THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9116, 26 July 1888, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

SALE OF THE ARIZONA MINE,

MAROTOTO.

Mr. Quinn informs us that he yesterday completed the sale of the Arizona mine, MdXototo (Hikutaia), to a gentleman representing an English syndicate, on behalf of himself and the other shareholders. The claim consists of about 11 acres. It is situated to the south of the Prospectors claim, but on the same line of reef, and is considered a valuable mining property. It has been opened by drives, and a winze has been sunk on a reef seven feet thick, which is easily broken, and which Mr. Quinn states has given by actual crushing tests at the rate of 2oz to the ton. ■ Mr. Quinn has been continuously mining on the Thames Peninsula since the opening of the goldfields, and has held the important position of manager of the Queen of Beauty and the Bird in Hand, on the Waiokaraka flat, Grahamstown, and was subsequently manager of the Colonist and Diamond Gully mines at Te Aroha. His opinion, therefore, is of some weight, and while he admits that the shareholders without capital could do nothing to develop the mine which has just been sold, he believes it will be a property which will pay the purchasers well, provided it is worked systematically, and the best gold-saving appliances are adopted for the treatment of the ore.

\ [BY telegraph.—own CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Wednesday. Cambria. — A small leader showing colours of gold was cut at No. 4 level this afternoon. Caledonian.—A trial crushing from No. 1 reef, No. 1 level, is shaping about seven dwts. of gold per load. The return from six loads of quartz from the winze on Rowe's leader is 56ozs. hard-squeezed amalgam. Thames School of Mines.— Montgomery is about to utilise the new experimental plant in testing three different parcels of ore from Karangahake. Each parcel consists of lewt., and the course of treatment will be as follows : —Dry crushing, sampling, and assaying; roasting, and assaying again to see what loss (if any) is caused by roasting; and, finally, amalgamating. Paeroa, Wednesday. Mr. G. W. Small, the mining expert, arrived here to-day. MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. 1 Cambria.—The mine manager wired yesterday " Cut small leader in crosscut No. 4 level. Colours of gold seen when breaking it down." New Ai.bur.nia. —During the week the quartz broke out on the company's account has showed gold freely, but very little picked stone has been saved. The quartz on hand has been forwarded to the battery, \ and a start was made to-day, but so far I cannot say about its value ; there will be about 15 loads and 301bs picked stone to go through. Tributers: .lobe and party have obtained SOozs 13dwts from 17 loads and 601bs picked stone, company's per centace, £32 19s 3d. Irwin and party will be finished crushing about Thursday 10 loads and OOlbs picked stone. Henderson and party will also be finished to-morrow 7 loads and 701bs picked stone; they have 39ozs in the bank, but not yet finished with berdans. Saxon.—The low level has been advanced 13 feet during the past week, and the junction of the two lodes is now in hand. A few colours of gold were seen in the quartz to-day. The reef at the junction j is much larger than it has been, but I cannot yet say how thick it is; some good mineral is seen through it, and it is a compact body of stone. The fourth stope on hangingwall reef, being worked from No. 4 level, is now up to the Trenton boundary ; the fifth stope has been advanced 10 feet during the week, with the reef about one foot thick ; the sixth stope 10 feet, with 8 'inches of quartz; and tho seventh, 5 feet, in which there are only 2 inches of quartz. Favourable mineral and occasional colours of gold are seen in all these stopes. On footwall reef, the eighth stope is up to the boundary. The ninth has been extended 8 feet; the reef here is about 10 inches thick, and a little gold is seen in breaking it down. At No. 3 level, the drive on footwall portion of main reef has been advanced 10 feet, and the reef is one foot thick ; leading stone advanced 10 feet, second stope 9 feet, and third stope 12 feet; in all the workings on this portion, the reef is about one foot thick, and colours of gold are seen through the quartz. The drive on the hangingwall reef has been advanced 7 feet; leading stope, 9 feet; second 8; and third stope, 7 feet. In all these stopes the reef is from 15 to 18 inches in thickness, and colours of gold are seen in all. On No. 1 footwall leader three stopes are in hand, and each has been advanced 8 feet; the lead is 6 inches thick, and good colours of gold are seen in it. Mr. Bayldon has been down in the mine to-day taking measurements for the sectional plan, and when finished I will forward it, and this will show more clearly the position of this leader and the work done on it. No work has been done in the crosscut at No. 8 level this week, as it is full of mullock, and the stopes below are not yet ready for it. Retorting of amalgam on hand, 6470z lOdwt, took place to-day for the ■ result of 210oz retorted gold—2B6 loads of general dirt were crushed for this amount. Paroquet.—Since my . last report the contractors have completed a distance of ii feet on No. 1 level —the total distance of driving from Lawry's run of gold northward is 70 feet. The reef on the whole has been changeable—sometimes solid, and looking well for gold, and at other times soft, and of a stringy nature. For the present I considered it advisable to cease working here, and confine ourselves to working On the No. 8 level, as No. 1 level can be kept , open when the stopes advance and ascend that far. I have had the two men for the past fortnight driving south on No. 3 level. The quartz here looks well, and should crush fairly, as it is well paineralised, and occasionally shows colours of gold. I nave also had the two men working in the north end, cutting into the footwall to ascertain the full width and quality of the reef. lam running 10 head of stampers on Gem quartz, day time only; but,-owing" to so much blanketings, I am obliged to run all ' the berdans two shifts. The battery is working smoothly— stampers going at 60 biows a minute. I have treated six tons of Paroquet tailings and had a cleaning up, and banked 9oz 7dwt of melted gold. Gem.— the last cleaning up I have had (on an average) eleven men employed in the mine (and battery while crushing) up to the 21st instant, and during that time 65 tons of quartz have been won, 40 tons of which have been crushed for a vieid of 182oz amalgam. lam still crushing on equally good quartz, and will continue until instructed to" clean up and retort. The mine continues to look well, and the quality of the ore coming to hand is quite up to anything hitherto obtained. In the face the country has changed to its original kindly nature. I have started driving backwards, or in a southerly direction, on the leader. Here the quartz looks quite as well as elsewhere, although I have not yet seen any gold. However, everything has gone to" the mill, and the daily yield of amalgam continues very regular. I would-again strongly urge the extension of the low level drive, as there can- be no mistake about the leader being stronger under foot, while the richest stone was also taken from under foot. The country is very easy, and the cost would not be great. New Manckao.—The block stoping on No. 5 will be finished this week, leaving a few feet jus# to secure the level until the next clock is out. Mulligan's leader, east of winze, in ...iking and looking better on back of stope, but no gold has beon seen yet. The. leader is looking well enough now to be able to report cold any day. Tributers: Kerr and party are breaking out payable dirt, but the leader is very small! Oovan and party are not doing rimed as yet. The dirt being crushed is shaping for a payable return.