THE GOLDEN SPUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 16 February 1870, Page 3

THE GOLDEN SPUR.

[Fkom the "Thames Advertiser."

It is with mucli pleasure we record, a rich find ill the Golden Spur claim, Hape Creek, for the steady industry of the miners to whom the claim belongs deserves to be rewarded. They have only been working tho mine for about nine months, and tho amount of work already performed would compare favourably with many of the surrounding claims that have been worked for two years. On Friday last a very good show of specimens were taken out of the reef, the gold being coarse and wiry. A crushing of twenty tons was commenced yesterday at Vickery's machine, and up to last night was making a very fair show on the plates. There is a great deal of sandstone and mullock mixed up with the quartz, which cannot fail to reduce the average of the return, but the stone is apparently much more than payable. THE WHAU COMPANY. The workings of this company's mine are now in <»:eelleut order, aud the supply of stone th:il is turned out daily is of a much butler quality than formerly. The last fortnight's crushing :it the company's own butterv gr»ve an average of three-quarters of an I ounce,' and tlie crushing that is going on at tho Thames Company's battery is showiug up for oven u larger return than that, bo that there is little doubt but tliat by careful management and persevering systematic work, the mine will bo made to pay well with present prospects. A new shaft, has been sunk near the boundary of the Success and Pride of the West, to a depth of about fifty feet, and the manager is uow opening out oil the reel", from this level towards tho old workings. The roef here is about three feet, thick, and is almost vertical, a d the shait, , although so near the boundary, is in a fine position for working the reef advantageously. "WTien communication is opjuedup with the old workings there will be every facility for stoping out the reef in large blocks. As it is, a portion of it is being stoped out. and the stone -ooks well. On account of bad .air a rise

had to be broken through to the surface, and this was only finished last week.. The. works of the inine at present present a striking contrast to what they formerly were,; and the change is highly creditable to the manager, and we have little dovbt that when these }ower levels "are' opened up, the mine will prove profitable to the shareholders. THE PBIDE OF THE WEST. The Pride of the West, although in one of the best localities in the field, was until lately nerer known us a very profitable mine; but this was entirely owing to the manner in which it had been worked. A number of surface leaders had been opened and followed up in. shallow drives to,little advantage, and:it remained, forthe mine, on the formation, of a company, to be developed in a workmanlike manner. Dixon's reef was opened in the shaft sank for that purpose, and the workings from die opposite side of the hill were pushed forward with vigour. Some very fine stone <is : now l&rig turned out, and several erushings thnt have taken placie since' the reef was '' opened'up have given highly ■ remunerative returns. Acrushing for this claim is now going on at Weston's batteiy, whicli gives promise of a return fully equal to the former ones. ; THS CXJMBT NO. 1. Thero ore a numbcr of claims on the Kuranui range which hare for a long time enjoyed the protection whioh: has been extended to those who chose .to . deposit £20, and apply for a lease.! ; One of those, the Comet No. 1, has been nnworked over a very extensive period, altjiOTigli <the prospects were believed to be excellent,' the strike of the Middle Star lode was'believed'to be right through it:- f '-S£e' claim consists of .only six men's ground, and the other' dajr,the lease being refused,., it was taken posseifiion of under the old system, and work - was' recommenced in the old shaft •where two large lodes had previously been opened. '< • One of- these-on whioh tho mpn ' are now - sinking a winze, is .about eighteen inches, running in a direction due north and south, or straight for the Middle Star, the main leader, of which it is believol to be. a continuation of. The second leader, is some two feet thick, and rone EJO!, and "W.S.W., dipping to the northwards ' -,6dld' has, we are informal, been, found in''bo£h,;and the shareholders intead at once toting, r o6fc parcels for crushing, so as to test the gpliil-bearing qualities of each. '' '' ' ■ THE INVERNESS; ' "A trifd crushing of stone from the large black : leader in the Inverness claim will be sent down to-day to be crushed at Goodall's batteiy.? A-parcel crushed from the surface of this on a former occasion gave an average of 18 dwts. to the ton. Ifitcontinues to yield even; this low average it will prove a very valuable addition to the claim, for it is easily worked; A general crushing from the main leader will be commenced next week. POVEBTT AND OHABLESTON. A crashing for this claim is going on at - Qoodall's battery, with prospects that show a great' improvement OTer the recent ones. An average iof over an bonce to the ton is expected.: ; '- THE JDNOTION. For Boma time past a crushing for the Junction has been going on at the six-stamper b&tteiy of the Knranui machine. It will be finished to-day, and a good payable return is expected.^ A quantity of . good specimens were exhibited yeetwrday.from the winze working of the ilying Cloud claim. Several pounds weight werie taken out, and the reef is said to be improving ia appearan<»as it is worked upon. ETEBY OBOSS AND Q-EEAT VICTOBIA. Gold jras struck in the big reef of the 1 above company yesterday. . Since work has been resumed, attention has been directed to driving on the big reef. The cross-cut is now- in -twenty-four feet • ;on the: reef, and not through it, bat gold was visible/inrtlie stone taken out yesterday. This reef is one of the -largest yet found even in Tsrarn, the district of all others, for immense bodies of stone, and the finding of gold in such a lode " augurs well for the . future of the company. ; THE CDBB COMPANY. This persevering company"' appear to be Bailing upon the very flood-tide of fortune, for their lack Having once turned, the fickle goddess seems anxious to' make amends for past unkindnesses by showering her gifts in Tinunlimited profusion. Not a day passes without witnessing rich finds in the way of specimens; during, our -visit to the mine yesterday, we saw a lot of -beautaes.taken out of the face of the drive, where the stuff is precisely of the same' appearance and constituency as - the Golden Crown claim. !