THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13097, 9 February 1906, Page 3

THE GOLDFIELDS.

KOMATA REEFS. £2649 FROM 1150 TONS. TOTAL TO DATE, £185918. During the four weeks ending January 27 the Kornata Reefs Gold Mining Company crushed and treated 1150 tons of ore for a yield of bullion valued at £2649. The total amount won from the mine to date is £185,918, as shown in the following table of details: — To. December, 1900 £30,369 0 0 In 1901, 8570 tons 11,092 0 0 In 1902, 12.260 tons 27,085 0 0 In 1903. 14,780 tons 37,157 0 0 In 1904, 16,900 tons 54,430 0 0 In 1905 43,136 0 0 £183,269 0 0 Period ending:— January 27, 1906, 1150 tons ... £2,649 0 0 Total to date £185,918 0 0 Total dividends paid £26,664 0 0 TALISMAN CONSOLIDATED. INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS AND ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Thursday. The lode in the No. 13 level of the Talisman Consolidated mine is showing greater strength north of the shaft, and still continues to produce ore of a high-grade character. The drift has now reached a length of about 140 ft from the starting point. At the south end the drift is still in disturbed reef matter, and no change is expected in this direction for a further length of about 100 ft, provided that the conditions which prevailed in the level above exist here. Similar features were encountered at the No. 12 level as are now being met with at No 13 level, south One pleasing feature in the development is that the whole of the payable ore chutes pitch northwards in the higher levels at a high angle, and from what can oe seen at the deeper levels these conditions will continue to exist It is interesting to note that the " blanks" are low grade, but when the No 12 level was put forward south a strong body of ore, showing good payable values, was met with, and from a length of quite 100 ft in that direction these values have been maintained. This run of stone becomes poor going up towards No. 11 level, thus showing that there is a prospect of blocks of payable ore being met with where the lower-grade values were supposed to exist. This block, however, is showing strong down into the floor of the No. 12 level, and there is little doubt but that the run of stone will be met with in the south drift at No. 12 level very shortly, as also, in due course, will the Bonanza Nos. 1 and 2 blocks. The Bonanza block, from the No. 11 level to the No. 10 level, is a vertical depth of 200 ft, but on the underlie the sloping reach will be quite 270 ft. This is due to the high angle at which the lode is inclining into the earth. It is pleasing to find that the ore body shows great strength, and measures from wall to wall fully 16ft. The values are highly payable, and in this block alone a large reserve exists- in addition to that which will be developed from the No. 11 level down to the No. 13 level, where a similar depth of stoping ground will be available. It will thus be readily recognised that the Talisman mine has a prosperous future before it. Judging by the strike of the numerous veins in the Dtibbo section of the mine, a short distance should see the drift in a defined body of ore. Some of these veins show rich-looking stone, in which the precious metal is visible to the naked eyo. Taking these indications as a guide, together with the fact that good ore was mined in the earlier history of the field from a point about. 200 ft further south of the present face, the prospects of further success are very encouraging.

OLD WAITEKAURI MINE. AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Thursday. It is stated that a syndicate proposes to purchase the Old Waitekauri mine from the Waitekauri Gold Mining Company. ' The syndicate holds an option for purchase, and when working the claim some splendid goldbearing stone was discovered in a winze which they sank. The negotiations _ for purchase are now being concluded, and it is proposed to resume active operations again. THE ' SCOTIA CLAIM. VALUABLE DISCOVERY AT WAITEKAURI. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Waihi, Thursday. The Scotia mine at Waiteka.nri, which is owned by a small syndicate of miners, has come into prominence owing to the richness of some of the stone obtained, and there seems to be every possibility of the Waitekauri district being again responsible for a considerable output of bullion. The Scotia claim comprises the greater portion of the old British Empire property, ajnd has an area of about 66 acres. The story of the discovery is interesting. Mr. Collins, one of . Waitekauri's oldest and best known prospectors, decided some time ago to go out prospecting, and when near the Scotia creek came across an old trench on a sulphide lode running about 14 degrees east of north. This he followed up for some time, and then lost the run of it, but when climbing up to higher ground, an about the line of lode, he slipped aind caught hold! of an old tree to save himself from falling. The tree failed to bear his weight, and he fell back, the tree coming out by the roots. To his astonishment the lode was again revealed, and he at one© undertook to drive on it and ascertain its value. After driving for about 40ft he obtained so much encouragement that he decided to try it on the other side of the spur, and in order not to lose its course he kept putting down holes. One of these holes struck a vein of ore running about east and west, and when washing some of the dirt he discovered that the quartz carried ai high percentage of the precious metal. A syndicate then commenced operations in earnest) and sank a winze down to a depth of 60ft, with gratifying results. The lode was then intersected in a crosscut lower down the hill, and its course driven upon for over 100 ft, the lead varying in size from 2in to 6in in thickness, gold being distributed freely through the stone. Two rises were then carried up to the surface, and a level 50ft further down the hill was driven for about 200 ft, and connections with the upper levels established.. Another level still 50ft further down is now ieing advanced, and has reached a point 270 ft in from the mouth of the adit. It is expected that the crosscut will cut the lode in about 50ft of driving. All the time the syndicate were opening up the lode a few pounds of stone were treated at the old Waitekauri battery. The first was a parcel of one ton, which gave an exceptionally rich return of gold valued at £60. Some pieces of stone, filling a butterbox, were then treated, and £38 worth of gold was obtained, the latest crushing of two arid ai-half tons yielding £78. 4s 9rl. This proves beyond doubt the payableuess of the discovery, and) the syndicate mi- : questionably deserve every success, for their enterprise in carrying out such a large ] amount of work. The discovery has caused . a good deal of excitement in Waitekauri, i and now that the Maorilander has also splendid prospects a revival in Waitekauri mining is anticipated. WAIHI EXTENDED. The secretary of the Waihi Extended Gold Mining Company (Mr. J. W. Nichol) received the results of further assays of ] samples taken from the reef in the Extended I mine yesterday. The exposed width of the reef when the samples were taken was 7ft I 2in, the foot-wall not showing. The average vailue was 3s 5d per ton. made up as follows:—Hanging wall of lode*!' Ift 3in j wide, Is lid per ton ; next streak, 2ft i wide, 2s 2d per ton; next streak, sin wide, £1 0s 3d; next streak, 3ft 6in wide, , '2s 8d per ton • The face of the drive is ! 354 ft in from the shaft. I

WAIOTAHI. [BY TELECRATH.— correspondent.] ' i Thames, Thursday. At the No. 6 level of the Waiotahi mine the eastern drives on the Cure No. 5 and main reefs are in progress in the face of the Cure drive. The reef is not well defined at present, being a mixture of quartz and country rock without any properly defined walls. In the drive on the main reef there i & _ a solid body of quartz in the face about Bft in thickness, and colours of coarse gold are occasionally seen through the quartz in the hanging-wall portion of the main body. This drive is now in a distance of over Bfjft from the crosscut. No. 5 level, driving east on the main reef, is being continued. and the face is now in a distance of between 50ft and 60ft from the eastern rise. There is at present a largo quantity of quartz in the face of about 20ft in thickness, which shows nice colours of gold. At the beginning of the week there was a much larger body of quartz in the face, extending for nearly 40ft in width, but it has now become more defined and reduced in size to about 20ft. This is all being taken out in the drive, which naturally makes progress slow. as a very large drive has to be taken and timbered up as the work advances to allow of the stopes being carried along. Eastward over the drive all the quartz from this face is being saved for treatment at the battery. The first Ft ope above this level is also proceeding eastward, and the eastern face has no v been beaten along 2ft or 3ft past the No. 1 rise. This stope is producing rich dirt, and picked stone is obtained from the hangingwall portion, sewt having been secured since the Ist inst. The full width of the reef in the stope is 12ft, and this is all good crushing dirt. The winze below this level, to connect with No. 6 level, is now down a distance of about 40ft. At the No. 4 level the extension of the eastern drive on the main reef is being continued, and is now in a distance of 100 ft from the winze. There is now a nice solid reef in the face fully Bft'in thickness at the eastern side of the break, and colours of gold are seen through the quartz, which is of a payable nature. In the stopes over this level work at the western end of the block has been suspended for the present, and the stopes are being beaten over eastward from the end of the ground. This will greatly lengthen the block, as the face of the drive now being driven at this end is in fully 70ft past the old end of ground, and this will give another 70ft in length on all the stopes above this level, thus making the total length of the block about- 170 ft. " This will also apply to the block below this level down to No. 5. as the drive at that level is being extended in the same direction and producing payable ore. The drive in the Mary Ann section at this level is in over 260 ft and a few feet more driving should intersect the reef driven on from the Mary Ann shaft, and it is intended to connect with this drive so as to open tip communication with the Marx Ann shaft.

KURANTJI-CALEDONIAN. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Thursday.

Shares in the Kuranui-Caledonian Company have had a decided rise in price during the week, and to-day sales were made up to 3s 6d in consequence of the improved prospects met with in the winze being sunk on tho Waiotahi boundary. The leader cut in this winze on Saturday last has shown good dabs of coarse gold in cutting through it, and about lib of stone has been selected, which can be classed as picked stone. This leader, which varies a little in thickness, averages fully 2in, and is lying flat where cut in the winze. It has, however, been passed through now, and I another small stringer lying underneath- it, which also showed nice dabs of gold when passed through to-day. The winze is now down a total distance of 30ft, and is being continued to cut the Cure No. 5 reef, and the future prospects of this mine will mainly depend on what depth this reef is met with, which will, of course, depend on the- underlie. If it is met with while the present favourable country continues, it is quite probable that the result will be good'. In the other section of the mine the preparations for sinking on the Cambria reef at the Moanataiari boundary are now completed, and a startwas made last night to sink the winze at the point where the good mineral w&s met ivfth on the floor of tho level. A drive is also being driven on Whitley's leader, which branches off into the hangingwall of the reef, and about 15ft- more driving will reach a point under the winze sunk on this leader from the No. 3 level. It is intended to rise up from that point to connect with the winze, the bottom of which is about 27fti above the level. This will, then open up a block of ground on this leader, and as it was profitably worked by "Whitley and party from the No. 3 level downwards to the bottom of the winze it is expected that this block will be of a payable nature. VANGUARD. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] Thames. Thursday. At the low level crosscut for the Vanguard reef good progress is being made, the distance driven averaging about 27ft per week. The country being passed through is still of a good description, and is, in fact, improving as the drive advances, it being now well interlaced with bright mineral veins and distinctly favourable for gold. It is expected that another two or three weeks' driving should roach the Vanguard reef, and if the present class of country continues until the reef is cut there should bo a fair prospect of meeting with gold.

NEW MOANATAIARI. [BT TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Thursday. In the New Moanataiari a start has now been made to take along a leading stope over the drive eastward on the new reef, at the No. 3 level of the Cambria .section. This stope has been commenced at the point/ where the gold was seen in the reef a little back from the face, and the stope is being beaten back towards the cross reef, and opposite where the patch of gold was obtained by the old Cambria Company. DUNEDIN STOCK EXCHANGE. [BY TELEGRAPH. — PRESS association.] DtjnEdin, Thursday. Stock Exchange Sales : Electric, 30s, 50s 3d ; Molyneaux Kohinoor (two parcels), 12s 6d discount; Sailors' Bend, 13s 4£d.