MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13456, 5 June 1907, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

GRAND JUNCTION. SATISFACTORY LOW-LEVEL * DEVELOPMENTS. '■ - IMPROVEMENT IN ORE VALUES. [BY TELEGBATH. —OWN" COBRESrOXDENT.] ; ; Waijii, Tuesday. The development work now being carried on at the No. 4 level of the Grand Junction mine is of a most encouraging character, as far as the future of the property is concerned. ?- After driving on the No. 2 reef, going east for a distance of rather over 300 ft from the point where the lode functioned with the Martha reef (No. 1), the ore body in the present east face has shown considerable strength, and is now much wider than the drift. The centre section. of the lode for a width of from 3ft to 4ft is sulphide ore of good grade, thus indicating that the drive has now entered upon; the values. There' is evidence that the: chute of pay dirt is pitching east from the present east face to the boundary of the Junction and Waihi Extended grounds. ; The distance is rather over 500 ft, and as the lode has been proved by winzes from No. 3 level, the values met with in the east face point to the existence of a large stretch of pay dirt between the Nos. 3 and 14 levels. Going towards the boundary on Ithe No. 1 lode (Martha), a considerable stretch of payable ore .has been opened up at No. 4 level, both east and west from the main crosscut. Once the development work on these lodes is completed at the? present lowest workings of the mine, the ore reserves should be ample to keep the 40stamp mill in continuous work for several years to come. The plant for the treatment of concentrates is now in the course of erection, and will be completed in a few weeks. By treating the concentrates -at the mill, instead of shipping them to Australia as hitherto, the company will, of course, effect a considerable saving in cost. WAIOTAHI. ; Mr. G. S. Ki6sling, secretary, of the Waiotahi Gold Mining Company, received the following telegram from the mine manager yesterday:—"Selected 2001b picked stone from eighth stope of No. 1 winze, above No. 5 level." " "•• MINERALS, LIMITED. A telegram received from the manager of Minerals, Limited, • yesterday, stated that the wash-up for the past week returned £105, which makes the total yield for the month £343. Wages for the month amounted to £140; therefore operations have resulted - in-a net profit of £203. J TALISMAN. A • private cablegram received by . a local firm of brokers from their London agents states that. the proceedings at the annual meeting of the Talisman Consolidated Gold Mining Company, held on May 30, passed off successfully. The chairman, in the course of his remarks, foreshadowedan increase during the current year in the quarterly dividends of Is which have been paid in the past. ■ '. '■>

• COPPER. ■■■■■■■ .;-':" NORTH AUCKLAND MINERALS.-' A report has been received from Mr. J. A. Pond, on some parcels of ore submitted to him for analysis by the North Auckland Minerals, Limited; the ore being obtained from the Whj.ngaroa property. The analysis made is:— 1, copper no trace; No. 2 showed 0.134' per cent.; ' No. 3, no trace; No. 4 . showed 0.22. The report states that No. 1 sample was crushed rock, containing a small amount of pyrites; No. 2 was almost entirely fragmentary and small crystalline pyrites; No. 3 one piece of flint with a small amount of pyrites; and No. 4 one piece of massive .rock, showing considerable aggregations of pyrites; some being' oiipriferous. ~ The. copper occurs only 'Us sulphide, amJ-iir present onlyiirNor 2 antj, No. ':,' 4. : The <■ assay results are 'given* Its' follows:—No. 1, no trace of gold or silver; -No. 2, silver 2dwt lOgr, gold rio v trace; No. 3, no trace gold or silver; No? 4, silver Bdwt 19gr, with trace of gold. SOUTHERN DREDGING RETURNS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

.'■'<''"' Dtxnedin, Tuesday. 1» Hie following'additional dredging returns have been received :—Paterson's Freehold No. 1, 15ps5 lOdvvt; Paterson's Freehold No. 2, 240z; Royal Waimumu," 19oz; Waikaka Queen, 15ozl2dwt; Perseverance No. 2, 19oz 6dwt. Returns were reported from 29 dredges for last week, the total yield being 808oz 13dwt: l d gr> or an average of 270z per dredge. ' - , ' '■'". '. .

MINE MANAGERS' REPORTS.'' ' •[ I Old 'Kapauga (June 1): I have "started-a.'rise 1 34 ft north of the winze and liuve risen 6ft, with ■ ™«.x?" se to leort - w 'e nave lowered the pump 10ft this week, making.2oft since May 25. I am now- preparing a place at the north end of the shaft at the 300 ft level for the present pump which will be stationary and will pump the 300 ft level water from a cistern, as well as the water from the second pump. . . j New Waitekauri (June 1): We have made '. a start- in the Horn level to timber No. 1 ■ rise, which is up about 30ft, at which point I intend opening out for driving and stoping. , We have about four chains of ■ the tramway laid, and in about a fortnight I expect to have the excavation of the tram to the aerial finished. The contractors from the battery are making very good progress. •" ' ■■ ,•'"'. * .-' Waihi Gladstone (June 1): During the last fortnight the crosscut has-been extended a distance or £>u, making a total length of 176 ft from the shaft. The country is fairly well mineralised and 'occasionally interspersed with quartz stringers, but no developments of any importance have taken place. _01d Albumin (May 31): Driving on the course of the big reef in the main tunnel has teen continued. The eastern drive on the footwall has been advanced a further distance of ' 17ft. No improvement has taken place yet in the reef, the ore broken out being still of very low grade. The drive westward on. the hangingwall of the reef has been extended 15ft, the quart/, broken from here being still of a very kindly nature and carrying good mineral Indications. No gold, however, has been seen in it, although every other condition for its existence appears to be pre sent. . . * .

Bonanza. (June 1): The crosscut lias been extended . 9ffc through . a nice sandstone country, the total length of the drive being 319 ft. I am hopeful of meeting. with success here, and we are driving through ' virgin, country. The eastern drive has been advanced 7ft. Though the lode has been somewhat split up owing to a horse of mullock making, in the centre of the face, the quartz has a kindly appearance, and I expect an improvement as the drive advances. r Southern Queen (June 1): The etope on the Atlantic reef has been extended 12ft, and on breaks ing doWn the lode, which will average about Bin m thickness, strong colours of gold were seen in the stone, also minerals of a good class favourable to the presence of gold in the quartz. The channel of country is all that could be wished for. The drive on the Blue reef (No. 3 level) has been advanced sft and the lode formation in the face will average about 2ft wide. The quartz is of a kindly description and carries favourable mineral indications and is encased in a good class of white andesite, with numerous mineral veins and small flinties running: through it South Kapanga (June 3): Since my last report i we have extended the main drive 19ft and we are now 58ft from the rise. The north drive has been extended 10ft for the week and is now in 97ft. There 's no quartz in the face for the last few feet, but there is about 2ft of pug. When the ;stone comes in again, we may have better results. In the main drive we intersected a leader, which may be a dropper from a reef still ahead. Tins leader looks well in the roof of the drive, but is broken up as it comes down to the floor of the drive. ■ ■

Tauua Triumph (May 29): Since last reporting: good progress hag been made, in the low level. It has been extended 12ft for the week through a good class of sandstone country. In the present face there is a small silica vein, which carries a fair prospect to the dish. This tends to snow that the gold-bearing: country will exist down. Should the present country continue I have no doubt, but that good results will be met with when the lode is intersected. Champion (June 1): During the week the hands have been engaged in timbering up the eastern and western crosscuts in the low level, and the work is now completed, securing all country which requires timber at present. . The hands re- ; sumed work in the face to-day. Kirikiri (May 31): The, winze on the Horseshoe reef lias been further extended sft. making a total of 49ft. The size of the reef is from lOin to 15in thick. In breaking down colours and dabs of gold were freely seen. Hie general dirt from hero should yield well. Wo Jiave now. got a good supply of timber on .hand for the mine. The battery will not be able to start crushing until Monday or Tuesday. ■•■•..■ ■■'/■'■ Comstock United (June 1) Since my last: report I have crosscut the reef to hangingwall and the size is about Bft or 9ft wide, of a highlymineralised nature. The values at present dc not warrant me saving the ore. ■ There is a slight ■ change taking place in the face, which I expect will disclose better ore values as we get further •■ ahead, on account of having reached a point under which gold was shed on the surface. Temple Bar (.Tune 1) : During the* week the low level crosscut has been extended a further distance oi 12ft,, making. 330 ft. The favourable country referred to in my last report still continues. According to the survey by Mr. E. F. Adams another 20ft of driving- should see the .reef in hand. ~ .;"..•: ' ,