MINING SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11956, 1 February 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

MINING SUMMARY.

Dullness is the dominant note in mining, and there is really but little new to report since the date of our last summary published on the 15th ult. Heavy rains and continuously high river have hampered dredge mining on the Molyneux somewhat seriously, although the abundance of water has not been amiss for sluicing and other forms oi mining. In consequence of the high rivers there are no big dredging returns to report, and the pressure .of calls a depressing effect upon the share market. It must not, however, bo imagined for a moment that we are on the eve' of a big slump in dredge mining. On the other hand, as a fair proportion-of the companies get to work and prove the value of their claims confidence will be restored, and the future of this form of gold mining assured. It is worthy of note that most of the new dredges which have recently opened up claims have touched payable wash, and gome, especially on the "West Coast, have made a highly encouraging commencement. _ Recentreturns show that the West Coast riveis af* ford at least as promising a field as the Molyneux for gold dredging, and the chances are iill in favour of steady returns. Among the new West Coast dredges we note that the Nelson Creek Company washed up for a return of 58oz for 129 hours' dredeing. Dobson No. 2, on the Grey River, got a return of 18oz for 105 hours' dredging; and the Leviathan (a beach claim), 50ioz amalgam at last cloaning-up. Although the Grey River Company's dredge lias not fulfilled the promise of her earliest returns, the falling off is accounted for. by the dredge having met in with drift timber in the claim, which it is hoped to get beyond very soon. Drift timber is one of the difficulties calculated to hamper dredging on the West Coast, where the rivers and creeks are mostly mountain torrents, and carry down immense quantities of uprooted tree's when in flood. It is a difficulty, however, which engineers will find means of overcoming should it present any serious obstacle. A large number of new dredges are in process of construction, and all the foundries are kept busy. In view of the alleged remote prospect of getting dredges. built locally for a number of hew companies, contracts have been accepted in the United States, and a movement is on the board to have a proportion of the dredges for New Zealand mining properties made in Germany. Several of our local firms, on the other hand, state that they are now in a position to take up contracts for dredges. During the currency of the present year a considerable number of new dredges should be placed on the claims and set to work. The Woolfhed dredge at Glenore has closed down, owing to the small returns for some, time back. This was one of the earliest modern dredges on,the Otago goldfields, and for several years secured fairly good returns. The Woolshed field at Glenore, on the Lawrence branch line, is one of the earliest goldfields in the colony, and yielded handsome returns to its first discoverers. As a dredging field it is somewhat limited; but as far as it has been prospected it promised well. _ The depth of alluvial drift is unknown, but it has been proved gold-bearing at a deDth of 30ft. The lower strata consist of hard, cemented gravel, so that a large, powerful dredge would be required to work down to a greater depth than has been hitherto attempted. Another attempt is to be made to win the gold known to ejrist on Macraes Flat. A dredging area has again been pegged off, and the ground is to be thoroughly prospected. It is to be hoped the present holders of the claim will find ii a more profitable investment than the previous company who tried dredg"tlio Inch-holme Dredging Company ai-e having their dredge moved on to the river bed , formation, where prospecting has proved 10ft of compact wash showing good prospects. It is to be hoped this dredge will touch payable gold, for up to the present time dredging on the Shag River lias proved rather disappoint'""There has been some controversy lately over a new method of supplying motive power to dredges. The earliest dredges were operated 1 with paddle-wheels driven by the current o ■ the Molyneux, but obviously that source of 1 energy could only he utilised in swift-flowing 1 rivers. Steam has replaced the current-wheel in nearly every instance; but water power is ' being applied, apparently with success on one I dredge, although engineers do not appear to ' favour the innovation. Replying to the ob- ' Sections raised, Mr W. O'Brien, the patentee, , savs that he has carried the problem beyond ' the experimental stage, and has had a dredge ; with bnckcts of 2| cubic feet capacity work- ■ ing night and day for three months, using foi ) I ho purpose two Government heads of watei 120 cubic feet per minute), with a pressure 5 of 50ft. If what the patentee claims for his 1 invention is true, water power should prove an s important factor in the future of dredge mill 3 "'The suitability of the Maerewhenua Rivei . for dredging will soon be put to the test ol 3 actual practice. The Maerewhenua Dredsinj > Company have re-erected the Macraes Flal ■ dredge, which had only done a few months 1 ' work at Macraes Flat. A commencement ha! I been made to open out a paddock, and in r " very short time now the character of tin claim should be proved. ' There is very little to report from the Auck ' land goldfields. The Auckland gold return! i for the year 1900 reached a total t'alue o: e £635,033, as against £541,150 for the previoui r year. The falling off is attributed to tin r larger amount of development work in a num s her of the mines last year. The leading mine: have, however, maintained a fair average

The Mouowai mine sent. 31 tons of concentrates to Australia for treatment, and the re- ■ turn was valued at £428. RETURNS. Sluicing and Hydraulic Elevating Claims. Oz dwt gr Arrow Flat .." .. »• - « " f WO Arthur's Point •• '• »•> -® Round Hill .. .. •• "•• 2 f. I ° Champion .. .. ■•• ; 25 0 0 Arrow Flat " » io U U Quartz Mines. Shotovcr ... .. •• •• ■" 32 7 0 Dredging. During the week ended Monday, January 21, ■ returns were reported from the following 29 dredges, the total yield being Gl7oz 19dwt logr, or an average of 21oz per dredge:— Otago Dredges. ' Oz. dwt. gr, • Molyneux Hydraulic, Alexandra.. 53 15 0 New Alexandra, Alexandra .. .. 47 -.0 0 Golden Gate, Miller's Flat (5 days) 41 15 0 Empire, Waipori (two dredges) .. 39 1 13 Alexandra Eureka, Alexandra .. 36 0 0 Success, 'Waipori (4 days) .. .. 33 6 6 Golden Beach, Alexandra (72 hours) 2G 4 2 Golden Treasure, Miller's Flat.. 26 2 0 Matau, Clyde 26 0 0 Charlton Creek, near Gore (126 hours) .. 23 0 0 Upper Waipori, Waipori (128 hours) 22 12 0 Waimumu, near Gore (132 hours) 21 12 0 Olrig, Manuherikia (126 hours).. 17 8 211 Waimumu Extended, near Gore > (130 hours) 17 6 0 Tuapeka, Tuapeka Flat .. .. 16 14 0 Waimumu Central, near Gore (9G hours) 16 1 0 Inch Valley, near Palmerston.. 15 17 0 Lawrence, Tuapeka Flat .. .. 15 16 16 Waimumu Queen, neat Gore (104 hours) .. .. 15 10 0 Nevis, Nevis River (113 hours).. 15 5 0 Miller's Flat Electric, Miller's Flat 15 4 6 Morning Star, Manuhorikia (155 hours) ' 14 0 0 Paul's Beach, Beaumont .... 12 18 0 Jutland Flat, Waipori (120 hours) 12 17 0 Otago, Miller's Flat (4 days) .. 12 0, 0 Gabriel, Tuapeka Flat (110 hours) 9 15 0 Chatto Creek, Manuherikia .. 717 0 Globe, Waikaka (5£ days) .. 7 2 0 Total Gl7 19 15 Premier Waikaka, Waikaka (131 hours) amalgam 16 0 0 West Coast Dredges. Grey River, Grey (137 hours) .. 37 10 0 Nelson Creek, Westland (13G hours) 30 0 0 Waipuna, Upper Grey (113 hours) 16 17 0 Dobson No 2, Grey River (3 days) 9 0 0 Leviathan, near Greyinouth (amalgam) '.. •• 100 8 0 During the "week ended Monday, 28th inst., returns were reported from the following 31 dredges, the total yield being 7220z lldwt 9gr, or an average of 230z per dredge:— ' Oz. dwt. gr. Clyde, Alexandra (3 days 6 hours) 49 G 18 Matau, Clyde • 49 0 0 New Alexandra, Alexandra .. 47 18 0 Golden Gate, Miller's Flat (5 days) 47 9 0 Perseverance, Alexandra (8 days) 45 6 12 Empire, Waipori (two dredges) .. 33 11 O Success, Waipori 31 3 9 Golden Beach, Alexandra (125 hours) 30 17 6 Golden Treasure, Miller's Flat .. 27 0 O Waimumu, near Gore (120 hours) 25 9 0 Alexandra Eureka, Alexandra .. 25 0 O Molyneux Hydraulic, Alexandra 24 5 0 Waimumu Central, near Gore (113 hours) 23 5 0 Olrig, Manuherikia (128 hours) ..' 22 14 12 Upper Waipori, Waipori (131 hours) ...... 21 15 0 Nevis, Nevis River 20 5 0 Charlton Creek, near Gore (4J days) 19 0 0 Tuapeka, Tuapeka Flat .. .. 18 0 0 Waimumu Extended, near Gore (128 hours) .. 17 13 0 Evans Flat, Tuapeka (160 hours) 17 12 0 Otago, Miller's Flat 17 6 0 Ngapara No. 3, Nevis River (125 hours) 16 17 0 Enterprise No. 2, Alexandra ... 16 15 0 Waimumu Queen, near Gore (119 hours) 16 10 0 Inch Valley, near Palmerston (139 hours) 15 5 0 Paul's Beach, Beaumont ... .. 11 14 0 Lawrence, Tuapeka Flat .. .. 10 10 0 Gold Queen, Dumbarton Rock.. 8 5 0 ' Chatto Creek, Manuherikia .. 7 0 0 [ Globe, Waikaka (5 days) GOO

Total 722 11 9 West Coast Dredges. Nelson Creek, Westland (129 hours).. 58 0 0 Dobson No. 2, Grey lliver (105 hours) 18 0 0 Reeves Proprietary, E-eeftcn .. .. 710 0 Leviathan,' near Greymouth (amalgam) .. .. 60 10 O SUMMARY OF OTAGO RETURNS. The ■following table shows the gold returns from the dredges whoso returns are publio since the beginning of tho present year, with the return for corresponding week of last year:— 1901. 1900. Dredges Oz dt gr Dredges Oz dwt gr First week .. 11 293 3 1 9 232 13 3 Second week 22 532 93 5 25 613 18 9 Third week .. 29 617 19 15 32 1021 313 Fourth week 31 722 11 9 37 1197 1 0 Totals .. .. 2166 316 3064 16 0