WAIOMO MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9635, 6 October 1894, Page 6

WAIOMO MINING NEWS.

THE MONOWAI AND GEM MINES.

A COMPANY FORMED TO WORK THEM. [FBOil OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Friday. ALTHOcrorx very little has lu>«n heard regarding this district for some time past, still a considerable amount of quiet prospecting work has been going on with very encouraging results. Especially has tnis been the case with regard to the Monowai No. 1 and Gem mines, which have been owned and worked by a syndicate composed of Auckland and Thames gentlemen. It is now fully four years since the syndicate commenced operations in the Monowai, since which time more or less work has been continuously carried ou under the supervision of Mr. Peter Hansen, who has had a large mining experience both at Thames and up-country districts. The property comprises an area of about '28 acres of ground, and is situated on the range running up on the right hand side of the road leading to the old Paroquet mine. When operations were first commenced on behall of the syndicate a considerable amount of work was done upon a very large body of quartz discovered on the hillside a short distance above the road. This reef was traced for a long distance, and was found to vary in thickness from 20 to 60 feet. Besides

uncovering it at several points on the surface, two tunnels were put in to intersect if, one of which penetrated the reef for a distance of 33 feet without reaching the footwalL Several assay tests were made at different times, when it was found that from eight to ten feet of the hangingwall portion was worth from £2 to £10 per ton. Very little mineral was noticeable in the quartz broken at the lower level, but more was found in the upper workings. From a survey made afterwards, it was found that this reef is identical with the one worked in the old Broken Hill claim by Mr. J. W. Walker some four years ago, which is situated about 18 chains to the north of the Monowai.

Latterly, however, work has beeju concentrated on opening up and testing the value of another large body of quartz discovered about 40 feet higher up the hill. This reef runs parallel with the big one previously referred to on the footwali side, its course being nearly north and south, with a slight westerly dip, and varies in thickness so far as opened up, from four to 18 feet, but will average about 12 feet. The work done upon it up to tne present time takes the form of a open cutting on its hanging-wall side, which has exposed it for a length of fully 90 feet, with an average height of about 15 feet. A thickness of about 10 feet of quartz has already been broken from the hanging-wall side for a length of about 30 feet, and there is still from six to eight feet left of the footwall portion.

The quartz generally is of a rather hard and brittle (description, and of a brownish white colour, with occasional veins of soft rusty-coloured stone. A little mineral, such as iron pyrites, galena, and zinc blend is scattered through the quartz, and occasional patches of copper pyrites are also dropped across, but when this latter occurs no difficulty is experienced in keeping it separate from the other. A rather peculiar feature attached to the quartz is that, notwithstanding all the work done and the quantity broken out, besides the excellent results obtained from time to time by assay, not one visible speck of gold has been observed in any piece ot quartz broken from the reef, neither can the precious metal be found by pounding the quartz up fine, and then panning it off. From the portion of the reef broken, about 125 tons of quartz have been secured, 71 tons of which were sampled into four different classes, and sent down to the syndicate's mill, where a quantity of each class was passed through a stone breaker. Parcels of each class were recently treated at the School of Mines experimental plant by the cyanide process, when highly remunerative results were obtained, as follows No. 1 class : This assayed for £14 5s worth of bullion per ton, and 87 per cent, of this was saved ; No. 2 assayed for £5 5s per ton, and 84 per cent, was saved; No. 3 assayed for £3 09 7d per ton, and 72 per cent, was saved; No. 4, which comprised the mineralised quartz, assayed for £6 ls6d per ton, and 68 percent, was saved. After these tests were made, other similar parcels of the same class of quartz were forwarded to the Cassel Gold Extracting Co.'s works at Waihi, where the better results were obtained. Since then, however, it has been ascertained that the ore contained in the footwali portion of the lode, and which still stands unbroken except where samples bave been taken out for testing purposes, is even richer with gold and silver than the hangingwall portion, which greatly enhances the value ot the claim and also the prospects of the syndicate. In order to still further test the value of the reef men are at present employed stripping it some 70 feet further north of the cutting just referred to, and shortly it is intended to bring in a level from the face of the hill a little to the south of the cutting. The mine is splendidly situated as regards future operations in the way of opening up lower levels, for from the County road straight up to the cutting there are at least 250 feet of backs available, and still greater depth can be obtained by crosscutting in lower down the road. , .The same syndicate also owns and is opening up the Gem mine, which is situated on the range to the westward of the Monowai. In this mine twe large blocks of ground are opened up and ready for stoping upon a reef that varies in size from one to five feet. At

No. 1 level a block 225 feet in length with about 50 feet of backs, is now available, and toping has just been commenced. Two rises 130 feet apart have been carried up to the surface, and a winze sunk down to No. 2 level, where another block 300 feet in length, with about 45 feet of backs, has been opened up. In carrying out these works a very large tonnage of quartz haa been paddocked, and gold was seen pretty freely all through. In fact the quartz broken recently from the last *xise carried up to surface above No. 1 level "lias been of first-class quality, gold having been seen very freely in it. Matters, however, have now arrived at such a point in connection with the future operations to be carried on in the two mines mentioned that it is essential a reduction plant suitable for the treatment of the ore should at once be erected. Some little time ago the syndicate erected a plant, comprising a stone-breaker, four McKay pans, two settlers, and one berdan, and endeavoured to treat the ore by pan amalgamation, but that process did not prove successful. Since then it has been found by experimental tests that the cyanide process deals with the ore in a very satisfactory manner. In order that the gentlemen comprising the syndicate might ascertain for themselves the prospects of the mine, as to enable them to better decide as to the future course of proceedings, a number of them on Wednesday last visited the two properties, where all that had been done in the way of developing the reefs was pointed out to them by Mr. Hansen. They all appeared to be well satisfied with what had been done and also with the prospects, so much so, that yesterday they held a meeting at which thev formed a company with a capital of £30,000, in 60,000 shares of 10s each, 5s to be considered paid up. Messrs. Bloomfield, Bailey, Barling (all o;f Auckland), McDonnell, and Wick (of Thames) were elected directors, and Mr. William Clark, of Auckland, was appointed legal manager. It was also decided to at once make arrangements for erecting ten head of stampers for dry crushing, and a complete cyanide plant capable of treating between 60 and 70 tons of quartz per week. The company are already in possession of all the necessary water rights, etc., for motive power, and a Pelton wheel capable of working the whole plant, so that they expect to have the whole plant in complete working order by the end of the present year.