MINING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6991, 12 July 1884, Page 4

MINING.

CROMWELL QUAKTZ MINING COMPANY.

The half -yearly general meeting of this Company was held in Watson's Hotel yostcrday afternoon, lhere were some 18 shareholders present, representing upwards of 300Oihare?. .

Mr Hbnbt North, who occupied the chair, brieflycommented on the present state ol the affairs ot the Company. He w?s-sorry to cay they were in no better position than thoy were at last meeting. Since the last statement ot their liabilities had been made goldtb the oxtenc of £221 bad been obtained, and if all the. calls were paid up to tho present time their liabilities would be reduced to £610. 1 his was their present position. He thought it- was rather lainentablo that/in connettioa with a mine tbat had produced nearly half, a million of gold they Bhould hold a'uteetlng at which so poor a balance-Bheet had to ba presented. However, such was the fate of mining. The following reports, which had been printed and circulated amongst the shareholders, weio then, on the motion of the Chaisman, unanimously adopted as was also the bal&nce-sheeV:— DIRECTORS' REPORT.. ' "It will ba seen by the balance-sheet now submitted to the shareholders that the work at tho mine for the last half-year has been unprofitable, owing to the Btone in the vaiious levels continuing poor. As mentioned in the report for the previbin half-year, your Directors endeavoured unsuccessfully to Induce the miners to accept a lower1' rato of wages than 10s por day of oinht hours until payable stone was struck Another effort in this direction was made this half; year with the saino result. ' Seeing the unprofitable nature of the operations carried on at the mine for a considerable time past/your Directors last month, after mature deliberation; deter, mined to mike a stand agalast tho hieh rate of wages, at;d dfcided that unleES the miners would accept for the time 8s Cd per day, work would .be suspended. The men refused this, and struck work. The manager and two hands only are now employed to complete crushing the quwtzat crass and attend to the pumping and the protection of the water-raco, niino, machinery. At the extraordinary meeting of shareholders held on the 18th April last, at which the mine manager was preßei.t a^d explained hie reasons Jor recommending-a newshaft to he sunk to reach the etone known to exist at thn 4401t level at a cost of about £2000, a resolu on ww carried that the mine ehould bo proipeeted by S cuti for three months. Thh has been doie 2nd rothlng diicovered to warrant funher expenditure in this direction. As ihe stone obtained from the atnra sunk in the 4tOft level has been tested, gfvlng a wsult of nearly 3cz per ton, your Directorsr Jn nf opinion that tho only means'of a g an P Lin X ,he teH^ff 101101 Wing dividends fs tte Unking of this shaft as recommended by the mine marker; but from the dislnclnatlon of mWo'thi shareholders to pay calW, and the unwillingness ol theminersto meet thereasonable reque ß t mido to them to accept, temporarily, a lower rate of wages, jour directors most reluctantly now recommend for your consideration the desirability of winding up the Company. Should this be determined on,Bteps'wlll be

taken towaids tha end, whilafi nt tbi iame '■Hmr^ arrangements may be made to form b isew <j6mpany"^ to_purchase the mine and machinery—a mine troaywhich nearly h&lf a million ponnds 1 worth ot-gold, has:: been obtlined, and prospected to a depttfot:4Bsft, :whero payable etone exists, valuable; water-rlght^ -:'> |^»C^^ n -me^favo^^

■<t «.'' il ;V IKU!Q- MASAogß's eepost., K;;:S^'v> : ' la the beginning of the past 'halt-Year the nrinri. Aftsr driving a distance of 2 9«t, taprove Whether tte ■fee'. hved. at a greater depth, T sank a winze from level of tunnel to a depth.of 43ft. i- In goingdown t£ reef ftraduaHytot^maller. and only an in!h?orto6f it remamedAvhen I stopped sinking; quality of/tone all tho w*y m sinking was very poor—not payable ?I have also worked the reef by driving, -risins <k n d stoping from ladder-shaft, and find it will not pay ■■ in January I ttruck a leader 200 it "east of No 2 ehalt' which showed fair gold on surface. In Binklne on it the stone got smaller, and out out at a depth of soft bub sink to a depth rf 61ft to further testit' vi worked all the payable stone; I' could,; and-then abandoned it. - .:•'■' :;■.;. ■'. --.:.t>-i: --.•■.■?.'..-.■...-;"•

"I have driven'a crcs3-cut from the 320 it level (north), and alter driving 67ft -I Btruck a small seam of quartz; average thickness, 6 inches • no gold to be seen in it, and underlying very flat to the south. Alter satisfying myself with this I cpmmeDced another cross cut at the pump level, gciagr soulh, after driving 27ft.. This wa 3 stopped, alonj with the other work in the mine, owing to the man refusing to work for a temporary reduction of wages. There are nowfive cross-cuts In the nilno-four to. the south ana onis them 6 nOt a° nothiag P.*?oo.'* to ba.had In an£ of "■T^ e i Juture# ~Aß 'acre is nothice to be had oiv. ?hL aM h°f P TrfSent lewls.«ithor eaat or west, the only iwftw r I Wn ,reco« imend is the sinking of the shaft that I have already proposed to you.. EitimatTd cost cf -wine-and all particulars I gave"ov, when attending: meeting of shareholders in April laat -

■v-'-'tu^r-Ai^SStw™-^?- 11' Mining Manager." nn Mr 0. S. Rejvkb, legal matter of the Company, in answer, o a qucs ionexijlained that fceveral of the BharehoWeiß had taken.advautaja in this way : there had been two^alla to pay at two different periods and they promwed; to pay these, calls both at the same time. Thay, however, did not pay up, but let thlir calls ruiiou over the tkne.iteted' fa the Act up to which they could bo sued. Thatwaa no doubt a very mian S?. P.S1 »U.tt^ y had done ''-several ol tfiem.": The Chairman, in answer to another question, gaid' the directors were unanimous that the Company by"hfaSkH?RSß ask6d What bout the s^«s held

Mr Pbbvbs said the position nowwas the Company having lost .their case against the Baok - that Mr Gibbs .whose name stood on tho bcoks, would be sued for calls, end Mr Qibbs could then sue the Bank 1( ho ?* Be^ ei'?V s^ai-f boldera expressed an opinion that it would be desirable to keep the mine going still, and that after all affMrs were settled in connection with tad fiX ffK?/ thoß° Bh«eholder a who ttill further st mi«ht lorm a ne«r company to work it • Mr Haworth's motion was then altered to read as follows:-' That in tho opinion ol the shareholders present it is atlvlßablo that, the Comoanv be wnnm? up and that the directors be requested to, » Tonce take the necessary stepj to do so in tho most expo, d tious and least expensive manner " p Tho Cuairman pointed out that the Cjmpany had averj'valuablei plant-the best plant there was on ?!? Smho^ di eldSl P'Qll^ly.-whioh co 6 t£lo,o oor £11,000, while they also had water-rights of as much yaluo as would cover the preeent liabilities. The question wa? who, was to take them i,p. It would Ferhapa be advisable to work the mine with a new comply. They should not forget the etone that had been got out of the wioze, which, whenctuahed bytho Bank ol New Zealand, yielded about 3c* to the toc° Of coarse it waj only a small trial, but the matter was sr.sssSL? beloatßight oi in the fc«s

NOTES FBOK ROSS. (raon ora own correskwdhht.) The Robs United Gold-mining Company.^Tho7^." vets ble turbine and elevator were set Tin moHon on Fnday last There were present-Messrs Comlsky, p gnan, and Gr e en, and several gentlemen from Hckltdn,, including Messrs Held, Wade, and Jack (diredtora of ths Donnelly1* Creek Gold-mining Comrany) There was very little enthusiasm manifested' by the" poop c ol Kosi on the occasion, owing to the mow e? Cl, ti D& Daturc of the ree!s- After getting over » eight h.teh at the starting, both tht turbine and th? elevator worked smoothly, and the directors etuusSed themselves satisfied at ihe result. It must be a great relief, both to Mr Malfroy, the manager, and Mr W,ley, tho engineer, to have the two elevators completod aud in thorough working order.. " i, Tho Prince of Wales commenced washfnir un patno day, and the result is ejected tj e«eedToooz P The Greenland acd Mont dOr companies aro busily' ongagel Bluicing. Shares in the latter, 28s 6d QUARTZ CLAIMS The WiMim Tell.-Xhore aro two men bringing ia a fculrace, to enable them to sink on the reel, which is very rich, ana get out some stone for a trial crushing BhaieE-Buyorti, 2g 9d; sellers, Ss. "<««™g. The Swiss Rcpublic.-Tho red U Bft thick and S&^&tT 1 ****«!*«»»■ **™- The Just-jn-Time -The smal'cst piece 5f Btonc from this claim, though the gold is not visible, jields axcollent prospects. l-24th shares £50 . " The Welcome -Two men are prospecting, and havo traced the reef for several chains through the claim'" i ransacuons in general are- not so numerous as bah buj crs and sellers.are waiting tho result of tha " tnal cnish.ngs. The battery will soon be erected! lha stampers aro going up to-morrow. There are

(Pas. Umtsd Pehss Association.) . ' Mobs of people leave here daily to loo°kat the^eefs, which ore-daily .disclosing a fresh store of almost fabul.us rlchnejg. Last night a parcel o f 6tone covered with gold was brought into town, and eharea in the Prospeotors'-the William Tell-C, moany were ea ? eriy bought at £760. They aro not to bo had at that figure today. The Swisa Beput is, an adioMnir i6sß^^ 1? 6 Wl 3t' aro fetchiL £ £2°°f« » 24th share! In the Totara lease, adjoining the Prospectors' claim on the east, £100 is refused. Tho Prospector^ reef ha s bsontraced a distance of eighfcehains. Many new loases are being taken up. ~ *

HOTES FSOM EKHFTOM. [By Telegraph.] ( (prom odr owh correspondent.) • ' Golden Tta.uM.-Tta dead-lock^n^the local directors is still unsettled, and there seems no imm o . diate prospect of a reconciliation. Work h prancedlt&snHtt,to wee'?' thCr° "D° ChancaOf tho ™*A Specimen Hill.-This venture h now spoken of hopefully One of the directors informs me that the DOrt T,w.\ ntiho V°. termedia'c level is now «; thick and that the crushing, M far as It has gone, shows the stone to b 3 payable. About 30 or 40 tons has been crushed,,and the directors visited the mine on WedneEday last for the purpese of. putting on extra

Welcome.-Thero ia no information of any kind JSatkftSSEfc^t week! th 6 rOtUrM ™be aboat trlb"t ntal'~K hM bCM decided to l6t thls nllOB on

The United Alpino (Lyell) Company's return fc 119oz of amalgam (plates oniy) from 116 tons of etono?

■ . •• ■■■;■ MEAT-FBBEZING. -".y:"-" ■ :-■'-':. '-■ ■. , .■■,-.: TO THE BBITOS; : v 7V.^7 ■'". -S , Sm,-I road your leader on this subject the otter day wth much lnteresl!, .and although the prosit )8 hardly the time for expecting any public attention to » non-poUtical subject, yot probahly even politln' will not desert^ the attention oi these who arfpc" nlanly interested in meat preserving from a communication on that subiect. ', * "~S B ; com . -In the course of some 10 or 11 years' special study of pertain -physiological and pathologicalSuomr' outside the domain of practical medicine inTodo way' though connected with it intimately in another, I had to devote much time and many precautions to the prevention of putrefaction in animal BubSees^ An my expenmenta were:made, wiih animal substance^' procured for the most part fresh from recentlySd animals. For_ convenience Bake I was obliged &go to1 jhe Blaughtcrnonsea when I wanted anything more than the small animalaicould supply, Vnd thoie I Ttt 6n n tP^f odf^ a;ly'acts whi<* we".useful to me. It is not about theße, however, that I.wieh to write, but I just mentjori this tofhow that I am not writine .as sj more theonat, but as a practical experimentalist. .Many of myexperiments; after hours of watchine, ■ werp.Bpo It, by the sudden asd ? rapid occurrence of putreractlon, and honoe I wag led:to inveatigatethia phenomenonelo B ely.: : Nowwnether the;pu&factoe bacterium (bacterium termo) can or canbofr: be produced_ by spontaneous generation I wi!l. not dlßcu^a .nS 6,',^5 *"18? a il\ moot Point. Bat this is,certain, and undisputed, that a most minute quantity of that bßotorium introduced into a perfectly fresK animal liquid willcanse the whole to-become putrid?with the P. todu*on,: or swarms of the bacterium, in less _lnan 24 houra. ■.■•'"-.'■v.>*:'-.\H\ .;■•'■■;-■ . ■'■■'-.■■..:r-:.'-.-. ■ •':•■■■■•■■■ -v

In some of my experiments when 'blood hadheon ■ subject to a certain temperature foia ,ew hom-H^l' slight rise in the temperature to-an extent lew ton 13 often found undera roof in^ the Sbs^Au? ttaUa would cause putridily to lees than an houf" I have records o; some of iheEO disappointine excerU nciits, but my meaning ia too clear to need?ref?rence : ;to^^ bi8 o C e un ence;would 3 u Dd o^;^^ ; Now it is quite certain that no "slaußhterhonsa ' howevor dean^ may be kept, is fac^ iroin the|S of tactem.. They fiworm : everywhere, but paiticn- : lajly whoro amnal matter is decomposinglP"r the V slaugh erhouaea.and Jreeziug-chanibeur at Belfast Canteibary there ii a patent manure manufictory.' where the offal from the worka is manufactured into manure. The stench from these.worksfi^over powerlogly^siroDpr. Hmusfc be laden with p U t re fal tuo bacteria and thoir ge,ma. It is cettaln that l anf m/' omth^ ■•"d Ihersourcea -tnus^The™.

Thcee coudhione, it is needlefs to say, are met with n the hot regions through which they must pats on thtir way to Europe, when the two factorg-heat and a moist atoosphere-which most eminently promote putrefaction are found combined.' Ada to theto tho daily mtrcducUon of new"putrefactivo germs when the chambers-are openea and it can ea 6 Uy™ U ndl" stood how the ca. ca s»e3'become spoilt, if for^a flw they are thawed and expose c! to tropical heat. ■ uegrecs bt-low fj-cezir" point-32 det» P tm« ti™ M-vnoTSTL* 1;" i>8 t Ono ot th° cau^es of failure? Sbv in a !lvfiH^ eer> tlus(liJS t° Mb tow temperatakeD&e nZn ° PV^'gence allow tha«in»r to 'lone cnlul t^rT ly (0r an houror two' but quite PladL tho P°mt Of. tho method i, the I fliw fmm.?"^B6^ 0* 2t hourß in * COOI chamber, here all the mischief occurs. To explain how this happons would occupy too much of your , pace, as it EJ"«" lre an explanation of tho changes that the ttßbues undergo after death. - rrmJi? 1 i3^*1? in lrd«t<> understand fully the J* 15' ?' tb? Shires in the frozon-meat trade »to Bend out a scientific man with ono or two cargoes, who v* Quid keep a'curate registers of the temperature ia *he refrigerating chambers and on deck, taken at least Uirco times in che 24 Inure by self-registering thermometers, which should show tho maximum and minimum since tho previous observation. Such a plan would save the man's ealary probably in tho fjrs? voyage. It is useless to try to carry out a scientific, procets such as tho preserve ion oj meat from putro'. fec-un by more rule of thumb, without scientific precision — l am, &c , ■

R H. Bmvrßiiii, M.D.

Chrlstchurchjjuly io.

{For rest of news tee, HuppWrnent.)