HAURAKI NO. 2.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 55, 6 March 1900, Page 4

HAURAKI NO. 2.

The drive has been extended 6 feet. The country has been very hard during- the past week. The reef is split up into several veins. The drive is getting- through, the hard bar and-into settled country. The manag-er hopes to report better1 results shortly. WAIHI SOUTH. The south drive is being- pushed forward. There is no water above the ftoor of the drive. In the drive going north there is a very great change. The water has. come in very strongly, the men being- compelled to leave. This may be an indication that a reef is near at hand. , PROGRESS CASTLE ROCK. Stoping has been proceeding on the No. 1 reef above No. 2 level south of the No. 1 pass. About 12 feet of the reef is now stripped and will be taken' down this week. The battery has been kept going as usual and is working v satisfactorily. Everything in connection with the battery with the exception of the furnace building is now completed. ;' . N.Z. TALISMAN. Probably as the result of the.' .action of opposing share-; holders the proposed sale of the N.;Z. Talisman to the Talisman- Consolidated has not yet become an accomplished fact. Mr L. D. Nathan has received a cable message from his London agents stating that proceedings for the amalgamation had been suspended for the present. ALPHA. , The drive in progress on the north bearing of the No. 1 reef has been energetically pushed ahead. Here an improvement in the strength of the lode is apparent, 'the quartz showing' being fully 4 feet in thickness, and or great promise. The manager adds: ."I feel sure it will be responsible foi f-high-class ore when further developed. This level has beeu extended 24 feet from the starting- point." The [country now showing in the western crosscut is not quite so favourable for good progress as was the case during the early part of the week. The length from the. Alpha lode to the present face is 49G feet. N-EW WHAU. Work in the" rise on the Sons of. Freedom reef has given more encouraging results, a little picked stone being secured a.f each breaking- down. The reef is still a splendid looking body of ore. Another stope has been j started on the line of reef. The fact j that the lode is still producing picked i stone is most promising, and a good ] run of specimen stone may, the manager considers, be met with at any moment. When taking down the last of the stripped portion of the reef in the early part* of the week a small I leader averaging- from one to three inches in width was met with striking on to the reef, and a little nice stone carrying good minerals and a little gold was seen in it. The reef at this ' point is still a well denned ore body, carries the best of minerals, and' shows signs of improving as the drive j [ advances.

ANGLO-CONTINENTAL SYNDICATE

The notice advertised regarding- the Anglo-Continental Syndicate withdrawing from mining operations "in this colony is- calculated -to-giVe-a: wrong impression to those not fully acquainted with the facts of the case The real position is thai some months ago it was decided. by the

.shareholders of the Anglo-Con* tinental Syndicate, in London to re* construct in order to convert the "founders' shares" into ordinary shares. :The liquidator appointed Mr James Park his sole attorney in this colony, and Mr H. A. Gordon's con« nectLon with the Ang-lo:Continental Syndicate ceased. The May Queen of Hauraki and Moanataiari G.M. Companies being separately registered public companies will not be affected. Mr Park will continue as manager of both companies, and has also beenappointed sole attorney. The office will be removed from Auckland to the Thames, but i'or.-the convenience of local shareholders;' ;Mr Park has. arranged that' the 'share register is tq remain in" Auckland. i MARATOTO. Mr.John McCombie reports that the contractors have extended No. 2 level four feet, and the ore. body is still hard, to break, and of low grade, Stoping north and south of the No. 1 winze aboTe.this level.is now under way, the lode averaging 2ft in thickness, made up of payable ore. A contract has been, let. to rise 90ft over the back of this level, so as to connect with the tram line now in course of construction between the Maratoto and,Payroek sec* ■ tions of the mine. About loft- of this work has already been accomplished. The stone breaker, stampers, berdans, and table,1* are now in position,-, and the battery, portion of the plant may : be considered complete in every~Te—_

spect. The melting and:oxidising furnaces are.about finished and the final touches are being given to the cjanide plant. About 21 tons of high class ore have been delivered at the Hikutaia railway station, and this will be forwarded to. Auckland for-shipment to Sydney on Friday next.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WAIHT,. Monday.

WAIHI EXTENDED.

. Mr William Cussen, mining- and surveying engineer to the Waihi Extended G.M. Company, has been in Wajhi conducting the boring- operations, and doing- other work on behalf of that company. Mr Cussen reports that the bore is now down 160 ft, and is in goo* country, having got through the boul- '■ .ders. which proved so troublesome. To prevent the influence of the "pug," three, inch pipes are being sunk to keep the bore, clear, and is" now sinking at the rate of 50 or 60ft per day. The first bore was sunk to a depth of 300 ft, and penetrated into the lode for a ■ depth' of/30ft, but- owing to the ''pug" ■ boring • had to be relinquised. This depth of 300 ft is exactly the same depth at which the Grand Junction property first struck their reef. The present boring, operations on the Extended company's property js northeast of'the. Grand Junction,-and close to that company's and Extended boundaries. The specimens of quartz taken out of the first. ~bore, when in the lode, are of a Very- satisfactory nature indeed, and speak volumes for tlie' future prospects of this company. The sti'ike of the lode traversesa distance of 311 chains through the.Extended property. Mr Cussen is of- the opinion that there will not be muchtrouble with the water when sinking the shaft, except some from the surface. He has also been engaged in laving off .sites., for. .the -battery.. - .an d., n}a» chine workings, cyanide plant' and residence sites for the workmen. This company has granted a site to the Grand Junction company for a battery and other, workings. . . %

These operations prove that the Extended company are going to push ahead rapidly. Mr Cussen is himself quite satisfied ,as .to the future of this company, and speaks highly, of • itsprospeets.