THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9305, 14 September 1893, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

{BY «ELEORAPH.---OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday. Sharemarrkt.— list was issued to-day, the market for all stocks being very slack. . St.' Hippo.—Since the upper and lower levels in this company's mine were connected some few weeks ago by means of a winze, the manager has confined his attention to stoping on the main reef south of the winze, at,which point a block about 80 feet in length has been opened up, and three or four stopes commenced. Up to a few days j ago, however, the quartz broken from these stopes did not come up to the expectations of Mr. Burch, for although a little gold was seen, still the general appearance and nature of the quartz did not tally with that which was broken from the hangingwall section of the reef, was sunk upon in the winze, and which when crushed yielded at the rate of 4oz gold par load ; he therefore cut a few teot into the country on the hangingwall side of the reef from the top stopes, with the result that the section of the reef sought for was met with, being separated from the main body, of quartz by about seven feet of sandstone. At this point the hangingwall reef is about 18 inches in thickness, and is composed of a somewhat rubbly description of quartz, carrying nice mineral with strong colours of gold showing as well. ' Another cutting was put into the hangingwall country from the main reef yesterday, some 20 feet nearer the winze, with the result that a connection was last night made with the winze and the hangingwall reef again met with. At that point in the winze this part of the reef lay close on to the back of the main body of quartz, but it apparently forms a loop as it makes southward, which accounts for its being missed when starting the stopes from the low level. It will now be necessary to work the two sections separately until a height of about 30 feet is attained, but) from thence they will probably be close enough together to take out in the same stope. The finding of this section of the reef is of considerable importance, as it is without doubt of more value at the present juncture than the main body is.

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS.

May Queen.ln the north-west drive the lode is fully one foot wide, and gold has been seen occasionally during the week. No. 1 scope north-west is up to the splice mentioned in last week's report coming into the drive. The lode here does not look quite so well. In No. 2 stope the lode is fully 16 inches wide; gold has been seen in breaking down the quartz, and some picked stone selected. No. 3 stope north-west is about 10 feet past the junction. The lode is about one foot wide. Gold has been seen in breaking down, and a few pounds of picked stone came to hand. In the eastern drive on No. 4 lode a splice has come in and pinched the lode very small. Good progress is being made through favourable country. Nos. 1 and 2 scopes east look well. The lode is fully 18 inches wide, and small lots of picked stone have come to hand from them during the week. No. 3 stope is now past the junction about six feet. The lode is fully 18 inches wide, carrying good minerals. Gold shows freely, and a few picked stone have been selected. No. 4 stope east of the winze, No. 4 lode, has been standing a day or two to allow No. 3 stope to get past the junction. No. 4 stope west of winze has been taken up to the flinty, and No. 5 stope started east of winze. The lode here is small, but looks promising. We finished cleaning up at the battery this morning. Plate amaleam, 1018oz lodwt; from picked stone, 5450z lOdwt: total, 15640z odwt. Retorted gold, 5970z; melted, 5900z .xlwt. I shall get the assay tomorrow. I started the men to work this morning at Saxon to repair No. 5 level. 1 may say we intend entering the Trenton ground from this level on what is known as the hangingwall reef. The Saxon Company have stoped this lode out up to their boundary, and the Trenton Company got the same reef in a cresscut some 60 feet from the boundary, and drove 30 feet on it toward the boundary. The Trenton level is five feet higher than tin Saxon at No. 5 level. We shall overcome this by making an easy grade from a point a little in the Saxon ground to said crosscut in the Trenton, and so get to all the Trenton workings. Lone Hand. —The low level tunnel in which operations have recently been carried on i 3 now in a very fair state of repair. Several of the old timbers which were very much decayed, have been removed and replaced by new. It will be necessary to put up a rise a distance of eight feet from the tributers' old workings on the Manchester reef, to connect with the intermediate level, in order to form a pass for the transit of quartz which will be broken out from above this level. As soon as the rise which has been started is connected with the intermediate level, and the passes cribbed up, I intend to commence scoping operations west of the Manchester winze, which was sunk by Mr. Moore. The contractors for driving 100 feet upon the course of Styak's flinty in the newly-acquired Dives section, commenced work this (Monday) morning. New Fearnod<«t.— The reef in the drive continues about the same as reported last week. Colours of gold are seen, anil 31b of stone were selected, making 151b of stone on hand. By the end of the week there will be five loads broken out, which will be got down to the battery and crushed. Cambria. — leading stope on No. 1 leader at No. 2 level is still in progress. The leader during the week has been rather split up through the occurrence of a hard rib of country, this has just been passed through, and is now in the good belt of sandstone, in which gold was seen in the drive. The leader is again more defined, and wili average from six to eight inches of crushing dirt. In the Cambria section the drive on the cross-reef from the winze is in about 16 feet; the reef is at present a compact body of stone about 2 feet 6 inches in thickness, some of the quartz carries good mineral, and looks promising for gold. In the dig the country is of a favourable description, being traversed with numerous mineral seams and quartz veins, from one of the latter about one pound of picked stone was selected. In the Darwin section the stopes above No. 3 level the quartz from the main reef continues to show gold pretty freely, and yielded a little picked stoue. There is nothing fresh from the other leaders, about the usual supply of crushing dirt is being obtained from them. Stoping is still proceeding on the leaders below No. 3 level, and a. supply of fair crushing dirt is coming to hand. Stoping has just been started on the main reef towards the junction of No. 1 hangingwall leader from No. 3 level, with the view of picking up the run of gold, and mineral that was worked so successfully in the intermediate level above this point. The battery and winding engine are in good working order.

Red Mercury (Kuaotumi).— mine manager telegraphed yesterday :—" Hangingwall portion of reef cut. Fully 18 inches wide, carrying gold throughout."