THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9610, 7 September 1894, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[by telegraph. —OWN correspondent.] Thames, Thursday. Norfolk. —Four tenders, ranging in price from 13s 9d to 19s 6d per foot have been received for extending the drive upon the California reef at the Missouri level, a distance of 100 feet. These have been forwarded to the directors for them to choose one from. . .

Bio Pomp.—Pumping operations were suspended at eight o'clock this morning, and during the day Mr. "Phillips drew the drop-clack at the 500-feet level and repaired it, changed the valves, and effected other repairs to the machinery. These were all completed by ten o'clock to-night, when pumping was again resumed. Moanataiari.—Avery fair grade of quartz has been won this week from the stopea upon the Golden Age footwall leaders and Jones leader, but the only picked stone obtained so .far has been three or four pounds from the leading stope upon the last - mentioned leader. At the latter point the leader has opened out to about 18 inches in thickness, all of which is saved for treatment. Good progress is being made with the extension of the southern crosscut at the 150-feet level, and another 10 feet will bring it up to&he boundary of the Golden Calf section. When this latter point is reached the crosscut will commence to prospect a large stretch of unprospected country, in which there is every likelihood of new reefs being discovered. .

GRACE DARLING. [from a CORRESPONDENT.] Pakroa, September 6. This mine with all its prospects is by a fortuity of circumstances still kepb in the background. The ore that was first passed through the kiln and stampers was pronounced " commercially worthless" by those in charge of the battery. Then a better class of stuff was put through and favourable results anticipated. It now transpires that the men employed in the battery, while cleaning out the tanks, discovered that the refuse remaining in one of them, after having passed through the cyanide process, still contained a quantity of gold. They therefore refrained from washing away any more of it, and reported the matter at once to Mr. Morgan, the mine manager, who, on trying some of ib in a dish, found a long tail of gold. He has prevented any further waste being indulged in until proper inquiry, and has referred the affair to the directors to consider and act. There is a quantity of ore in the dust hopper, which the manager has thought better to delay treating, and has decided to clean up at once. It is possible that the ore won from this mine will require to be handled in a similar manner to that adopted in the Try Fluke battery at Kuaotunu. If so, alterations could be effected at Waitekauri for less than £100. The Grace Darling reef, which has given rich and payable results in assays, is from six to seven feet in width and 15 chains in length, continues to look well. It musb appear unsatisfactory to most of the shareholders that they should be asked to contribute to a call in payment of balance of cost of battery while the gold extracted from the mine, after expensive treatment, should be permitted to pass off into the adjacent croek. There is something assuredly wrong somewhere that wants looking into. [It will be seen by advertisement elsewhere that an extraordinary meeting of shareholders in the company has been called for Monday, the 17th inst., when the shareholders will have an opportunity of discussing the position.—Ed.]