MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14110, 12 July 1909, Page 3

MINING NEWS.

WAIOTAHI.

[BY TELEGRAPH-—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Sunday. The extension of the drive eastward on the hangingwall leader at the No. 4- level of the "Waiotahi mine is in progress, and the leader is being stripped. So far as can be seen the leader is still continuing on the changed course, heading more" to* the left, ' and bearing away clear of the corner of the May Queen boundary. The latest indications as showing in the face yesterday appear to show that the leader will increase in size in the lower portion of the drive as the work advances! Gold is seen in the small | veins of quartz in the dig, while a stronger rib of quartz, lying 011 the. hangingwall of the leader, has shown some good strong dabs of gold right down to the floor of the drive in the fao-. It is intended to break down the bench of leader stripped on Monday morning, when a better idea of the value of the block in hand can be formed. . MAY QUEEN. [IT TELEGRAPH — OWN" CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Sunday. - At the 100 ft level of the Queen of Beauty shaft the crosscut eastward has been extended 30ft. This drive has now been turned away eastward from the course of the cross lode, on which it was commenced, so as to head in a direct course to cut the Queen of Beauty reef at the nearest point. The country in the face , continues to "be* of a good description for gold. At the No- 9 level stoping operations sre now in ' progress on the Queen of Beauty reef south of the break. The quartz coming to hand is heavily mineralised, and' shows gold at each breaking down. In the May Queen section stoping operations on the various branches of No. 4 lode are in progress, both above Nos. 9 and 6 levels, and are producing a steady supply of payable ore. The winze on tho footwall branch below No. 6 level is also being proceeded with, and good dabs and colours of gold are seen in the quartz coming to hand. The gold banked a week ago, amounting to 178oz 18dwt, which was the result of tho treatment of 130 loads of ore at tho battery, is valued at £4-97 18s 9d. Crushing is still proceeding on tlio .oro coming -to hand from - the. various workings. Operations have been commenced during the last two days in the Moanataiari section of tho mine, of which Mr. F. Stone has been appointed manager. The Moanataiari. shaft is being put in order preparatory to commencing work at ,the No. 3 level, where it' is expected to pick up tho continuation of th& liangingwafl leader of tho Cambria reef, now being worked in tho Waiotahi mine. SAXON. [BY TELEGRAPH CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Sunday. In the drive westward 011 .the No. 1 reef at the No. 4 level of the Saxon mine , the reef still appears to be of largo size, of which about. 3ft is being broken down. The quartz .'continues to look promising, and is carrying good-looking bright mineral, in which colours of gold are occasionally seen, and the country is of a favourable description. In the eastern drive work has been somowhat, retarded during , the week on account of the influx of gas arid air, and water pipes have to be carried in to overcome. this difficulty- , RELIANCE. [by TELEGRAPH.—OWN correspondent.] Thames, Sunday. Mr. G. Comer has now .taken over the management of the Rcliance mine, and the crosscut from the Alburnia tunnel is being pushed forward to intersect the Orlando reef and other ore bodies in the mine, which have been worked with good results. In the upper levels the crosscut is . now in 23ft, and it is expected that about a further 40ft of driving should intersect the Orlando reef.

ALBURN I A. [BY TELEGRAPH CORRESPONDENT.] Thames. Sunday. The eastern drive on the reef at the bottom of the shaft at the Sons of Freedom level in the Alburnia mine has been discontinued, and work at this level is being carried on in the Whau section on the Sons of Freedom reef. An examination of the old drive on the reef at this point showed that the main portion of the reef had not been broken down in the drive, and a crosscut is now being driven through the reef to ascertain the value of the portion left standing. So far the quartz looks promising, and by far the largest portion of the reef has been left untouched all along the drive. In the low level the main crosscut is being continued on into the hanging-wall of the Sons of Freedom reef, and is now in about 70ft. beyond th& reef. . The country is a white sandstone, but as yet no further quartz bodies have been met with.

\ THAMES..

; [by TELEGRAPH OWN CORE^SrONDENT.] Thames, Sunday. ' \\_ork in the Thames mino is confined to driving along' the course of the Cambria reef from the Alburnia tunnel level. The reef, which was only a y small formation when this work was commenced, has now opened up into a well-defined body of goodlooking . quartz of large size, but no gold has vet been* seen in it. <An improvement may, however, take place in this respect at any time. . TALISMAN. Following is a copy of the official report for the fortnight, ending May 22 on operations in the Talisman mine:—No. 11 level: No. 8 crosscut—Advanced 41ft; total,- 790 ft; no change to report. No. 10 crosscut Advanced 42ft; total, 279 ft; no change in ground. Stoping assays from the slopes off No. 5 rise average £2 Is 9d, and from the stopes; off No. 12 rise £1 3s 3d. No. 12 level: South drive—Advanced 17ft-; total, 1460 ft; width of reef, 42in; average of assays, £1 Is. The crosscut east at 1407 ft lias been extended Bft; total, 22ft; so far mi t l' lar * z ' las been intersected. Stoping The values from the stopes off No. 5 riso average £7 16s 8d; from the stopes north of No. 12 rise, £8 17s lOd; and the values from tttio east vein stopes average £5 9s. DREDGING RETURNS. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Sunday. The following dredging returns are 'to hand:—Rise and Shine 1., 30oz ldvvt; Sandy Point, 270z 14dwt; Rise, and Shine 11., 250z 9dwt; Muddy Creek, 18oz sdwt; Alexandra/ Eureka, 16oz9dwt; Punt, 12cz lldwt; Enterprise, 12oz sdwt. NOTES. The manager of the Tairua Extended mine reports that the low level has now been extended 108 ft. The present face i.l in somewhat, harder country than that passed through lately. The manager coneiders this is probably only a bar, which will soon wear out.

There is on view at tihe office of Mr. J. W. Nichol, secretary of the May Queen. Gold Mining Company, a plan prepared by Mr. E. F. Adams, surveyor, of tlio May Queen and Waiotahi properties, showing particularly the distance between the Waiotahi leader, where gold has just been found, and the face of the drive which it is proposed to extend in the Moanat-aiari section of the Slay Queen Company's ground.

The manager of the Tairua Leads mina = reports that the crosscut is now in 160 ft." The hangingwall of No. 2 reef, which ii fairly well defined, was met with at 156 ft, the width of this lode being about 17ft, giving a small dish prospect throughout, The country beyond is a nice class ot ' -- ian:'-*-"" For ° few days the. men will bo employed getting 1 timber and! picking up the low- level preparatory to mum:in<j operations there. A distance of 220 ft • has already been driven, .and a furii.or J'SCft; should intersect the No. I lode, -giving about ISO ft of backs. , ,

A PLUCKY CON STAB LK'

Tin-; police are often blamed for not be/ ing there •when wanted, but this cannot befind of Constable' Macpherstin, v,-ho stopped ii runaway' horse in Jeryois Quay, at; 12.45 p.m. on" Wednesday, in an extremelv plucky manner and at great personal risk (says the Dominion). The : horse- was: attached to an express, and had taken fright when enjoying its midday meal opposite the premises of Mr. R. J. Knight, in Victoria-street. As it gaW loped down that thoroughfare the horse managed to break and shake off its bridle. It veered round into Jervois Quay, by E. W. Mills and Co.'s warehouse-where itcame under v the eye of i Constable Macpherson, who ; without hesitation, dashed, out, and, clinging to the J horse's neck while he ran with it as well as he was - able, brought the runaway to a standstill: opposite the Queen's Chambers. It is just as well that he did, for at that time ; a large crowd of people were leaving the, wharf after having seen the Maori troupe off by the Manapouri, and serious trouble might have ensued had the horse not been checked in < its - wild career. >3 ir*' - ■■■«» i " !'