INDUSTRIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3247, 3 July 1872, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL NOTES.

JtKKIIIVE MAKING

Our Green Island correspondent states that an industry worthy of notico has been initiated by Highland settlers at •Saddle Hill, viz., the maimfiicture of hives. The only materials employed are tussock grasK, the ever-handy flax, and a wooden bodkin. The grass is coiled, with strips of lhix, into the form of a cone, capable of containing COlba of honey. From the warmth and comfort the bees experience, they are much more active in culling honey. Persons who have used them aflirm that one hive of this kind is worth three boxes, both for quality and quantity of honey. A man can make one a day with ease, and it'sells for seven shillings. COWER IN OTA<:O. We are glad to announce a discovery, ! which gives every promise of being an , important one for the Province. Some twelve months ago Mr William Heckler, a miner, found specimens of copper in the neighbourhood of Mount Wutkin, near Wailcovaiti. He himself did not know anything about copper mining, so he got Messrs Elias Nankivell, and William and John Clyma, natives of Corn- ■ wall, and who had had an almost lifc-i jng j experience in copper, tin, and leiul mil es, tit take part in the search for eoppji- ore. Since that time the whole four have been more or less engaged in the search—being confident, from the indications which they found, that copper existed in abundance in the vicinity. They looked about closely over the neighbourhood, and a. few weeks ago found the long searched for lode, which they are sanguine, from surface appearances, is a large and payable one, and which, for the good of the Province, and as a reward to their energy and perseverance, will, it is to be hoped, prove so. Tlie lode on the surface of the ground is from 18 to 40 feet in width, and consists of what is known as "gossan," intermixed with oxide of copper, and yellow, grey, and green copper ore. It gives what is considered by the party to be every appearance of payable ore below. They also think it not improbable that they may come upon tin or lead. They have received protection from tlio Waste Lands Board, and they intend to set to work at once to put down a trial shaft. The result-of their sinking will, no doubt, bo awaited with interest by all who are j desirous of seeing the development of the resources of the Province. DUXEDiy ART. There is now on view, at the shop of Mr Young, jeweller, Princes street, a specimen of local art, which, to say the least, reflects great credit upon Dunedin. ;It is a va.se, whijh is to be presented to j His Excellency the Governor, rs a moI men to of the inauguration of railways and public works under the Messrs Brogden. The whole, -york has been designed, ami every part of it executed, in Dunedin. It is composed of silver, resting upon a stand of polished totara, and is altogether about two feet in height. The design is highly artistic, and the effect of the elaborate ornamentation may be. described as a skilful illustration of the fauna and flora, peculiar to New Zealand. The plateau <jf the base represents a grass and fern covered hillock, every fern loaf and blade of grass being truthfully delineated in the chasing. Upon one side there blooms a fine specimen of the Plwnninm tetutx, and | upon another a raupo plant (I'ijijhu an i(j unit folia). A largo tree fern springs j from the centre of the hillock, forming the stem of the vase, and under its widespreading branches a moa and a kiwi are standing. The oval-shaped body of the vase rests on the top of the fern tree, and is decorated on two sides with locomotives, one of the latter bearing the insicriptior. '' Lady Bowen." The body and lid are also profusely covered with foliage, and each handle bears a lizard. The whole is appropriately crowned with a full length figure of a Maori Chief, spear iin hand, standing on the lid. The work is one that amply repays the trouble of minute inspection, and has been an agreeable surprise to most people, as a specimen of what can be produced without going beyond the workshops of our own city. OAMAKU HARBOUR WOKKfI. Our Oaniaru correspondent wrote about three weeks ago regarding the above works as follows :—•" The surf was very heavy during all Tuesday, making a clean breach right over the breakwater and reclamation ground at high water ; but, ! happily, not a stone was shifted, and the confidence of the public in tlio stability of that work should be greatly increased. The only question now seems to be whether it is high enough ; but if not this can easily be afterwards remedied. Tlio tramway is now nearly completed, the only delay being the non-arrival of sleepers required to finish the line. It has been pronounced by competent judges a very excellent piece of work. Some delay appears likely to arise in obtaining the locomotive ordered by the contractors from England, the works at home being so full ■ of orders that each has to take its turn, j The line has not been adapted for horse j traffic, so it cannot well "be used till a locomotive arrives. Meantime, the making of concrete blocks will proceed on a large scale pending the ar- ; rival of the powerful lifting machine re- : quired, and which is also delayed. The ' blocks will each weigh from twenty to i thirty tons, and will begin where deep water begins, the rock work having been carried out to tho edge of the reef, and in a lino with tho only portion' of the decking of tho old jetty which is still standing,

about 00 feet from the shore end. The reclamation has been carried right tip to the outer odgo of this grectiou, and on the inner side there is now avaiUMo a small boat harbour, from which shipping can bo carried on at once, s<> noon as the tramway ia fairly in working order. I have no doubt that for shipping stone and landing heavy material this boat harbour will be at onco availed of, and as tho wall proceeds out it is not improbable that by means of boat-ways and steam machinery for hauling up and launching boats, as in use at Tirnaru, the whole of the shipping and landing to and from ocean steamers and largo vessels will be eventually done there ; while smaller steamers and craft can come alongside tho breakwater in moderate weather—inside, of course. There seems no reasonable ground for doubt now that these harbour works will by successful, and tend immensely to tho development of a splendid district." THE GOVERNMENT Qt-AKT7i-CKVSHIN« MACHINE. ,i)| A formal trial of the quartz-crushing machine, which has been erected by the Provincial Government, at the Battray street jetty, took place on the 15th ult., and was considered to bo satisfactory. The machine is worked by water power. The water engine was made by Messrs A. and T. Burt, and is capable of working up to three-horse power. Mr W. Wilson of the Otago Foundry, erected tho battery, and as the aid of only one man is required to keep the machine going, the working expenses aro not large. The whole was put into working order by Mr Alves. Originally, it was intended that there should be three, instead of two stampers, but the three-inch pipo, which conveys the water from the Water Company's mains for working the machine, was found to be too small to furnish sufficient motive power. The material used for testing purposes was obtain ed at Portobello, and it is estimated that the mill will crush about twenty-live tons per week. With the view of avoiding the expense which would be incurred by testing material procured from any locality where stone may linve already been obtained and tested, it is intended to keep a register of tho quart./, crushed, shewing where and at what d.fpth it was <ri>taiucd, the thickness of the reef, and quantity of gold per ton. It is also intended to keep a sample of all the stone tested. The machinery has been constructed so as to materially facilitate removal from place to place.

On the 17th ult. the machine was for- ' mally taken charge of by the Government. J And in answer to frequent enquiries :\h to when the machine would hu ready to test samples, we are authorised to state that it is now in working order for that purpose. But unless two or three tons of material arc nent at a fime a fair test, it i.'i considered, cannot be made, though I the Government will not object to crush I one ton only. In order, however, to re- | move all doubt on this point, and also because the vein gold of Now Zealand is so fiuo that a large proportion frequently escapes during the process of testing, it is intended to retort the quicksilver after every crushing. Not more than ten tons of material will bo received <it a time, there being no desire to compete with private interests. Neither do the Government desire to profit by the undertaking ; but, as it is intended to nmko the machine pay working expenses, a fee will be charged in proportion to the quantity of material forwarded. The services of a practical manager, who has had considerable experience in Victoria, have been retained. Professor Black's students will have the privilege of attending at all times to receive practical lessons, this being one of the main objects of the undertaking. ijunkih.v and j'oht chai.mkus railway. The site of the Dunedin station for this railway has been fixed. It consists of two acres, extending from the intersection of Crawford and High streets, on tho reclaimed ground, towards the prisoners' shed. Tho passenger entrance is to be at the corner of Crawford and High streets. The railway nflices will extend from the passenger entrance a part of the way along High street. The goods station will be along High street, so that drays bringing or taking goods from the station will not have to cross tho lines of rails. There will also be an engine and carriage shed on tho ground, and all tho appliances for the working of a goods traflic, including a ten-ton weighbridge, over which the trucks can be made to run, hydrants for supplying the locomotives with water, fireplugs in various parts of the station for extinguishing fire and supplying the carriage shed with tho necessary water for washing tho carriages. Goods cranes of a new and improved make will be provided iv the goods shed. There are to be waiting and refreshment rooms in tho passenger .station. No turn-tables will be used, as the Fairlie engines, which, are to bo tised on this line, do not require them, as they can be turned on a curve of a very small radius. The rolling stock and engines have been made entirely under the supervision of Mr Fairlie, and the radial draw bar and central buffer, invented by that gentleman, will be adopted, on this line for the first.time in. the Australasian Colonies. The excellence of this type of engine has been recognised in Australia, tho Victorian Government, notwithstanding tho opposition of professional men, having sent home for one of them. His Honour the Superintendent, and Messrs J. B. Bradshaw and .X. Bathgate, paid a visit on the 17th ult. to tho Port Chalmers railway works. The tunnels, the new plant, and the dredging and raillaying operations, at the Port, wero amongst the various objects that elicited favourable comment. The visitors wero^ accompanied by the contractors, Messrs Oliver and Proudfoot. The carriages for the railway arc being rapidly put together at the works at Port Chalmers. There will be 1.3 in all, capabio of accommodating 342 passengers. - The carriages now being built are for second-class passengers, and are of a very substantial uainrc, being constructed principally of mahoganj*. The i)i»t passenger train is expected to run in August next. A steam cr.ino imported by the promoters of the railway hai been converted by Messrs Enston and M'Gregor, engineers and boiler makers at the Port, into a handy contractors 1 locomotive, to be used in taking ballast trucks, rails, Ac, along the line, instead of using horses as heretofore. This embryo engine was started, * on tho 27th ult., by Mr M'Gregor, from the Port end proper of the funnel, with at least 30 people on the truck or luggngo carriage on which it has been placed. After sorting, it gained considerable speed, ran through tho tunnel, and ou to the embankment in Mussel Ray, where it was stopped, and tlio machinery being reversed, returned to its starting point, without the smallest hitch, much to tho satisfaction of its piisaengers, who during the journey gave some vociferous cheers, as also did the spectators along the line, of'route. Tho juveniles especially seemed to bo greatly astonished at the iron horse, which will in future save a considerable - amount of money to tlio promoters.