Mining.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2095, 17 September 1901, Page 5

Mining.

Answers to Correspondents.

SPECTATOR, St. Bathans Your letter is too personal for publication. It is. anyway, far too long. Our space is too valuable and our time too short for such a lengthy epistle. At & meeting of the Conciliation and Union representatives, held at Dunedin on Wednesday last, it was decided that the reference filed by the Otago and Southland Dredgemen's Union should be heard before the Conciliation Board at Roxburgh on Octobor 10th. An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in the Bald Hill Flat Freehold Dredging Company was held last week. There were 16 shareholders present, and Mr W. Shelmerdine (chairman of directors) presided. The chdrman having explained the position of the company, a resolution was finally passed to voluutarily wind up the company, Mr Geo. F. Jeffery being appointed liquidator, A resolution was also passed thanking the Dunedin directors for their able direction of the company's affairs since the removal of the office to Dunedin, and requesting them to a-sist the liquidator with their advice as to the liquidation. The directors of the Golden Gate Dredging Company have declared a dividend of 4s per share, payable on * aturday next. The direcrors of the Success Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend of 3s per share, payable forthwith. The directors of the Golden Treasure Dredging Company have declared a dividend of Is per share, payable on Satarday next, : A load of machinery (including a part of the winch) for the Rise and Shine dredge passed through Clyue on Thursday last. The Half-way House resumed dredging on Friday last. The work of erecting the Riley's Beach Company's pontoons is now in hand. The contractors are, however, hampered in the work by del .y in transit of timber. > The Royal Maori is nearing comp'etion, and the end of this week should see a trial run. The result of this dredge's operations is eagerly looked for, as it is confidently expected that the claim is highly auriferous, Indeed, it is thought by many that the vein of rich wash the Junction Electric operated so successfully on runs through the claim. A protest has been received from Mr J, St. Vincent Jaxon, Kawarau Gorge Otago, against the grant of a coal lease over 500 acres of land situated between Cromwell and Bannockburn to the Cromwell and Bannockburn Collerias (Limited), A report having been received on the matter, Mr Jaxon has been informed that the Hon. the Minister of Mines is of opinion that it would be undersirable to allow the company to acquire the large area of 500 acres, as it would practically give them a monopoly of coal in the locality, and the application would accordingly be objected to in the vVarden's Court by the Inspector of Mines. —Mines Record. We cull the following pars from the' Mt Benger Mail': —All the dredges at Mi lers Flat are working steadily.—The Millers Flat Electric are putting on an oil engine to work the elev tor, which has come to hand, and will be fixed up as soon as possible.—The lengthening of the Golden Bed elevator was finished last week, and the dredge is now woiking on an mproving wash —The Excelsior is near.y completed and will m.ike a start next week, Mr Tnompson has been appointed manager. —'lhe Gold Queen is working away and the wash is improving.—The Gold King is nea ly completed, and the machinery for the Main Lead Hercules is now coming to hand:- No machinery for the Jubilee has yet arrived.—The Teviot and Long "Valley ate working away steadily, The Unity washed-up last week for 12oz odd. Operations were hampered considerably by travelling drift, and there was a good deal of lost time. The dredge was stopped yesterday to effect repairs ta the pump but resumed in the evening, The river is at about the same level as it was on Monday of last week. Piesent indications point to a fall during the week but changes are so sudden at this time of the year that it is most uncertain. The returns for the week are again very satisfactory, and though perhaps not averaging quite as much as the previous week, they are quite as good, as most of the dredges lost a day's work—having to stop for inspection. Some very hanosome returns were obtained, several getting over three figures. The Monte Christo returned 670z for 96 hours last week, keeping up her reputation as a consistent gold winner. Prospects are as gcod as ever, and shareholders have ever reason to be pleased with, their investment, as present indications point to a substantial monthly dividend. The Cairnmuir did not wash-up last week. We understand it is the intention of the management to worK the ground where returns averaging about 20oz were obtained. The Matau washed-up for 30oz, and is working steadily. The Alpine Consols is still on good gold yielding 320z for the week. The Vincent's fate is still undccideJ. ! Efforts are, however, being made to raise the debentures necessary to carry on, and it is probable thitt this will eventuate. It is a great pity that advantage could not have bt en taken of the present low river to have tried the top end of the claim, ■where there is some 220 yards of virgin grourd. It is gratifying to learn that the Vincent Extended has struck what promises to be a substantial vein of gold. Payable wash ww #p»»rj stmt 9> fertwigfet &m w&

13oz obtained for a week's work, and though this was considered unsatisfactory ihe dredge was kept on it, and for last week's work yielded 330z. We have been unable to obtain authentic information about the prospects for this week, but rumor has it that an even better return will be obtained. The Mstau Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend of Is per share. The Leaning Rock dredge is now properly under way and opened out. The dredge worked last week, but had a lot of broken time, a Jot of adjustings. incidental to starting dredging, had to be done. We hear that the dredge bottomed on soft rock, Since resuming, the operations of the White Star dredge have not proved payable, and it was decided to close down. The crew have, however, taken the dredge on tribute for a month, when it is hoped beiter wash will be obtained.

CAIBNMUIR GOLD DREDGING CO.

The second annual «meeting of share« holders in the above company w»3 held on Saturday evening last. The report and balance-sheet were read and adopted Messrs Hyde and Ackroyd were reelected directors, and Messrs Stevenß and Hutton auditors. After discussion it was decided to amend section 52 of the articles of association by reducing the number of directors A vote of thanks wis passed to the retiring directors, from six to five.

LATEST QUOTATIONS

Mr N. D. Parcell reports as follows: Cairnmuir b 3s 6d s 7s 6d Electric b 35s 9d s 40s Electric Extended b 14s s 15s Junction Electric b26s9d s 29s 3d Fourteen Mile b 19s Bd, s 21s Monte Christo b 32s 9d 33s Leaning Rock b lis 6d s 12s Vincent Extended b 7s6d s 8s 3d Sixteen-mile b 7s s 8s 6d

ALEXANDRA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Moa resumed work last Monday, and after beating the drift, which kept running in til Wednesday, dredged up 72 ounces for the week which has put her on top as far as the local dredges are concerded.

The Olrig's return of 31 ounces for ro4hrs came as a pleasant surprise to iocal shareho ders. The returns from this dredge have always paid expenses, with per* haps a trifle over, and although the workmen are the only ones who have received any benefis from it so far, it may be confidently expected that the shareholders will receive some consideration shortly in the shape of dividends, as the ground operated on lately is likely to continue, and to pan out results similar to 'ast week. The Sailor Bend and Manuherikia were both troubled with the travelling drift, consequently their returns fell below what was anticipated. The Bendigo made a start last week, and has been trying to beat the dxift. She was working on Sunday so that the paddock would not get filled up. The Enterprise No 2 is at present having an extensive overhaul.

NEVIS,

[PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT,] The old adage ' misfortunes never come singly ' has met with one more confirmation here, in the sinking of the Success dredge so soon oa. the heels of the same misfortune to the JS evis dredge. There is an element of mys;ery about both affairs, and it is by no means improbable, according to some opinions, that there has been some foul play. It is hard to think that there are in the world persons (misnamed men), who could be guilty ot an act of such devilish wantonness as to wilfully destroy valuable property. Purely ther<aie enough elements of uncertainty and risk attached to this branch of mining! In regard to the sinking of the Success dredge, the company is greatly to blame in not ha.ving a caretaker always near the dredge. lam assured by those v?bo oughv to know that the pontoons were almost absolutely watertight, and with a freeboard of over two feet, it was almost, impossible for ber to sink in still water Had the sinking taken place while the very severe trosts were on, i L , might have been occasioned by the bursting of a pipe; < The new manager of the Nevis dredge is busy with 12 men dams ruing the water from the main stream- I fear he has a heavy thine on hand, and I wish him well out of it-

The Bemarkables dredge is finished, and she will make her trial run in a few days. The Ngaparas 2 and 3 will be ready to start in a lew days, all hands being on the ground. The Carrick diedge will be at work in a couple oi days'J he Keep'-it-Dark Tunnelling Company is oscillating, like Mahomet's coffin, between ground and ceiling, and no one seems to know whether it whl sink or swim. The local shareholder are hoping to get their interests taken o v er by the town party. The race-holders hope to make a start in a few days, but the frost is keeping the races on the higher levels **W locked.

DREDGING RETURNS, B Wire.

The following are the returns for the , week ending Sept 14th :— oz dwt gr Monte Ohristo. Clyde 67 8 0 Vincent Extended 33 0 0 Cromwell .. 157 0 0 Perseverance 2 43 5 0 Alpine Consols 32 0 0 Enterprise 1 19 6 0 Earnscleugh No 1 27 0 0 Earnscleugh No 2, Alexandra 51 0 0 Matau, Clyde 30 0 0 Unity, Clyde «~- 12 8 0 Molyueux Hydraulic 39 0 0 Central Electric 16 0 0 Electric Extended 60 0 0 Sailors Bend, Alexandra 27 0 0 Moa 72 0 0 Alpine 2 16 8 0 Perseverance 1 41 0 0 Hartley and Kiley 36 16 0 Gold Queen 31 2 1 Jharlton C eek 30 12 0 W imumu Cent'al 34 5 0 Golden Be?ch Alexandra 34 10 0 Cental ( harlton 28 13 0 Lady Charlton 7 IS 0 Charlton Creek, Gore — 30 10 1 Waimumu Extended 33 3 5 Golden Gra.el, Beaumont 33 0 0 Inch Valley 14 16 0 Golden Gate 76 8 0 Electric 181 0 0 Junction Electric 54 8 0 Otago, Miller's Flat 50 10 0 Majestic 48 15 1 Empire 39 10 0 Golden Rnn 35 0 0 0 rig 33 0 0 Magnetic, Cromwell 5 days.32 0 0 Success, Waipori 28 3 0 Second Magnetic 14 12 0 Golden Bed 19 0 0 Great Central 6 10 0 Long Valley 21 6 0 Teviot 17 0 0 Bannockburn Creek 12 14 0 Nouami 34 0 0 Dunstan Lead 10 0 0