THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9435, 5 August 1889, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[from ouk OWN correspondent.] Thames, Saturday. Sharemarket. — Moanataiari, sellers 2s lOd ; Saxon, 9s 9d ; Trenton, buyers, 4s 5d ; Crown (old company's shares); sellers, 4s; Woodstock, sellers 3s.

May Queen. — contractor has completed the foundation for the poppet logs, and has also got the spider arms in position, and is now preparing to place the winding pulleys on top of the poppets. He hopes to have everything in readiness for commencing to wind from the shaft by the end of next week.

Saxon.—Communication has at last been effected between the winze below No. 4 level and the drive upon No. 2 reef at No. 5 level. Water is still issuing forth from the side of the drive and the winze, and causes considerable inconvenience, but it is hoped that it will abate in a day or two. The Other workings in the mine continue without change, the supply of quartz available being sufficient to keep the company's stampers (32 head) fully employed.

Trenton. —The flow of water from the face of the crosscut at the bottom of tho company's shaft still continues, and baling operations have been kept continuously going ever since it was tapped on Thursday. A large 60-gallon cask is being used to bale the water, and brings up about 720 gallons per hour, but it can only hold its own with the inflow. The contractors are able to continue at work in the face, however, and the country appears to be of an easier description.

Thames Mining and Prospecting ComrANY. —The contractors have finished their contract for sinking the shaft to a depth of 100 feet, and it is probable that further operations will be suspended for a while to await the erection of the necessary winding machinery and fear. In the drive upon the reef at the bottom of the old Nana shaft new crosslode has just been intersected, running a course of nearly duo east and west. This reef has been penetrated for about 3 feet, but. there is no sign yet of the opposite wall. The quartz is of a very kindly appearance, and carries an excellent class of bright mineral.

Cambria.—During the past week about seven feet of the hangingwall portion of the main reef was broken down in the rise above No. 3 level, but although tho quartz was of a most favourable description and highly mineralised, no gold was seen. A further portion is now being stripped. At the intermediate level a start has been made to carry along a leading stopo upon the leader above the western drive, and sloping is also in progress above the eastern drive, where the leader is about seven inches in thickness, and shows good colours of gold. Above No. 3 level stoping operations are still being conducted upon the hangingwall leader, which ranges from six to eight inches in thickness, and carries a nice class of mineral, but no gold has been seen here for a day or two.

Lone Hand. — The contractors in the low level have hardly made such good progress this week as they did last week, owing to the country having set in a little tighter, but it is a nice description of sandstone, and favourable for carrying gold-bearing quartz. In the crosscut at the upper level, in the Lone Hani section, the face has been suspended for the present, and a start made to drive eastward upon the last leader met with, which is about two inches in thickness. This leader showed gold very freely when cutting through it, and it is hoped it will turn out to be a remunerative one. Colours of gold are seen in the quartz coming to hand from the stopes upon the main leader in this part of the mine, and gold is pretty freely seen in the quartz coming from the Manchester stopes, the reef in the latter place being about a foot in thickness.

Albgrnia.—During the past week but very little quartz has been broken from the Sons of Freedom reef at the battery level, as considerable attention has been devoted to timbering-up and repairing the drive neat the Whau boundary. This work is now nearly accomplished, and a start will soon be made to bring along a leading stope above the drive from the boundary towards the crosscut. The eastern drive has been at a standstill for some days past, but will again be pushed ahead as soon as the crushing now being treated is completed. In the stopes above the drive the reef in places shows a thickness of about three feet, the greater portion of which is saved for crushing. The quartz carries some nice mineral, and shows a little gold. Forty-two loads of quartz are being crushed at the Caledonian battery, the return from which will probably be banked on Tuesday next. Pakoqckt G.M. Co. (Waiomo).Acting under instructions received from the sheriff of the Auckland Supreme Court, Mr. Jas. Craig, auctioneer, sold by public auction to-day the portable engine recently erected by this company at their crushing plant, Waiomo, in order to satisfy a judgment order for £180 obtained by Mr. J. H. Smith, ironmonger, of Thames. There was a good attendance, and Mr. Craig commenced by detailing the conditions of the sale, stating that the title given was that of the sheriff, and that the purchaser would bo dxpected to pay the full amount upon the fall of the hammer. Bidding was commenced at £100, but four £25 bids quickly brought it up to £200, after which £5 and £10 bids advanced the sum to £270, at which figure the engine was knocked down to Mr. James Darrow. It is probable that other portions ot the plant will be submitted to public auction soon, Messrs. Morrin and Co., of Auckland, having obtained judgment against the company a few days ago for £90, whilst there are several other claims to come before the local Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday next.

Thames School ok Mines. — The ordinary monthly meeting of this School was held yesterday evening, there being present : Mr. 11. W. Moore, vice-president (in the chair), Messrs. Bull, Price, Smith, Clark, Dunlop, and Watson. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed, and correspondence outwards and inwards dealt with. It was decided to present class certificates gained at last examination at an early date. Mr. Smith proposed, and Mr. Clark seconded, " That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to Mr. Montgomery for his past services, and that the committee, while regretting losing him, congratulate him on his advancement." This was carried unanimously. Mr. Bull proposed, and Mr. Price seconded, " That Mr. J. H. Smith be appointed Vice-President, vice Mr. Bayldon, resigned." Carried. Mr. Bull proposed, and Mr. Price seconded, " That Mr. James McGowan be appointed a member of the Committee, vice Mr. Smith elected Vice-President." Carried. Communications were received from the Government, notifying that a safety cage would be procured and placed in the School for exhibition ; that Mr. Montgomery's resignation had been accepted as from the 15th August; and that Mr. James Parke, of the Geological Department had been appointed his successor, as from the Ist instant. After the passing of the usual monthly accounts, the meeting adjourned. Caledonian. —More vigorous operations arc being carried on in this mine at present than has been the case for some time past, and the works in hand are wholly confined to testing several large bodies of quartz, which are already opened up, so that, in a measure, they are mostly all of a reproductive character. At No. 1 level the drive upon Mo. 1 reef is being cleaned out and repaired with the view of giving the reef a thorough trial by breaking the quartz out and treating it in ix wholesale manner at the company's battery. There is a very large block upon this reef remaining intact, and it is hoped that the proposed method of dealing with it will make a small yield of gold payable. At No. 2 level, near the bottom of the Otago flat winze, there are men employed in driving and atoping upon a body of quartz, ranging in thickness from 2i feet to 3 feet, known as Brown's reef, but which is supposed to be identical with the old Cure company's No. 0' reef. Two faces are manned here, one going east and the other west. The quartz bears a promising appearance, and carries fair mineral indications, but no gold has yet been seen. All the quartz broken, however, is forwarded to the battery. There is a block upon this reef fully 700 feet in length, with about 120 feet of backs, so that there is ample room for meeting with a good run of gold. Between Nos. 2 and 3 levels driving and stoping is being carried on upon No. 2 reef, which averages about 2 feet in thickness, and colours of gold are sometimes seen when breaking down the reef. A good channel of sandstone country prevails, and there is an extensive block to oporate upon on the line of reef. At the battery, which has re-

cently been thoroughly overhauled and repaired, ten head of stampers are employed on quartz broken from the company's workings, and ten head on public crusbings.

Trknton.—ln respect of the flow of water tapped in the drive at the bottom level, instructions have been forwarded to the mine manager to procure an oblong 90-gallon cask, to have it mounted, fitted with a false bottom, self-acting, valvular, working automatically both in plunging at the bottom and discharging at the brace, as in the case of the Old Golden Calf, where the appliance proved efficient in lifting an immense quantity of water to the surface and in keeping the level clear at the bottom. The mine manager has been referred to Mr. Peter Anderson, now on the Thames, late of the Golden Calf claim, to procure proper information as to the exact construction of the lift. Lone Hand.—The mine manager reports : —Li rising for the fourth stone in the Lone Hand section of the mine the rise holed through to the old battery level to-day.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— TRESS ASSOCIATION.] Reekton, Saturday. Gold returns for the week : Keep-it-dark, 2290z. amalgam, from 165 tons; Globe, 143 oz. amalgam, from 165 tons; Inkerman, 1230z. amalgam, from 50 tons.