MINING.

Evening Star, Issue 14225, 26 November 1909, Page 6

MINING.

River height this morning. 6ft 4in: weather fine. The master of the Riley's Revival dredge, reporting for last week, stated that ho had been troubled with silt. The bottom was rising slightly to the west on the west side, and to the oast, on the castside, with a. slight rise ahead. Pavable returns were expected after the cut had been crossed. For the past two weeks the Enterprise dredge has been working its way into the river near the head of the claim. The dredge-master, reporting for the week ended 20th inst.. stated that he started dredging at noon on the previous Saturday, but owing to the groat width of the river at the point where the dredge was located it was extremely shallow, 4ft being the greatest depth right across. Consequently a good deal of time was lost dredging up to the deeper water. This was met with on Thursday, and the dredge pulled up to her present position on Friday evening last. Side linos were rnn out on Saturday, and a start made to open out a paddock. Bottom was reached on Saturday evenin'’ in solid ground, with fair prospects. ° Electric No. 2 dredge worked 134 hours last week. The river proved very unfavorable for work during the week/starting to fall, and then rising again. Drift was running very strongly all the week, and scarcely any progress was made. During the greater part of the time the dredge was working on the Bannockburn side, which was the richest part of the cut, but it was very rough there and full of large boulders, and with the drift pouring constantly into the paddock it was found impossible to move the big stones or get on to bottom. After giving it a fair trial the dredge-master on Friday moored the dredge to the Cromwell side’, w hero the ground was shallower and not nearly so rough. It was, however, not so rich as on the Bannockburn side, but being easier to work more ground would he covered. The river was falling steadily, and should continue to fall, ns the weather appeared to bo settled. The Shotover correspondent of the ‘ Wnkatip Mail’ writes that mining in his district is now in full swing in the sluicing and river claims. Continuing, he says : I understand that Air Holms and .Smith Brothers have purchased Mr Jas. Davis's river claim, near the Branches, Upper 'Shotover. at a fair price. This claim is proving to bo a rich one, and I hope the new owners will meet with the success deserve. It is said here that the Smith Brothers are getting big returns tram the.ir river claim some distance hclow the one purchased from Mr Davis.— The upper claim of Messrs Fee and party is worked by a patent suction and elevator lift combined, and the method is a great improvement on the suction pump '-enc'ally in use here. In their lower'claim owing to the narrowness of the river in that part, it has been a very unsatisfactory season for them, the' river being generally too high to work.—Mr L. Johnson is at preseni working his terrace claim, with, I think, satisfactory results.—Mr .1. Tripp has the Nugget or Shotover Consolidated on tribute, but at the present time he is busily engaged getting quartz from a reef ot his own situated some distance from the Nugget. The stone is being sleighed to the Nugget battery for treatment. I am sure one and all will ho pleased if Jack has a good cake for Christmas." RETURNS. Waikaia :> 13oz lOdwt. 152 hours. -outh \\ aikaia : 7oz 15dwt, week. the share market. —Dunedin.— I p to noon to-day no sides had been made locally on 'Change, and the only reported sale was in Manuherikias at 9'6. Following are the quotations to ‘ midday : Dredging. Alexandra Eureka—Sel 3/. Blackwater (con.) —Buy 4 Electric--Sel 4.3. Golden Bed (ex div.)—Buv 13/. Hartley and Riley—Buv *lssel 17 5 Manuherikia—Buy 9/3, sel 9 6. No Town Creek—Buv 8/ sel I]/. Pactolus—.Sel 11. Rise and Shine—Buv 38'3. Stanley Paracale—Sel 20/6. Sluicing. Muddy Terrace—Buy 24/3, sel 28/6. Quartz. New Sylvia—Sel s'. Bare wood—Sel 16'. Kuranni Caledonian—Sel 1 '3. May Queer—Buy 2/9. sel 5/6. Talisman Consolidated—Sel 47/6. W'aihi Extended—Sel 4/2. _ Waihi Grand Junction—Buy 38/9. pel 39'3. Hercules—Buy 11/, sel 13/6. Tasmanian Copper—Sel 6/. Consolidated Goldfields—-Sel 17'. Investments. National Insurance Company— Sel 28/. Standard Insurance Company—Buv 22>6 pel 23/6. . 3 ' ’ (£2) U "s f A//’ Limited Rope and Twine—Buy 22/, sel 2316. D.LC. (ord.) —Buy 5/.