THE GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 14, 17 January 1905, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS.

! ON 'CHANGE. Waiotahi shares fluctuated in value to-day, selling as low as £6 12/6 and up to £7 12/6 at the noon call- Buyere offered £7 12/6, but sellers asked £8. Waihi shares were wanted at £6 16/, but setters asked an advance of 1/6, so sales did not result. Nev* Moanataiari shares sold at 3/, and May Queen Extended buyers advanced to 1/5 with Bales up to 1/6T New May Queen and Eclipse shares were a stiade easier to-day. Golden Belt shares are wanted at slightly better rates, and there seems to be a disposition to pick up Coromandel stock at low rates- Standard lines had a little more attention to-day. N.Z. and River Plate shares changed hands at 26/3, and L.-08. Timber at 40/, with buyers left at the same rate for both lines. Auckland Gas shares also sold to-day. OLD ALBURNIA. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) THAMES, Monday. On making inquiry at the Old Alburnia mine to-day re the report that a gold-bearing lode had been intercepted, 1 whs informed b.y the manager, Mr Kendall, that there is no truth in the information. The facts were that the contractors had just tapped some quartz interspersed with mullock, but whether it was a reef or merely a quartz formation could not be ascertained till to-morrow. A piece of quartz shown to mc was interspersed with mullock, and showed no traces of gold. THAMES, this day. The reported find in the Alburnia in the Moanataiari tunnel proves to be a leader varying from one to three inches in thickness, and of watery looking quartz. No gold is visible so far. The manager took immediate steps to ascertain the value of the find, and none of the quartz so far shows gold. Mr H. H. Adams telegraphed to the mine manager to ask the cause of the demand for shares this morningi and received the following reply: "Rumour gold got in tunnel not true." WAIHI EXTENDED. The contractors are making good headway with the sinking of the shaft, lift. 6in. have been sunk during the past week. The soft formation has been passed through, the country now being penetrated is of a kindly andisite containing quartz stringers, and is favourable for making good progress. Things in general are going on satisfactorily. ': KURANUI. At the intermediate level two men that have been rising on the ( Shotover reef, and are now extending the drive on the course of the reef north and south in the north end. There appears to be much better ground coming in, which will likely cause an improvement in the quality of the ore. Strong colours of are met with in the south end, with the reef looking better for gold than it has for some time back. At tha Shellbank level the drive has got clear of the bad ground, and is now in good reef country, with the prospect of intersecting the Shotover reef very soon. The country has made a start re water for battery. The engineer informs mc nhat it will take about six weeks to have the pipes made and laid down. BUNKER'S HILL. Driving is still being continued at the adit level. The distance driven for the week was 20ft, making a total of 63ft in a good clase of sandstone country. MAY QUEEN EXTENDED. The manager reports -that the leading stope on No. 2 reef has been extended 50ft. The reef formation averages from one to five feet in thickness, and gold has been seen very freely. The specimens all came from the hillward end of the drive. There are a few feet yet to be stoped to the New Una boundary, but before doing this a survey is being made to locate the boundaries. WAIHI CONSOLS. The bore hole is down '929 ft. So far there is no change in country. NEW UNA. The stopes on No. 3 reef have reached the May Queen Extended boundary. A rise is in progress to commence , a third stope. The country is all that could bi desired, and indicative of pickeoTTlcne being obtained. Fair headway is being made with the drive on No. 2 reef. With the exception of some of the quartz coming away when the shots were fired the lead is left standing a<jfliinst the hanging wall, and will be broken down this week. iw VICTORIA. « ■- ■• The rise from the back of the present stopes to connect with the No. 1 level for ventilation is now up to the required height, and a start, made to drive from the hangingwall portion of the Mariners , reef through to tho foot wall, but owing to the defective ventilation, and the intense heut work has bee.n stopped. for the present, and clean out the No. 1 level in the footwall branch of the Mariners' crosscut through to the hangingwall, and make the connection from that point. The liangingwall and footwall portions of this reef diverge very considerably from the main creek in an easterly direction, and all the work done on this reef at the No. 2 level oast of the break since the early days of the h'plcl, has been carried out in the hangiilgwall branch, which varies from one to three feet in thickness. WARDEN'S COURT. Before Mr. Warden Bush, S.M.) (By Telegrnpn.—Own Correspondent.) THAMES, this day. Applications granted: J. J. Craig, water rights (3), tramways (2), at Waiomo; Mahara Royal, sn; months' protection for Shannon claim, Tapu (His Worship aaid he would send this application to the Minister): May Queen, protection for six months for the May Queen East claim to employ six men instead of 19 on the May Queen section; New Saxon, application for reduction to two men in Gloucester mine, granted after some hesitation (a warning was issued by the Warden that if he was convinced there was anything wrong lie would immediately refuse an application); May Queen Extended, reduction to six men, New Una, similar application granted; Broken Hill, reduction to 15 wages men, in addition to contractors; John MeLiver, six months' protection for Day Dawn, Great. Barrier; Thomas Dunbar, Temple Bar; James Inglis, Occidental; and Robert Thomas, Kapia.

WAIOTAHL (Bjr Telegraph•—Own Correspondent^ THAMES, this day. TVo cwt of picked stone were reported to-day. There is considerable speculation Bβ to the extent of the run of good ore, and the effect of the clayey break. Shares sold down to £6 17/6.