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Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 158, 6 July 1899, Page 7

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Now that quartz is being sent to the battery the manager expects to be able to push on breaking out ore. The low level is now in 126 feet south of the main pass. The second stope is now seven feet south of the cross cut, on the same class of good ore as below. In No. 5 the second stope is in 12ft, and a third started. Gold is showing1 well in the stone. IMPERIAL. Further assays have been made of the ore secured in the old winze on a reef recently discovered in the Imperial mine, Karangahake. The samples assayed were taken from all parts of the reef at the bottom of the winze, and the return was at the rate of £5 16/6 per ton. KAURI FREEHOLD ESTATES. The Kauri Freehold Gold Estates Company's battery comprising 40 head of stampers commenced permanent crushing operations on July Ist. The mines are all well opened up and a large quantity of ore in sight. A contract for a hundred feet of driving at the Maiden shaft has been let. Other contracts are in progress. The Carvill shaft has been pumped out and the Company's tramway is being re-ballasted. Additional wages men are being employed on different works. KHARTOUM. At present work is being continued on a body of ore averaging five feet in thickness, and small dish prospects of gold are obtainable from the hangingwall portion. It 'will take another twenty feet of driving to bring this level up to the main body of the ore, and a further distance of 122 feet to reach under the rich ore shoot exposed to view on the surface. KOMATA REEFS RETURN. During the month just ended this company crushed and treated 350 tons of ore for a return of £825. No. 4 level tunnel during the same period was advanced 150 feet, making a total distance of 1330 feet. MARATOTO. At No. 1 level the rise has been extended 10 feet, making its total height OS feet, and a further distance of 42 feet remains to be accomplished in order to ronch the surface. Here fhc Pay Rock lode is 4 feet in width, and the ore is all of fair quality. No. 2 level has been driven 15 feet, and its full length now is 463 feet. Within the last 10 feet, of driving the lode has been somewhat harder to break than for the week previous, and progress has been comparatively slow in consequence. At present the lode Is being broken out to an average widtlh of five feet without any sign of the footwall, and the assay value of the ore is £12/ per ton. This shows a. steady improvement in the assay value of the ore body as work advances upon it southwards. In this direction there still is a distance of 102 feet to drive before we are likely to moot with the rich ore.-shoot, which has already been opened up at the No. 1 level workings. The excavations for the mill site are now complete in every particular, and the contractor has started with the work of erecting the building. MOANA. A meeting of subscribers for shares in the Moana Company was held in Mr G. YV. B. Morris' office, at which it was decided to form a limited liability company of 100,000 shares of Is each. The following were •appointed the first directors: Messrs 11. A. Gordon, J. Ziman, D. G. MacDonnell, J. McCombie. H. H. Adams and W. Blomfield. The Moana property comprises 100 acres, and adjoins the Marntolo mine. OHINEMURI. The manager reports that the boring operations have resulted in a depth of 280 feet being attained, and now hard sandstone is being penetrated, with quartz intermixed, which indications are very encouraging. The engine and plant are working well, nnd there are enough pipes to reach a depth of 500 feet. Good reports continue to be received regarding the progress of boring operations in the Ohinemuri mine, Waihi. The bore is now down 315 ft, and the prospects have been such that the directors of the company to-day felt warranted in resolving to continue boring for at least another 100 ft. The progress of boring up to date has been at the rate of 45ft per week. ROYAL STANDARD. s The Royal Standard Company's machinery was sold this month under a' warrant of distress. Mr John Frater commenced the bidding at £300, from which sum it ran up to £020, at which price it was knocked down to William Jiuld. The machinery was' manufactured by Jiidd Bros., nnd it. is at present at their • foundry. The contract price was £1,600. TE PUKE GOLD REEFS. The manager reports that at the low level the lode proved to bt twenty-two feet wide, so far as it was cut through at the time of reporting. Mr Bayldon arrived on Monday, 12th inst., and remained until the following Wednesday, making his examination, talcing numbers ot samples of the ore for assay puri poses.