INANGAHUA MINING ITEMS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1667, 8 December 1873, Page 2

INANGAHUA MINING ITEMS.

[herald, dec. 6.] It is very encouraging to learn that the Fiery Cross crushing is still turning out highly satisfactory. There has been no cleaning up at the battery this week, but the show of amalgam on the plates for ten days' crushing is magnificent, and j will, no doubt, far exceed the previously formed estimates of the probable average yield. We are glad to learn that the shareholders in the Independent claim, Adam Smith's line, have decided to proceed vigorously with the prospecting of the ground, it having been decided at a meeting held at Black's Point, on Monday evening last, to continue the shaft already 100 ft down to a further distance of 50ft (more or less), within which theyca^ulate upon intercepting the reef. On Wednesday, tenders for the work closed, and that of Frederick Nelson and party, at 39s 6d per foot, was accepted. A meeting of persons interested in the erection of a public crushing plant at Black's Point, was held at Ramsay, Edwards and Co.'s on Thursday evening, Mr M'Connon in the chair. The proposal to erect batteries of 25 head of stamps to be worked by water power was approved of, and a committee consisting of Messrs M'Connon, Wood, Clifford, Stephenson, Everett, Harrison, Brown, and Kelly, was appointed to obtain information and report as to the probable success of floating the scheme. Energetic. — Eight stampers are at present employed reducing stone taken principally from the reef in the lowest level tunnel. Independent.— Working in. the main shaft is to be resumed at once. Wealth of Nations. — Two small breaks have recently occurred high up in the race ; altogether, the machine was stopped but a few hours. There is no lack of stone to keep the machine going. The plates, on Saturday last, looked moderately well relatively to the quantity of stone put through the batteries during the week. L 2 2s 6d have recently been offered and refused for scrip in this claim. There are no scrip in the market, and holders, in some cases, demand as much as L 3. Inglewood. — Between this Company and the Westland Crushing Company a verbal agreement haa been arrived at to crush 200 tons of stone for the former Company at the rate of 17s 6d per ton, as soon as the stone is brought to the surface. Band of Hope. — A rumor has got afloat that Mr M. Levy, the owner of the crushing plant formerly belonging to the above Company, intends removing the plant to Boatman's, there to be erected in the joint interests of the Hopeful and Alexandra Companies. No doubt the plant can be well employed there, but as it would be likely to become of great value where it is, or nearer home than Boatman's, it would seem to be a waste of means and labor to remove it. Anderson's.-^Atter a week's delay a new contract has been let for driving, the Invincible-Anderson's tunnel. The party who have secured the work are known to .be six experienced men, and they will proceed at once with the contract. The price per foot to be paid for driving is L 2 10s. The main shaft is down 90ft on the reef which continues of a uniform thickness as before reported. , All the stone will not be cleared out of the paddocks before the 20th inst, the supply of stone sent down from the reef at the upper level being greater than was expected. The yield of gold per ton of stone, will be greater this crushing than it was at the previous one. Invincible. — There are 70 tons of stone in the company's paddock, taken from the reef above middle tunnel and north of the out-crop. The stone contains good gold, and will yield as much per ton as has been obtained at any previous crushing. It was hoped that a crushing would be had at Anderson's before Christmas, but owing to the increased yield of stone, already reported to be obtained in Anderson's, this will not be the case.

Golden Fleece. — Two contracts have been let for sinking the main and incline shaft respectively. The former is intended to be sunk 100 ft, at L 2 14s 6d per foot, and is to be commenced 150 ft west cf the reef on the main level, and is intended to cut the reef at the depth of 100 ft if the underly — which is 45 degrees at the main level— carries on down the desired effect will be accomplished at that depth. A chamber 12ft square has been excavated, and is now being timbered, and will, when completed, be 10ft by 10ft in the clear. The latter has already been put down in the hanging wall alongside the reef 40ft, and has been taken at L 2 Is 6d per foot, and i 3 to be sunk to the proposed 100-foot level. North British.— The last of the four 50-foot contracts on the west tunnel was finished last week ; and too, lam sorry to say, without finding the reef. The company have ceased work for the present, and will probably not resume active operations until some time in January next.