THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8584, 4 June 1891, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[FROM our own correspondent. • Thames, Wednesday. Magnolia.A crushing of IS loads of quartz was completed ab tho Cambria battery to-day for the very satisfactory return :of 3Soz = 3dwta~ of melted gold. • Fourteen loads of the quartz crushed was broken from No.. 2 leader in the; sbopesabove i the new low level, and four loads were obtained from a large reef six y feet thick which was lately cut through in the eastern drive at the low level. Both parcels, however, were thrown together, so that their respective values are not known, but i the quartz from No. 2 leader is undoubtedly© btbest grade. Saxon.--The water at No. 6 level of this mine has ; pone down remarkably; well during the last day or two, until at the present time there is very little now lying on the floor of the level. In consequence of this six men are at work clearing up the debris accumulated during the temporary suspension of operations at that point, and to-day the ; eastern drive upon No. 1 reef was s resumed with six men. . The winze which is being, sunk upon this reef from No. 5 level is I down 30 feet, with \ the reef about five feet : in thickness, and to-day five pounds of picked stone were obtained from ife. ; ' • ; [BY. TELEGRAPH. OWN ; CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday. Sharemarket.—May Queen, sellers 6's 9d; Moanataiari, 7s 3d, sellers 7s 6d, buyers 7s ; Alburnia, sellers Is 9d ; Norfolk, sellers Is; Orlando, buyers Is 2d; Victoria, Is Id, sellers Is Id, buyers" Is. • VVaiotah^—The usual monthly cleaning up' and retorting' to-day resulted in the return of 197 ounces melted gold from 180 tons quartz crushed from all parts of the mine. ■■■' •

MAGNOLIA. Very encouraging results have been obtained from ore crushed; from the Magnolia Company's mine situated -on Karaka Hill, adjoining the Consols and fSuccess' claims. Messrs. G. Fraser and Sons have completed the treatment of 22cwfc of, aire frorta the mine at; their reduction works, Stanley-street. The return for 22cwt of ore was 2oz Bdwt 6 grains of bullion (melted), viz., gold, loz lidwb, value £6 4s; and 12dwt 21 grains silver, value Is lljd, making a total value of £6 5s lljd. Tho mine manager in his report dated June 1, says : — " The leading stope on No. 2 leader is ahead a distance of 32 feet, No. 2 stope 25 feet, No. 3 stope-16 feet, and No. 4 stope 4 feet. The reef averages from nine inches to a foot in thickness, and shows colours ' and l dabs of 'goldi as usual. 'I 'started driving westward on No. 2 leader. It is ab present about five inches in thickness, and shows gold more freely than it has done in the .drive before. I have sent. 18 loads of quartz to the Cambria battery, 14 loads from No. 2 leader, and four loads from the 6 foot reef recently penetrated." The following telegram received by Mr. F. A. White yesterday gives \ the result of the crushing:—"Crushed 18 loads quartz, 14 from No. 2 leader, 4 from 6 foob reef for 38oz 3dwt.— Rabe, manager."

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS.

New Alburnia.—Battery level: Work on j Dixon's footwall reef has now been suspended, until proper ; ventilation is obtained, which work is now well forward, and when completed work in these stopesfapd other parts of the mine can be carried on to greater ad- I vantage than in the past. - The crushing of 70 loads of = quartz : from.' these "; stopes was finished on Wednesday'last,' for'"the return of 72ioz. melted gold. The tailings saved from this crushing realised 13s' 3d per load.; Scanlan and i party,;whose tender was accepted for driving crosscut at this level, have started . work, and the country at present being penetrated is a good class of sandstone. ; Whau.level: The work of 'repairing this level is how fairly started the surface 1 portion of the tramway has been ail taken up and relaid, and the work of stripping and retimbering the main drive is now in progress. ; Saxon.— 6 level: At. this level work has been at a standstill for the most of the week past on account of the large quantity of water* tapped at the back or eastern side of No, 2 break, and in consequence this water rose in I the \ chamber ana along" the drive for some considerable length. How. ever, during the past few days the water has been gradually going down in ! the chamber' and drive, although not yet quite sufficiently to allow, the work ;to be proceeded with to advantage, therefore - rather than delay the work at this level any longer I have to-day decided to use the line of rails along the level to the top 1 of the water that still remains ! in the chamber and drive. This will take a few days, when I hope to have work at the No. 6 level again, in full working order and the drainage question settled for good.' The battery has been kept going two shifts on quartz from the new reef ana No. . 2 reef at No. 5 level and also the No. 1 footwall leader at No. 3 level. Amalgam on hand for the week, I 142 ounces.

>-Norfolk.—The drive from the rise at No. 2 has been extended 18 feet, for "the week. The reef in the present face is three feet, and is running.through an excellent class of. sandstone country, and I should not bo surprised to. meet with a run of ■: gold at any time. Lower level: This drive has been extended 12 feet for the week. . The country still keeps tight. ! • There is no improvement as yet. ,!- Inlying Cloud.—During the past week we have extended the drive east of rise about eight feet, making the total distance from rise 16 feet. The country ■. still continues to be favourable for driving, it being a nice class of ; white sandsone. We have also taken down a portion of the reef from here, which still continues to show' a, little gold. The average width of the reef is from "18 inches to two feet in thickness; < ' : : "% » Dives.—Eighteen feet of the reef in the back stope has * been stripped and broken down for the week, 6 feet going west towards the break and 12 feet going east. The reef averages four or five inches in thickness, and shows occasionally good colours of gold. - In the 2nd or intermediate stope the hangingwall portion of the reef has been • asrain broken down for a length of 11 feet, and the splendid mineral , mentioned in my last report; is, still to be seen in' the quartz with colours of gold amongst it. . The leading stope is up to the blank "ground, but a few colours of gold were seen in the eight feet broken down here. ■' In the crosscut on main flinty the country is if anything even better than it was last week; the sandstone shows mineral freely, and more is seel.- in the seam itself, which is being carried along with this drive. Ton. feet have been.driven here, making 506 feet from flat sheet, or 94 feet yet to be 'driven to cut the Duke reef. f.' ;

? Cambria. the past week a start was made to sink a winze on the main reef from the drive above No. 2 level, eastward of the rise. The winze is now down six feet, and for . this ; distance has V- shown ; gold very freely; two or three pounds of picked stone ; have ■ also , been saved. H The hangingwall leader still continues to show good , dabs ;of gold, and also splendid 'minerals. : Intermediate below No. 2 , level: The ; winze. on the new leader is down a depth of 10 feet; the leader is at present-divided into two branches with a horse ?of mullock between them of about three feet; they will average about two feet of crushing dirt, which shows some nice colours of gold when breaking down. Driving eastward on this leader will bo resumed this week. . Gold is still seen pretty freely iu the quartz comint' from the stope on the cross leaner. No. 3 level : There is nothing new to report from the stopes on the western branch, neither on the footwall branch of No. ■ 7 leader; they both continue to show a little gold, and occasionally.; a pound or so of picked stone is saved. No. 4 level: Driving on No. 7 leader is , still being continued"; as yet there has been no quartz broken from here. The battery and winding engine are in good working order. ; May Queen.When breaking down the 12-inch lode on Friday last strong colours of gold were seen freely through the general dirt, and 21bs of picked stone came to hand. Colours of gold were also seen through the quartz when breaking the 12-inch lode on the floor, of { the drive > yesterday. There is also splendid mineral through the quartz.; ; The men are now employed, stripping tho No. 4 lode. I will keep the men stripping the lode for other two days, and I will break it down on Friday next, the sth. The lode is encased in a splendid class of country. . The winze that is being sunk oil the No. 4 lode at No. 1 level is now down a depth of 25 feet below No. 1 level. The lode in the bottom of the winze will average about two feet. Colours of gold were seen through the quartz when breaking down the lode. The country on both: walls of. the lode is of a first-class description for gold. : The winze 011 the No. 4 footwall branch lode. No. 1 level, is now down a depth of .'s2' feet below No. 1 level. The lode in tho bottom of the winze is two inches in thickness. r Colours of gold were seen freely through tho quartz when breaking down the lode yesterday. There are now 25 loads of quartz in tho hopper. I will start crushing on Monday or Tuesday next. The water in the shaft is now down 23 feet 9 inches below No. 1 level. The winding engine and gear are in good working order. Lone Hand.—l -expect to have all the timbering finished and the drive in good repair by the end of the week. After which 1 I shall again start operations in the No. 2 [ Winze.

New; Fearnought.—The drive is in a total i distance of 270 feet. f 60%r 70 ■ feet " further should be far enough to putin crosscut. » Adeline.—There is no change of any note in the nature of the ground , since I wrote you last Distance driven for past week is 5 feet . Pride of Karaka.— the past week the drive has been i extended a further distance of 7 feet, the country being a little better for working, another small leader, about an inch in thickness, having made its appearance, carrying a small channel of sandstone country with it. ' ; v; ■ Caledonian. — loads of quartz have been put through the battery for the return of 15oz 17dwt of gold. Fourteen loads were from the Red Queen leader at No. 3 level, which gave the poor return of soz of gold, the balance, lOoz 17dwt, being obtained from the No.' 2 reef, Otago section of the mine. The. No. 2 reef at No. I level looks very well, and in breaking it down gold is occasionally seen in the quartz. It lias every appearance of improving as it is being risen upon. . Success.—There is little change. The tunnel is now being pushed on by wages men, and the country is improving, being a better class of sandstone than we have hud for some time back, and tighter. ■ . v - . r : Occidental.— reef in the main level is somewhat disturbed, although the quartz ha 3 a promising appearance and carries good mineral. The reef in No. 3 stope is about 18 inches thick, and shows colours and dabs of gold. at each breaking, down, and>has also produced a fewpounds of picked stone. Crushing will be started, about the Bth, and there will be about the usual tonnage. '

John Boll.— directors, at a meeting held yesterday, made a call of one penny per share, to provide funds for putting in a low level drive, which the mine manager strongly recommended, as he was confident, from the appearance of the reef and the prospects obtained from it, which greatly improved as sunk on from floor of present level, that when opened on at a lower level the results would be . such as to ensure a. prosperous future for the company. *