GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2110, 14 May 1875, Page 2

GREY VALLEY GOLD-FIELDS.

[OUR OWN COERESPONDBNUVji ' ORWELL GREEK.' ■•' '■•■'. ■■'•:'■-' i The new machinery recently erected on the Orwell Creek • Flat Company's leasehold is now in full work and fairly tested. A meeting of the Directors was held on Monday evening, and the following extracts from the Mining Manager's report will show the progress the work is making. The report states that during the [past month the capstan, poppet-heads, and 1 a self-emptying paddock have been erected. ■Ladders are made and placed in position . in the main shaft, which has been centered, thereby eftecting a considerable im-, provement in the underground workings. The chamber at thelbottbm of the shaft , has been widened and newly timbered j and the main ; drive for a distance of 61ft ; from the: shaft; is enlarged • and securely ■ timbered. There still remains 71ft of the drive to be similarly treated, and the Manager thinks the work can; be done by the end of the present week by 'dividing the men into three shifts and -working night and day. Mr Edwards '.then'recommends that after the main drive is . sufficiently widened and heightened, it should be continued straight L ahead, and that cross drives should be opened out in the wash-dirt, to prove the lead up and down the flat. The winding gear is fixed and is now in use, and if it should become necessary to put it to the extent of its power, 100 loads of wash-dirt can .be raised within 24 hours with, a single rope. The Bin pumps have been taken out, and the 12in pipes substituted, . and the Manager says he is fully confident that with the present pumping machinery he will be able to successfully contend .with any increased influx of water likely, to be met with in opening up the mine. The number of strokes now required to keep the water down is five per minute, while, k if required, the number can be doubled, J* and the centre stroke increased from 3ft to 6ft. The 12in pumps are so fixed that one Bin pumps can be placed in the same shaft, and put into working order at the day's notice. All the timber used in the above-mentioned works was cut, prepared, and conveyed from the bush by manuel labor, the daily average number of men employed in connection with the" '■■ mine being ten during the past month. Other important works, but not of urgent necessity, still remain to be performed^ and it is suggested that, as the actual thickness of the washdirc is ascertained, it would be the best place to call for ten- J ders for supplying the timber to be used under ground. The manager closed hia report by informing the directors that,he will have the mine in full work, above and below,, by the end of the week,. and ■'.. that he does not see anything to impede the progress of regular operations from, that date, shareholders may: consequently" expect a dividend before long. Paid-up shares are now averaging from 27b odta; . 30s, and/there is a fair demand for scrip, , principally for disposal in Canterbury and : Amuri, at slightly lower quotations. .jv ; The Grey /Valley Company,; whose ground comprises the two teß-acre lease- ; holds adjoining ! the Orwell Orwk-ppmiJ ' lpany'B leases, is regiitend and faurl/

launched. A general meeting of the shareholders vriU he called shortly to elect directors and manager, to decide upon the plan of operations, regulate the date of making calls and the amount thereof, and to settle the general affairs of the company. dttffer's creek. A correspondent sends the following items from this district :— The upper end of the DEEP LEAD is still in active work. Several of the claims continues to pay fair wages. The original prospector's claim is known as " Rohan's Oiland," so called because the discoverer was on payable gold for some monthß before he was rushed. Rohan's answer to any enquires as regards the payable nature of his claim was invariably that the payable ground was of no extent, " only a bit of an oiland ;" but it has proved a rather extensive island, as some of the claims have been in work for three years and upwards, and are still paying wages. Higher up the Lead the Welshsman's party have just finished a tail race and incline ; they use a water tank, with hydraulic lifts as the motive power for bringing the trucks up the incline. They were working their claim for several months by means of a shaft and windlass, which was found to be rather a slow process, still, in spite of the drawbacks, they could make wages. With the new appliances they have got now, they expect to be able to declare larger dividends in the future. The adjoining claim, which is a very good one, is held by Halpin's party ; it is said to be paying generally from L 5 to LlO a week per man, and it is calculated that it will take at least twelve months to work out their claim. The washdirt is very thick, the whole height of the drive being put into the paddock and washed. The adjoining ground, is owned byFoley and party— it is also paying wages, although, they are only putting in their main drives ; it is most likely they will make more than average wages when they commence to block their claim back. Higher up the creek is completely in the hands of the ground sluicers, Dot even a block and pillar company exists in what was once of the richest diggings in the Grey Valley. Judging from the large reservoirs that are constructed for storing water, and other permanent work done by the different parties of hydraulicers, sluicing in Duffer Creekmustbearosy game. A large party of Chinamen paid the creek a visit the other day, but the place did not suit them, as they expressed their opinion that there was "too muchee tailings and too little water." They left after a few days stay, taking with them the good wishes of the sluicers, and the earnest prayer that they would never return again. BBANVILLE. The different leaseholds and claims in the neighborhood of Granville have been under a cloud for a length of time. What with being at law and erecting machinery for the better working of the claims, and other causes of delay, very little gold has been brought to the surface, and as a natural consequence the circulating medium is rather scarce, causing the business people -to complain about , the great and unusual dulneas of trade. There is no doubt there will be less complaints heard when Anderson's, Foldi's, and other claims in the vicinity will be having washings* which will be the ease shortly. The school* which was established some time agpj ! is'in a very flourishing condition. There are now upwards of twenty pupils in average attendance, and judging from the progress; they are, making, the schoolmistress, Miss Sarah Melody/ is well qualified from previous good training, for her position as teacher. Mr Gladstone declined to allow himself to be nominated for the Lord Rectorship of Aberdeen University. The British Expedition for observation of; the Approaching solar eclipse left Southampton Feb. 11, for Singapore. A man who was digging a grave in Preston, Cemetery was suffocated by the falling- in of the earth, which completely buriecUhim. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford in a ; pastoral lately issued, prohibits Catholics from joining the Association of Good Templars. -'MisßWood, a lady possessed of some property, who had joined the New Forest Shakers : :' community, has been removed under a certificate of insanity. Jn the House of Commons on Feb. 18, the Bill for legalising marriage with, a deceased.wife's sister was discussed, and th^s^conid reading was refused by 171 against 142. A chimney-sweeper at Cambridge was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter for having compelled a boy to ascend a chimney, in which he was suffocated. Mr George Smith has discovered that the legend of the building of the Tower of Babel is recorded among the inscriptions on the ' Assyrian tablets in the British Museum. . Mr J. ..P. Smyth gave notice in the House of Commons, on March 5, that ;on an early ,date he would ask leave to introduce a Sill to repeal the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland. The death of Sir E. Smirke, the eminent architect, at the age of 80, and of Mr John Timbs, a well-known writer on antiquarian and local subjects, are announced. The exportation of horses from Germany, has been prohibited.