MINING NEWS. Grahamstown, Friday.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4408, 30 September 1871, Page 3

MINING NEWS. Grahamstown, Friday.

Sir. Walter Scott.— The first lot of Btone taken from this mine since the formation of the new company has been sent to the company's (l*te Lucky Hit) machine to be crushed, and I am glad to say that the plate show of amalgam is on the whole decidedly encouraging. If the stuff pays, the company intend to keep two of the batteries constantly in -work. It w«uld be easy t« do more than this, so far as the mere getting of itone is concerned, the mine having been excellently opened up and connected with the mill by shoots and tramways ; but the company has decided to place some of the crushing power ' at the service of the ' many mines which hare been opened or are in the nourse of being opened in the Lucky Hit in Upper Karaka locality. And there is every prospect of plenty of work for more than the number -of stamp- heads which the machine contains. Stone from the President Lincoln Mine is at present occupying the spare batteries, and the plate show of amalgam foretells a payable result. Highland Chief, Tinker's Gully. — Another lot of stuff from this mine has been crushed at Russell's machine, and has turned out well, 21oz. I4dwt. of retorted gold having been obtained from 19 tons. The lode improves in appearance every foot it is followed towards the City of Dunedin ground, in which direction it is trending. It has increased to four feet in thick' nesa. This mine and the Felix above it are giving character to central Tinkers, and the good yield of gold I have lately had occasion to record in connection with them will, I doubt not, lead to the opening of much ground in that locality. Britannia. — A section of the old Democrat' Company's lease, central Karaka, has been taken up and so named by a party of miners-rights men, who, however, before obtaining possession, had to fight a battle in the "Warden's Court. They won, and the way in which they have since worked th« ground proves that they deserved success. Only a month or thereabouts has elapsed eince they began work, and in that time they have cleared out an old tunnel, taken up driving on a leader exposed in it, and are now crushing a trial parcel of the stone at Bull's No. 2 machine. The show is remarkably good, 48oz. of squeezed amalgam having been obtained for forty-eight hours' run with 4 head of stampers. At this rate the leader may be regarded as a prize of value ; it is, moreover, easy to work, and averages from ono foot to iifteen inches in thickness. Savaoe. — There would have been another return of gold to record in favour of this mine long ere this, but for a job of dead | work that was undertaken to connect by a long cross-cut the old Lucknow tunnel, which is at the {level of the Karaka with : the Savage shaft, which is seventy feet above it. The crosscut was intended to save 70ft. of lifting, and be the outlet for quartz and water. It was driven 200 ft., aud then work was stopped through an altercation -with the Talisman shareholders, who claimed the tunnel as theirs (a section of it passes through the claim), and forbade further driving, on the plea they wanted to use it. The dispute ended in a Warden's .Court case, and it was finally decided that both parties should use the tunnel, but not until after the Talisman rann had connected it with their shaft by a ciosscut. Meantime, they of the Savage mine are driving to break through from the Savage shaft, following the leader as they go, and expect to hole in about 30ft. further. The leader looks very well : gold is frequently seen in it, and only yesterday a patch cf good specimens were taken out. This lode — for it averages ISin. thick, and is nicely defined—appears to run up and down Collarbone gully, and is I think the same that has been struck in the Civil claim and the City of St. Andrew mine higher up. Vale of Avoca. — The shot of gold which traverses the leader in the upper workings of this mine has at last been struck in the bottom level. Gold was first seen there a day or two ago, and since thon the improvement has been steady and continuous. Excellent stone is still being obtained out of the winze that is going down on the lode from the middle level to the bottom one. The company will resume crushing at Weston's machine eni'y next week. Tookey Tkibutk Company.-— A good show of gold was obtained ycstei day in Austin's leader, where the manager is now blocking out and following the vein in the direction of the beach. Arrangements have been completed for the use of the Belfast tunnel, out of which a cross-cub is to be driven by contr.ict to intersect the leadeis at a lower level by 70 feet than that at which they have been hitherto worked from. A winze is bein^sunk on the main leader to meet the cross-cut. — [Correspond* nt.]

To the Editor : Sir,— l did expect that ero tliis the directors of the Utago Goldminiug Company would have called a meeting of tho shareholders to explain to them what steps had been taken towards unmasking the per* petrators of tho late gross swindle in connection with the finding (or alleged finding) of specimens in the above claim. This they have not done, and the directors consequently lay themselves open to all sorts of insinuations as to their conduct in this matter ; and I think for their own sakes, if not for the future wi-lfare of tho shareholders, some attempt ought to be made to trace home the guilt to the paity or parties w hose names are publicly mentioned. I think also that Mr. Thomas, if he sent the telegrams to tho legal manager, ought to give some explanation, for as matters stand at present he cannot blame anyone for doubting the accuracy of his reports. It is strange, but unfortunately true, that when your correspondent visited the mine no indications of gold were to be seen, and, according to the present manager's report, no gold has yet been found. — Yours, &c, Shareholder.

The transfer books of the Nonpareil Goldmining Company are alvertisad to be closed from Monday to Wednesday, the 4th October, at noon, when a dividend of 10a. per share will be payable at the company's office. The Official Agent announces that 20a. in the pound will be paid to all creditors in the Atlas Goldmining Company who may have proved their claims with him on or before the 30th October.