OUR GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 270, 15 November 1898, Page 2

OUR GOLDFIELDS.

MAY QUEEN. The boiler at the Queen of May section has been placed in position.

WAIHI.

In order that the Victoria mill of the Waihi Company at Waikino may be kept running full time during the dry .season auxiliary steam power ia now being added capable of driving 50 stampers.

BUNKER'S HILL.

Shares in this company advanced in price at the last call yesterday owing to the effect that a telegram was received from the manager stating that he had secured another five pounds of specimens from the leader in the low level.

NEW GOLCONDA

The cross leader is looking very well indeed, and the manager is surprised he has not come upon something good before this. If the manager does, not meet with better results in a few days he will rise where he saw the gold.

TOKATEA CONSOLS

The manager reports having crushed 4 tons of general dirt for a return of 21oz 15dwts of bullion, valued at £62.

NEW FOUR-IN-HAND.

The battery excavation, contract is completed. The road to the batterysite is expected to be finished in the course of a few days, when the material for the battery will be placed on the ground. The erection of the battery will then be proceeded with at once.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS

ALPHA

For the past week 20 feet has been driven on reef at No. 5 level. The lode has maintained its size and/ the ore is of good quality. The contract let at the beginning of week for driving 100 feet on the reef was commenced on Weduesday, and the contractors are making good progress. No. C level has been extended 17 feet. There has been but, little improvement in the reef since last report, but as the reef is larger at the roof than on floor of drive there is every appearance of it being better when the leading stope is taken along.

KAISER

The contractors are making good headway with the extension of the low level and have attained a distance of 24 feet. Paull's reef, upon which driving-is proceeding, averages 4 feet in thickness, is a splendid body of quartz, and carries most favourable minerals. Gold is still seen in the dish by pounding. In Paull's drive, where work is being carried on by wages, solid ground has come in. This is a vast improvement on the country that has been penetrated lately as for some time past the ground has been very soft and required a deal of timbering, thus hindering the work of driving to some extent. The manager will now be enabled to proceed with driving more vigorously. The reef in this drive is one foot in thickness and is composed of quartz stringers and rubble. Mr Martin intends driving a few feet on the small stringer cut on the right sirle of the drive nt a distance of 160 feet last week for the purpose of ascertaining if any quartz exists and if it is worth while following up.