THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8864, 28 April 1892, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

MIME MANAGERS' REPORTS.

Lone Hand.—During the past week stoping operations have been carried on as usual upon the No. 3 leader. Tho quartz broken out from here has shown gold freely, while a few pieces of picked stoue have been selected from the general dirt. The block of ground between the No. 5 and (J breaks has been taken out from the intermediate up to the Moa level, and all the timbers having been secured, I shall now commence to drive east of No. 6 break upon the No. 3 leader, at the intermediate level. Cleave and party, tributers, crushed three loads of quartz from the winze sunk below the low level tunnel for the return of 13dwt of melted gold. Wadded and party are crushing at present. J. Sulivau and party will commence crushing this evening. They are expecting a good return. May Queen.— eastern drive on No 4 reef has been extended 13 feet for the week. The ground now in the face is a close sandstone, and the reef is now running between two nice walls. The reef is still small, averaging about eight inches, carrying some good minerals and a little silica, but no gold has been seen. The crosscut at No. 3 level has been extended 11 feet for the week ; distance driven from winze 139 feet. The ground is not so hard, but bad shooting ground—a kind of green sandstone now in the face. The two men finished timbering the main drive on Saturday, and yesterday started to break out a trial crushing from the small block west of old section.

New Fearnought.—l have suspended operations in the low level, pending a fresh survey, and made a start on Friday last to clear away a heap of mullock which lias been tipped on the top of the shaft. The removal of this mullock, which may take eight or ten days to accomplish, is necessary to obtain the exact locality of shaft and its position preparatory to making an immediate and accurate survey, after which I shall be better able to judge what course to pursue. New MDKAO.— Timbering up last week, so only 15 feet was driven on small leader, but when breaking down to-day about lib of stone was saved showing gold freely. Another large leader is now in the face of drive, but no gold seen in it yet The small leader will junction with the latter in'a few feet more driving. North Star.The contractor has finished the contract of 50 feet, and another contract of 50 feet has been let at '23s per foot. The local directors and myself were of opinion that we could get the work done cheaper, but wo were disappointed, as there were only four tenders and they ranged from 23s fid to 2.3s lid. The same party as before have taken the contract for 235. They have driven lb' feet, making in all 441 feet. The sandstone is still hard, but getting jointy, and there is any quantity of water flowing, which I hope will drain the upper level, hue a better class of country for gold you could not desire. Harvey and party (tributers) have crushed live loads for the return of 9oz 15dwts retorted gold, and James' Brothers have crushed one load for the return of 2ozs lodwts.

Victoria. cleaning up of the 160-feet and 210-feet levels is proceeding as speedily as possible. The 160-feet level has now been repaired for a distance of 185 feet, leaving 265 feet still to he repaired. At the 210-feet 175 feet have been completed, leaving 291 feet still to be done. At this point ol the drive a very lame fall or run has been met with, which has somewhat delayed the work, hue we shall see the end of this run as soon as this point is crossed. I think the balance will be much more easily dealt with. The newly-erected machinery and working parts are giving satisfaction. SILVERTON (Wailii). —In the early part of last week a start was made to break down the lode, commencing at a point east of the tribttters' stopes, and above the smithy level, where the ore body is still intact right up to the surface. Here the lode averages seven feet in thickness, and some of the stone coming to hand therefrom shows gold freely. The open cutting on the surface is still being advanced both east and west along the course of the lode, from which a large tonnage of high-grade ore has already been grassed, and this is being augmented daily. The contractor for carrying out the open cutting, leading up to the starting point of the low level, should finish his work next week, when it will he uecessary to inuite tenders for the extension of the tunnel. In response to my circular letter the following tenders were received for carting 300 cubic yards of ore from the mine to the mill, viz., Griffiths, f« 9(1; Quinlivan, 5s fid ; McLennan, 4s sd; Dickey 4s per cubic yard respectively. Already I have advised you by telegram as to the lowest tender, and I expect Dickey will start carting to-morrow. Saxon.—The contractors driving the crosscut at No. 1 level are making but slow progress ; the country is a rather tight sandstone formation, full of small miueral veins, and from this description the No. 1 reef may be to hand shortly. > On the No. 2 reef nothing has been done since cutting through it, and will not be until the No. 1 is cut, when both reefs will be opened out at once. At No. 4 level I have a staff of men working driving on a small leader which varies from six to ten inches, and which continues to show a little gold occasionally, and during the week ten pounds of picked stone have been saved from this leader. The battery during the week has been shut down, but I expect to resume crushing for the public next week, ami a small lot for the company. New Alburnia. —There have been two stopes in progress on the No. 1 leader during the past week. In the stope going east of No. 1 pass the leader is still rather small. The quartz, which is of a rubbly nature, carries good mineral, but has shown no gold for the week. The leader in the stope west of the pass has opened out to about eight inches in thickness. The quartz, which carries more bright mineral than usual, showed strong colours of gold at last breaking down. There are also two stopes in progress on the No. 2 leader, which is still incased in a very tight sandstone, interlaced with mineral and flinty seams. The quartz, which averages about six inches in thickness, carries good miueral, and strong colours of gold were seen at last breaking down. The north drive is now penetrating a good sandstone country. Two small leaders were passed through during the week, but no gold was seen in the quartz. Norfolk.—During the past week the eastern drive at the low level has been extended a further distance of five feet. The reef in the face is three feet wide. There has been a good deal of quartz through the dirt this week. Home of the stone looks very well, and is heavily mineralised. I have seen some nice dabs of gold in the stone. The country we are going through is all that could be desired for gold.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dcnedix, Wednesday. The Six-mile Beach Company obtained llooz 4dwt amalgam for 124 hours.