MAharahara COPPER MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13397, 28 January 1907, Page 3

MAharahara COPPER MINES.

Till-: high price of copper lias given renewed impetus- to the search for this now precious metal, and in various parts of New Zealand exploration works are being carried on, in the hope of finding permanent and solid (upper lodes. About 13 years ago copper lodes were located at Maharahara, 10 miles from Woodville, and upwards of £10.000 was spent on development works. The funds of the syndicate became exhausted, and, on cutting the first reef in the lower level, the water entered, and caused a slip, which caused the promoters to discontinue further development. A company has been formed in Auckland, which has secured the whole of tliese mines, an area of 320 acres, and tho lower levels are now being cleaned out and repaired. This will give nearly 400 ft of backs. It is said that there are two known reefs, one 9ft thick, and one 55ft thick, and the directors have made arrangements to take out some 10-ton parcels of ore. for shipment to England and Australia for treatment Twenty assays were made by Sir Jas. Hector for the New Zealand Government, from the 9ft lode, which gave an average of 22.78 of copper, which with copper at £106 a ton, represents a value of about £24 a ton. If the high values obtainable in the surface drive arc maintained at the lower drive, there will be thousands of tons of ore to work on.