THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9131, 13 August 1888, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

MINING SUMMARY. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Thames, Saturday. This month I have the pleasure of chronb cling the successful disposal of several of our best mining properties on the English and Australian markets. Those of most note are as follows :—The Crown mine, Karangahake, sold to a Glasgow syndicate, on the basis that the net purchase money to the company, afterdeducting all commission and brokerage, will amount to £16,000, to be paid for either in cash or shares fully paid up; but that, in any event, not less than £2500 sterling shall be paid in cash. The Champion mine, Tui Creek, Te Aroha, has been disposed of to English capitalists, who, after providing that the local shareholders' interest shall be fully paid up, also provides a working capital of £15,000. Next comes the Paroquet mine, Waiomo, purchased by an Australian syndicate, and the Arizona and three adjoining claims at Marototo to Mr. G. P. Quayle, of Canterbury. The sale of these respective properties cannot help having a very beneficial effect upon the district generally, for the introduction of outside capital will not only help to raise the heavy depression at present hanging over us, bub will also free local capital for use in other directions. In each of the claims mentioned most extensive operations towards their development are to be commenced forthwith, and there is every reason to believe they will be most successful. The treatment of our refractory ores is at present occupying the attention of Parliament, and it is considered likely that a substantial bonus will eventually be offered by Government for the introduction of a system into the colony which will most successfully treat refractory ores. But while the subject is being merely discussed in Parliament, there are others at work endeavouring to practically solve the difficulty, with what result time alone will tell. At Karangahake, Mr. Parkes, a gentleman of great metallurgical experience, has almost completed the erection of one of his reverberatory furnaces, and expects soon to commence melting a parcel of ore from the Champion lode at Tui Creek, Te Aroha, after which parcels will bo treated from several of the Karangahake mines. Should his process be successful, other plants of a more extensive nature will be erected in different parts of the goldfield. The Molloy hydrogen-amalgam process is now undergoing a thorough trial here at the Thames, but sufficient time has not yet elapsed since the plant has been in operation to speak of its success or otherwise. In about two months hence the NewberyVautin process will be ready for the treatment of our ores, a start having been made during the present week to erect the preliminary plant. At To Aroha the subject of dealing with refractory ores has been occupying the attention of a Mr. Howell, an American mining expert, on behalf of the Te Aroha Gold and Silver Mining Company. After many experiments and careful inquiry Mr. Howell has come to the conclusion that profitable results can be obtained by the process of smelting and concentration, and consequently has advised the addition of a smelting plant—to consist of a revolving roaster, a reverberatory matting furnace, a mixing floor, and a water-jacket smelting furnaceto what is already one of the best ore-reducing plants in the colony. In addition he has also advised the procuring of two rock breakers, 18 concentrators, and an additional 20 head of stampers. His suggestions have been adopted, and the preliminary steps taken to procure the necessary plant. Great activity is being displayed in opening up and developing the resources of the company's mine, before which there is evidently a bright future. At Waihi, Mr. .1. W. Walker is pushing forward the erection of the Waihi Goldmining Company's reduction works, the building for the reception of the machinery being now completed. The machinery is now being put together, and the manager expects to have everything in working order sometime during the month of September. At the mine a contract has been let for sinking a shaft 130 feet, and which is already down a depth of about l.'i feet below the surface. The heavy timber for the poppet heads, etc., is now luring prepared, and the same will be erected over the shaft as quickly as possible. S to ping is being continued in the Rosemonc-smithy level, and first-class ore is being brought to grass. The crosscut which has been started to find the upper section of the Union lode has advanced 38 feet. A great number of small veins have been gone through, and the country is most likely for enriching any lode that may be found. The winze in this level is now down 40 feet. The vein lately became small ami irregular, but on Friday last it opened out solid, and now seems to have run into a deposit of new class ore, exceptionally rich in both gold and silver, and gives assay returns of £83 per ton. The contract lor driving in the Union smithy level has been suspended in order to allow stoping and timbering. The ore coming to hand from this level is very good and abundant. In the Rosemont low level the Union reef has been driven on 18 feet north. In this direction the reef is from 5 to ii feet wide. It has also been driven on for the same distance south. The reef here is not quite so strong, but quite as good. The manager states that he has seen no stone at Waihi so rich in gold and silver as that which is now being got in at both ends of this drive. The drive on this reef at this level has been driven a distance of 80 feet, and carries grand ore all the way, showing clearly a decided improvement in depth at each level, and thus indicating what may be expected 1.00 feet lower, where the manager intends to open out in the shaft in about eight weeks' time. Mr. Small, the metallurgist and amalgamator, who arrived from America by the last mail, under engagement to the company, is now on the ground, and under his supervision constant assays of the ore coming to hand from the various levels are being made. In the Martha Company's mine, in the same district, several parties of tributers are at work, most of whom tire getting payable stone. Two or throe other claims have recently been taken up and licenses applied for, so that altogether this district is likely to be a most prosperous one in the near future. At Waitekauri systematic operations are about to be commenced on the Jubilee G.M. Co.'s property, Mr. E. K. Cooper having just arrived from London with a sum of money subscribed by a syndicate for the purpose of opening up and thoroughly developing the property. Operations are also being carried on in the Mangakara mine, in. the same district, on behalf of a Melbourne syndicate, who have lately acquired the property. At Marototo several new licensed holdings have been taken up, but operations in this district at the present time are chiefly confined to the properties held by Sydney syndicates. With the coming of spring, however, more of the properties will be manned, and new discoveries probably made. News from Whangamata states that prospecting works are still being carried on in several of the claims there, and in some cases very promising prospects are met with. The wet weather, however, has rather limited the amount of work done. At the Thames mining matters have been somewhat quiet, but still a good deal of work is going on in the various mines. The Saxon mine is still turning out a large tonnage of payable quartz, and likely to continue to do so for some time to come. A cleaning up yesterday, after crushing 256 loads general dirt, gave 198oz retorted gold, but in addition to this the manager lias on hand a good parcel of picked stone, which accumulated while the above dirt was being broken out. Good progress is being made in opening up the new No. 5 level. In the Cambria mine operations at present are rather of a prospecting character, but still a little payable quartz is coming to hand— the last crushing of 46 loads of general dirt yielding 530z 7dwt of melted gold. The most important work at the mine at present is the opening up of No. 4 level in the Darwin section of the mine. A week or two more should see in hand some of the leaders worked successfully at the upper levels, and, as a good gold-bearing class of country is being penetrated, it is hoped payable stone will soon be met with. Trial crushing for .the Caledonian Gold Mining Company have recently been completed with partial success. Six loads taken from a leader which is being sunk upon below No. 2 level, yielded 18oz lldwtgold, or an average of fully 3oz per load, but 28 loads from No. 1 reef, at No. 1 level, gave only Boz 9d\vt, or an average o JGdwts. In consequence of the poorness of this latter yield the man

ager has suspended work for the present on No. 1 reef, and removed the men to No. 3 level to drive on the leader which the winze is being sunk upon, and which is now down a depth of 70 feet. The negotiations for the sale of the Moanataiavi Gold Mining Company's property to a London syndicate having fallen through, it has been decided to place it on the Australian market. If this movement is unsuccessful, it is probable the company will again be re-formed in Auckland. At present the mine is entirely in the hands of tributers, some of whom are doing fairly well. The manager of the Prince Imperial mine has at last dropped across payable quartz in No. 1 reef at No. 3 level, and a crushing of 30 loads of quartz, finished this week, gave the fair return of 38 ounces gold. The monthly return from the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company's mine is 213 ounces melted gold from 18 tons of quartz. The annual report from the directors of this company states that during the twelve months ending 30th June last the total tonnage of quartz crushed amounted to 2300 tons, for a yield of '2911 ounces melted gold, and after deducting working expenses and paying £1500 in dividends, there still remained a sum of £726 to the credit of the company. The last cleaningup for the Manukau Company gave a return of 6(5 ounces of gold from 22 tons quartz. The block on No. 5 reef is now completed, but Mulligan's leader is quickly being opened up, and some good returns are expected from it. What used to be the Kuranui Gold Mining Company's property, is now held in three different leases, and owned by as many parties. In Comer's and Turtle's sections tributers are ohieily employed, some of whom are doing very well, but in Hansen's section, besides a number of tributers being employed, the owner himself is crushing promiscuously from several old mullock tips a short'distance up the Kuranui Creek, he having reerected 20 head of stampers in the old battery for the treatment of the same. About SO tons- per diem are treated, with payable results. The last crushing on behalf of the Alburnia Company, consisting of 18 loads of quartz and a small parcel of picked stone, yielded 36Joz gold. The block being worked is situated above the old battery level, and is likely to last for a considerable time. During the past week a great improvement has been apparent in the reef, and more than the usual quantity of picked stone has been obtained. Two or three parties of tributers working on the same leader at a lower level are doing remarkably well. At Waiomo mining matters are extremely quiet. Pending the taking over of the Paroquet property by its new proprietors, only a. very limited quantity of work is being done. A second crushing from the new leader in the Gem Gold Mining Company's property was finished a few days ago for the payable return of 590z gold from 50 tons. This leader will probably be opened up at a lower level soon, when even better results are anticipated. At Te Mata most of the claims are standing idle until the battery now being erected is ready for crushing, which will not be for three or four weeks yet. The total yield of gold for the past month, including the Thames anil upper country returns, totals up to about 323()0z. Coromandel, Saturday. Since my last summary the Warden has held a Court here, and granted a large number of licenses in this district, which has caused a large amount of activity to be displayed in various quarters. While the Warden was here the matter of the foreshore cropped up again. He visited the claims, and although he had not received the instructions said to have been forwarded by the Government, lie ordered Brentnell and party to go to work, .and McCormack's party were also allowed to continue. I understand from Mr. Cad man, M.II. 11., that definite instructions have now been sent to the Warden, so no doubt there will be no hitch in tin; future. lb is very important, that this matter should tie settled, as no doubt there will be some very large operations on the foreshore before long, all the way from Preeee's Point to trie Union Beach, and, perhaps, even beyond that, as far as 1 lane's freehold, as good specimens have been picked up in that direction. At anyrateon the beach between the two wharves very good gold can be got in silt or wash dirt lying on the bed rock, and so far as it has been tested, the further you go out to sea the richer iti'-*'becomes. This fact is rather startling, as it leads one to suppose there is a rich reef further out which has shed this gold; certainly, nothing as yet found on land adjoining can at all account for this large quantity of loose gold ; bur, as I have before stated, the large reef at Preece's Point, which strikes right across the harbour for the wharf, is supposed to have done so. [ understand a company has been formed to work Brentnell's claim, and they start sinking at once. Thus there is a fair chance of this matter being set at rest, within a reasonable time. Another very important matter has taken place, during the past month, viz., an Auckland syndicate placed the Castle Rock, Vaughan's, and Nelson claims on the Melbourne market. About a fortnight ago a Mr. Armstrong, a gentleman of considerable experience, arrived to inspect and report upon these properties. He went very carefully over the whole, examined and sampled them in various places. He also examined the record of past crushing, etc., and from what I can learn he was very well pleased with all he saw, and no doubt if his report is favourable active operations will be immediately commenced in this district. I also understand that negotiations are in progress for a much larger concern, in fact it will embrace several of our leading mines, and if the proposed plan of operations is carried out will be one of the grandest undertakings on this peninsula. The Colville Company (an English syndicate), Captain Thomas, also contemplate commencing operations on a large scale on the Big Reef, and adjacent stringers and leaders. New machinery is to be brought out which is expected to reduce the cost of treatment to a minimum. As there is practically an inexhaustible supply of quartz in this reef, all more or less auriferous, it only wants reducing power at a cheap rate to make 'he whole of it profitable ; and, the reef being something like a backbone, similar to the Great Cotnstock Lode, in America, may also be very rich in some parts when properly worked.

Coromandkl GOLD COMPANY.—AII the work in this mine is in a very forward state, but they have not been able to get into the Palmerston shaft yet. Kapanga.—l understand very rich gold has been taken out of this mine during the past month, but I have not been able to learn the quantity. The mine looks well throughout, and improves the more it is opened up. Sinking the main shaft is expected to be resumed shortly. South Kapanga.—Operations are to be resumed in the mine immediately, and as the Kapanga is getting gold coming towards them the prospects before the company are excellent. Tokatea.—Several of the tributers have have had good crushings during the past month, and the prospects in some of them are really good. Royal Oak.—Mayne's tribute has been turning out very good again. They had a crushing last week and obtained 1230z gold. Masonic.—This mine is looking very well, and is likely to do first-rate. TIKI DISTRICT. Makiebell.—The men are driving for the flat reef, and are in great hopes of getting something good. Very little is doing in Castle Rock, Vaughans, and Nelson, pending the reply from Melbourne, which, however, should arrive within a week or so. Manaia.—The weather has very much impeded operations in the mines here. Bkickmore and Co. are sending down some rich stuff. Several men are out prospecting in various directions, and as the spring advances we shall hope to hear of some new finds. The following are the returns of gold for the month, exclusive of the Kapanga : — Tokatea, McAlpine's tribute, 7oz '2dwt; Tokatea, Carlson's tribute, 55oz5dwt; Tokatea, Wiseman's tribute, 18dwt; Tokatea, Hornibrook's tribute, 20oz 2dwt; Royal Oak, Mayne'a tribute, 1230z 13dwt; Rob Roy, Mulling' tribute, 4oz 2dwt; Harbour View, Waters' tribute, 7oz Isdwts ; Eldorado, 14oz 4dwt; Cabbage Bay, 2oz 9dwt; Masonic, lldwt; Colebrook (Manaia), sluicing, 18dwt I2"r; Mayne, tailings, lloz4dwt; sundries, Iqz 4dwt : total, 2670z 7dwt 12gr. [by telegraph.—own correspondents.] Thamks, Saturday. Caledonian.— winze below No. 2 level is now down a depth of 70 feet. The drive on the same leader at No. 3 level, to get in under the winze, has been extended 25 feet during the week, and is going

through a good class of country. A small quantity of the quartz came down whilst shooting away the sandstone yesterday, in which colours of gold were seen. The following tributers returns are to hand :— Stafford and party, 8 loads lloz 4dwt gold ; Sawyer and party, 251b picked stone, 16oz 18dwt; Gardner and party, 3 loads 4oz 4dwt. Hodge and party are now crushing nine loads of quartz, and are expecting a profitable return. Alburnia.—The company's eastern stopes on Jobe's leader, above the battery level, are now evidently on the junction with the Success reef, for there is a noted improvement in the class of dirt coming to hand, whilst more than the usual quantity of picked stone has been obtained during the week. An impression is current that the blocks now being worked by the tributers, Jobe and party and Irwin and party, were let to them after the discovery of payablegold in this leader by the company. Such is not the case, but rather to the contrary. The tributers, who are working from the Whau level, were the discoverers of the leader themselves, and it was their successful working of the same that induced the company to tackle it in the block above them. SAXON.—Cleaning up and retorting took place yesterday for the return of 19Sozs retorted gold, which is the product of 256 loads of quartz crushed. At the mine operations are progressing as usual. In the drive on the hangingwall portion of the main reef at No 3 level a " head " has come in and cut off the reef, but after pushing the drive ahead a few feet a small quartz leader was met with. In order, however, to allow of the leading stope being advanced up to the " head," so as to ascertain if the reef can be better traced at that point, the drive has been suspended for a day or two. The reef in the stopes above is a well delined body of stone ranging from fifteen ,to eighteen inches thick, and when broken down shows colours of gold freely. The drive on the 'footwall portion is still under way, as also are the stopes above, the reef averaging about a foot in thickness, and showing e'ood colours of gold. There is no change to note in the stopes above No. 4 level, or in the stopes on No. 1 footwall leader, the usual grade of quartz coming to hand from each place. At No. 5 level the contractors have made excellent progress during the past week, having driven a distance of 17 feet. The drive is now in a distance of nearly 190 feet from the shaft, and the reef in the face shows a width of 15 inches, whilst colours of gold are generally seen when breaking it down.

Cambria.—A good class of country is still being met with at No. -1 level, but no gold has yet been teen in the new leader which was cut during the week, which still lies very flat. Good strong colours and dabs of gold are seen in sloping out the hangingwall leader above the intermediate, and colours of gold are also seen in the stopes on the main reef and No. 7 leader, above No. 3 level.

Waiomo District.—The manager of the Paroquet mine has two men employed at No. 3 level driving on the main reef, which is all that is being done in the mine at present. Mr. Power, a Melbourne gentleman, visited the mine during the week for the purpose of preparing a report on the property on behalf of the syndicate negotiating for its purchase, but he has not yet completed his inspection. The battery is employed eight hours per day crushing for the Gem G.M.C. This latter company is still stoping on the black leader from which the two last payable returns were taken, and also doing a little prospecting in other parts of the mine.

Adeline AmalgamatedG.M. Co., Limited (to be registered).—There has been quite a rush from the shareholders in the Diamond, Adeline, Rose, Dubbo, and Josephine companies for applications for the shares they are entitled to in the new company. In a very short time all will be completed and the various claims amalgamated. The returns from Keefton for the past week are .-—Dark, 30Soz amalgam from 18b" tons; Globe, 117oz from 100 tons ; Progress, 660z from 90 tons.