THE GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 156, 2 July 1907, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

WAIOTAHI RETURN.

£15,781 FOR THE MONTH.

USUAL DIVIDEND DECLARED.

THE TAILINGS QUESTION.

The return from the Waiotahi mine for the past month shows a falling-off as compared with that of any previous four-weekly period this' year. It will also be seen that the quantity of ore treated this time is smaller. The ore crushed totalled 1192 tons 6cwt 641bs. of picked stone, which yielded 59310Z-. 3dwts. of melted gold, valued at £15,781 19/4. This brings the total output from the mine to date to £600,751 6/6. Concerning the tailings question our Thames correspondent wires:—

"The services of forty men who were engaged in the Waiotahi mine, or connected with the battery, have been dispensed with. This will probably mean that about £400 per month or £4800 per year in wages .. will not be paid by the company, while it is certain that a number of the men discharged will have to seek work elsewhere. It is to be regretted that some understanding could not have been arrived at so that the difficulties that the company said had been presented to them in the matter of disposal of tailings could have been removed. For years some system has prevailed, to which no objection was raised, but so far as local bodies are concerned, the principal objection appears to have been to the liberation of a large quantity of tailings from vats that swept down almost en masse, and blocked the water back. On the other hand, it is held! that this difficulty should have been overcome if the objection had been pointed out, and the company asked to remedy the matter. Whatever wore the details of the letter forwarded by tiie secretary of the Harbour Board to Waiotahi Company, it was accepted as an ultimatum. There being no provision for depositing the tailings elsewhere, the company decided to solve the difficulty by closing down the battery. The whole incident is regrettable, and it should surely not be too late to arrive at some satisfactory understanding.

The manager of the "Waiotahi mine reports as follows for the week: —No. 6 level: The north crosscut Is in 321 ft, and there is now a better class of country making iv the face. The south crosscut is in loSft, penetrating a hard bar. Iα the winze the reef is about 6ft in width. The work in the fourth stope east of No. 1 winze has been confined to trucking out the footwall portion of the reef, and good colours of gold have been seen, the quartz being of a good payable value. Stoping on the footwall dropper Is also in hand, and during the week 51b of picked stone haTe been selected from the stopes. From the Cure reef above this level a fair quality of crushing dirt is coming to hand. No. 5 level: West, the main reef has shown no improvement in value. Stoping on the main reef above this level is in progress as usual. The hangingwall portion of the eighth stope has produced fair crushing dirt. The reef is now somewhat crushed with the great pressure upon it, and has to be taken out with sets, so that our rate of progress will Decessarily be slower. . No. 4 level: The reef is of large dimensions at this paint, and a start has been made to cut through to the hangingwall to ascertain lbs wi3th and value. The quartz looks kindly and colours of gold have been seen. Stoping on the main reef is in progress as usual, and the quartz broken continues to be of fair quality, good colours of gold being occasionally seen in the drive west. The Cure reef nns become very small, and the men have Been, bronght back" to drive on a brancn which diverged into the footwall some 40ft back from the present face, and which may yet prove to be the main portion. No. 3 level: Sinking the winze on the western end" Is being pushed on, and is down a depth of 33ft. the reef being still about 3ft in width. The work of connecting Both winzes below this level Is also in hand, the reef here being very highly mineralised and of good value. The previous gold returns are as follows: To December, 1906 £490,676 0 0 Period ending— January, 1907, 1463 tons ore sewt 721b picked stove 15.153 9 0 February, 1907, 1546 tons ore, 6cwt 1061b picked stone IS.SSS 14 1 March, 1907, 1424 tons ore, Tcwt 421b picked stone 18,856 11 11 April, 1907, 1407 tons ore, 7cwt 711b picked stone.. 19,272 8 3 May. 1907. 1320 tor.s ore, scwt S6lb picked stone 19,122 4 0 June. 1907, 1192 tons, 6cwt 641bs 15,781 19 4 Total to date £600,751 6 6 Total dividends £349,800 0 0 MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS.

Kuranui.—No. 2 stope on the footwall leader at the intermediate level Is in 46ft west of the rise, and No. 3 stope extended a third 16ft. So far the leader has been disturbed with small breaks, but we are now getting into more solid country, the leader improving in size and appearance. No. 3 stope east is now 17ft east of the rise. The crushing ore recently treated, and which returned value to the extent of £136, was taken from the full length (00ft) of the workings on the footwall leader. So far the leader is still standing in the east end, so that we do not know yet what length we may have on it.

Moanataiari Extended.—The main portion'of Hatter's reef, west of the Middle Star level, will average 181n thick. It is composed of heavily-mineralised quartz, which bears a very promising appearance. Running parallel on the hangingwall there is a small lead. 3in thick, which has also a promising appearance.

Southern Queen.—The Atlantic reef, in the stopes. is a well-defined body of stone about 6iu wide, carrying favourable mineral indications. During the week strong colours of sold have been seen in the ore The drive on the Blue reef (No. 3 level) is being rapidly pushed on. The quartz is becoming more favourable for carrying "old than hitherto, and when the drive on the reef is advanced another 20ft an improvement In the value of the quartz is expected.

Halcyon.—The low level on the Halcyon reef going east Iβ in 39 feet. The reef has not been broken down. »

Bonanza.—The main drive crosscut is in 353 ft. The country is still of a good class The eastern drive is now through the break mentioned last week. The reef formation has opened out and will now average about 2ft. Some of the quartz is of a favourable description, and with the • good country encasing the reef improvement ought soon to take place.

New Occidental.—During the past fortnight quartz was met with, and there are severa) small veins carrying bright mineral aud every indication of gold not far away. A few feet of driving- would bring them together, when the manacer pxnwre to meet with payable gold. expects Victoria.—At No. 4 level No 1 reef maintains its usual size, and shows colours of gold when broken down. The drive on Mariner's reef (No. 4 level) lias been extended 9ft; total from crosscut, s?ft The country has been ■ somewhat disturbed during the last sft of driving, but there is a change for the Setter. A little work has been done on a lead in the hansin^wa , ! of Mariner's reef at No. 1 level. The reef shows good gold, and a pound of stone which could be classed as picked has been selected

Tairua Broken Hills.—Good hpndway is being made with the rise, which i= cow up 162 ft. The reef has been a little smaller, but the ore is still of good payable quality. The crosscut eastward on Seayer's leader is in 56ft. A reef formation ISin' in width was ont durin** the week. It is not payable where cut but there is every possibility of an improvement if driven on, as it carries a little prospect of gold. The main level crosscut is ie 223 ft.

Wai&i Gladstone.—The crosscut has been pnt iv a total distance of 227 ft from the shaft. A leader 3in wide of no value was cut at 218 ft, but we have not yet met with the No. 1 reef. Judging by the ■pomtrz and the &i> of the stxtegeig late-

ly interesected the manager now thinks he may have to go another 20ft before meeting the lode. New Waitekauri>-Another 10ft have been stripped at No. 1 rise, Horn's level, making 18ft in all. The manager expects, by the end of the week to be ready for opening out on the lode. Two men are rising on the same lode at the intermediate level, between the Queen and Horn levels, under where the old company had good results in the level above. Two men have also been driving on Christie's lode during the week, but will now be put on to finish the tram from* the Horn level to the aerial one. The contractor for the tram is making very good progress. He has the line laid to the Huanui creek, and is starting the last bridge across it.