THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9155, 10 September 1888, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

MONTHLY SUMMARY. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS. J Thames, Saturday. The past month has been a very quiet one all round, there being no fresh developments to record, although active operations have been carried on at all the various centres. Two mining properties have passed into the hands of Australian capitalists, viz., the Thames Prospecting Association's Special Claim of 78 acres, situated on the southern range of the Waiotahi Creek, Thames, and the Paroquet Gold Mining Co. property, situated at Waiomo. The first-mentioned property is composed almost entirely of virgin country, and is bounded by mining properties which have been noted for their richness, but notwithstanding this fact the ground has been allowed to remain unprospected up to the present time for want of capital and enterprise. The new owners intend to commence o{>erations by first sinking a shaft and then crosscutting, which works, it is to be hoped, will soon be in hand. The Paroquet property is also what may be considered new ground, for although it has been in the hands of its late proprietors for a considerable period; still it has not received that attention which its prospects demanded, but it is understood the new proprietors are prepared to set to work more systematically and with more energy than ever was shown by their predecessors. News from Marototo is hardly so satisfactory as could be wished for. A good deal of prospecting is still going on in several of the claims there, but with the setting in of spring it is to be hoped more energy will be displayed, in manning many of the claims in which little or nothing is at present being done. AC Te Aroha the Mount Aroha Co. are pushing ahead the development of their mine, and the erection of the addition to their reduction works with all possible speed, but it will be some time yet before all is in readiness .for a wholesale treatment of quartz by the various methods which are proposed to be adopted when all the preliminary works are completed. The manager of the Waihi Gold .Alining Co., Waihi, is pushing forward with all possible speed the erection of the machinery, and the end of another month should see the work nearly completed. The engine beds are in a forward state, whilst the framing and fixings for the amalgamating pans are finished, and the pans are now being put into position. The various works in the mine are being rapidly pushed ahead, and splendid prospects are met with. The engine shaft is down a depth of over 90 feet. At No. 2 level the swpes are yielding large quantities of excellent ore, and at No. 3 level driving and stoping on the Union reef, both north and south, is being continued with good results. The drive north of the crosscut has been advanced about 60 feet, the reef averaging over six feet in thickness, and yielding rich ore for the entire distance. The drive oouth is along 100 feet, and also producing rich ore. Communication has been effected with the winze and the rise in the Rosemont section, at which point exceptionally rich ore has been met with during the past month. Men are now employed in working the reef in both directions, and so far it has maintained an average width of 15 inches and a high value. The Whangamata district is at present very quiet, and but very little work is being done there. Mr. Parkes has completed the erection of one of his reverberatory furnaces at Karangahake, and expects'soon to make a start to test its capabilities. Owing to the bad state of the roads Mr. E. K. Cooper is being delayed with the conveyance of the machinery to be erected at Waitekauri on the Jubilee claim, but as soon as the ■weather permits the work will be pushed ahead with all possible speed. The contractor {or the erection of the NewberyVautin plant at the Thames is making excellent headway. He has completed the framework, and is now placing the machinery into position. The Askham-Molloy works are now in full operation treating tailings. All the machinery and amalgamating pans are working very smoothly, and giving entire satisfaction. Nothing of importance has cropped up in the Thames mines since last summary. In the Saxon mine the operations are chiefly confined to driving and stoping on the main reef at the various levels, with payable results. In the Cambria, quartz of a payable grade is coming to hand from the stopes above No. 3 level, and the opening up of No. 4 level is still being continued. The manager of the Caledonian is now opening up a block at No. 3 level on a small leader about 6 inches in width. Three stopes are under way, and a crushing of 15 loads completed during the present week yielded '290z lldwt of gold, which is payable. A crushing of 19 loads of quartz and a parcel of picked stone was completed a few days ago for the Alburnia Company, for the fair return of 78oz gold. The monthly return of gold from the Waiotahi mine is 2190z 14dwt, and a crushing of 25 tons of quartz for the Manukau Company gave 38oz gold. The Moanataiari mine is now under offer for sale in the Australian market. The contractors for sinking the shaft of the Trenton Gold Mining Company have met with a better description of country, and sure now making good progress. The shaft has attained a depth of 412 feet at the present time. At Waiomo the Gem Gold Mining Company are opening up a new low

level on what is known as the black reef. This reef was intersected on Saturday last, and found to be 15 inches in thickness and showing strong colours of gold. Wiving has been commenced upon id. At No. 1 level a rise is being put up on the same reef, where an excellent grade of quartz is coming to hand, and 151b Dicked stone obtained a day or two ago. 'In the Paroquet the only work in progress for some time past has been the extension of No. 2 level on the main reef, but more vigorous operations will undoubtedly be instituted as soon as its new proprietors take over the property. At Te Mata Mr. Eraser has completed the erection of his battery, but it will take several weeks yet to complete the waterrace which work is being pushed ahead with all due speed. The shareholders of the various claims in the district have been busily employed in helping to erect the battery and forming roads, consequently operations in the claims have been at a standstill, with the exception of the Mata claim, where the reef in the low level lias been driven upon for some distance; but not until the present week was gold visible in the quartz to the eye, the finding of which considerably enhances the value of the property. The total yield of gold for the whole of the districts mentioned above during the past month is about 3000oz. [by telegraph—OWN" CORRESPONDENT. Thames, Saturday. Trenton*. The contractors are making good headway in sinking this company's shaft, which is now down a depth of 412 Mata Claim.—lnformation has reached here that the reef in the low level has in creased in size, and shows colours of gold when being broken down. The rise on the reef from the same level has holed through to the winze. Cambria. —During the past week the men in the crosscut at No. 4 level have been employed in squaring up with the bottom of the winze sunk upon No. 7 leader, communication with which was effected at the latter end of last week. The manager now intends to extend the crosscut ahead a short distance to get clear of the winze, and then commence to crosscut into the foot-wall, for the purpose of intersecting any leaders that may exist in that direction. A good description of country still prevails here, whilst the reef upon which the winze was sunk for the last 20 feet, and which was also in hand in the crosscut for a considerable distance, now presents a body of quartz between three and four feet thick, but alt-hough some ot the quartz has a very favourable appearance, still no gold has yet been seen. Two slopes are in progress on the hangingwall of the main reef above No. 3 level, the uppermost of which brings the workings up to the intermediate level. In both of these stopes, besides the main body of quartz, there is also the hangingwall leader being wrought upon, and taken altogether nearly two feet of quartz is saved, in which good colours of gold are freely seen, and ten pounds of picked stone were selected from the first breaking down of quartz from the main reef in the top stope (No. 8) on Thursday afternoon. At the intermediate | level, the drive on the hangingwall leader has been advanced about 30 feet from where it first branches off, but during the last day or two the leader has not been so well defined, being more of a mixture of gritty quartz and mullock, but colours of gold are frequently seen in the quartz. The leading stope, commenced some three or four weeks ago on this leader, has been at a standstill for some time. The winze on No. 6 leader, below No. 3 level, is down about ten feet, the leader showing a width of about six inches, whilst colours of gold are seen whenever it is broken down. Only one stope is in progress, on No. 7 leader, above No. 3 level, but the supply of quartz from this point is limited, the leader being rather small and the country light. Saxon. —The contractors at No. 5 level are making good progress through an excellent class of country, and the reef shows a width of fully 15 inches, with colours of gold to be seen at every breaking-down. All the stopes above Nos. 3 and 4 levels are fully manned, and yielding a large supply of fair crushing dirt. The reef in the sixth stope on the foot wall portion above No. 3 level yielded 20lb picked stone this morning, and stills looks very promising. The ground above is intact to surface, so that there is plenty of room for fresh discoveries.

SALE OF A TE AROHA MINE. We understand that the Ruakaka mine, Tui Creek, Te Aroha, has been sold by the shareholders to a Melbourne syndicate, and that the cash or first instalment of the purchase money was received through the Bank on Friday. So far as we can ascertain the property" has been sold on advantageous terms, viz., £2000, and 15,000 paid-up shares. Of this sum £500 is paid at once, and the remaining £1500 and the shares within twelve months, that is, if the syndicate find that the prospects of the mine warrant them in forming a company. In the meantime, or for twelve months, the purchasers guarantee to spend £30 per week in developing the mine, and at the expiration of that period the completion of the bargain or otherwise will be determined. To show the good faith of the syndicate, we may mention that the cash for the wages has been current since the end of July.

Saxon.The mine manager telegraphed on Saturday " 201b picked stone from sixth stope footwall portion of reef No. 3 level." Adeline Amalgamated.—The directors will assemble to-day for the transaction of preliminary business. The Diamond, Rose, Adeline, Dubbo, and Josephine sections of the company's mine being well opened up, and having produced dividend results and quartz worth from £10 to £60 per ton, should come .to the front as a good gold-producer when mining operations are resumed.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Reefton, Saturday. The following are the returns for the wee Big River, 1360z retorted gold from 200 tons ; Just-in-Time, 86oz retorted gold from 123 tons; Dark, 3850z amalgam from 180 tons ; Globe, lOOoz amalgam from 190 tons; Fiery, 1960z amalgam from 88 tons ; Venus, 2iooz amalgam from 95 tons ; Nil Desperandum, 150oz amalgam for the week.