THE GOLD FIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4484, 28 March 1876, Page 3

THE GOLD FIELDS.

[FROM OUE'OWSJ.'coStESPOXBENTS.] j ~f-~v'\~ ~-77r~-^ T J " TararV.—This''.hitherto alrrtbst 'desertedcreek openingj.of the little Agnes claim.' on/the_Ohio branch pf.thecreeli, assumed a much brighter aspecfc-.ln'addition to the constant Spiking of battery of 20 ,heiidViof the Russell mill of '40 stampers,! situate foot of Tinker's Gully, his been taken in hand by Mr. James Dartow/'who, with'his habi.tual push, has; lost;no time in overhauling the battery, tables, fluming, and tramway, but has in part re-constructed the large water-wheel, making a thorough good job of it;.'performing its revolution in. -as true |a circle as conld be desired. In addition to the 'amalgamating barrels, Mr. Darrow has also erected six berdans (formerly in use at the Flora Macdonald mill), and with the appliances at command, will be to treat quartz under the most favourable circumstances. There is already a rjarcel of stone from the Ladybird'lease ready! tpi. commence' operations on at the 'mill,*iwhitfebeing close at hand, the supply can be obtained at small, cost, and needs but a small return of gold to cover expenses. With a view to encourage the mining industry" in "the locality, Mr. Darrow has offered to convey quartz on the Tinker's Gully tramway to the battery, crush it, and retort the yield, on terms of dividing the gold equally between the miners arid mill-owners. This offer is to the advantage of miners where the grade of quartz is low quality. Several pieces of ground have been re-pegged out, and doubtless will be worked. There is a probability of the creek resounding with the thud of machinery, and the profitable employment of many. . .T-

Little Agnes (Tararu). —The shareholders (Taylor and party) daring the past week have had 15 head employed at the Missouri mill. The supply ;is from the hangingwall side of the reef, left on the drive being put in, and regarded as tho poorest side of .the. reef. The week's run, judging from the amalgam, will equal J.oz.. to the ton, but no retorting will take place till the end of next week, during which time the quality and quantity will improve as the men will be up to the face, and the .whole of the lode, upwards of six feet, will be conveyed to the mill. ; Stoping the whole of the lode will'alsb be ground is easily worked, and the reef shews no sign of deterioration during the ISO feet it has been driven on. The drive from the low level is progressing satisfactorily, tho country being free sandstone, and the distance reached about 70.feet. - The two extra berdans for the mill are expected to be , in , position in a few days, when' tHe accumulated blanketings are expected to yield considerable profit to the owners. . : . ' The Countess claimj adjoining the Agnes, have put in a drive and,cut two small leaders, but have for the present failed to discover, gold in them. Work is being prosecuted. ~, ■The Advance, worked by Goodwin"and party, lies to the eastward of the Countess, and has finished a small crushing of payable stone. The reef has been driven on. and stoped, and shews an increased size—twenty inches wide. A second crushing will take place in a short time, when the yield is iexpected to be satisfactory, gold to' be' seen occasionally in the stone. : ...'■. v.--, :

A claim to the west of the Agnes had been pegged off, and worked to some extent, but the holders, failing to see.any gold in the large blow of stone cropping out of; the face, have abandoned it. It has been again taken up by a fresh lot of prospectors. The, California shareholders are able to keep five head of stampers going at the Missouri mill. : Tenders are called for the erection of a large water chest for the Tararu battery at the mouth o£ the creek, to supply the mill with cheap power, in lieu of the present turbine and steam engine now;employed. A new race is also 'being cut from the Tararu Creek to supply Mr. Brown's tailing works with additional power. AustjßNiA (Section No. 4). —The tribute worked by Lapham and party succeeded in trucking down from the Sons of Freedom to the Moanatairi battery 15 tons stone, and realised 30ozs. 13dwta. gold. The Moanatairi Company's gold, on melting, proved 2370z5. lOdwts. Queen of the May.—Shareholders are particularly requested to make application for their new shares previous to the 6th of April. Alter that date they will not be obtainable. Little Lizzie (Kakaea). —The shareholders, Scott and party, in driving on their lode, have succeeded in obtaining 201bs. of choice stone, yielding 7ozs. 13dwts. gold at their own berdan. Grown Pbince3S. —The tanks have been kept going (with the exception of a few hours on Sunday, to e'ffect necessary packirgs to engine), and have succeeded in baling out the water to within 2 feet 11, inches of the flat sheet at noon this day (Monday). Mr. Ogle has been through the lower workings, and describes the level tobe none the worse for the flooding, and is confident that on Wednesday the 'whole of: the water will be taken out. Star of Peace.—The shareholders (Peter-' son and party), ■ who have been waiting for the last six weeks to track their quartz from the head of the Moanataiari tramway, succeeded in delivery 30 tons at the Moanataiari battery, from which they obtained 25 ozs/ 15 dwts. retorted gold. The claim is portion of the old Multum-in-Parvo ground. • Taibua, Saturday. The Golden Arrow Company, though somewhat, disheartened at not being able to get their crushing dirt down to the mill, about a mile, and that quite impassable for sleighs. in places—are sinking their shaft, now down 16 feet, and obtain the same sort of stuff, which ,yielded well at the mill. They have out , in' paddock some 60 or 70 tons, which is calculated by the directors to be equal to 2 ozs. to the ton. As the company have already incurred considerable expense in cutting the track, it is more than can be reasonably expected that they should make the road good, without assistance from adjoining claims or from the Government, who, through their engineer, .-could convert this into a fair sledge track at a small amount. The Ajax mine, now under charge of Mr. Trewron, is looking well. Besides the lode in the drive, now in 110 ft., there is a branch lode to the west, about two feet wide. Driving will be continued 40 feet from this, when a rise will be put up to connect with the upper level, and the supply will then be adequate for all the crushing power at their command. The contractors for the

erection of the battery hare completed their work in a satisfactory manner, and from the manner in which everything worked at the engineer's test, the company may be congratulated on having a ten-stamper battery, erected under no ordinary difficulties, equal to any of its class on the goldfield. There are two berdans, 3 feet 6 inches in diameter, attached to the battery. ,The official starting of the company's mill will come" off in a few days, and its successful crushing of quartz may yet bring to light the present hidden resources of this part of our goldfields, which have been well .nigh extinguished by the miserable failure of some. o£ the companies. Ohixesiuri, Friday. The Karangahake battery is progressing. The boxes are in position and tables laid, ready for coppering, but it will take some time before either it or the water-race is complete. The dam is complete, and is a substantial piece of jivork. The trellisworfc across iixe Waitewhata is finished, and. the whole o£ the- work reflects credit upon the contractor, but unless extra hands are employed; the completion of both : the mill and race will be several weeks. In the mine, the new manager, Mr. Gornes, has been pushing matters on, connecting the rise with, the winze, as also a new;drive 20 feet below the top level, in which a-fine body of quartz has been cut. The manager is endeavouring to make arrangements for the formation 'o? a'tram or road to connect the mine with the :battery.;.".-..".' IV ' " ",' \\'.-L.',',-'' .'".•: j .. ■ On i-he* spur, little is being done by any of the other leaseholders.

@] .nowin J with J their jgoss-ent fronj~Tjne drive, •75^eii^he"c7)uSErp° f improving r and-expecg to cut theifro.c4 ileadeE withjns2o feet. It -48-intended-toput in a.cr6ss : cnt_to_the_east rfor-the purpose,of intersecting the lodesthat l cro l p surface. H - l HP j The Radical have-cut the reef in their tdrive/from which they obtained arverygood show on the surface,- , but the reef where cut' is rather brokenup. Y '''l{ i The Annie have driyen, : so.,' feet through hard country, but expect to intersect the reef found on the surface,in a short time, j Star op drive continues very wet, but fair progress - has been made; The tunnel is in 230 feet; Several goldbearing stringers have /been cut,; and ' shareholders have determined to ..drive an-, other 50 feet, in the hope of meeting with something more promising, failing which they will drive 100 feet on a lower level. This claim .has -been', perseveringly "and pluckily worked.-and deserves success. ,' ■ Cameron and party ' are . working with' vigour,- and for the time they have accomplished much.'. ' ." f: ,T •"-. , •" ".I , The Waitekauri Company's machinery is nearly all on the ground.' 'The teamsters are hard at work, 1 and portions of thelroad would be much better if a few pounds were expended upon it. j A great amount of work has-been done by the company; the tramway ; is com- -. pleted for about one mile, and within a few chains of the paddock at mouth of drive. The water-race is in hand, and will be.ready before the battery. The wheel-pits, stamper-' beds, buildings, and all the carpenters' work, is in a forward state, ; The company have applied for 50 acres lease adjoining the mill! site, for the purpose of affording accommodation for the numerous employees and horses that will of necessity be connected with the undertaking. Objection has, however; been made to the application. The, result, will, be made known shortly.; Considerable; progress has been made in the drive being put in by contractors;- Mr. C. ■Wilson'is in charge of the mining operations, and Mr. Corbett of all the works connected; with the battery. I .'Young.-: Colonial and,; All This claim is .making fair progress, and the stone obtained (both being on the same line of reef) shews gold, sufficient to justify the expectation that their work'will' ydy. ■ . The Welcome.—This "claim keep adding to their stock of quartz in the paddock, and the stone is regarded as good payable crushing stuff. An offer has been made by Mr. Bleazard to convey 1000 tons to the Waitekauri battery, and. crush the same for half of the proceeds. Not a bad offer, considering the cost entailed. : r : .".'. ![.!•" ' i The Fergus O'Connor, Bank of New Zea-' land, Bank of England, and other claims, are all, working, in confident expectation" that the battery will prove they have each a fortune for themselves. I ■