THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13095, 7 February 1906, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

AUCKLAND DISTRICT GOLD RETURNS. The gold output from the Auckland district fields for the past three weeks totals £15,992 12s 2d, towards which the Waiotahi mine (Thames) contributes £15,876 12s 2d. The yields from the leading bullion-producers of the Ohinermiri district for January will not be to hand for a day or two, consequently the total is a comparatively small one. WAIOTAHI. 3cwt. OF PICKED STONE SECURED. The secretary of the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company has received a telegram from the mine manager, stating that he had selected 3ewt of picked stone from the first stope above the No. 5 level. This, with the 2cwt selected on Thursday last, makes 5c wt of picked stone so fair this month. The dividend for January, at the rate of 5s per share, is payable to shareholders at the company's office, Wyndham-street, today. The dividend, which is the 791h paid by the company, will absorb £15,000, and will bring the. total amount distributed among shareholders in dividends to £106,800. KURANUI-CALEDONIAN. PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WINZE. There was further improvement in the price of shares in the Kuranui-Caledonian Gold Mining Company on the sharemarket yesterday, the result of promising developments in the winze being sunk to intersect the Cure No. 5 reef. The 2in leader cut in the winze on Saturday morning is reported to have widened out to 4in, and picked stone is said to have been secured, some of the quartz being sufficiently rich to be classed as specimen stone. It. is' thought probable that the Cure reef will be to hand in the course of another 17ft to 20ft of sinking.

SCOTIA CLAIM. ENCOURAGING RESULTS. Mr. P. Grace and party are continuing the development of the Scotia claim at Waitekauri with most encouraging results. They have just hud a parcel of three tons of ore from the mine crushed at the local battery for the good return of £78. Since securing this ore, the proprietors have come upon some very rich stone, so that the future prospects of the mine are bright indead. WAIHI BEACH. Tho directors of the Waihi Beach Gold Mining Company have just purchased a complete assay plant to be erected on the company'? ground at Waihi, and have secured the sen-ices of Mr. Henry Fletcher, metallurgist, who left for the mine last night to take charge of this department. The company will thus be- able to have samples of the ore assayed daily, as the work of driving on the reef proceeds, and to communicate results to the shareholders. BUNKER'S HILL. Yesterday forenoon, at Mr. T. Mandeno Jackson's auction rooms, 5680 shades in the Bunker's Hill Gold Mining Company were sold by auction at prices ranging from 7£d to Bid. The shares were sold by order of the liquidator of the old company, and represented the balance of shares unapplied for on the reconstruction of the company. WAIHI EXTENDED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Tuesday.

I am informed on the best authority that the lode now being driven upon in the Waihi Extended mine is the No. 1 lode coming in from the Grand Junction mine, and that the No. 2 lode, which has been proved rich, will be cut further ahead, when the crosscut is taken more in the direction where it was previously cut on the. higher level. The latest information is to the effect that the present lode is showing definite signs of turning toward the south, which would coincide with the strike of the No. 1 lode coming in from the Junction property. If this proves to be the case, the future of the Extended and Pride of Waihi properties looks promising. SYLVIA. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Tuesday. Very good progress has so far been made with the development works in the Sylvia mine at Tararu Creek. The unwatering and repairing the winze has been completed, and a fair start has now been made to sink the winze. It is intended to sink a, further distance of 15ft before opening out a chamber and driving for the Sylvia reef, and this work should be completed in about three weeks' time. The winze is being sunk on the hangingwall of the reef in the country, and the reef is not being broken, as it is not intended to interfere with it until the required depth is reached. From the bottom of the winze about 15ft of driving will be required to cut the reef at a point where it is anticipated payable ore will be obtained.

COROMANDEL WARDEN'S COURT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] Coromandel, Tuesday.

The- monthly sitting of the Warden's Court was held to-day before Mr. R. S. Bush, Warden. The following business was transacted : —

Granted: John Vernon, the Vernon special quartz claim, Kuabtunu. Surrender: J. A. Thompson, surrender of residence site No. 3501, Kuaotunu.

Protection : J. A. Subritzky, six months' protection for the Cousin Jack special quartz claim ; Bunker's Hill Company, six months' protection for the Bunker's Hill Extended special quartz claim. SOUTHERN MIXING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.I Dunedi.v, Tuesday. Stock Exchange sales: Alexandra Lead (two parcels), &> ; Golden Bend, 21s 3d; Molyueaux Kohinoor (four parcels). 13s discount ; Otago, 355. The return from the Roxburgh Amalgamated Sluicing Co. for the month of January was 148oz. DREDGING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedix, Tuesday. During the week ended yesterday returns were reported from 36 dredges, the total yield being 10370z 17dwt 4gr. or an average of 28oz. Additional returns: Molyneaux Hydraulic, 20oz 15dwt ; Loch Lomond, 17oz 15dwt; Otago 1., 12oz. MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS. •Moanataiari Extended (February 5): The crosscut at Point Russell level has been extended 10ft for the week, making a total of 372 ft. The country being passed through is very hard, and consequently slow progress is being made. Victoria (February 5): The contractors are making good progress with the extension of the No. 4 level crosscut, which has been advanced 19ft for the week. A leader about 3in wide was intersected and showed some nice mineral and silica, though on the whole it was of rather a white appearance. The country being penetrated is a splendid class for the existence of gold, and small veins of nice mineralised quartz ate crossing the face of the drive. The rise on the No. 1 break, Victoria net' (No. 4 level), is in good linn mineralised sandstone country, intermixed with silica and quartz veins, and is now up 41ft. The reef, which has been somewhat disturbed during the last few days, shows signs of becoming more dc--11 nod in the back of the rise. Sloping operations at the intermediate above No. 1 level are still in progress, and the leader contains splendid minerals. When breaking down the quartz about 21b of picked stone was selected from the general ore. Waihi Beach (February 5): Cameron and parly, who have completed the contract for 100 ft south from the crosscut, will drive north on the reef. Waihi Extended (February 3): The drive has been further advanced 12ft for the week, making a total of 352 ft from the shaft. The last 60ft was driven on the reef, which is partly going in ill-' same direction as crosscut. For the past few days, however, the reef lias inclined very much more to the lett or southwards. If it. continues the direction it now appears to go for the next week or so there will be very little doubt about it being the No. 1 reef, "in that case I will leave it and continue the crosscut lo inter-

sect the No. 2 reef, which may be no Bi-«t distance to the right or north side of trie "" cut. The reef, which is 6ft wide, baa been broken out for the full width this week. . Rising Sun (February 3): During he «*f* have taken down the remainder of the lee 1 ici standing. The reef is a compact body of <| •'< •> averaging 3ft in width, with well-defined^ **>"> mid a very promising appearance. » am pushing the drive ahead. . . ~ Kirikiri Mines (February 3): The drive iri »«. southern end of the crosscut in the Low le\ei 01 the Horseshoe section has been extended » ' 1 tber distance of 7ft for the week, making a i«« of 3"m for the month. During the »«» • great improvement has come in. the reel being a solid body of ore about 2ft bin 111 ill "■ nen' The quart* is of a nice curly gtt 1«J nature, and although no gold is seen in the sumreallv good mineral is making in the face, .' there is a fair probability of this making got" as the drive advances. , Champion Mines (February 3); The mam low level has been cleaned out and rails laid njrnt into the face, and everything is in readiness 101 contractors to start driving operations on •>"->"- '\Vaihi Consolidated (February 5): Thirty feet have been sunk for the week eliding *,$}> ma ** t J. making a total depth of 130 ft. the water chamber has also been completed, which in e - able the pump to be connected with the l ''.'" ment rimr. The shaft is comparatively dry '" water making is from the pumice, and is e.i-u. kept under bv occasional pumping. Kuranui-Caledonian (February 5): In the winze being sunk below No. 4 level (on the iiiflari of the Kuranui-Caledonian mine and the Woioi.'iin to intersect the dip of the Cure No. 5 reel, two small stringers have been making in the counuj at the bottom coming in from the Waiotahi side.