THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11057, 8 May 1899, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

AUCKLAND SHAREMARKET. The market on Saturday was somewhat quieter than usual. Business was confined to May Queens, which were sold at rom 8 9d to 9s, Grace Darlings at Is 3d, and ail. Extended! at Bd. In standard stocks, for which a good demand existed, there was no material change. In mining Waihis advanced, and could have been placed at it) IS, but sellers held for £6 ss. Talismans were wanted at 14s 6d, Whangamata Corporations 6s 4d, Waitekauris at 42s fid, Four-.n-Rands, Alphas, Wa.hi Silvcrtons and other lines could have been placed at late quotalions. NEWS FROM THE MINES. rot TELEGKAI'U.-OWN CORRESrOXDEXT.] PaKBOA, Saturday. WAini CONSOLS. Prospecting under the management of Mr. J. Benny is proceeding as exped toush; a can be expected, but here, as with other Vail" .nines, the water trouble co» ilnd will continue until a genera 1 dram age scheme for the Wailu basin has been matured. OIIINEMURI syndicate. The new development I recorded in Thursday's Her.u.», as having occurred in M (jhinemuri Syndicate's mine, a Of*a , namely, the intersection of quartz itiingm in the crosscut branching off from tie Jo. 1 drive south, have now proved the same to he the Radical lode. As already stated, these stringers carried nice gold and as no further quartz was intersected, the managei concluded that the formation intersected was really the reef being driven for. the to - .nation is about 4ft wide, and some of tinveins carry very nice stone, which, when tested in the dish, gives a good prospect lilt development of the reef on its northern trend is now being undertaken. KOMATA BEEFS. The extension of the low level is being pushed ahead expeditiously by means of tlio rock-drill, and something like 1020 ft lias been negotiated ; 180 ft of this was accomplished during the past month, and the faco is now passing through reeling country, though the stringers of quartz which frequently cross the crosscut do not possess any value. The reefs being driven for arc sonib distance vet ahead. A hard bar will have to be passed through before the gold-bearing strata is entered. Sloping upon Wilson s (late Argall's) lode and Hartridge's leader is being steadily prosecuted at the back ol both Nos. 2 and 3 levels, and a fair supply ot quartz is coming to hand. There is no doubt, however, that the main energy of the management is being concentrated in the low level tunnel, from which important developments are expected when the face is advanced sufficiently.

om.vKMriu. A start was made this week, under the supervision of Mr. C. McLean, and as a result the placing of an eight horse-power portable engine on the ground, the erection of a boilershed, and the placing of 500 ft of Oft lengths of piping for boring has been accomplished. Operations have been started II short distance from the boundary of the Grand Junction mine in line with the shaft. It is proposed to bore 500 ft, meanwhile a 16ft guidepipe has been put down, and boring will bo started immediately. Thames, Saturday. VICTORIA. Williams and party, who are working a tribute block upon the Victoria reef, in the surface portion of the mine, have completed it crushing of 12 loads of ore, for the payable return of lloz lldwt of melted gold, valued at £39 5s Bd. MU.NWAI. I understand that the operations carried on in this company's property for some time past, have not proved successful, so far as the treatment of the ore available from the Monnwai sections is concerned, and that as the result of this failure all operations in the mine on the company's behalf have been suspended, and all but about six of the work-ing-staff discharged. The men that have been kept, on are those that are connected with the reduction plant, which it is proposed to keep going for a short time longer, in order to experiment with lite ore and bailings that have recently accumulated, with the object of endeavouring to improve on the method of treatment. A tribute has, however, been let in the (Join section to six miners, who have secured a block 200 ft in length, between Nos. 1 and 2 levels, and they are very sanguine of securing profitable results therefrom. The chairman of directors (Mr. Wm. Campbell), who has been on a lengthened visit to the mine, with the object of gathering as much information as possible re its resources, left for Auckland today, in company with Mr. French, the company's metallurgist, and they will no doubt place the present, position of affairs before the colonial shareholders at the meeting which is to be held at the Chamber of Mines on .Monday afternoon. Mr. Campbell, I understand, leaves for Glasgow by the new 'Frisco mail steamer, in order 'in consult with his co-directors re the future development of the properly.

MAY IJUKF.S' HAUKAKI. Another small parcel of picked stone has beer, secured from No. 2 winze, amounting to between Sib and lOlh. but no general breaking down of either No. 1 or the newreef has yet taken place. The prospects of a good haul of picked stone being secured when a general breaking down of quartz does take place are of a most encouraging character. IHONTAP. The new parly of contractors in the lowleu 1 have driven 25ft since commencing Hereof in the face is now about 18in in thickness, and although no gold is visible to the eye still very fair prospects are cbtainah e by pounding tuples of tho ore •and washing the same off i„ a dish. A very kindly class of sandstone country is being penetrated. M.UIAIU nOTAL. A somewhat serious landslip has occurred on the lino o this company's water-raco, with the result that about two chains of t'le latter has been carried away. This has unfortunately, brought the company's crushing operation., to an abrupt standstill, which will wobbly lust for several days *« the slip „of Sllc] , a character , it >. t Invents the re-erection of tho trailing of the- wa er-race, and necessitates the driving of a short tunnel in onto to avoid the THAMES H.tTTRAKr. he work of continuing the downward entie Queen „f Beauty shaft ha S b*n proceeded with during the week, and poo, progress made with "the same. A low No «? I , 6ft 'If nmv ten «™ k w No 8 level \ On Monday additional men «e to be put on for the purpose of e • arging the chamber at No. 8 level, J as J 0 \ K lo > accomplished before a nwt .an be made with the cleaning out, of he crosscut leading into the Vanguard ever The enlargement of the shaft, how- , o„ s tfl ? bo .kept going simui. works V . Can7 ?? R ™ of the other won S. There is nothing new to report as n therrUn% n f hern Inspecting crosscut in the Deep Sinker section. A more conff»»l class of sandstone country fa ™ «ns penetrated at that point, but there any reef being near at hand

REEFTON GOLD RETURNS. [DY IBLEQRAPII.-PBBSS ASSOCIATION'.] 11. f„n • Rekfton, Saturday, turn, I !mnn « are the Reefton gold re- £ 3^T tS \, mineS ' 14S3ra °f 80'.

. THAMES SHAIIEMARKET.., IFKOII OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] P..tl. d „ n'li , Thames, Saturday. «lta?*l Hl l' sales2d : Cit .V of Auckland, melius 3d; Kuranui-Caledonian, sellers 1 «; Kuramn, sellers 4dj May Wnftu, nil, sales:Bs 9d se ll ers 9 s f Victoria, sel sellers 15s 6d; Alpha, sellers ss.