MINING NEWS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7782, 9 February 1891, Page 6

MINING NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] [moh oub cobebspondknt.] REEFTON, February a The following are current quotations :— Progress. 2610z of amalgam for the_week; Globe, 1250z of amalgam from 170 tons; Cumberland, 2540z of amalgam from 130 tons; Keep-It-Dark, llloz of amalgam from 96 tons ; No. 2 Dark, 2470z of amalgam from 89 tons; Inkerman, lOOpz of amalgam from 100 tons; Venus 1320z of amalgam from 9S tons. Alpine-Tbe monthly report says:— " The north drive No. 7 level has been extended Bft, making the total 156 ft. The reef cat out in the top of the drive oft back from the present face, which makes the length of this block 152 ft. No driving has been done for the last sixteen days, but a start will be made in a fortnight, when the north reef should be met in a short distance. Eight men are breaking stone above this level in Nos. 1 and 2 stopes in order to make room to start the uprise to connect with the intermediate level. The reef is the same size as in the level, and the quality is, if anything, better. In the nortu reef above the intermediate level a great change has taken place, the stone having made a jump south of between 70tt aud 80ft, and the bijrgest pai t of the reef is now south of the winze. This compelled the construction of a new intermediate level, as otherwi eit is impossible to get the reef down. The reef is of large size, but greatly intermixed with mullock, but it is expected to get cleaner shortly, as it was all clean stone in the winze above the present stope. On the south reef an uprise has been started 152 ft south of the uprise -from No. 7 level. This uprise will be about 70ft high, and will connect with No 6 level, 50ft north of the point. 766 tens were crushed, yielding 10230zs of amalgam, with the result of 36t5oza retorted gold." Inkerman—The manager reports for the week:—"No 3 winze was sunk 6ft, making the total depth 39ft. The stove has changed its underlie, and is now underlying west. I cannot say how thick the stove is, as I have not been able to keep the winze on it, but there appears to be a strong solid body o£ stone. «oiug down. The maiu shaft has been sunk 7ft since the contractors started, 125fc of stoping was done for a week, and there is no change to report in the size of the reef. Four men are at work on the south lease gettiug very good stone out. I started stoping out oa the up-uill bide. The stone is 18 inches thick, showing nice gold. Ou Thursday last 1 started a man tv prospect the north end of the lease, and to-day he got a reef two feet wide showing nice golu. The stone is quite solid, aud I traced a short distance along the surface. It is -showing ou the surface about 15u feet uorth of the present end of the surface tunnel, so that the expense of getting into id would not be heavy, a connection belug made from the mouth of the tunnel to the aerial paddock. This last Hud proves the company's sixty acre lease a valuaole out, as there is highly payable stone on both the norui and hoUIU boundaries and the present wordings being nearly iv the centre of the lease. Siuce wriiiug above the new stone fcas been traced 25f0 further, showing better gold than where first struck." Venus—The manager • eports—" That 25 tons of sioue were taken from the mine during the week." Hercules—l he manager reports—" That the total quantity of stone tv grass is 130 tons, 40 of whicu were seuC to the baciery. There is no change iv the miue. Crushing will start on Monday." Cumberland—The manager reports for the week:—" The bottom level was driven lift, making a total of 71f% 40ft of which is ou a hard and Well-derined reef 3ft wide, nearly perpendicular, aud carrying good prosptcts; t>i fathoms of sloping in the intermediate aud upper levels has been done on rhe reef, 3£u Uin wide, aud of good quality. About 220 tons were sent t) the battery, and tUure are about 30 in the Drake and Happy Valley paddocks." Merrijigs — This Company will resume operations in a few days on a lode in the miue. A number of rich leaders, parallel to each other, were goc on the surface some time ago, in saudstone formation, 7ft thick. It was decided to follow these down, aud it is probable that at a deeper level they will come together and form a solid reef< The Alerrijigs some time ago bought a battery of fifteen head of scwt stumpers, quite heavy enough to treat the quartz, which is intermixed with sandstone. The erection of the battery will be shortly proceeded with.J i'he Stock Exchange report is as follows :—" Tud battery amalgam return* to hand give a total of IUDB ouuees from top plates, cue contrloutiug corapauies being the Globe, Progress, No. 2 Dark, Cumberland, Keep-it-Dark, and Inkerman. The first named is rather under the average, while the others are all very satisfactory. The share market has not been over active, bub whatever may be the cause of such a condition it cannot be said the general outlook here iv quartz mining uiutiers at the present time is not a most healthy aud reassuring oue, and the actual returns now being obtained each as ought to warrant more liberal investment, specially from outside, where capital does exist. Early in the week .big River were in fair demand, and sold at up to 7s 3d, but receding later on, when the enquiry was over for the time. Operations at the mlae are as usual. Cumberland showed au advance, having been sold at 3d 6d and shares hard to gee. The crushing vow going on promises a good result and the property is .steadily developing a more permanent character. Fiery Cross have been also dealt in at up to 5s 6J and have had as good a return of business as any other stock. Golden Treasure had a little business at low rates and sold at prices varying up to Is Bd. Golden Lead got a little easier and sellers asked between 2s 6d aud 2s 9d for these shares. No. 2 Keep-ie-Dark keep the iirin place which the crush ng now going ou and cbe appearance of the iniuecertaitily warrauts; sales aC 6s 3d aud 6s 4d, and shares only offering in small parcels. The Progress is to hand with another good weekly return, but transactions iv the stock are limited. Operations in the Scotia mine axe at present in country of a rather more promising reefing character aud some business In shares was <toue up to la lOd. No cru?hlug at the Wealth battery was done this week and some shares sold at from 4s 6d to ss. In the mine stone is coming to hand from the stopes over the battery level, and in the extension above the contractors are making fair progress. Sir Charles Russell, Painkiller District—The reef here is now of a good bulk and thickness, and, considering the two test crashings at the Keep-it-Dark battery proved the stone highly payable, it is only to be expected, as is che case, that enquiry for shares has increased and the proprietary become substantialandrepreeentatlve. AttheHercules mine stone preparatory co a cruahiniz is still coming to grass. Globe keep foremost among the higher priced lines, and are so firmly held as to limit business. The striking of the reef in the lower workings, which may soon be looked for, may alter this condition, and bring buyers and holders together. Crushing with ten head at the Dark battery, and buyers giving 10s for the shares to-day. The demand is very limited, however. In the Inkermaa mine the winze is still going down oa stone, the main shaft is being sank and stone coming to grass from the south lease. A new find of stone toward the north boundary is reported, two feet in thickness, and gold showing pretty freely. • Midday quotations—Buyers—Biz River 6s 4d, Cumberland 3s 6d, Fiery Cross 5s 6d Globe 22s 6d, Wealth 4s 6d, Dark 10s! Sellers—Big River 6s Bd, Cumberland 4s,' Fiery Cross 6s, Globe 23d, Inkerman 133 6d, Wealth ss, Golden Lead 2s 6d; Sales— Hercules 2s 9d, No. 2 Dark 6s 4d.