LATEST THAMES NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1893, 15 February 1870, Page 5

LATEST THAMES NEWS.

[FBOM OUB OWN COEEESFONDENT.j SONS OF FfiEEDOM. A meeting of the shareholders of the claim was held on the 11th instant., at the Thames Hotel, with a full attendance. After auditing the accounts, those which were unpaid were ordered to be settled forthwith, and the balance accruing from the last crushing was placed in the Onion Bank to the credit of the claim. It was also" unanimously resolved to put on an extra lot of men to prosecute the development of this company's ground with unceasing vigour, the returns having been such as to warrant the shareholders in doing this. The extent of ground is ten men's, which has been manned by that number, but now it will be doubled. [Feoji the Thames " Advebtiseb."] THE GOLDEN CROWN. The retorting for the Golden Crown that took place on Saturday gave a yield of 408 ounces of retorted gold from about 85 tons of stone. The gold was melted at the Bank of New * Zealand, and lost 17 ozs. 14 dwts., making the return of melted gold 390 ozs. 6 dwts., or an average of 4 ozs. and nearly 12 dwts. to the ton. This lot is only the result of the stone put through at the company's own battery, thsre being as yet no returns from the Tararu battery, a portion of which is employed crushing for this company. The working of taking out quartz by contract is still going on, but we understand the contractors are not likely to make a pile out of it. The work of pushing along the low level from the shaft is also going briskly forward, and the stone has changed for the better. THE LONG DRIVE. The usual fortnightly clearing up and specimen crushing for the Long Drive, took place on Friday and Saturday, with exceedingly rich returns, and shaws plainly that there i 3 no deterioration in the quality of the stone from this splendid mine. There were about lOcwt. of specimens crushed, and these gave 8r return of 1485 ozs. 13 dwts. of retorted gold, the general stuff yielding 344 ozs. 12 dwts., making a total result of 1830 ozs. 5 dwts. of retorted gold for the fortnight ending Saturday last; .'and a portion of the gold was melted on Saturday last at the Bonk of New Zealand, and the rest will be finished to-day. The result is certainly a splendid one. THE EXCELSIOR SPECIMENS. The parcel of specimens brought up from the Excelsior claim, 'Coromandel, last week, were crushed at Hull's battery, and yielded 22 ozs. of gold from 85 lbs. of stone. The leader from which these specimens were taken is from 6 to 10 inches thick, and is thought to be a spur from a main lode that runs through the range, and has been opened in the Tofcatea and Morgan's claim. The stoue is fine solid quartz, and the gold is mixed up with, mundic. "WESTON'S BATTERY. Thiß battery has been kept steadily at work lately. It is now crushing for the Pride of the "West, and for the Alburnia, and the Tale of Avoca is sending down a lot of 100 tons. The Pride of - the West is shaping well for a good return, and the Alburnia stuff looks bettor than it did in the beginning. A good return is anticipated from the Yale of Avoca stuff. . -. , PCTftIKI. DESTRUCTION OF TRREE BRIDGES. February 11. It seems that the bridle-track to Puriri has given offence to. some person or persons unknown, for the mailman reports that three of the bridges haVe been burnt down, and that be had considerable delay in consequence. It would bo a good thing if the police could find out who has done this mischief.