REEFTON MINING NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 850, 15 June 1888, Page 20

REEFTON MINING NEWS.

(PRUit OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) RerftoN, June 13.

Daring the week a veiy fair business has been done in Keep-it-Darks by local buyers, also in the United Alpines, which are speedily rising; IS* 6d has been offered, but there were no sellers. Sir Francis Drake. —A new find ot stone haa been brought to light- The battery is still progressing, ' Globe. —The main level ho* been extended 60ft east from the shaft chamber, the reef being Lsft in the face. Tne mam level soin" west has also been extended 61ft. There was a break of 6ft or Bft in the stone, the new make of wtono being 2l'c bin, and t > all appearances widening, with nice gold in is. A start will be made ; to rise to connect to ivinze with Nos. I and 2 levels on Mcnday. Lone Hand,—'The first half-yearly meeting of shareholders took place on the. St-h. The following Directors were appointed.: —M e » *' a McCallum, Young, Casely, Irving, and Qrpwood. The eervice of Mr YV, Walker was nocured to prospect the Company's lease. Lord Edward-—The half-yearly noaeting of the shareholders-of this claim took .place on Saturday last, when the following gentlemen were appointed Directors.: —Messrs Shepherd, P. Butler, J. Butler, McQuinlan, and Rooney. , ~ . Big River.—Tho ordinary half-yearly --neetin" of shareholders was held at the manager’s office on Saturday evening. There was a large attendance of shareholders present The report of the Directors and manager was adopted. The following gentlemen were aopointed for the ensuing term ; Messrs Shepherd, P. Butler, M. Dunne, McMullan, and McHugh. Tne mine manager’s report showed that 111 the mine proper the winze has been sunk 80ft from the low level, the width of the lode varies from 3ft to 6ft, and that the crushing of 63 tons averaged 2oz to the ton. I may mention that in sinking the winze at a depth of 60ft the reef pinched north out of the winze, but was subsequently picked up again, and is now being followed. The minemanager suggestedtheadvisableness of commencing a main shaft, as soon as possible, uk the sinking is nov being carried on at a disadvantage. Owing to the depth .reached a main shaft of 200ffc deep will give 120 ft of backs on the old reef, and 240 ft of £ackß on the new reef* The hauling from

) tho shaft will bo done by a water wheel, I erected a few chains below the dam. Speak--1 ing of the new reef, it is situated about 400 ft j west of the old reef. It has been traced on \ the surface 60ft north of where it was first i found. The level now going in will give j Soft of backs. The length of the tunnel will ! be 220 ft, 130 ft of which is already driven. The shaft going down to meet the tunnel | will be 85ft deep ; 47ft has been ! already sunk at a depth of 26ft. The I reef took a jump north and west, but will : make back again, as the strata runs north | and east. The shaft and tunnel will be oon- ! nectod about the first week in Jsnuary, itni mediately on which the prospectors will j start to take out a trial crushing, and if the I stone yields in the aggregate, to what it prosj pects, there is little doubt of the prospectors winning the bonus. Iveep-it-Dark.—The returns for the past week indicate brighter times, tho figures being the highest reached since the crushing from the present level. It is the general impression that monthly dividends will again be paid. Two hundred and twenty ounces of amalgam for tho week. Wealth of Nations.—Work is being continued on the level going south, but nothing of a solid return has been met with. This appears somewhat strange, that the lode here should show bo much disturbance, while only a stone’s throw away, iu the Koep-it-Dark, there is no appearance of any disturbance. 1 Inkerman.—The hands f .*r the past two weeks have been working erecting winter quarters. These are now completed, and on Monday six men will be engaged sinking the winze on the reef. Venus F/Xtended.—The crushing from this mine is IGOozs of amalgam for five days. It must not be understood that the Venus is permanently crushing. It has only been done in order to give better working space when the present workings will be holed through the main shaft. Progress.—The crushing for the week is 119 oz of amalgam from 120 tons. Fiery Cross. —The crushing for the week is 191 oz of amalgam from 98 tons stone. The general cleaning up for the month gives 6540 z of gold from 570 tons of stone. A divivend of Is Id per share has been declared. Lyell United Alpine.—ln consequence of the air-compressor breaking, the work has been, comparatively speaking, stopped. It is expected that on Monday the necessary repairs will havo been completed, and work again resumed.. Quotations.—Glolie, buyers at 34s ; Keep-it-dark, buyers 35s 6d ; Nil Desperandum, 4s fid ; No. 2 South Keep-it-Dark, 43 3d ; Pandora, 2s; South Wealth of Nations, 9d ; Drake’s, 5s Gd ; Inkerman, 4s 3d ; Venus, 7s 6d ; Inglewood, 4s; Progress, 20s; Big River, 11s 6d ; Lord Edward, Is 3d; Gallants, 23 6d ; YVelcomes, 13s 6d ; Homeward Bound, 8s; Fiery Cross, 12s 6d ; Just-in-Time, 2s 3d ; Lonehand, 9d ; United Alpine, 153.