MINING NOTES.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume I, Issue 26, 11 June 1892, Page 5

MINING NOTES.

, Talisman (Karangahake).—Managerreports : " Continuing drive in low level lon reef;,. Encountered' a break some ' four days ago but on continuing, reef re-appeared and prospects richer than ever, being value for 6oz. per ton by old milling process." The manager of.the Silverton reports: During the past week, stone showing gold freely was obtained from the lode, where it is being worked upon on the surface, about midway between the eastern and western outcrops. At the two last-mentioned points operations are *

also in progress upon it, and from all points ore of good quality is being grassed daily. Good headway is being made 'with the work of timbering up the cutting preparatory to starting the low-level tunnel, which will have to be driven by wages men till it passes through the drift country. - Two teams of horses are steadily employed'- conveying ore from the mine to'the mill, where there are now about.' 360 tons stored in the large hopper, which ■ will be filled to its utmost capacity; very shortly. The boiler reqnired to generate steam for pan amalgamation has been delivered at the mill. " " -

We understand Mr McCombie has given up the supervision of the Silverton. ' '

As , important operations, including the opening of new works and the starting of the battery, are now in course of progress at the Silverton mine, Waihi, three of the Auckland directors, Messrs Pond (chairman,), A. Kidd, and A. Porter proceeded to visit the works last Thursday, being joined en route by Mr J. McCombie, the local director at Karangahake. The Auckland directors returned ;on Saturday, and in course of a conversation with a " Herald" reporter, one of them said, speaking for. his fellow-directors as. well as himself, that they-Jhad thoroughly examined all the workings. ,On the surface 250 feet of the reef had been stripped, and a large, quantity of ore had been taken away, from them, gold showing freely through the operations. In No. li or Blacksmith's level, as it is .called, stoping, operations are continned, the whole of the Hands being placed here wheu they cannot be employed in the upper works, and-the class of ore extracted is very promising. The new main level is giving some trouble. There is a long shallow cutting from the opening to the face tof the drive, which, owing to the nature of the soil, it has been found necessary to timber up to the entry of the drive. ' The drive has been commenced, but the directors were dissatisfied ,with its size, and decided to make it larger, so that the tramway might be available for horse traffic. This will not necessitate an increase in the size of the cutting, and therefore no new expenditure will be necessary. The directors also inspected the tramway dnder-i construction, and certain alterations were made, allowing for a level grade from the hoppers to the battery, a distance of about 60 chains. The battery was also fully inspected, and in their unique and admirably constructed plant they appreciated the care, skill, »nd engineering ability of Mr Corbett, •aud consider it, one of the most complete wet-crushing plants erected anywhere. A boiler has been procured, and is now in course of erection, for the purpose of supplying hot water to the pans, and this, with some other final details, will delay the starting of the battery for a fortnight. There are at present at the hopper at the battery 440 tons of ore and 110 tons yet to arrive, to complete the carting contract. This with the ore taken over from the tributers and the tailings from the Martha battery, will give a total of ore ready for treatment of about, 900 tons to start the battery with, sufficient to keep it employed during- the winter months, at least up to November, by which time the tramway will be completed and the cost of transit decreased