CULLIFORD GOLD-MINING- COMPANY.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 16, 24 June 1871, Page 6

CULLIFORD GOLD-MINING- COMPANY.

An adjourned meeting of the shareholders in the Culliford Gold- mining Company was held in the Odd-Fellows' Hall, on Thursday evening last ; D. M. Luckio, Esq., in the chair.

The stato of accounts, prodncedat the meeting held on the 316t of May last, together with the report of the directors, wore again read, and then adopted. Mr. Busn proposed, and Mr. Cooksey seconded, that Mr. Wadman fill the vacancy in the Board of Directors. Agreed to.

The following report from Mr. Skey, Analyst to the Mineralogical Department, Wellington, was then read by the Legal Manager. "Tailings from the ground of the Culliford G-old-mining Company, for examination for gold.

" About half-a-pound of a fair sample of these ■was crushed much finer than as received, and then well mixed with mercury at a temperature of from 100 to 130 degrees *Fah. After being intcrmittingly stirred well about at this temperature for three hours, the mercury was separated

from the tailings and retorted off, when a residue was obtained, but which was much, too small to J weigh, or even to identify as to its nature by mere inspection. On being chemically tested, j however, it proved to be principally gold. " This result shows that while there certainly is gold in the stone, it does not exist in such quantity as to lead one justly to suspect that the j battery at which these tailings were crushed has lost any notable portion of it, owing to the circumstances stated in your letter of the 26th of May. " (Signed) W. Sxby." The Leg-ali Manager then read the following letter, which had been received from the Manager at the mine :—: — " Wangapeka, Juno 18, 1871. Deae Sir — The crushing from No. 2 Reef was washed up yesterday. The quantity crushed was about five and a-half tones, out of which has been obtained about eight pennyweights of retorted gold. Caldwell and party have commenced to break out their Btone, and will be ready to commence crushing on or about Monday, 26th ultimo. " Yours truly, Isaac G-iti.." After some discussion respecting a letter received some time ago from Mr. Grill, in which he reported that in a drive cut from a shaft which had been sunk sixty feet deep, a reef had been discovered with gold visible in the stone. The Legal Managee read the decision arrived at by the Directors, at their meeting held the preceding evening, which was as follows :—: —

" That the Directors, having taken into consideration the question of what ought now to be done with the Company, came to the conclusion that it would be advisable to collect all calls now due without delay, to stop nil works and expenses in the meantime, pay all debts due, and, for at least four months, allow matters at the reef to stand as they are, and if at the end of that time no new discoveries of value are made in the neighbouring claims, then to call a special meeting of shareholders to get their consent to windup the Company; the machine, during the four months, to be let on terms to any Companies re quiring its use."

Mi-. Cooksey moved, and Mr. Waters seconded, a resolution to the 6ame effect aa that agreed to by the Directors.

Lady Barkly.— lt will be seen that the time of sailing of the Lady Barkly, for Motueka, on Monday morning, has been changed from lOa.m , as previously advertised, to 9 a.m.

Riwaka ScnooL Committee. — Messrs. R. Pattie, A. Drummond, and T. Goodall, were elected to fill the seats vacant by the retirement of Messrs. C. Pattie, R. Fry, sen., and J. Ingles.

Stodare's Wonders. — The performance advertised at the Assembly Rooms, this evening, will not take place ; but on Monday evening, at the Odd- Fellows' Hall, Mr. Stodare promises a grand musical entertainment, with other attractions.

G-as tor Nelson. — By an advertisement in to-day's paper, it will be seen that preliminary steps have been taken to carry out the resolution of the Provincial Council in favour of supplying Nelson with gas. The site for the works on the beach will require filling in, and give employment to labour, which, to say nothing of the eligibility of the spot, is a better way of spending money than in purchasing a site, at probably as great a cost, while the saving of carriiige of coal will always be favourable to economy.

Winter Evening Lectures. — The second of these Lectures was given last evening;, in the Assembly Room, by Mr. Simmons, Head Master, Nelson College. The subject, " Race and Language," possesses great interest, and was handled in an able manner. The room was well filled by an appreciative audience.

Amateur Christys. — The Nelson company of Amateur Christys gave a highly successful concert in the Assembly Room, on Wednesday evening last. The room was well filled, and under' the careful training of Mr. Chifcfcendon, (to whose exertions the company ovre in a great degree the success they have achieved) improvement in the performance was very marked. We hear the company intend paying a short visit to the country districts, where we are sure they will be well received.

English Mail.— No intelligence of the arrival of the mail at Auckland was received last evening, so we must presume Mr. Webb's steamer has failed to keep her time. There is a mystification concerning tho date of expected arrival. The Southern Cross, on tho authority of the agents of the steamers in Auckland, states that the Nevada, or whatever other vessel brings the mail this month, left San Francisco on the 24th ultimo, and adding the twenty-five days stipulated in the contract for the delivery of the mail in Auckland, it should have reached there last Sunday, as stated by us ; but the Cross gives twenty-eight days for the passage from America, making the mail due at Auckland on Wednesday, June 21. On the other hand, the Pos(;office authorities consider the mail pot to have been due until Thursday. There is evidently a misunderstanding about the time of departure from San Francisco.

Female Pluck and Enterprise.— The Southern Cross tells us that four ladies, three married and one single, the latter of whom was formerly a barmaid at the Royal Hotel, Trunkey Creek, shouldered tools, and went out recently on a gold-mining excursion. They found a reef, sunk a shaft ten feet, and took out a ton of quartz, which is now lying at the Lady Belmore machine to be crushed at first opportunity.

Tabanaki Iron Sand. — Experiments are being made which will show, among other things, why former attempts have failed ; how its manufacture must prove a commercial success, and in how many respects the steel produced is superior to any yot known. We can only say that we have great hopes of the success, but the results

of these experiments, favourable or otherwise will not be known for about two mouths. The experiments are conducted by Mr. Smith, Government armourer.

Prorogation op the G-eneeal Assembly.— A Gazette issued on Tuesday last, announces that Parliament is prorogued to the 15th July next, but nothing is said of its meeting for despatch of business.

Sale of Town Property. — On the 21st instant, Mr. John R. Mabin sold by public auction Town Acre No. 403, situate in Nile Street East, for £200. Mr. William Webley was the purchaser.

Acclimatisation. — The ship North Star, from Hong Kong to Otago brought four moose deer — two bucks and two dops — a cock and hen golden pheasant, and a silver pheasant. They have been secured for the Acclimatisation Society of Otago, and are very handsome creatures, the deer particularly so.

Professors for the Otago University. — The ship Wild Deer, which left Greenock on March 22, arrived at Port Chalmers on Wednesday last, having on board Professors Sale, Shand, and M'Gregor, of the Dunedin University.

The Recent Fire in Dunedin. — The Coroner's jury returned a verdict that the fire at Reichelt's was accidental. The Insurance Companies still continue legal proceedings against Reichelt, who has been admitted to bail — himself in £500, and two sureties of £300 each.

Earthquake in Australia. — A sharp shock, or rather series of shocks, of earthquakes, occurred in tho north-eastern parts of the colony of Victoria, and in the adjoining districts of New South Wales, on the Bth instant, about two o'clock in the afternoon. At Beechworth there were three distinct shocks in quick succession, which caused some alarm.. At Wodonga, there was a severe shock, which lasted several seconds. At Wagga Wagga the shock was violent, lasting ten seconds, aud causing great alarm. At Albany, a shock was felt, but less severe.

Otago Railways. — In the' Neio Zealand Qazette of June 8, it is notified that the Hon. Mr. Dillon Bell has received authority from the Governor to accept any tender or tenders for the construction and completion of sections two and three of the line of railway from Dunedin to Clutha, upon such terms and conditions as to him shall seem meet and expedient (subject, however, to the provisions of the Act) ; and further, to sign, execute, and enter into any contract or contracts with any person or persons which may be requisite or necessary, under the provisions of the Act, or either of them, for the construction and completion'of the said sections two or three of the said line of railway. Public Houses in Hobakt Town.— A deputation, consisting of the two Bishops, the Mayor, and others, waited on the Colonial Secretary on the Bth instant, to complain of the excessive number of public houses. The Colonial Secretary promised the Government would consider the matter.

A telegram from Grey town, Wairarapa, of the 17 th says, as Bannister's dray was crossing the bridge at the foot of the Rimutaka, yesterday afternoon, the bridge broke. The dray, horses, and driver (Cave) all went down. Two horses were killed and one injured. The driver escaped ,- there was a tremendous smash.

Several persons have been poisoned in Auck" land from eating native eels, but arc now re" covered after suffering severely.

At the recent criminal sessions, Auckland, Thomas Pollock Muirhead, of the Armed Constabulary, was found guilty, and sentenced to death for murdering his comrade, G-eorge Bond Gilfillan, at the Waikato, in March last. The murderer, a very intelligent man, committed the act when in delirium treraens.

A young man named Edward Elliott, living on a farm near Eaiapoi, while engaged last week in driving some cart horses out of a paddock, was kicked by one of them near the region of the heart, which caused his death.

George Goss, manager of one of the Cromwell reefs, has been drowned atßannockburn.

A whale, estimated to try out from four to five tons of oil, was captured by the Maoris on Friday, the 9th instant, to the southward of the Heads. The weather setting in bad, the whale was anchored and buoyed until a favourable opportunity presents itself to tow it in.

The retorting of the amalgam obtained from the crushing of the stuff taken out for trial ats Baker's Hill, Wellington, took place on the 12th, the result being a yield of 7 dwts. 3 grains to the ton.

The Superintendent of Wellington, Mr. Fitzherbert, made the following remarks in his speech on opening the Provincial Council : — " With regard to tho sale of land on deferred payments, and for special settlement, I believe that the time has arrived when you are bound to stimulate settlements if you wish to keep pace with the times. I bslieve further, that a Homestead Bill will at no distant date be recognized as an important feature in the land regulations, and an important colonizing attraction of the colony of New Zealand at large."

i. On and after July 1 the Telegraph offices at ! the Bluff, Invercargill, and Hokitika will be open i from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Military drill is to bo introduced in the common schools in Auckland. The works in connection with the Rangitata bridge, intended to cross the second of the great J rivers which intersect the great plain south of j Christchurcli, is being pushed forward with all j possible speed, the contractors working sixteen hours a day — from four a.m. to eight p.m. Immense boulders are met with in sinking the cylinders in tue oe d of the river, but no unusual difficulties in executing the work are anticipated.

Out of a total area of 7,200,000 acres in the province of Wellington, 4,840,000 acres are still in native hands.

Fifty thousand ladies in G-erinany have taken the pledges of total abstinence from chignon, prefering to preserve the sheen on their natural hair.