TRIAL CRUSHINGS AT BENDIGO GULLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2558, 19 April 1870, Page 3

TRIAL CRUSHINGS AT BENDIGO GULLY.

(Cromwell Argun.)

At the meeting of shareholders held jat Logantown on Thursday last, the Aurora Company at once consented to the request of several owners of surrounding claims to bo allowed a trial crushing before the winter's frost curtails the water. The Company have plenty of stone of their own to put through the mill, and the shareholders deserve much praise for deferring their own work to oblige the public, and enable claimholders to test the quality of their stone. The majority of them (old miners) readily understand the case of the industrious hard-working man who has plenty of golden stone, yet, without any means of crushing, is unable to proceed with his business. So that without the red tape routine of Government, the different claims on the several lines of reef are, by the magnanimity of the Aurora Company, in a fair "way of being tested immediately. The weather has also been propitious, rain having continued to fall from Friday night until the Monday morning following ; and there is now sufficient water to drive the additional five stamp heads. The whole ten are now ready, and are expected to be in fall play before the end of the week ; so that shareholders in straitened circumstances -will not be compelled to abandon their claims, as was expected, and moneyed speculators are likely to be foiled in dropping quietly into rich claims : for without this timely aid, what was the poor man who had spent his time and labour to do ? unless he sank to the posiuon of a wages man ; and then he moat likely would be compelled to surrender hi 3 claim.

There is not the remotest chance of obtaining an ounce of gold from any of the reef claims on Bendigo, except through one or other of the two batteries now at work, viz., those of the Aurora and the Cromwell Company; and had it not been for the timely and generous aid of the Aurora Company, business men a3 well as claimholders might have felt "the pressure from without" before next spring, which is expected to bring flowers in abundance. There are also some claims lower down, having altogether not more than 80 to 100 tons to crnsh, and as it is very difficult to fetch the stone up hill to the Aurora battery, it is to be hoped that Messrs Logan, Goodger, and Co. may defer a little to the public good and allow the stone to be crushed at their battery before winter. The prices charged by the Aurora Company are as follows :— Per ton. For crushing 10 tons or under at LI os. Do 10 to 20 tons LI 15s. Do 20 to 50 tons LI 10s. Do 50 to 100 tons ...... LI 53. Do 100 tons LI 03. Now that each reef is to have a trial crushing, road making to the Aurora battery is the order of the day. Colclough and Company have already constructed a dray road from their claim, which is next to the battery. Kelly and Broadfuot have put on fresh hands to complete their dray road, and to enable them quickly to grass the maximum quantity of stone (100 tons) to be put through for each claim. This being the last reef discovered, the shareholders may be considered very fortunate in having it tested so expeditiously.