THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9722, 18 January 1895, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

[BY telegraph.—own correspondents.] Thames, Thursday.

Sharemarket.-— sellers lOd; May Queen, sales 4s lOd, sellers ss; Moanataiari, sales 4s 2d, sellers 4s 6d, buyers 4s; Victoria, sales 6d, sellers 6id, buyers sd; Talisman, sales 6s lOd, sellers 7s; Bonanza, sales Is 4d, sellers Is 6d, buyers Is 4d ; United, sellers 5d ; Broken Hill, sales 9d, sellers 9Jd.

May Queen.—-No quartz was broken from No. 4 reef at No. 6 level to-day, as the men were employed in timbering the drive. Tight sandstone still* prevails in the main crosscut towards the Queen of May shaft.

Hazklbank.—The manager to-day let two tribute blocks in this company's mineone to Rowe and party upon Darby's leader, and the other upon Rowe's leader to McGregor and party. .' Both blocks are situated above the No. 1 level. There is nothing new to report from the company's workings. * .

Warden's Court. —At the Warden's Court to-day Mr. Eyre Kenny granted the following applications : F. Mc Liver, Rising Sun licensed holding, Tairua; Alfred Howe, Broken Hill, Waiomo : Whiteley. machine site, Upper Tararu; d. A. Miller, for shareholders Mount Morgan licensed holdings, Waiomo, permission to work with two men for a period of two months; George Hill, Tudor claim, Moanataiari Creek; William Berivel, jun., residence site, Shellback Creek ; William Morrison, exchange of title for residence site, Karaka Creek. The following applications were adjourned till the Ist of February :—H. Rabe, Silver King, Murphy's Hill; H. L. Smith, Caledonian, Waiomo; Monowai Amalgamated Gold Mining Company, special claim, Waiomo ; George Crocker, Golden Crown, Waiomo; J. Sedgeman, Eileen, Waiomo; P. C. Hansen, waterrace, Waiomo; S. Agnew, amalgamation of Onehunga and Onehunga Extended Claims, Karaka Creek; John Cameron, residence site, Waiotahi; James Brownlee, residence site, Irishtown ; H. J. Gentles, residence site. The following were adjourned to the 14th of February :—E. M. Scott, residence site, Otnnui ; E. A. Scott, residence site, Otunui; A. Howe, waterrace, Waiomo.

. Moanataiari. —Operations in this mine at the present juncture are of an interesting character, inasmuch as some very important prospecting work is in progress, and any day may see an important "find" of gold. At the 150-feet level, below the main tunnel, what is termed the south-east crosscut is being extended through the old Golden Calf section of the mine, in order to try and pick i up the eastern continuation of the Caledonian Nos. 1 and 2 reefs, and other quartz bodies, in a section of country that has never before been tried adjacent to the big main slide of the field. The crosscut is running a course parallel to the slide at a distance of about 60 feet seaward of it, and the face is now a total distance of 590 feet from the company's shaft, the latter 2SO feet of which has beeu through new ground. The country penetrated so far has been a favourable class of sandstone, although no quartz of any description ha? been intersected, but in another 160 feeb of driving Mr. Clark anticipates meeting with the Caledonian No. 1 reef. So far as prospects go there appears to be every reason for believing that any quartz met with will be payable, a3 this level corresponds with the Caledonian No. 1 level, at which the famous patch of gold was found, and also corresponds with the Cambria No. 3 level, at which good gold was got, whilst it is only 70 feet deeper than the level at which the Moanataiaricompany met with its rich patch in the No. 9 reef a few years back. In addition to this work, Mr. Clark is also at the present time opening up the old workings, upon what is known as the hangingwall braneh of No. 9 reef, about 100 feet south of tho shaft, in order to prove whether or nob any payable quartz or leaders are still existing in the locality. The point which is being opened up is directly underneath where the big patch of gold was found at the SOfeet level in No. 9 reef at its junction with the hangingwall branch. This patch, however, only carried down about 20 feet below the 80-feefc level, for at that depth a small slide was met with which cut off tho gold, but as this latter slide has already been passed through in the workings now in progress at the 150-feet level, and there being still a distance of about 30 feet to drive before the main slide is reached. Mr. Clark is yet hopeful of meeting with something payable. He also purposes, as soon as funds are available, to further test No. 4 reef at the 150-feet level, which he has already opened up for a length of 100 feet, but without meeting with any payable quartz. In the upper sections of the mine payable quartz is still coming to hand from both the Golden Age and Dawn of Hope reefs and what is termed Jones's leader. The last-mentioned leader is now opened up for a length of 220 feet at the 100-feet level, and the drive is still boing continued in an easterly direction upon its course, there being yet a distance of 750 feet to drive through untried country before the company's boundary is reached, whilst the backs available are about 250 feet in height, lb is running a course parallel to the Reuben Parr reef, the latter being distant about 50 feet in the foofcwall country. A block 40 feet in length has already been stoped out up to the Point Russell level, and stoping eastward of that block is now in progress. The leader varies in size from two inches up to 2\ feeb, its character in this respect being very erratic, but the best results are generally obtained from it when its size is small, although as yet the results obtained have fully compensated for all the work done upon it. A connection with this leader at the Point Russell level was effected a short time ago by driving a crosscut 70 feofc in length from the workings on the Reuben Parr reef, which connection had the effect of providing good ventilation for the continuation of operations upon the leader. Upon the Golden Age footwall leaders a block 190 feeb in length and 90 feet in height has been stoped out above the Point Russell level westward from the junction with the big reef itself. The leaders had to be stoped for a width of from about three feet up bo as much as thirty-five feet, but of course all the dirt broken was not crushed, as the sandstone between the several leaders was all picked out and used for fillingin purposes. Up bo about two mouths ago this was the source of the company's main supply of quartz, but latterly the quality of the same has been poorer, on account of the country having become much harder and the leaders much smaller, besides which a flat " buck" formation of quartz also made its appearance, and somewhat disorganised the leaders. On the top of this latter formation, however, the country appears to be improving again, and Mr. Clark is hopeful of meeting with better results shortly. Afc a height of 80 feeb in these Golden Age etopes the junction with the Dawn of Hope reef was met, and consequently an intermediate level was formed, in order that the last-mentioned body might also be operated upon. Since then the reef has been opened up for a length of 150 feet, two stopes beaten out, and the third started. So far the reef has averaged about 18 inches in thickness, and for the past two or throe months the principal part of the gold won by the company has been obtained from it. The reef is a nice compact body of quartz, and is encased by a good class of sandstone, but the backs available are only about 50 feet in height. There is, however, a large extent of country available upon the reef eastward 'of the present workings, and by driving in that direction the same gold-bearing channel of country will be met with as that which was found encasing the Golden Age reef at the point where the best results were obtained from the latter. Mr. Clark purposes extending this level eastward with the idea of further prospecting both of the reefs, for by extending ib a distance of about 350 feet ahead of the present face, a point will be reached directly, underneath where a good run of gold was found years ago in the old Golden Age section of tho mine. A connection with these old workings could then be obtained by sinking a winze from the Waiotahi side of the spur, when 80 feet of backs would be available for stoping if payable results were meb with. This latter work, however, is yet one to be undertaken in the future, but Mr. Clark is confident ib will be carried out eventually, as it will open up a section of the mine that is worthy of a most rigid examination. In addition to the works referred to above, Mr. Clark is still continuing the surface works in the old Eureka section of tho company's property, from which the, returns

obtained, although comparatively small, have given a margin of profit, but the supply of crushing dirt from that point is now nearly exhausted. Steps, however, are at once to be taken for remedying this deficiency by treating a.; large quantity of surface dirt available on the Mo&nataiari side of the spur. ~ Pakroa, Thursday. Water-Rights.— whole of the water in the Wuitekauri, Waitawheta, and Ohinemuri Rivers has been applied for, and there is likely to be a very considerable amount of litigation on the matter. Talisman.—Work at the Talisman battery site has been oommenced.

A WAIKATO GOLD FIND. Ngaroawahia, Thursday. Mr. Williams, our cooper here, who is one of the prospectors for gold, returned home last night, bringing with him four small specimens taken from the reef, which is well defined, and lies about three miles on the other side of the river. Gold was visible on each of the pieces of stone, running through one piece from side to side, and more or less impregnating the largest specimen, which was about an inch square. The gold formerly found here was in the year 1866 or 1867. . :■„"

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. Victoria (January During the past week work has been carried on in testing the No. 1 reef at the No, 4 level of the Saxon shaft. A rise was started at a point 30 feet back from the face of the drive where the seaward slide was met with, and has been carried to a height of 28 feet over the drive, at this point the slide has again been met with. In this rise a splendid body of stone continues, but so far but little gold has been seen. It is the intention to continue testing the reef at several other points along the course of the drive; also a start will be made in a few days to start driving along the course of the tributera' leader seaward to' slide. ! Kafai-Vermont (Knaotunu).— mine manager telegraphed yesterday :— " Reef looking very well in rise ; battery now crushing frill time splendidly, over ton per hour ; percolation very good."

Comstock.— licensed holding is peg and peg with the Mbnawai, Waiomo, and on its westward boundary on the line of reef. It comprises 30 acres, and the license is ranted. In the course of a few days, Mr. R. McDonald Scott will call a meeting of the shareholders, to form it into a company, on lines similar to the Broken Hill G.M. Company (Limited). The following is Mr. W. H. Burch's report upon the claim : — Thames. November 26, 1594. —I went down to Waiomo early this morning. There is no doubt about there being a large reef, but about its payableness, time will tell. The ground Mr. Carter pegged off, could not be situated better; right on the line of reef, with hilly country and plenty of backs, and it would not cost much to trace the reef into the ground. This done, you can get about 250 Feet of backs by driving the same distance. My advice is to not be in a hurry. You will not have long to wait. If the Waiomo turns out as Hansen and party think, the ground pegged should be valuable. It would take all day to have a good look, but 1 had not much time, wanting to get back at noon, to get pay-sheets and writing done. However, I saw enough to satisfy mc, if the Waiomo is all right, then you have what I consider the best piece of ground available."

Imperial Claim (Karangahake)..— The well-known Imperial mine, situated at Karangahake, has been lately placed on the market, and the shares being sold, a meeting will shortly be held at the office of Mr. H. Gilfillan, jun., to form a .company for the more systematic development oi the ground. —[Advt.]

Caledonian Licensed Holdikg (Waiomo). The owners of the Caledonian Licensed Holding, Waiomo, have decided to form this into a company, and to this end have divided their interest into fifty syndicate shares, tweuty of which they now offer to the public at £20 per share. These will represent one thousand scrip each, and as the ground is north of and adjoining the Cornstock holding, and at no great distance from the Monowai company's property, should commend itself to the mining community. Applications for shares may be sent in at once to the secretary, F. A. White, 91, Queen-street, Auckland.—