MARATOTO DISTRICT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 278, 24 November 1898, Page 7

MARATOTO DISTRICT.

' The inauguration of a schem.e of operations in this district by the iylaratpto Q-M, Co., involving- the imniediate erecti<*ji/:ci| a ten stamper battery has created r$T newed interest in Jlaratbtoi. The Mara.. toto field was discovered in I§§7 by % prospector ' named' Mcßrinn, wb,q §<%$ out his claim to an Au.straji,3.,n snydicate, and these latter forineiS % company a.n4 commenced operations on & large scale. Two pans and a setler. were ereete^, driven by water-power; and., in qrde.r tp treat the ore b!y pan amalgamation, as the cqifl, pany had no, ore-breakers or stampers, they passed it thr-ough a screen, a,M *U the ore that would not go through was? allowed to re.ra.ain. or* the tip h^acls, ifc'l^fS it lies at the present day. By this raygfh-and-ready system of treatment at least £18,000 w.orth pf bullion was e?;tract.e.d. After the bulk of the rich, ope ,|n the up* per workings was.exhausted..th.c aQffls>a.ny ceased operations, and the mine oas^ed into the hands of Mr W. Niccal, vyho ran. thepan plant fpr about, 18 months, djfjn^ which time he took out between SIM and £1800 worth pf bullion. During the reefnfe 'boom' the N.Z. Mines Corporation spent a good, d,eal of money in extending, -ih£ . different levels in the Maratoto section, In due coures as - the. company could not come to terms 'wttH' the owners about the' option they surrey dered ft, and the mine was ourehaßed i*j» an Auckland, syndicate, w,h.<3t have fprrae<| themselves in.tp a cpmpa.ny a,nd inauf u,?^ ated the new scheme .p,f pperfttions, The new company started .by cut-, tins Out a. chamber in what; if. known as No. 5 level fop the. pur T pose of ..sinking: a winze to prove the Ip^ underfoot. In cutting ou,t this chamber some very gopd ore was met on tb,a h^ng-?. ingwall side of the ipde, which ha.4 net been touched in driving the level,: and it was found, that the g°o<i Prs v?^? Wh tinuing upwards. Instead of sinWn^,, it was then' decided tft fis?- AVti <W§ W%% dpne to a height of 37ft, when an intermediate level was broken into «*4 > payable body- <?i ore three UQ wide was carried right through in. tha rise. This ore is also shewing cive^. tXK% back of the jnterme^te level, and will it is believed continue right through to. the surface, a height of- 20Q fee,t,' .Ah though the payable belt pf Pre int.b.is,.?e J c-. tion oi the mine is only about 3 tee.t Jn width, the lode itself varies fro'rn. lft to-2* feet in thickness, and it may contain other vein's of payable . di^t runjiing parallel with and apart from that in tho hangingwa,ll. Threufhout tha d,is[erent workings where the lode is.exposed to view there is. a iarge tonnage of'ore ready for breaking' out, and on _the t^p heads th,ere"must be fully-2900 tons available. The average value/ placed on this whole of this according to innuflieralble assays is £'& per ton. ' • ■ '

In the Pay Rock Section the lode yar? ies from 6 to 8 ft in thickness, aad tb.3 payable ore averag-es three f;e©t in width. In this level a,nd the. other, a? also in the rise, the average value: o| •<?!?% b.0.d1? for a width of three to four. feft is given as £3 per ton. . .