THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13368, 24 December 1906, Page 5

THE GOLDFIELDS.

NEW MAY QUEEN.

£1300 FROM 423 LOADS ORE AND 130lb PICKED STONE.

Since October 27 the New May Queen Gold Mining Company crashed and treated 423 loads of quartz and 1301b picked stone for a yield of 4570z 18dwt of melted gold. The value (approximately) is £1300, and the return raises the total amount won from the mine to £11,371 2s 7d, as shown in the following table: —

To December. 1905 ... £679 8 0 Period endingJanuary 23, 1906, 8 loads, 201b p.a. 159 11 3 March 8, 1906, 178 loads, 2001b p.s. 1,830 1 13 April 11, 1906, 259 loads, 1501b p.s. 1.548 8 4 May 12. 1906. 334 loads, 901b p.p. 1,071 17 4 June 16, 1906. 308 loads, 1001b p.s. 1,170 6 4 July 21, 1906. 262 loads, 1001b p.a. 1,024 10 9 Aug. 24. 1906, 323 loads, 1001b p.s. 961 3 6 Sept. 29, 1906, 315 loads, 1301b p.s. 1,029 19 2 Oct. 27, 1906, 242 loads, 501b p.s. 598 16 1 Dec. 22, 1906, 423 loads, 1301b p.s. 1,309 0 0 Total to date £11,371 2 7

[BY TELEGRAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. In the crosscut towards the St. Hippo reef, at No. 5 level of the May Queen mine, a change for the better has taken place in the country, the face being now m a good channel of . sandstone. A total distance of 381 ft has been driven since this work was commenced, and there is now about 200 ft to drive to reach the point where the St. Hippo reef should be intersected. The stopes above No. 6 level on the No. 4 and north-west lodes are in full work, and arc producing the usual supply of payable crushing dirt and a little picked stone from time to time.

AUCKLAND.

RETURN OF £320.

The Auckland. Gold Mining Company have treated 220 tons of old tips for a return of £320. This makes a total of £8755 5s 3d won from the mine since it was taken over by the present company. The details are as follows: —

In 1905. 915 tons £4,375 10 6 Period ended .March 9, 1906 ... 2.250 0 0 Period ended May 12. 1906 . ... 1,563 0 0 Interim clean up (slimes, etc.) 2<i6 14 9 Treatment 220 tons old tins ... 320 0 0

Total to date ...

... £8,755 5 3

NEW ZEALAND CROWN MINES,

THE DISCOVERY AT No. 5 LEVEL.

A VALUABLE REEF.

On Saturday afternoon the following telegram relating to the development in the Crown Mines was received at the Auckland 'office of the, company (New Zealand Mines Trust) from the mine superintendent:—"Have struck the ore body in the extremity of the No. 5 level, sft in width. Close to the footwall .the ore shows free gold. Assays have not been completed, but the whole of the reef looks above the average. We think the development important, and have cabled to London."

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] *;-.'-..!-.., ....;.).. '.-.>'. *l :.'»i.:«WArHI;:. Saturday. ... It is pleasing to record that' the development at the low level workings of the Crown Mines is even more satisfactory than "was at first anticipated, and there is no doubt now but that the discovery, is of the greatest importance, and means practically a new lease of life for the Crown. Official • information to hand to-day shows that the reef was intersected in the extreme southern end of the No. 5 level (the lowest), south of the main incline shaft, and has been penetrated for a width of five feet, with a very heavy flow of water issuing from the face. The lode is underlying west, the usual underlie in this mine, and where struck shows some of the characteristics of the Welcome lode, driven on in the levels above. The management are inclined to believe that they have probably recovered, that reef, which had been lost in this level for some considerable time. The discovery is of great.value, as it increases the ■worth of the mine to a. considerable extent, especially as the ore body has been recovered in the extreme south workings, which are practically opening up new country, and therefore provide a very extensive block to develop. Its value is also enhanced by the fact that the ore is of a high' grade, some of the stone broken. out being so heavily impregnated with the precious metal that it could easily be classed as picked stone. Tin's rich vein is running on the footwall side for fully 6in and though, many lodes similarly situated carrv ore of poorer grade in the centre and towards the hangingwalls, the reef met with in the Crown appears to carry ore of a good average grade right through. WAIOTAHI. The manager of the Waiotahi mine reports for the week as follows: —No. 6 level: Driving east on the footwall dropper is being continued. The reef here is about oft in width, and continues to show dabs and colours of gold. This drive is now in a distance, of 125 ft. hi the leading stope above this level on the main reef no quartz has been broken, tile men being engaged in filling in. The north crosscut from the main shaft is again penetrating a quartz conglomeration. This crosscut is in a distance of 2231t from the chamber. Driving west on the Cure reef is in progress, and the drive is in 159 ft from the crosscut. The, reef is now more compact. The third stope west on this reef has been carried for a distance of 23ft, the reef being about 22ft in width, and occasionally showing colours of gold. No. 5 level: Driving eastward on the main reef is in progress, and the. drive is in 297 ft from No. 1 winze. The reef here is about 3ft in width, and during the week has shown dabs and colours of gold Driving east on the footwall branch is in hand, and the drive is in 149 ft. The reef is 3ft in width, and has shown good dabs and colours of gold. The winze being sunk on this branch has holed through to No. 6 level. Driving west on the main reef from the north crosscut is being continued and the drive is in 170 ft. There is no change to report from this face. In the stopes above the level very little' quartz has been broken, as the men have been engaged in filline-in and making the ground secure before the holidays. No. 4 level: The north-east drive han beeu in progress, and is in 145 ft. Although no further quartz has vet bepn met with we are penetrating a good class of country. Driving west on the Cure reef from the Mary Ann crosscut is also in hand, and the drive is in 57ft. The reef is about 2ft in width, -and about another 30ft of driving should bring us over the crosscut at No. 6 level. The stopes above this level have been confined west of No. 1 winze, and a good supply of crushing dirt has come to hand. Melting and cleaning up for the month will .ake place on Monday, and work in the mine will be resumed on January 7.

AJLBURNIA. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN fOpm-spON-DBNT.] Thames, Saturday. Good progress is still being made- with the extension of the main tunnel in the Alburnia mine, and the country in the face appears to be changing into a more favourable class of white sandstone, from which a little water is .issuing.

ANUI -CALEDONIAN.

APPLICATION FOR PROTECTION

ABANDONED.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN" CORRESPONDENT.]

> Thames, Saturday. The manager of the Kuranui-Caledonian mine, Mr. M. Paul, has received notice from the directors in London that they are not willing to accept the Warden's conditions for the granting of protection, which provided for the upper levels of. the mine being let on tribute, and it is, therefore, intended to continue operations as usual. The works now in progress are driving on the old specimen leader, between Nos. 2 and 3 levels, and stuping out the block of the Cure lode below No. 4 level on the Waiotahi boundary. In the former workings the leader has been picked up a few feet in the wall from the drive that was put in from the shaft on the big reef, and in which it Was expected to cut the junction of the specimen leader and the reef. This is now being driven on underneath the point where the patch was obtained on it at the upper levels. As yet, however, no gold has been seen. In the workings on the Cure lode another winze has been sunk >n the Waiotahi boundary, and the block opened up ready for stoping operations after the holidays.

WAITANGI. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Thames, Saturday.

In the upper level the work of breaking down the toe of the reef along the hangingwall has been completed up to the face, and work has again been resumed in the face, driving eastward on the reef and stripping the hangingwall. The appearance of the portion oroken down still looks promising, and gold was seen through the quartz right up to the face. In the lower level there is as yet no change in the country, which is very tight sandstone and difficult to work. There is about another 50ft to drive to reach the point under the winze at the upper 'evel, with which it is intended to connect. NEW SAXON. ' [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRKSPONDKNT.] Thames, Saturday. The northern crosscut at No. 4 level of the New Saxon mine has now been driven a distance of 30i't through a favourable class of country, but no quartz lode has yet been met with. Very little work has been done in the stopes below the level during the week, the men from these workings having been engaged doing certain repairs necessary to leave the workings in good order for the holidays. . THAMES. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. During the past week the main crosscut in the Thames mine has been extended 18ft, and the hard boulder which was met with last week has been passed through, and has given place to a nice class of white blocky sandstone. No quartz lodes have, however, yet been met- with. SOUTHERN QUEEN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT J Thames, Saturday. The drive on the Blue reef in the Southern Queen mine has been extended Btt for the week, and the quartz is still of a kindly description, carrying good mineral. A little gold was seen at last breaking down. The second slope westward has been extended a further 12ft, and, although the reef is of smaller dimensions than it was, the quartz looks well, showing colours of gold mixed with very favourable mineral.. The leading stope on the small leader has now been carried along to the face of the drive, and the necessary, timbers to prepare the block for stoping operations placed in position. At the last breaking down of this leader 41b of good picked stone were selected. The country encasuif? the leader is of a good description for gold, and the block now opened up should prove remunerative. DREDGING RETURNS. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] f Dtjnedin, Sunday. The following dredging returns are to hand: Molyneaux Hydraulic, 40oz Bdwt; Rise and Shine No. 2, «560z 9dwt; Waikaka, 330z 3dwt; Rise and Shine No. 2, 330z; Waikaka Queen, 28oz; Golden Bed, 260z Bdvvt ; Patrick, 220z; Alexandra Lead, 20oz 2dwt; Royal Waimumu, 16oz sdwt. '

TALISMAN CONSOLIDATED. The following cab'.© message has been forwarded to the London office of the Talisman Consolidated Company : —"No. 10 level, south 2068 ft. No. 11 rise 56ft, width of reef 12rn, assay value ss; No. 11 winze 10ft, width of reef 4ft 6in, assay value ss; No. 11 level south-east branch south drive 220 ft, width of reef 3ft, average assay value £4 ; No. 7 winze 90ft, width of reef 38in, average assay value £5 10s; No. 9 rise 27ft, width of reef 32in. average assay value 8s 9d; No. 12 level south No. 5 rise 226 f t; No. 4 crosscut east started to intersect east branch at No. 12 level, distance driven 51ft,"