The Shotover District and its Mines.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1524, 26 March 1886, Page 5

The Shotover District and its Mines.

(IT OITB BHCUL UTORTIR.) THE PHtENIX MINE. (Continued.) The underground works of this mine, as has already been mentioned, are approached by three •aits or entrances, formed, of course, at different Level No. 3, which is farthest into the hill by vertical measurement, was the first visited. Its total length is 800 ft„ aud for the greatest part of its course it follows the main lode. From this adit several branch tuunels have been driven, partly in order to gain access to the various lodes known to exist on either side of it, and partly for the purpose of prospecting the intervening ground, for which these branches also serve as " cross-cuts"—or tunnels taken at angles of greater or less degree with the quartz lodes— eo that it will be seen they are made to serve a double purpose. The branch drive, which taps the middle lode, has been driven along its course for a distance of 350 ft., disclosing a splendid body of stone, averaging in width from 5 to 7 feet, and in which cold is plainly visible to the naked eye, by candle light even. In the face of this branch drive a new shoot of stone seems to be making. The foreman, Mr James H. Evans, who may be said to have almost grown np in the mine, aud who has had the full benefit of his father's (Mr Fred. Evans) extensive experience and knowledge of mining, kindly conducted your "Special" through the works, and in his opiuiou the new stone making in the face is the continuation of the Promised Land Me. Should this prove to be the fact, not only will it enhance the value of the mine immensely, hot it will also aii«»w the great | permanence of the shoots of gold-bearing stone iu i this mint-, for the same shoot of sione, of which ! this is supposed to be Lite continuation, has been | worked to a depth from this level of 150 feet, ! besides 40ft. on Promised Laud lode, and every pirt of this shoot from which stone has heen taken has | been found highly payable, averaging about '2>z. i per t»»n. This result, taken together with tlie i width of the lode—which averages sft.—will disclose *ven to the uninitiated the immense wealth contained in the middle aud Promised Land lodes j alone. i A drive of the Promised Land lode, which is 40ft. ! below the adit level, has a run of gold 200 ft. long, averaging about I.'xlwts. to the ton. Another drive in the north lode, at the 40ft. level, is taken through a run of gold 2Uott long, which, in places, is worth 2oz. to the tou. The present drive is worth 10/.. | This drive, as well as tiiat of the Promised Land lode, is under water, and will be until the winding and pumping gtar is »rected.

Another branch drive extends as far as the middle lode, and discloses 90ft. of Me in length, of exceptionally good quality, the gold beingrery coarse, and i» very rich patches, averaging in width at this part about 4ft. Besides the branches mentioned th»re are several others, which are wvv unused, as also a number of passes from No. 3 kvel leading to old workings, which have all proved payable more or less. A new drive i« now in course of progress to avoid the old works, and to connect a!! ttie present wotkin_*s upon this level in a perfect manner. Ti.ia drive, being on tWe north lod", is now within 30ft. of its destination, or the point where it mil break thrwigh into the branches which it is intended to connect with tlie workiug mam at this level. The main working levei of the mine, distinguished as No I level, is entered at a Convenient height above the midline house, to allow of ample f>r stoic, and at the same time to w :k selfdelivering paddocks, from which tiie quartz is taken direct to the machine. The d-.tf. rence bt4eei: the height of this level an! that of N->. '? is 117 ft.,

measuring along the underlay of the nnin loile. Although this l-vei is in a'*; :it 900 ft.— and t!:us in bu:th level No. 3 '<<\ 3!Krt't.—it is not so far !iit> th- bdl in vertical me.v>Uit .„• ni, which is accounted for by the con format.on or surface si >;e of the hill. This is now, and will be, the mam working level, and f-om it tne further explorations of the mm? will lie carried on simultaneously overhead a« -ell as underfoot. It is In-edlesa to say, therefore, that it is wed secured and laid o.'F. and in every r-sp-ct w>ll calculate-] for the important functions it is intended to fulfil. The first stone met with in this !:re! was at the junction of tinmain and south lodes, uhich. however, wa.s found to be but poor in quality at this point, the old •onetimes ghing out entirely, so that large pieces of blank ground intervened, and it was not until ai>out two year* a.o, when the rich stone of the middle hslt, and shortly after the Promised Land lode, was struck, that the mine rose iu value, and now figure* as one of the richest in the colony. Kxploraiions since that time, extending below this level 3"2t't. rerti--*'ly—and between it a.xi the surface probably 300fr. -prove that it is one of the moat permanent in the Australasian colonies. These discoveries, necessitating a very large outlay in tiie sh%p2 of machinery, excensive explorations in the mm-, etc., in loved tiie proprietor—upon the recommendation of Mr Fred. Kvans, th" mine manager —to call in th-? a: I of foreign capital, with h viewto handing over the mi-.i.- to a London syndicate. Negotiations with snch an o'-ject m view were entered into, bui a- t->e general iiepression in mining B'ovk r.-juiii not |*srmit of i»s being put on the mirket, Mr Bnllen decided to unde.tike the additional work and expense at his own and sole risk. The result now proves that the better plan has lieeu decided up*.n, aud it may !»• a bled that there is not a man in tins district but is plers-d and delighted with the splendid returns "btaiued from th» mine dming tb- past tinrieen months, promising n.>t only to amply recoup Mr Bul'.en for his pluck and enterprise, but al-,.» holding <ut hopes of princely returns for uis descendants for generations to come.

Krwn level \r». 1 there are aI«o several branch drives to different parts of the four gold b-anng lodes, and it is connected by a number ot pax;ea with level No. 3 at convenient distances apirt. Where the different dnv»-s h*v« | al ,| open tiie Promised Land and the middle lodes, they disclose large holieso/ quartz actually flittering with .'olden specs all over. In the sevrral st •[)■ s now in course of Drogres* the ume thickni&a and richness of the •tone is shown, an 1 the first thing which must atrike the uninitiated observer is tiie ureal permanence of the lodes, which are plainly stirinj him in tiie face everywhere. Tr> mention ail the branch driven tiriatim, connected with tbia level, curd •erve no particular purpose, and can only tend to confrse the general read-r. However, it may be stated here that th»* whole of the works are carefudy planned and laid down npon a pmp-r map, aocordiuj to scale and compass, and for an expert it is not difficult to see that every drive is entered with a distinct and cut f diy considered objret in view. There is no cuanc* of driving or gropiusc in the tlark in any part of the design upon which the mine is worked.

It is intended to contlnie the main working K-vel JCo. 1 to the boundary, distant al*>i t WuOlt. fn-m toe present facv, thus making t!ie wl o'e adit a»»>ut one miie m kngth when c >m;>!i ted. The coarse <>i the tunnel i.s so laid off as to cut all the lodes known t) e:i«t in the mine, a:.d tiiprncpecl the int»Mrvening country to the \<e*t advantage. The great wi-'th of the formation, at a : »>u: 300 ft., i.e., between the north ami the south lode*, bold* out every prospect of new dncoveiies l*ing nude. Ai it is, one is almost tempted »o -feat-iib' the projicrty as a network of reef*, hut a look it the plans of the different lodes soon convinces one that, though these loJes may have eccentricities as other 3uartz reefs have, tbey are separate ludes, with istinguishing characteristic. A shaft to give •« , ces* to the ground Mow lev<-l No. 1 has been sank on a gold-bearing portion of the main lode to a depth of «2f?., \e.r»i al measurement. The dimensions of this shaft are 12ft. by 4sft.. which gives room enough for hauling and pumping divisions from a depth of 100011. A eroasent will be extended from tin premnt bottom of the •haft to the middle lod \ a distance of 110 ft., to Strike it in a gold-hearing portion. At prea-nt the •haft is full of water, and a is being cut out for tb« erection of winding and pumping gear, for which tiro compressed air engine* of 20 horseponer each are about to )« erected. Here again the foresight of the management shows itself. The •ir vftuch escape* from then* angina* i» U» be utilised

for ventilating the mine in ita lowest depths, and also to work a «et of Holman's rock-drills. The aWe it a description in outline of the principal mine works, and although, perhaps, it is dry reading to the uninitiated, it will convey some slight insight into the excellent system upon which the mine is being opened. It is almost superfluous to add that the ventilation of the mine is perfect, and the comfort of the working men well attended to.

The nature of the stone does not differ materially from that of other gold-bearing lodes, though perhaps it is, generally speaking, more friable, and cleaner or shar[*r in cleavage, than the average stone in this district.

Although it may be true that a report upon a mine is also a report upon its manager, and that it may be advanced that quite enough has been said upon the subject, both the proprietor and the manager stand in so phenomenal a position and ! relation as to have giveu rise to the wildest rumors J imaginable, and for this, if not for any other reason, ' a short digression may be excusable in this place. From all appearances and from indirect admissions, it would appear that Mr Bullcn carried on his mine for a period of 17 unsuccessful and profitless years, qoite as much for the sake of giving employment and testing the real value of quartz-mining, as for the sake of pecuniary profit. His investments are variously estimated at between £40,000 and £60.000, and it is a fact that when at last the prospects of tlie mine gave some hope of ultimately repaying him for all his outlay, he was prepared to share the promises of his mine «ith the public, by floating*the property as a limited liability company, in which he proposed to retain, what under the circumstances was. a very modest share of the protrised riches. Luckily for hitn either the suspicions or the rapacity of thepartirs treated with hindered the arrangements from being concluded, and now, almost in spite of himself, he finds himself the sole proprietor of a mine of incalculable wealth. Even mining at Skippers, it would appear, has its romances, and Mr Bullen's enterprise 'u perhaps without a parallel in the history of mining. How much Mr Bullen liss the welfare of the men in his emplov at heart, is proved by the fact that he has entirely at his own cost, and before he has even d'awn a penny from h ; s mine, erected a c<»m«-o lions hall, to serve as a

library and meeting-place for the miners, at a cost of over £l5O. More than this, he is prepared to Subsidise all subscriptions raised for the purchase of hooks at £1 for £l, and at the present time con-

template* to appoint, at his own cost, an ordained minister to Attend to tl.e spiritual welfare of the mint'!?, who have hitherto only had casual opportunities of attending divine worship. Mr Fred. K\ans, Mr I)u lien's mine manager f«r the past 19 yearn, has also displayed an uncommon degree of energy and pluck, amounting almost to heroism. It must 1* remeinlH-red that when he took charge of the mine there existed no mails ; experienced underground men were scarce; the mine bore an ill repute—four managers before him had failed to m ike :t a success : and a host of minor difficulties faced him, all more or hss formidable. Vet where scientific men scarcely ventured to ci»e »*.) opinion, Mr F.»ans boldly staktd hi* reputation, and with indomitable pluck bore up acaiust many successions of reveries, relit veil only now anil then hv glimpses of hope, anon to be dashed from his

grasp. As Mr IV.illen stands unrivalled as a mining investor, so Mr F.vans is unaoproached as a mine manager, and itoth names appear to l.c destined to tike a foremost rank in the mining history of the ••oloiiv. Tl)»-ie is in his manag'-im-iit nothing halfhearted or •>( a mike-shift nature. Kverything in and aUiut Mie mine is provided and applied upon the principle that the Inst is the cheapest in the Ion.; run. From this point of view all the latest inventions, .-<. s.<on as they hue proved themselves pra:ticable, are introduced in the mine, as, for insra.i.e. e!.-,tri'ity as a motive i>ower. The lilin::ir.c " f the mine and the mine works generally •li'l'lay a kees !iis;.Jit and close acquaintance with nil th<> principles and methods of mining, Isesides •'•is, Mr K'.iiis enjoys in no mean measure the L-ooiwiil of the tin n un<!«r his charge, and in .■:; e.|iul i|egr.»o the ccfUence of his employer, without which it would have lieen scarcely possible to a'tun r'n- bribiaut success, whi'-h promises to place tl.e I'lui'o.ix mine as unparalleled in richness of yiel I. as in the completeness ami efficiency of its management. ( Tn hf rrtntinufil. )