THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9336, 20 October 1893, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—-OWN CORRESPONDENT.] i Thames, Thursday. Sharemarket. —• Cambria, r sellers la 6d;

Calliope, sellers 5d ; Hazelbank, sellers. 2s 3d ; May Queen, sellers la 9d, buyers Is 6d ; Moanataiari/ sellers 3s. 3d, buyers 3s;" Or-

lando, sellers Bd. Hazelbank. — Crushing is proceeding with 10 head of stampers ab the Moanataiari battery on behalf of this company. The mine is without change. , .■-',; Warden's Court. —Ab the Warden's Court, to-day, the following applications were dealb with Norfolk Gold Mining Company, protection to work with four men for four months, granted ; G. Peploe, claim, Collarbone Spur, granted; D. Ramsay, claim, Puhoi Creek, granted; J. Hawkins, claim, Waiotahi, granted ; J. Waterman, claim, Karaka, granted ; W. Robinson, claim, Collarbone Spur, granted ; D. Loughlin, protection to work the Junction Gold Mining Company's mine six months with four men, granted ; J, Ludwig, protection to work Alpine claim, Otanui, for three months, with six men, granted ; A,. Campbell, water- Puru Creek, granted; Thomas Moylo, protection to work the Divea section of the Lone Hand Gold Mining Company's mine with six men, granted; J. P. Williams, protection to work the New Fearnought Gold Mining Company's mine with four men, granted; S. Ensor, Claim Karaka, granted. City of Dunkdin G.M. Co.—This company made an application ab the Warden's Court to-day for protection to work its mine (which is situated ab Tararu) with four men, bub an objection was laid against the same by William Christie and Charles Waite. Mr. Miller appeared for the company, and Mr. Clendon for the objectors. Evidence was given at length by Mr. J. A. Pond for the company, his, contentions being that a fine had been imposed a couple of weeks ago for nonworking, and thab ib was impossible to profitably employ more than four men at present, while if a large tonnage of quartz was broken out it could, not be efficiently treated by the present appliances, the loss being about £3 per ton. . The objectors stated that they had applied for a portion of the ground not worked by the company on tribute, but had not been able to obtain ib, so thab the company would nob let ib to others or work the ground themselves. The Warden referred to the time when the ground was lying idle, and said thab when ib was taken up by Mr. Logan and others he had himself heard it remarked that the owners might know something of' poft goods, bub they could have no idea of mining or they would not spend their money there. Mr. Northcrofb referred to the loss of gold thab was taking place when complex ore was treated by ordinary battery process, and to the. care necessary to bo exercised by a warden when deciding plaints for forfeiture. The great thing was to show reasonable consideration where a genuine desire was shown to fairly develop a property as far as possible. The objection would be dismissed with costs, and the protection granted to work with four men.

Victoria.—Operations in this company's mine are at present confined to driving and stoping at and above the 100 feet level upon what is termed the main reef and a hangingwall leader. In order to test the reef going seaward, driving was commenced upon it a few days ago upon the western side of the main crosscut leading in from the shaft. In this direction there is a very large extent of unprotected ground, with several leaders and reefs striking across it, and the object is to intersect the junctions of some of these bodies with the reef that is being followed. The first junction that should be intersected is that of the Caledonian hanginjrwall leader with the main body. This hanging wall leader was a very rich on« in the Caledonian mine, and it is hoped that the junction of ' the two' bodies of quartz may have a beneficial effect on each other. Sine* commencing a distance of about 15 feet has been driven through a very fair class of sandstone country, interlaced with numerous small mineral veins, and a further distance of 30 feet is expected to be driven before the junction is met with. The drive is on the hanging wall side of the reef, which! Ie over two feeb in thickness, and some of the quartz broken has contained very fair mineral indications, but tho precious metal has not yet been observed. Further eastward, a block about 40 feeb in length is being sloped upon the same body at the junction with a small hangingwall leader, and a length of about 45 feet is also i being stoped upon the latter. The main reef , is about 2J feet in thickness.. The hangingwall side of the reef is a little mixed with

the country, but an average of 18 inches of very fair crushing dirt is being saved, in which colours of gold are frequently seen. The hangingwall leader averages about three inches in thickness, and shows gold pretty freely at every breaking down. Another rib of quartz has lately been discovered in the hangingwall of this latter leader, and it is intended to henceforth carry the "dig " between the two, so as to break them both out, and thus make sure of leaving nothing of value behind.