THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9720, 16 January 1895, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

1 [BTTEL.EGEAFH —OWN correspondents.] Thames, Tuesday. i Sharemarket.—The market for mining shares has been very dull to-day, the only ', sale recorded being in Broken Hill stock. A little enquiry net in late last evening for May Queen stock, and sales were effected at 4s lOd and ss, but nothing was done in them to-day. The following are this evening's quotationsHazelbank, sellers lOd ; May Queen, sellers 5s ; Moanataiari, sellers i 4* 6d; Victoria, sellers 6d; Talisman, sellers 7s 6d ; Retreat, sellers Sd ; Broken Hill, sales Is, sellers 1?. May Qceex.—What is believed to be the junction of the No. 4 reef with No. 3 (the latter being the quartz body intersected before No. 4 reef was cut in the crosscut at No. 6 level) has been met with in the drive eastward at No. 6 level, but the quartz has not yet been broken down, A breaking down, however, will probably take place tomorrow. Albcrnia.—Carrying along the leading stops upon Dixon's reef and timbering the drive is now in progress, and judging from the way the quartz is shaping at the battery, a payable return is expected. A few pounds of picked stone were obtained recently from a point where a small hangingwall leader struck the reef. At the battery only ten bead were employed upon the Company's dirt until yesterday, but *20 head are now encaged eight hours per day, and it is intended to run them 16 hours shortly. Victoria.—The rise upon No. 1 reef at No. 4 level nearest the seaward break has been carried up a height of 30 feet, at which point the underlie of the same break was met with, consequently further operations at this point have been abandoned, as nothing payable was discovered. Another rise is now in progress further back upon the reef, and the manager has also started men to operate upon what is known as Towers' leader at the same level, from which tributers have obtained fair returns of gold in the past. Paeroa, Tuesday. At the Warden"? Court to-day nearly all the applications for licensed holdings at Karangabake, including the Wealth of Nations and Victor, were adjourned for the production of plans. There will be no trouble in the granting of any of the claims. MINE MANAGER'S REPORTS. Cambria (January 14).—Sloping has been carried on as useal daring the week on No. 5 leader and its tanging wall branch. In the present stops both leaders are being worked, but as they go upwards they will require to be worked separately, as they are underlying in opposite directions. Some very fair crush, lag dirt, showing gold pretty freely, continues to come to hand. Below No. 3 level sloping and driving on Nos. 1 and 2 leaders respectively is being carried on. The quartz won has been of a fair grade, while a little picked stone has also come to hand. At No. 4 level prospecting is in progress on No. 6 leader. The leader is about five inches in thickness, and the quartz has a very favourable appearance for gold. The battery and winding-engine are in good working order. May Qceen (January 14).—The low level was extended 28 feet for the week. The

ground in the face is a firm sandstone, with no joints in it; consequently progress is slow. No. 4 reef: Stripping the reef is being carried on with the day shift. North-west reef: The drive is now in 24 feet, and the reef is getting more compact; the hangingwall portion is making across the drive to the footwalL There is an improvement in the reef since my last, there being more quartz, and the reef is getting more defined, but progress in these two drives will be slow, until a connection is made with the Qaeeo of the May shaft. Saxon section, No. 3 level: This drive is now in 87 feet, and the lode is rather smaller than usual this week, still colours and dabs of gold are seen at each breaking down, and a few pounds of stone were selected. The leading stope is along 15 feet. Gold is seen here, and a few pounds of stone were picked out. No. 2 level -. The lode here is fully three inches thick, and looks promising. Strong dabs of gold were seen in the last breaking down. It is in this direction that I am in hopes of getting something better than we have got out of this lode. In the stopes over No. 2 there is nothing fresh to mention; gold is seen in the different stopes. and a few pounds of stone were selected. There are about- 20 I>ounds of picked stone on hand from all the workings on darkens leader.

Broken Hill (Waiomo, January 7). — Since taking charge of your mine on the 7th instant, lor the greater part of the time I have been eneaged in preliminary work appertaining to commencing actual mining operations, and on Thursday last commenced stripping the reef : and when breaking down to -day am pleased to informyou that I obtained some fair grade ore, some of which showed a few colours of gold. Kaipai-Yermont (Kuaotunu, January 11). The south face of the main level is in a total distance of 52 feet from rise, the reef being from three to four feet wide composed of solid quartz, and during the week has been bearing towards the branch left on tootwall side. The stone looks well for carrying gold; at the same time only small prospects are procurable. The rise at the south end is squared up to a total of 75 feet, the width of which at present, including horse of sandstone, is nine feet; fully four feet on hangingwall is quite equal to any hitherto reported. Gold is plainly visible in the solid stone throughout this width and looks quite as well now in the extreme top of rise, and ends, as I have ever seen it. J have started to open out an intermediate level north 55 feet above roof of m<tin drive, which is necessary for stoping as well as giving protection to men at present shooting in rise. This level is in four feet from rise, and similar ore is coming to hand as that obtained on top of rise. The mill worked steadily, and emptied the hopper of quartz (at mill) very satisfactorily at the rate of one ton per hour. A cyanide vat has been charged to the extent of 24 tons (which was filled in five minutes). The first solution

percolated splendidly (without the aid of a suction pump), quite quick enough for working purposes, and the second is now flowing ae freefy as the first, and Mr. Walker considers a vacuum pump will not be necessary. The average assay taken from ore crushed is £5128 6d per ton, without the aid of any of that reported sorted (or bagged), and from present appearances I fully expect to see over 90 per cent saved, I believe our next kiln will give still a better average. Everything is working particularly smooth and well, and I consider the return is most satisfactory. The wear, etc., on mill was only 1 l-10th lb per ton, which is very little, and there was not lib of ore left uncrushed in

machine when examined. I have three men driving near top of hill to cut reef prior to sinking a winze to connect rise, this crosscut is now in 40feet, and reef may come to hand any day.

Wealth of Nations Claim (Karangahake).The above claim, which, since it was pegged out, has caused no small stir in mining circles, has been floated *on the market in an exceptionally short time, and a meeting for the formation of the company will be held at an early date. Talisman. statutory meeting of the Talisman Gold Mining Company, Limited, to have been held at noon yesterday, lapsed for want of a quorum.