 per ton. When this lode is intersected in the low level I would Strongly recommend the syndicate to put through a parcel ab bhe Thames School of Mines. The ore is of a, free milling class, and I am sure the cyanide process will be well adapted to its treatment. Since miy lasb inspection of the surface parb, bhe bop level has been cleaned out, but at present ib is nob the intention to extend the level,' simply because the extension of the low level will prospect all bhe country eastward of the NoB. A. and 5 lodes. It will therefore be seen that bhe works: under Mr Hollis' careful supervision are all in a very progressive sbabeand are almosb certain bo eventually prove of a profitable character. ;