MINING NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8587, 31 August 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

MINING NOTES.

WAKATIPU.

(From Oun Owx Cohrkspoxdext.)

August 26.—1t 6eenis that tha dredging bonm iv the Ivikes district is beginning to attract Kttontiou in the neighbouring colonies, for a gentleman here received a comtiumiuntton last week from a friend in Victoria, asking advice as to which ot tho elaimswas most promising, became ho was desirous of investing.

)t Ib rumoured that there Is a likelihood of a

-jumping";casecomltifj before the warden at Ills visit to f,h<: district next month. This bona of contention is at the Old Mori-eu Ferry. Kawanm.pud was amongst tho firstclalms taken up in that locality. H is said lliat the persons who first took possession of lh^ ground feel c jine ;curloslty us to tho source from which tho " jumpeis" fjijt the information that ledllißin to thfa particular spot, seclnß that no claims wore marked off on Uio lower side of it, at that time, while there was any quantity of unoccupied ground higher up tho river.

The Gulden Bur Company, Lower Shotovar, who have been testing Ihclr holding with borhiK rods, are reported to have boLtorcod on faaturdjy last, iuiU very en<!GuraK<nff proapcita.

The Big Beach u-iinpany ara catling tenders In tho "local pnp'jis for the cartage of coals and 6to«s for 12 monlha. This is mentioned here as belngaaother proof of tho confidence the company referred to havo in ths permanency of satisfactory returns.

It uertnluly looks ns if nn era uf bi,; mining ventures had coma. In this connection rnu«t be mentioned a revival of the project of driving n tunnel from the Jiiyis Creslr Kalis to the Last Chanco claim, Bush ceek. Arrow, to drain tho ground e>> that it can ba wo:ked. Headers of these cotes mil remember that pretty full particulars of thla undertnkii g were given bt the time it was mooted, so that It Ir. uot thought nceujs.iry to nper.t them. It may bo briefly stated, however, that the company mentioned 3pent a great deal of time and money In trying to master the water and reach the bottom, but their efforts turned out unsuccessful, and the ouKine, £e'. were sold soni9 mont!n>go. Since that time iio;hioj{ tangible has been ilone till last week, when Mr L. I). Ceal took the bearings and levels for the proponed t'jimo!. The d:st»nce is said to be about a mile, wilii a fall of ISft.

Work rai Mid Arrow rhvr tunnel will most likely be resumed this week. A ««,>il many pipes were burst through i.lie frost., but they aro now replaced by now ones. TliiJ v.-us .ifcmfc .'ill tho injury dona, so that operations c*n bs taken up nt once now that tim fro."t is disappearing. P rt:es B.i Fr-w's creek, Lakeside, 'nro busy workiMf/wlth every promise of uMlng good returns ° Very'few sluicing claims nt, Skippers, or indeed anywhere on the Upper Sliotorcr, li*ve been abl» to m-.kt? a start aa yet on account of the frost. Sornu Chinese working at tho heaii of Caivlrona cro-k have been doing very well lately. To prevent tiiis fneb being known they have bean selling their pold in small paresis bsLhinQneonstownruid Arro.vto.ui, nnd quits likely in Cromwell too. It is a splendid sample of coarse colt), and is evidently cot frmii n»w Ciound. Among ona of tin) lota sold by them was 'ii piece weighing very nearly Ira, wnilo tbe remainder was of a uiee uhotty description. M- L O. Besl lias beeu appointed to aasitt tho IceiiUtuH tnsurvcjinjj the special ctairas that have recently boon tekcu up in various partß of tbe rtn"c c;' w remarks made by Me Warden Wood at n,'..,rV(•'•vn n-t lor.a since plainly indio.ito that Krulln" 'i™* not find favour h. the warden's cv. b Ho -aid •" I will grant you four months' prot ,-i-l iVi in 'weoimt of the frost, but I suppose at the r.,,.' of thai time vo'i wiilaßain upply for protection rna-coiioi-ofHidhe.it, no water, or tomcthlng else. The-Vhas be en too much protection granted !u this iliatrioi. nlrendy, and it only helps to sacrifice tho true interest of tbo industry."

(From Another Oomuotondent.) . . CcirMa Mine, Batchers Gully, Skippers.—ln Oils mine hands have been kept quietly at work, and

a amal! crushing has just been completed. The result was a cake sent down to the bank last week. The management have not made the weight of the yield public, but I have been able to learn that 760z will not be far out. The mine is exceptionally situateo for economical working, being in the middle of a bush, and the battery is also in very close proximity can be trucked straight to the battery paddock.

Hioh returns may be expected from this mine during the approaching season. Gallant Tipperary, Skippers.—This mine Is on its winter footing. Invincible (head of Lake Wakatipu).—Work Is almost entirely suspended at the present. Capital Is wanted to work the mine on a more extonded scale. With proper system this mine should be made to pay well. Premier Company, Macetown.—Only a few hands aro employed in the mine.- You are aware that Mr W. J. Parrell Is at present at Home, endeavouring to float a company to work the mine on an improved system which necessitates increased capital.

"iipperary Company, Macetown.—Work on this mi no is confined to keeping down the water at present. The old company wore brought up standing by reason of the shareholders not being able to undertake the expense of

sinking a maiu shaft, or, better still, of putting in a low-level ndit to work the rnlno to better advantage. Additional areas have recently beeu acquired until now the holding comprisoa some 74 acres. It says littlo for the old shareholders that they should have drawn £13,500 in dividends for au actual cash outlay on the mine of £120 only, I look upon this as one of the surest investments in reefing that might bo mado in the colony. .Moßt of the shares have already been applied (or. Sunrise Company, Advance Peak, Macetown.— Work is ut present lit a standstill, but the paddock Is full of stone and a very successful season is bsfore the company.

Shotover nig Beach Dredging Company. — The dredge continues to do good work. Tho next cleaning up takes place on Saturday. Dredging.—l did intend to give J-ou a line on dredging prospects, but on tho present occasion I could not do the subject jiißtice. Two claiim on tho Arrow, one on the Kawaru and one on the Nevis have been marked off, during the week.

KAWABAU,

(From Our Wanaka Correspondent.)

! Albkrtown, Aagust 28.—The dredging boom lias assumed still larger proportions thau before. Mr Sew Hoy haa applied for a dredging claim beginning from tho lower bridge nenr Knowles' hotel, Cardrona, and extending to Boundary creek. near Kerin'a. Mr Kum Yok (son of Mr Sew Hoy), also a Chinese merchant of Duaedin, applies from that to Branch creek and a portion of Branch creek also. A syndicate of Wakatipu capitalists apply for a further area of 80 acres below thls.asain. At the mouth of the Cardrona Valley a syndicate of residents have pegged out, but have not as yet applied for privileges. Ab tho Cardrona river is very Bmnll it will bo necessary to construct small dams to float the dredgea in. I understand that the Cardrona miners will rlsem

maise and preiont such a formidable phalanx of objections to the granting of these claims that it la confidently predicted that the warden will not sanction the applications. At Oromwelt a party of five have applied for a milo and a-hal'f of tho Clutha river abovo Cromwell, aud on the Kawarau river, near Eannoekburn. Messrs Coote and Horn have applied for a claim. The latter deserve some credit for their enterprise, for the Cromwell Company's dreiteo worked below thoa:, and, if I am correctly Informed, did nor got enough gold, nbove wonr and tear and expenses, to make riiius for the ento.-prising shareholders. It ia much to bo regretted that the Pioneer dredge, built at AlbertoH-n, did not Buccoed better. On ono spot, a mile or two below Albertown, tnoy pot nearly £100 worth of gold in a very short time, but unfortunately one night she broke loose from her moorings and flosted away three or four tulles before she could bo pulled up, and it was deemed inexpedient to bringjuer back.