MINING SUMMARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14579, 19 July 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

MINING SUMMARY

■ —»■ . I Tho past four weeks have been most unj satisfactory for all d.odjrcs dependent, on a low river for eli'ectivc work, but a fewdays ago bard frosts set in, bringing the river down to tho sft level, which will allow practically all the gorge dredges to make a start. The Good Chance dredge continues to win large returns, and its operations have attracted considerable attention owing to the fact that tho same claim has boon worked with very poor success for tho past nine years. The Electric returns showed a marked improvement last week. The Government Keystone borer has boon taken to the Electric No. 2 dredge for the purpose of testing part of the claim. The company has bought for £1000 the dredge and claim of the Alpine ConsolsCompany (in liquidation). The Otago Company has been compelled to oiler one of its dredges for sale by auction.- Tho Rise and bhine No. 1 dredge has boon put in commission again after her lengthy spell for repairs, and last week won a return of over 0307.. During tho past four wocks the Paracalo drcdgomaslor has reported from the Philippine Islands returns of 109oz, 76o?„ und lOVoz—or a total of 2920z. Yields from the Nokomoi Hydraulic Company s throe claims amounting to 5070z LJim't were reported at tbo end of last month. The Undaunted Sluicing Companys,return for Juno was lOOoz, and for the past three months tbo company has won 183oz. Last month tbo Roxburgh Amalgamated Company obtained a return of 40oz, and for tho same period the Barewood- Company reported having crushed MS tons of stono for a yield of 23<10z 3dwt. • . WEST COAST NOTES. Dredging is at a very low ebb on the West Coast, but there is still vigorous life iii other branches or tho industry in tho district. At the end of last month it was reported that the works of the Ross Goldlields (Ltd) were Hearing completion. Tho plant, etc., which has cost nearly £50,000, is tho most powerful over erected in Wcstland. Tho pumps arc capable of dealing w itli 2500 gallons of water nor minute. Tho present company expects to commence punipin" this . month. Only a few weeks will bo required to nmvater tho mine, when work will be commenced on (ho sixth and seventh levels. The company will also probably go ICOft deeper than was ever yet attempted, and where other and even richer J* " ro balicvctl to exist. There arc /byJllO shares in tbo companv, more I ban half of which arc bold locally. The largo pumps wero w/ung into position for lowering into the pump shaft last week. During June at the Kcep-it-Dark quartz mine 903J tons of quartz were sent to the battery, and 900 tons were crushed for a yield from the battery of 109oz and from cyanide 86oz lGdwt. "lie Big Uiver returns for June were as fohow :-Batier.v, 700 tons for 7020z 12dwt • cyanide, 350 tons for OOoz 9dwt. _ A report from the Consolidated Goldlields of New Zealand on July 7 stated that the Progress mine bad crushed 3730 tons, yielding £4331, and cvanided 2140 tons' yielding; £653; Tbo Wealth of Nnlions had crushed 1200 tons, yielding .-0161'!. end cvanided 700 tons, yieldinir £449; and the niaokwater bad crushed 2586 tons, yielding £5535. anil cvanided 1335 tons, yielding £274. This makes a total value of £12.?,61.° On July 13 it was reported that the New Alpine Company's battery had crushed 960 tons for a return of 2780z of gold. 115oz was obtained by cyanide. Tho total value is estimated at £1500. On July 15 our fireyinoutli correspondent wired that good gold had 'neon struck at the head of Flowery Crnek, and prospects hi! g'ono as much as ldwt to the dish. Jtefore 6 o'clock the previous evenin/j 17 nkiiir.3 had be-n pasfgisd out, covering a,u n-r'-a of 11 acres. Finite developments will be anxiously waited. AUCKLAND NOTES. During the past month tire subject of prime, importance in Thames mining circles has been tho prosecution of the croa=eut ■by means 0 f which it is intended to develop the deep levels of the field'. A.n important conference- on the subject took mlacc on .lime 23 Jsclwccn Mr Frank Kocd "(Government Mining lOngiiMserl. the local inspectors, tho 'miners' representatives, and inino managers of the companies interested. Tho May Queen, Saxon, VicLcria. and Waiolahi Companies stated that t hoy had agreed on a- scheme of development, to crosscut, in a direct lino -from tire Queen of Bcautv shaft, to the Caledonian shaft. Tho cost will bo about £18,000. five companies paying £2000 each, and the Governmont providing- £8000. It is believed! that, at 1000 ft, to which tho main shaft has now Isu.n sunk, another rich goldficld will be- opened up. Several of tho cotnpanios immediately took in linnij tho business of rising the 'required amount, but early in the present, morrtih tho schemo received a severe setback owing to tho decision, of the 'Minister of Mines to Limit tho Government subsidy to £5000. Howovar, on July 13 the companies concerned in the scheme decided to accept the limited subsidy offered, and to proceed with tho work as soon as possible. Recent, developments in tho Maoriland niiiiioa give colour to the expressed opinions of older miners tint the rich runs of ore obtained in the saw-face workings of tho property romp years ago will bo met with in the present lower workings, as already t very rich ore is .being anet with. The development is being wwtchedi with considerable local interest, and in some- quartars it ,is confidently expected that the. Maoriland mine will be the means of putting fresh life into the industry in that locality. Important and promising developments' liavc also occurred recently in 'the Waiotahi mine. During the perior ended June 12 last, the Wdiilri Gold .Mining Company crushed! and treated 32,065 tons of ore for a return of cbultron valued at £73.212. This rJiows a slight idecreuee upon the return for tho previous month, ivhen 32,649 tons yielded £73,412. Compared with the output -for tbo corresponding month of last year (£72,891 from 31,366 tons), the present return shows an inorease, although the figures only represent the estimated value, whereas those given lor May-June of last, year represent the amount nctmdy realised. Tiro total value of the bullion won from the mine to dato is £7,643,266. '■ During the month of June the Talisman Consolidated <irushod and treated 4100 tons of orb for a yield of bullion valued at £17,682 12s lid. This shows a small decrease compared with tho return for May, when 3E65 tons yielded £17,846 8s 4d. Tho return for Jum* -last year was £18,884 from 4261 tons. The costs for tlio past month tcfalkd £1 15s Bd, made up as follows: — Mine development. 10s Id; mining, lis lid; milling, lis 8d; general expenses, 2s. The costs for May amounted to £2 Cs 6d per ton. Tho total amount won from the initio to date is £1,043,210 9s lOd. COMPARATIVE DREDGING RETURNS. The following table shows tho number ot Otago and fouthlmifl dredges at work weekly with their returns, together with the figures for tho corresponding periods of 1903, 1907. and 1000. Pennyweights and grains ar« omitted in each instance: —

Tnr, West Coast. 1009. 1303. 1507. 100 C. Oz. Oz. Oz. Oz. 3 101 - - 2 43 2 28 3 101 2 208 8 331 G 2nl 3 102 3 182 8 303 8 373 0 2)7 ' G 201 8 202 8 4U C M 5 3 151 B 2G2 7 282 5 136 6 192 7 259 8 283 0 180 4 144 G 2GO 10 303 4 91 4 122 G 222 9 271 3 BO 5 141 G 233 9 2GB 7 171 7 300 !) 212 9 273 - — 7 302 8 215 4 125 C ]G1 8 IDI 8 253 8 385 5 155 0 2CB 3 05 8 285 3 77 4 186 5 135 5 192 2 G2 4 IG2 G 203 5 177 5 133 4 110 G 206 G 204 3 101 5 131 10 237 7 «il 5 162 5 192 7 265 5 149 2 85 4 103 7 224 G 200 5 148 4 104 0 273 7 255 4 ISO 8 231 6 196 6 200 G 155 5 125 7 213 3 103 G 137 5 101 8 218 G 151 3 90 7 191 8 ISO 4 97 5 143 7 102 7 14G 7 232 G 152 G 101 4 SO 3 92 4 116 5 160 4 146 4 100 2 40 7 210 .1 83 8 382 31GG 491G 5903 G3GB DIVIDENDS. The following dividends have Been declared since the issue cf our last Summary:—New Trafalgar. Is; Blackwater River, Is; Mystery F ; at, Is Gd 1 ; No Town Creek, Is; Nokomai Hydraulic, Gd; Rising Sun, Is; Big River, Is; Wailiaia, Is.

3309. IMS. 1907. . 1900. Or.. Oz. Oz. 0:. 5 90 3 G9 3 59 S 234 U 207 It 212 22 559 SO 991 29 797 2S 955 32 791 39 10S7 23 715 26 S7S 34 99G -11 1086 26 612 24 683 29 793 38 1072 23 CG3 31 930 33 833 34 969 25 637 26 089 34 10SS 40 1179 27 733 32 301 35 1020 12 1169 33 822 ' 30 973 37 1157 41 1103 31 SCO 2-3 883 31 7S3 37 U2d 24 574 29 973 2S 74S 34 SU9 31 943 20 99:1 20 G3S 3S 1027 35 874 30 1000 31 701 37 1017 S2 715 29 947 31 716 41 1172 22 032 22 8!C 30 750 42 1199 2-) G34 25 863 33 KM 46 1300 20 751 29 MS 33 801 44 1170 25 073 ■ 24 093 30 793 37 iloO 25 810 27 S93 35 912 31 «34 24 742 23 7S2 34 511 31 979 30 7S 23 CS3 35 9S1 33 977 27 630 23 731 39 S20 31 076 25 W 58 791 33 912 36 1002 28 559 27 815 35 S19 a) 1025 27 703 31 791 30 918 37 915 23 333 27 714 38 973 32 s40 27 010 2) 781 35 1019 30 S5S 05 CoC 20 721 41 1152 31 823 1S.6W ..22 ; MD 23 )5S1