THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11199, 20 October 1899, Page 6

THE GOLDFIELDS.

AUCKLAND SHAREMAEKET, The market yesterday was quiet. Standards, which were in good demand, showed no change. In mining, Mount Lyells (Tasmania) were placed at £10 17s 6d. Waihis were wanted at £8 7s 6d, sellers holding for £8 15s. New Zealand Crowns could have been sold at 13s 9d, New Zealand Talismans 12s 3d, and Grand Junctions at 21s, but sellers declined to quit at these prices. Waihi Extended were placed at lOd and IOJd, Ohinemuris at 3d, and May Queens, which showed a slight improvement, at 5s 6d. Other lines were wanted at prices recently quoted in the Herald. MAY QUEEN HAURAKI. As was anticipated, the No. 4 lode has been intersected in the No. 7 level of the May Queen Hauraki mine, at Thames. The lode is about 15ft wide, and carries about 10ft of good crushing dirt. The lode consists of stringers, showing gold freely, and is expected to prove highly payable. In the winze on the same lode, for the purpose of securing ventilation for the No. 7 level, ore of good quality has been carried all the way. Mr. H. A. Gordon expresses himself as well pleased with the developments, and it is anticipated that during the next month the value of the mine will be added to considerably. MR, E. H. HARDY'S PROPERTIES AT WAIORONGOMAI. [from our te aroha correspondent.] Regarding the properties at Waiorongomai. at present being worked by Mi. E. H. Hardy, I gathered during a recent inspection of mines and plant that the battery has been working tor. the past five months, from eight a.m. to midnight; almost continuously. At the mine operations are confined to the Premier section, in stoping and driving northward from the main winze, at a place hitherto supposed to be beyond the dip of the chute of gold, but where there is now gold showing in five different frees. The ground is being stoped vertically 153 ft r,nd 200 ft horizontally, and intermediate drives laid out. Every particle of stuff taken out is put through the battery; there is no mullock tip. A band, 4ft to Bft wide, is being attacked at present. This is only one of the many payable bands existing in the reef, which averages over 100 ft wide for over a mile. It is intended shortly to put on another lot of men at the Colonist section, where large quantities of gold have been obtained in the past, over £10,000 worth of the precious metal having been won during the last 14 months it was worked. The ground is already opened up by a low level tunnel and drifts, north and south, giving 100 ft of backs, under the old run of gold. The ove will probably require cyanide treatment, for which every provision has been made at the battery. The present monthly returns are averaging about 70 ounces, but with the help of the extra miners recently engaged, making 12 in ail, the returns should be close upon 100 ounces. The bullion fetches £2 15s per ounce. Several parcels of ore have been treated for other parties, and five to,is from the Waitaia mine, Kuaotunu, now await stoppage of the battery at the regular rlean-up. The tramwav is in first-class order. It is laid with railway rails, is nearly three miles long, and cost £18.000. At the battery and grounds great improvements have been made. Additions have been made to the machinery, the old dry-crushing arrangjments have been demolished, wet crushing has been substituted, till now the whole is complete and admirable for its purpose, the loss in tailings being only Übout 5s per ton from samples taken over 16 tons of buddlings by sampling rod The battery consists of « lock-breaker, two automatic Challenge feeders, 10 stamps of 8501b weight, having manganese shoes and dies. The pulp passes through 40-mesh woven-wire screens on to electroplated silver copper plates, one ounce silvei per square foot, then passes into grinding and amalgamating pans, and ny typhons into six berdans, thence outside the mill, whence it is elevated by hydraulic elevator, back to the battery, to a "raised platfoim, for further treatment, should such bo necessary by buddling, blanket tables, or the 6ft Union vintner, or by cyanide, in connection with which is a centrifugal pump, vacuum pump, and cylinder, and all necessary apparatus. The motive power is furnished by three Pelton wheels, from a 20in diameter hydraulic main, having 240 ft head of water, yielding a pressure of 10411) per square inch. The whole of the arrangements have been laid out by Mr. Hardy, and creeled by Mr. George lieeson, v ho also takes the day shift in the batten'. Mr. Hardy himself takes the night shift, besides attending to the assay department. Mr. R. E. Pilgrim is in charge of the fine. From the amount of work done and improvements made at the battery, assay office, etc., Mr. Hardy evidently intends to make a long stay. So complete are the arrangements at the battery, where everything is working automatically, that no hand labour beyond feeding the rock-breaker is required, and the cost of treating ore is reduced to an astonishing by small amount. It is intended to erect 10 additional stamps and an electric light plant early in the new year. At the township things are beginning to wear a more promising outlook, men being employed improving the footpaths, roads, etc., i.nd there are no empty houses to be seen. It is to be hoped that Waiorogomai may continue in its present prosperous stato, and fulfil the expectations of those competent to judge, viz., that it will eventually prove one of the richest mining districts in New Zealand, DREDGING RETURNS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Thursday. Owing to the rising of the river the Hartley and Riley dredge has stopped working, and will undergo an overhaul. The return for the four days is 2360z 9dwt. GRACE DARLING. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Pabroa, Thursday. The contractor for the erection of the battery is making splendid progress with the work. The framing of the battery building will be completed this week, and the foundation for the engine finished. The engine will be placed in position in a few days. THAMES SHAREMARKET. [BY telegraph.— correspondent.] Titamks, Thursday. Kuranui-'Calcdonian, buyers Is sd; Kuranui, sellers 3d; May Queen Hauraki, sellers 5s 9d; Moanataiari (2s paid up), sellers 3s; New Alburnia, sellers Is; Bullion, sellers 3d; Victoria, sellers 9d, buyers 6d; Talis"man, sellers 12s 6d. SALES OP DREDGING SARES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION,] , Dunedin, Thursday. Dunedin Stock Exchange sales to-day were as follows:—Cromwell, 57s 6d; Hartley and Riley, 192s 6d; Magnetic, 645; West Matan, bd discount. Sales were made at the following premiums: —Alpine No. 2, 10s; Blue Duck, Is 9d; Central Electric, 36s 6d and 365; Halfway House, 8s 6d and 8s 9d; Klondike, 10s 6d; Moa Flat, Is 9d; New Alexandra, 23s 6d; Matau No. 2, 2s 7Jd and 2s 9d; Richards' Beach, 8s 9d; Sailers' Bend, 12s 9d and 13s; Sixteen-Mile Beac i, 6d. At the Otago Exchange, the following sales were : —Aliaura River, 7d premium; Grey Consolidated, 10£ d premium; Moa Flat, Is 3d premium. At auction the following premiums were lealised: — Creek, Is; Majestic, 6d; Metallic, Is; Monte Christo, 7s; Upper Magnetic, ss.