MINING.

Lake County Press, Issue 498, 14 April 1892, Page 3

MINING.

We hear very good reports of the Oardrona Hydraulic Sluicing Company. Native silver in hulk has been found at Broken Hill. Fourteen hundredweight of the ore yielded Gsoooz. Sew Hoy Big Beach Company, Shotover.—The two dredges working obtained 740z lldwt 12gr for last week.

It is reported that Mr John W. Baker has been offered £75 as compensation for the determination of his lease of land at Crown Terrace.

Sandhills Company, Shotover.—A dividend of 3d has been declared by directors. Eleven ounces of gold for last week’s dredging were obtained.

It is not very promising to see so many claims surrendered for cancellation at Crown Terrace. There have been no new finds of any consequence that wo have heard of.

Cromwell Company, Bendigo.—lt is probable that the main shaft will bo sunk 200 ft further. Mr Tavernor (from London), who recently visited the mine favoured that course, we hear.

As Mr M‘K»y, Government geologist, was passing through Fairburn, a settlement between Kaitaia and Mongonui, he was struck with the appearance of some stone with which the County Council was metalling the road. He got out from his trap and examined it, and found to his surprise that it was a fine lithographic stone, worth about 4d per lb. Premier Consolidated Gold Company, Macetown.—We have reason to believe that Mr Tavernor, Chairman of the Glenrock Company (who appear to own the Premier mine) was pleased with the way in which he found work at the mine being carried on when he recently visited it. The crushing of atone is proceeding, and the Pelton wheel recently erected is found to make a vast improvement. With half the quantity of water, ten head of stamps can now be more easily worked than five could formerly.

Dredging upon the Kawarau, which so many people thought was to boom this district, has come to an ignominious end. The last claim worked was the Golden Link (Messrs Gilbert and party), the Kawarau Company’s dredge being used by the former Company on terms, but the results were not satisfactory, and now the party—the last of all the crowd—have surrendered their claim, and it has been cancelled. Some great mistakes—if nothing worse —have been made in the history of dredging on the Kawarau. The glowing prospects are replaced by gloomy results, and a “ bitten” public will fight shy of similar ventures for soma time to come. The statements made of prospects obtained now seem extraordinary, and, were we to reprint some of the prospectuses now, they would be decidedly funny reading. We fear the effects of the failure of dredging on the Kawarau will be felt here for many years. Professor Ulrich reports that a boulder found in a sluicing claim at Back Creek, Westland, is not only of great interest mineralogically, but that the discovery may prove of commercial value. The red mineral it contains is the true Oriental ruby, and the abundance of that precious stone which exists in the green matrix is really

astonishing. Professor Ulrich can find no record of a similar occurrence in any part of the world producing rubies. The presence of the small crystals gives promise of large and really valuable ones being found if looked for. Some samples of tin ore found at Humphries’ Gully hear the closest resemblance to that found in the Mount Bischolf mine, Tasmania. Professor Ulrich thinks there is great probability of prospecting leading to the discovery of the rich parent deposit of this ore. —“ Wullie” Goodlefc obtained the specimens.

Mr Warden Wood yesterday gave his decision in the cases that caused bo much interest at last sitting of the Court. Begbie and party and Neylon and party applied for two separate areas of ground, and Nees and party (who had pegged and applied for part of each of the two named parties’ ground) objected to the granting of the applications, contending that they (objectors) had pegged first. Mr Solomon (Dunedin) appeared for objectors, and Mr Wesley Tarton for applicants. Mr Wood, after intimating that he was against Mr Solomon, on the principal points raised, said he thought it would be desirable to state a case for the opinion of the Supreme Court. At yesterday’s sitting of the Court, however, Mr Wood said, in effect, that he had, after looking through his notes, come to the conclusion that the points raised were not of sufficient importance to send to the Supreme Court. He therefore granted the applications of Begbie and party and Neylon and party, and refused that of Nees and party. Mr L. H. Preston said he was instructed to give notice of appeal. The land is situated on what was Baker’s lease, Crown Terrace, and the two grantees had pros pected their areas before the lease was cancelled. One enthusiastic individual attempted to applaud the Warden’s decision, but was promptly stoppped by the constable.