MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

CHAMPION.

A RETURN OF £159.

Th» Champion Gold Mining Company's trial crushing has resulted in a return of bullion valued at £159 Ms 9d. '.'". ;/. :

The manager points out that there have been one or two delays for alterations. The plates are now in good order, and amalgamating much better than at first, when there was a certain amount of loss of gold in the tailings. This and other matters are being rectified by degrees, showing ;an improvement in the extraction. The crushing represents the return for about 9i full days. Taking into consideration the fact that for the first thrco days the battery was run (as a trial) on ore and mullock, mostly the latter, and for the remainder of the period on dyke and surface dumps, the result may, the manager thinks, be considered satisfactory. Now that he is in a position to open up the Champion lode, there should be no difficulty in maintaining a higher average. In the mine the battery level is now in 510 ft, and another 45ft of driving will bring it under the Frenchman pass in th© dyke. It was here that good ore was broken out on the surface in former years. The values, so far, are still low grade, averaging between 10s and 15s. In appearance the country is the same as that in the Smithy level, but slightly harder, and more mineralised. During the past week the battery was supplied almost entirely with ore broken from the dyke in the Smithy level.

WAIHI. Th© official report upon operations in the Waihi mine during the four weeks ended October 3 last stated that at No. 9 level the east drive on th© Royal lode was in 156 ft. In the face sft of ore was exposed, and no walls. Assays from 118 ft to 138 ft ranged from 3dwt . 2gr gold and loz 14dwt silver to 7dwt gold and 9dwt 12gr silver. In the west drive at 210 ft, in, sft of ore was exposed, with no walls, and worth 13dwt 20gr gold and loz 19dwt 16gr silver per ton. The north crosscut was 10ft past a point vertically below No. 4 shaft, and was being pushed forward to No. 6 shaft. Rising was to be commenced to connect No. 4 shaft with No. 9 level. At No. 8 level the value of the Royal lode, 932 ft west, was 3dwt 19gr gold and loz 2dwt lgr silver. The Rex lode was wider, but assays gave results of very little value. The diamond drill from No. 5 shaft, south-east crosscut, was in 190 ft. The highest value in the cores was 4gr gold and 6dwt 14gr silver (quartz and country mixed). There were occasional stringers from 157 ft to 190 ft. In the crosscut at 753 ft west on the Empire lode 13ft of the lode was exposed 60ft in,- with the north wall in: hand. The value for 65ft was 19dwt 7gr gold and 7oz lOdwt llgr silver. The reef in Bull's crosscut east was 6ft wide, and for 45ft was worth 18dwt 7gr gold and 14oz 12dwt 23gr silver. In the west end th© lode was sft wide and worth 4dwt gold and 2oz Odwt 23gr. silver. The value of the Edward lode south from the Welcome for 96ft was 3dwt 4gr gold and 7dwt 23gr silver. The Martha lode, north section, was worth 2dwt 13gr gold and 7dwt 4gr silver for 27ft. A branch lode here was followed for 10ft. It was 18in wide, and worth 9dwt 15gr gold and loz sdwt 9gr silver. No. 2 reef at the same level was sft wide, and worth 3dwt Bgr gold and lldwt 19gr silver for 38ft. . ... _ t ■' , „ „, ~. At No. 7 level,* in the north crosscut, 4ft of sulphide ore -was cut 44ft in, the value of which was 14dwt., 4gr \ gold, " and ' 2oz 16dwt 14gr silver. From its position this was apparently the continuation of the new lode met with in the level below and also 753 ft in the crosscuts on the Empire. It was to be driven on east and west. At No. 6 level the branch lode off the Royal was 3ft wide and worth. 4dwt 16gr "gold and lOdwt 19gr , silver. The Edward lode in Salmon pass was 6ft wide 50ft up,* 3ft of which was worth 6dwt gold and loz sdwt 2gr silver. The same lode at No. 5 level was worth 3dwt 14gr gold and loz Bdwt 4gr silver. \

-■■;•''■'' * ' KOMATA REEFS; ;';K In the official report on operations; in the Komata Reefs mine for the fop; weeks ended October 3 last it was stated that the values in the various etopes ranged from £1 10s to £2 per ton, and the widths of the lodes from/4ft to ; 6ft.' In the different drives in progress, the reefs varied in size from 3ft to 7ft, and in value from 6d to 10s 6d . per ton (No. 1 reef), and from 4s to £210 a per ton (No. 2.reef). ALBURNIA. . , . [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. The work of continuing the main rise in the Alburnia mine is again in full swing, and the worst, of the water difficulty has been overcome. The top* of the rise has passed through the body of quartz, and. is .'now. being continued in the hangingwall "country, which is quite "dry. Although a' good flow of water is still issuing from the quartz body, it is below * the spot where the work is being carried on ;at .the top -of the rise, "and does not materially interfere with it. As the country now being met with is of a good description for working, better progress f may be expected, and, if "no unforeseen difficulty' arises l the rise should be up to the height of the Sons of Freedom level in another," throe months. This will open up a block of country about 550 ft in height, and enable prospecting work to he carried out on the reef at the various intermediate levels. ■;■,■::■ •'""■'. ■■••■'' ;... ■>■-.'•';,;)•',

KURANUI-CALEDONIAN.

[BY 'TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] f Thames, Saturday. A considerable amount of prospecting.work is still being carried out in various portions of the Kuranui-Caledonian mine, but as yet results have only been obtained from the I workings of the. Red Queen leader between Nos. 4 and 3 levels. On this leader an intermediate drive lias been drivon from ' the bottom of Whitley's winze to the junction of the main Cambria reef, and a block of ground is now being stoped out from this upwards. The best results are obtained from the leader near the junction, and a parcel of 15 loads of general ore and 50lb of picked stone from these workings crushed in the early part, of the week gave the satisfactory return of lOSoz 6<lwt of molted gold of the value of £295 8s 6d. A rise is being put up on the Cure lode from No. 4- level to connect with the bottom of what is known as Ryan's winzo at No. 3 level, 'and from which good results, were formerly obtained, but in , which work had to bo discontinued on account of the prevalence of gas. At No. 1 lcvol the continuation of the crosscut into the Kuranui section of the mine has been stopped on account of the disappointing results mot with, and work in this lovel is now confined to prospecting'on two leaders cut in tho crosscut. The first of these is a branch of Howe's leader, and is about 6in in thickness, carrying good mineral, and the second is about 9in in thickness. Both are sufficiently promising in appearance to warrant further developments. . : "MAY QUEEN. • \ [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Saturday. At the No. 9 level of the May Queen mine a total distance of 410 ft has been driven southward on the reef, and 130 ft from where the break was passed through, but as yet no material change has taken place in the appearance of the reef, which is still : of a heavily-mineralised nature. In the drive eastward on the lode from the northern crosscut the same hard country _ still continues, and there is as yet no sign of the junction with the t main No. 1 lode. The stopes on the footwall branch leader above Nos. 6 and 5 levels are still producing good quality ore, and crushing,from here will be commenced on Monday next.

PAEROA WARDEN'S COURT. [BY TELEGRAPH. -OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] ;',,"? Paeroa, 'Saturday;, : At the Warden's Court yesterday, before Mr. F. J. Burgess,' Warden, the following applications were dealt with:— Alex' Milroy, Scotia Extended special 'claim of 25 acers at Waitckauri (subject to no mining being carried on within 50ft of the surface on the portion of the claim within .an occupation lease), granted ; Robert Lavery, protection for six months for the

May Bell claim at • Waikino, . granted; John Featori and others, for ?■ six months* protection for the Saxon Nos, 1 and 2 special claims at Kotokohu, recommended to the Minister. * WEST COAST MINES. [BY TELEGRAPH.riIESS ASSOCIATION.] Reefton, Saturday. The Progress Mines have crushed "3860 tons for 11650z 2dwt of bullion, valued at £4796 15s sd; by cyanide, 2580 tons yielded 3170z 'l7dwfc, valued at £869 15s lOd, and concentrates valued at £600. The * ; Wealth of Nations has. crushed 1125 tons ' "* for 5420z, valued at £1415; and by cyanide, ; : from 1100 tons, they secured 210oz"l9dwt, valued at £709. Blackwater crushed 2126 tons for 9630z . 19dwt, valued at £3930 15s 9d; by cyanide, 1755 tons yielded 1420 a 2dwt, valued at £411 18s 2d. s OTAGO DREDGING RETURNS. - [BY ' TELEGRAPH.— .ASSOCIATION.] DrNEDiK, Sunday. The following dredging returns have been ' V reported:—Rise and Shine No. 1, 540z 3dwt; Riley's Revival, 420z; Golden Bed, 240z 17dwt; Aiolyneaux Hydraulic, 20oz; Enterprise, 18oz; Rise and Shine No. 2, 17oz 17dwt; Olrig, lOoz 13dwt. NOTES. In the May Queen Extended mine, Thames, work has been resumed in the south drive towards O'Sullivan's reef. The country is reported by the manager to bo first-class, but no gold has been seen. Tenders have been received for driving 90ft in this face.

The manager of the Tairua Golden Hills mine reports that in the south-west crosscut th© reef shows a steady improvement. At No. 3 level the lode is still hard, but gives encouraging prospects. In the rise from this level it is hoped to effect communication with No. 2 level before the holidays.