UPPER SHOTOVER.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1060, 30 May 1878, Page 2

UPPER SHOTOVER.

(FROM OCR OWX CORRESPONDENT.) Mining up here is almost at a standstill owing to severe frost The winter is upon us this year some time earlier than usual, and the' consequence is some of the claimholders will he compelled to defer washing up until the spring. Stewart and party expect to get bottomed this week. This is the only party at present engaged in the river bed for a distance of fully eight miles—a sufficient comment upon the dullness of river mining. Terrace workings are progressing as usual In reefing, the New Nugget and Cornish Company, I understand finished washing up for the season last Saturday, and will* at once proceed with the nutting up of their rise to surface. I believe that the above work, when completed, will be the means of this mine taking a front rs n'c as a productive work. The time estimated for it is from ten to twelve weeks, so that the Company under favorable conditions will have their rise up and stone ready for crushing early in the spring. During the season now closed the Compan\|L have had their crushing plant entirely and crushed the following quantities of stone: 250 for 510z5.; 300 tons for 770z5.; 270 tons for 88ozs.; 161 tons for Olozs. These returns, though not so satisfactory as well-wishers of the Company could have desired, are on the whole not bad, in so far as each crashing shows a slight advance on its predcessor. So long as the returns show a steady, though small, adadvance, the shareholders may feel pretty certain that the mine wilt, at no distant date, well recoup them for their outlay. The Phoenix had a clean up the other day, I believe, but with what result I have not heard. That it is a payable one all concerned will wish, as the mine is at present employing a great amount of Eruopean and Chinese labor. In connection with reefing there is one thing I should like to see carried out The University have at present a Professor of Mines. During the recess this winter, or at any time in the immediate future, if the gentleman holding that appointment could be induced to visit the chief reefing in the district—say Skippers and Macetown, and then give a lecture on mining, illustrating it with specimens of the different kind of rock to be met with and their relations, favorable or otherwise, to the existence of auriferous lodes, he would confer a great boon on the mining community. I remember when reading Mr Ulrich's report on the Goldfields of Otago, feeling how utterly ignorant I was of the host of technical terms of rocks he slung at the heads of his untaught readers was something to be remember. Mr Ulrich evidently forgot that not one in a thousand had received a technical education. More lasting information could be acquired from a lecture such as indicated than from reading a dozen reports. Another reason why the above course should be persued is that it is utterly impossible for miners who follow reefing as a profession to drink at the University fountain owing to the expense that would be incurred, whilst all who wish to become better acquainted with the nature of rocks that are continually met with underground would make it convenient to attend lectures in their immediate vicinity, having for their object the bringing before them in a practical form the accumulated knowledge of years of study and research. I have read with some interest the action of the County Council, in regard to the Chinese question, that any body possessing quandom legislative functions should at one meeting propose and carry a resolution, refusing in the futare to accept tenders from Chinamen, and at the next meeting decline to carry out its logical conclusion their previous action, by not supEerting Mr Edgars motion, shows at once the ollowness of their inflations, and that the best wishes of Lake County woaking men is due to that gentlemen few will be inclined to doubt. *