QUEEN G.M. CO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8365, 19 September 1890, Page 6

QUEEN G.M. CO.

A meeting of shareholders in the Whangamata and Queen of the North claims was.held at the Waitemata Hotel yesterday afternoon. Mr. F. J. Hammond presided. It was decided to form a company to be called the Queen G.M. Co., having a capital of £12,500, divided into 50,000 shares of 5s each. Of these 30,001) were to be retained for the venders ; 15,000,. paid up to 2s 6d, were to go the shareholders in the Wbangamata claim, and 15,000, paid up to 2s (id, to the shareholders in the Queen of the North claim. The remaining 20,000 were to be offered to the public at sixpence per share. The following directors were appointed : —Messrs. F. J. Hammond, A. Black, J. Endean, J. Odium, A. Wright, W. Bond, and Hill. Mr. B. Gilmer was elected secretary. It was resolved toat the directors be empowered to adopt the memorandum and articles of association, and to register the company.

LEOPOLD LICENSED HOLDING. A meeting of shareholders in the Leopold licensed holding was held at the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon. Mr. C. C. McMillan occupied the chair. It was deeided to form a company to be called the Leopold Gold Mining Company (Limited), with a capital of £13,500, divided into 54,000 shares of 5a each, nil paid up. The articles of association were adopted as submitted, and the following gentlemen were elected directors ; —Messrs. C. C. McMillan, W. S. Wilson, Seymour T. George, James Dickey, and K. Spratt. Mr. J. Young was appointed secretary, and Mr. D. B. McDonald, auditor. The transfer fees for shares were fixed at one shilling.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Cambkia.—No. 2 level rise on the main reef. A start was made on Friday last to re-timber and lengthen the old pass; for this work I have taken for the present the two men who wore working on the leader in the footwall of the main reef. Intermediate below No. 2 level: Two stopes are still being carried along on the small leader, and the quartz coming to hand carries splendid mineral, and also shows gold. The drive on the leader cut in the drive on fche i cross leader is in seven feet; the leader I averages about six inches in thickness, I shows gold when breaking down, and looks 1 well. No. 3 level: Driviug on the footwall

branch of No. 7 leader without change to report. The quartz coming from the stopo on the western branch of No. 7 still continues to show gold pretty freely. No. 4 level: In the leading stope on No. 7 leader, the leader, which is about one foot in thickness, showed good colours of gold when last breaking down. The battery and winding engine are in good working order. Trekton.—Re crosscutting to the Saxon new lode a start should be made with as little delay as possible. We cannot go wrong by continuing the main drive parallel with the boundary about 60 feet east of it, and we know approximately the distance we should have to drive. We could manage to keep the mine clear from stuff with one shift for the engine, oven if three shifts are employed in the extension of the main crosscut. Wo should, I think, get 100 feet driven for about £80—that is, including iron rails, dogs, and sleepers. The lode in the new crosscut, of which I wired this afternoon, is compact, and has shown a little cold in cutting through it, and the country in each wall is most likely for gold. Lone Hand.—The drive on the Manchester reef at the low level is still going through a splendid class of country. The reef in the face of the drivo is about nine inches in thickness. There is good mineral through the quartz. The drive has been extended 19 foot during the week, making the total distance 326 feet from the crosscut. The third stope on the Manchester reef west of the winze is along 64 feet. The reef in the face of this stope is 12 inches in thickness. There is some splendid mineral through the quartz. The fourth stope is along 35 feet. The reef in this stope is about 18 inches in thickness. There is nice mineral through the quartz, and colours of gold were seen whenDreaking down the reef. The fifth stope is along 14 feet. The reef is about nine inches ia thickness. In this stope gold was seen when breaking down the reef. The sixth stope was started yesterday morning. May Qukkn*.— The hoppers and shoots are now nearly finished, and a day or two will see the platform and road in front of same ready for carting. Arrangements have been made to commence crushing at the Cambria battery with ten head of stampers on Monday next. No. 4 footwall branch :—The reef throughout the stopes on this lode, has been looking fairly well during the woek, gold has been frequently seen, and a pound or two of picked stone saved. Tho No. 5 stopo is now forward 22 feet from the rise. The reef here is from 8 to 10 inches wide, and shows gold verj' freely ; in the Nos. 3 and 4 stopes about. 12 inches of good looking crushing dire is being saved. No. 4 reef east: —The drive east on this load is now in a distance of 94 feet from the crosscut. The reef in the face of the drive is about 2 feet 6 inches in thickness, and to all appearance both reef and country looks fully as well ht.-re a* in any part of the drive. A little gold has been seen in the quartz vein? running in the footwall of the lode. The end of the leading stope east is now forward 50 feefc from the crosscut, and within 44 feet of the face of the drivo, and has been timbered up fov that distance. Tho reef throughout will average 2 feet in thickness, and looks well. Two shifts have lately been employed in the leading stope and are fast gaining on the drive ; therefore, as soon as possible, I should like to see the drive on the No. 4 reef east pushed forward with three shifts. No. 4 reef weet: The drive on the No. 4 reef west of crosscut is now nearly full of quartz, as soon as the hoppers are ready to receive it, this will bo sent up, and a start made to continue the drive on the reef west towards tho slide. The second stope west of crosscut is now along 3S feet. The reef all through is rather more than 2 feet wide, and I should expect the quartz coming to hand from this stope to be of good quality.

Blanche.—We have holed through to the winze, but it will take yet about another week before any quartz can be broken down, as tho drive will have to be stripped for a short distance, preparatory to driving on the hangingwall portion of which the winze has been sunk on. I have since ascertained that it was from the hanging portion of the Wade reef which gave the best results from above. The tribute party have made a start and are now cleaning out the old Queensland level.

Consols.—Offers of a suitable pumping and winding engine and boiler will be received to-day. The pump belonging to the Trenton Company has already ueen secured. The shaft is already sunk and is in good order. The levels are opened, and when *he machinery is in position and the mine cleared of water the company will be on gold.

Dives.—The crosscut on the main flinty has been extended 14 feet for the week, making a total of 91 feet, the ground has been much firmer this week, so that progress has not been so fast. The intermediate drive has been extended 17 feet for the week, and is going through "a splendid class of sandstone, intersected by numerous mineral veins ; there is an improvement hero, the reef having opened out to about ten inches with good mineral indications for picked stone, and on Friday, when breaking down, strong colours of gold were seen freely distributed through the general dirt. There are three stopes in progress above this level, which are yielding the usual class of crushing dirt. The are 40 loads of quartz at the battery and '20 loads in the hopper, and crushing will be commenced to-morrow morning. Picked stone on hand, 101b.

Casti.k Rock Clatm.—l atn pleased to state we eye getting gold. The reef shows gold at every breaking down. I send three specimen stones by Captain Scott, to show the class of stone there is in the mine. Those stones are from the 240 feet level, where we are now stoping. in a week or ten days I will start to rise over where I got the best gold in the 240 feet level, in onier to open up the 100 feet level, which is all sound ground. The ground is a kindly sandstone, so it will not take long to rise to the 80 feet level.

Keystone (late Scott and Kelly's, Kuaotunu). —Since taking charge of your mine I have prospected the different reofs exposed in your ground by dish and mortar test. No. 1 lode is of whito quartz, and from one to three feet thick, giving good prospects of gold which I consider payable, GO feet from the surface, and hope to get it better as we open up north on reef at this depth. No. 2 lode is 18 inches thick on surface, and gives good prospects of gold. This reef is heavily mineralised. It appears to be a parallel reef to No. 1, some 15 feet west, both underlying cast, and can be worked from No. 1 tuunel. No. 3 reef is on the western side of your mine, and 1 think will prove to be the same reef as the Waitai Company crushed from — same course, and underlie carrying good prospects of gold where out (near surface), well defined, 20 inches thick. I would recommend thie reef to be opened up deeper and driven on ; and in conclusion I have no hesitation in saying you have what promises to bo a most valuable property when opened up.

Orlando. —The new level has been extended a further distance of 42 feet by the contractors. This drive has been passing through a very broken channel of country until the last ten feet of driving, when there was a change for the better came in, of a nice kindly sandstone. The reef then showed a great improvement, both in size and quality. It is fully three feet wide, containing splendid minerals, with colours of gold intermixed with it. I believe this good country will continue on to where we will connect with the other drive, which I find is a distance of 130 feet, according to the lato survey made. I propose sending a few loads of the quarts we are breaking at present in this level to the battery to be crushed, to test the value of it, which I expect will prove payable. Bendigo reef is about eighteen inches thick, encased in a good class of sandstone, interlaced with mineral veins and feeders. I believe we have just touched the commencement of a good channel of country, which is immediately under where the reef thab was worked with payable results on the surface level. Carpenter's reef: Bverfching is in readiness to start stoping operations in Potfce , block. There is still a large drainage of water coming through the reef on the western end of this block. Therefore I propose to start stoping from the eastern end, where it is much drier. That will allow the water to drain off in the meantime.

Saxon.—No. 6 level: The drive on the No. 2 and 3 reefs going east of ehaffc has been extended a further distance of 23 feet, making a total distance driven in this direction of 239 feet. The two reefs are now running in one body, averaging 3 feeb in thickness with fair minerals and occasionally a little gold is seen. Work on

the No. 3 reef is also being pushed forward, and it has been driven on a further distance of 14 feet. This reef for the pasb few days has been somewhat disturbed by a water course, but has again come together, and is about 18 inches in thickness. So far no gold has been seen here during the week. No. 5 lovel: The contract for sinking winze on the No. 2 reef at a point "00 feet east of shaft has been completed to a depth of 89 feet, which is the required depth to meet the No. 6 or now level. Ab same level —No. 1 winze on No. 1 main reef: A start was made here to-day to repair and re-timber the top portion of this winze where some of the timbers had given way during the stoppage. These necessary repairs will be completed in a few days, when work will be resumed to continue sinking to reach the level of the No. 6 drive. No. 4 level, new reef at this level: The drive along the course of this reef has been etoped during the past week, the men being employed bringing forward the loading stope, and getting necessary timber and shoots fixed in position, so as to admit a larger staff of men being employed jre. This work is now nearly completed, aod the drive will most likely again be started to-morrow. Stopes: The stopes between Nos. 5 and 4 levels on the footwall, hangingwall, left-hand branch, and No. 2 reefs, all east of Nos. 1 and 2 breaks, towards the Trenton boundary, have now all been finished, and the men have been removed to the blocks on the No. 1 footwall leader, and tho new reef over No. 4 level, also to the blocks on the Nos. 2 and 3 reefs, west of No. 1 break, and the sinking of tho winze above mentioned. Clean-ing-up and retorting took place to-day for a yield of 201oz of retorted gold, from 406 loads of general quartz and 151b of picked stone.

New Moanataiari.—The footwall lode in the eastern drive ab tho 100 foot level has again gob small, caused by a cross section of soft ground which passed through it. The sandstone country through the soft ground is of jjood quality. I have no doubt but that the lode will shortly make again. I will make a start to-morrow to open out chamber in rise at tho 200 feet level.

New Albornia. —The crosscut at the intermediate level for ventilation, mentioned in my last report is being pushed ahead with all possible speed. Tho ground at present is rather hard, but fair progress is being made. In the meantime the roads at the different levels aro being overhauled. Carbine.—The mine manager telographed yesterday :—" Got about '201b of middling picked stone from footwall vein." Caledonian. —The crosscut drive at No. 1 level has been driven a distance of 14 feet this week. The country in the face is a little titfht at present, but this will not last long. The drive is now in a total distance of 40 feet. Tho Young American lode should be met with in another 55 feet; also a leader should be cut in 43 feet of driving. Rich gold was obtained from this leader in tho Hazelbank ground about 15 years ago. As per wire, a leader oighfc inches in thickness was cut through last week. This leader is not of a solid nature, but is composed of rubbly quartz and clay. Colours of gold were seen in tho quartz in cutting through it. 1 intend to commence driving westward on this leader as soon as the crosscut is far enough advanced to allow the men to work to advantage. The crosscut drive at No. 2 level has been extended 11 feet. A cross leader from threo to live inches in thickness has been cut in this drive, which in nearly running the same course an the drive. Some of the quartz is of a very kindly naturo, bub so far I have not seen any gold in it.