MINING JOTTINGS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2229, 7 October 1898, Page 2

MINING JOTTINGS.

Last Saturday the Achilles Gold Mines Ltd., Bullendale, paid off all outstanding liabilities, the current working expenses of .September. We understand that the delay in settlement of old accounts was owing to a large number of unexpected claims having been made when the present superintendent, Mr N. C. Morcom, accompanied by Mr J. Cherry, assistant engineer, took charge rive weeks ago. However, all is now clear sailing, and we understand that iu future the management intend to work on as strict business lines as it is possible in mining uudertakinga while their motto will be economy with efficiency. Since Mr Morcom's arrival the work clone in the mine has been to a great extent of a preliminary character, but financial difficulties having been quite overcome, greater attention has been devoted to the mine itself, and W3 believe that reproductive operations will be in full swing before mauy days, as the main shaft has been sunk to No 5 level, with a view to getting out quartz and commencing crushing, The shareholders are to be congratulated on having secured the services of such an able and experienced man as Mr Morcom, and there can be little doubt that if the lodes turn out, as represented, ore equally rich to that of the past four years, the erstwhile "Phoenix" will prove one of the best and most extensive quartz-mining properties in New Zealand. The Londonderry Terrace Sluicing Co. have, we hear, completed their tunnel of 2.30 feet in the Londonderry Terrace as a tail race, with a rise of 300 feet to their workings. Mr Walter J. Stanford, manager, of the Macetown reefs, repo.ts :—The (ilenroek Consolidated Company cleaned up for the month of September and obtained 2060z li dwts from 48.") tons crushed. There has been no special change during the month; the reef is very small and patchy.— The Westralia and N.Z. Gold Explorers Ltd., crushed 88tona and obtained 61oz 14dwt bar bullion. No big returns can be expected from this mine until the oil engine arrives from America, which should have come by the San Francisco boat just arrived, but news was received instead, that it could not be shipped for another month. The reef looks well enough, but it is impossible to haul any quantity by horse power. The formation in the machine level iu the Shotover Co's ground is reported to be still broken, and it is intended to crosscut to the hanging wall side. A cdl of 2d per share has been made, payable on the 12th instant. A return of 18oz 9Jtlwt was obtained by the (iolden Terrace Co., for four days' dredging last week.

CARDRONA NOTES. (From our Own Cukrebposdent.) October 3rd. The miners here are busily getting things in order for the season's work. The hydraulic race is again running full, and the mine is pumped out. Mr Lafranchi, the owner, has leased the race and plant, for this year to Robson and Party, who inteud trying their luck in a bit of private property alongside of the old Hydraulic Co. ! s claim, and they have bright hopes of striking something good. I wish them every success in their venture.— Lafrauchi and Galvin are still at work on their race, widening and otherwise improving it considerably. They would have been started la their claim by this time, but have been kept back for want of timber to replace some boxes which got broken during last winter. They expect the timber will come to hand during the course of next week, when a few days will put them in readiness to start work in the claim. The Branch Creek claims have been at work this last three weeks and are busily engaged getting out paddocks, with bright prospects as to Christmas wash-up. The Criffel Face boys are at work, but they have only a limited supply of water from two or three small creeks on th". Cardrona side of the range. The main supply fur th 3 working of their claims, is brought in from the Roaring Meg Creek, and the races traverse the top of Criffel. There being st; 11 from three to four feet of snow on that country, it will be a few weeks before they get that supply at work, when things may be expected to hum a bit. Dredging matters are just about as they were when writing my last notes: no advance made. Capital looking for investment in alluvial mining could not possibly find a safer speculation than in putting it on up-to-date dredging machinery fortius creek. To quote Mr Gordon, Government Inspecting Engineer some years ago, befoie dredging had got to the advanced state it is in now :—" There is not a safer or more certain spec, for capital in Otago, if 30 heads or so of water could bo got at a sufficient elevation, than to put a hydraulic lift plant on Cardrona river.'" Now, dredges of the present type will put through more stuff than could be treated with 30 heads of water on the above principle, and the initial cost would not be nearly so much. I suppose it is our out-of-the-way situation, coupled with ignorance of our surroundings, which keep speculators back. I worked in the old spoon dredging days, on one of the richest claims on the Molyneux and have known of richer gold—that is, heavier deposits of the precious metal—got in this river bed tiian in the above claim, therefore I feel certain, that if only one dredge were to start, this would soon prove to be one of the best paying dredging fields in Otago. A large quantity of snow was cleared off the lower portions of the ranges on Friday, 23rd ult, when it rained incessantly for 14 or 15 hours. The river rose far above its usual spring flood height, so much so, that old bauds commenced to think it was going to be like unto IS7S. However, it stopped a good bit short of that memorable flood, and I hear of very little damage having been done. Some of the planks used for crossing the creek have been shifted from their positions, but an hour or two's labor will put them to rights. Our bridges looked very precarious for a few hours during the height of the flood, when the water was just lapping over the planking, and as it is known to be in a rotten condition it was expected to go ; but it stood the test, which I Lope will be the last it will have to encounter, as I learn from your report of the proceedings of the County Council at their last meeting that Mr Black, engineer, recommends the erection of a new bridge for which recommendation we are grateful—and hope he will speedily follow it up by action, for which we will be more grateful. ___^__^____ m _