BLUE SPUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 920, 17 July 1869, Page 11

BLUE SPUR.

(prom our own correspondent.)

July 14th.

For some time past there has really been nothing worth while reporting from this district. It becomes a stale thing to saythat so and sofired ablast,orwashedup with usual good result, or that the weather was fine orotherwise. Beyond those items, nothing has occurred here worth chronicling, owing to the fact that the workings of; the Blue Spur are of such steady and permanent description. For thoae of your readers that aro not acquainted with this locality, the following may enable them moro fully to understand future mining roports. Tt is pretty generally known that the Blue Spur forms a portion of the dividing range between Gabriel's and Monroe's Gullies, and is situated at tho head of said gullies. It consists of a hard conglomerate (commonly termed cement), through all of which, from tho surface downwards, gold is distributed moro or less. Tho rook, which crops out at both tho north and tho south extremities of tho workings, dips towards tho centre of the Spur at an angle of about 30 degrees, according to which tho depth is supposed to le soraowhoro about 250 ft. in tho centre, forming a perfect basin. Most of tho claims are consequently obliged to work on a cement bottom, at from 100 to 130 ft. from the surface. The population hero at present (including the hoads of Gabriel's and Monroe's gullies) amounts to 153 men and 238 womon and children, making a total of 301. Of tho former only 10 aro engaged in alluvial digging, whilo 101) aro occupied in hill-sluicing, and 3-1 aro otherwise engaged. The various claims, with number of men employed and quantity of water u«ed daily when sluicing, aro as follows:— On tho Gabriel's sido—Morrison and Co., working with 15 mon and using 400 in. of water ; Porsevernnoo Company, 7 men and 400 in. water ; Otago Gold Mining Company, No. 4, 0 menamUQOin. water ; Hales and Hindo, 5 mon and 400 in. water; tho Nelson Company, 7 mon and 350 in. water ; Ota*© Gold Mining Company, No. 1, 6 won, 400 in. water ; tho Amalgamated Claim of Mills and Morris, 5 mon, 250 in. wn or. On the Monro'a side : Livingston and Co., 11 mon, 500 in. water; Fiffe And Co., 8 mon, 350 in.

water ;< Blue Spur, Gold Mining Company (!on tribute) 4 men,,2soin. water ; the Great Extended "Company, 7 men, 300 in. water; Hall and party, 5 men, 250 in. water ; British American Company — this party are lengthening their tail , race at present/ where only three of the shareholders are working, but they' will 'soon be ready to sluice away the stuff brought down by their late blast, when they use about 300 in. water. The tributers of the Blue Spur Mining Company have just finished washing up, and I f elieve this time, with satisfactory results. Their term, however, has now expired, and they do not know yet whether a fresh engagement will be entered into or not. Morrison and party have finished a washing up in their lower face, and this time with a better result than heretofore. They expect in future to be rewarded for the heavy outluy they have had in opening up this face, which I believe has cost them about L 2500. They are now preparing for .another heavy blast. The Great Extended , Co. ia also tunnelling, preparatory to a big blast. Hall arid Party are engaged breaking up their bottom, while another party are driving a tunnel through the rock for their tail race. All the other claims are busy sluicing away stuff that they have left from former blasts.

The quantity of powder that has been used here daring the past bix months amounts to about 2530 kegs, . equal to about 632£cwt, the price of which, at an average cost of 8d per lb, would be L 2361 9s. The quantity named is, however, considerably below the average mark, owing principally to the many slips hat have occurred this year. Considering the enormous quantity of powder that is teing exploded here daily, it is not to be wondered at that" all the ground at the Spur is in a ahaky state. These heavy blasts shake and orack the ground throughout, and when the water from the many races that run along the top of the Spur finds its way into these cracks, it softens the ground and causes it to slip down in large quantities, whereby races, flumings, and sometimes dams, get destroyed. Those Blips have of late become both frequent and extensive, and give rise to almost continual litigation. The Nelson Company seems to to bo particularly unfortunate in this respect, ao not only their own ground, t>ut also that from adjacent claims, is continually slipping into their claim, which causes them considerable annoyance and expense. But I am afraid that, ere long, all claims on the Blue Spur will be in trouble, more or leas, from the same cause, us the ground becomes naturally more and moro weakened from tho combined effects of powder and water, while the foundation is rapidly being worked away from both Bides. Some peode have suggested the plan of amalgamating all the claims, and forming one company of them. Tim is certainly a good idea. It would afford the means of working the Spur to greater advantage in many ways, nnrl it would also prevent all further disputes. lam afraid, howevor, that there is very littlo hope of seeing such a schomo carried out.

The moral and social condition of the Blue Spur ia of a description rarely met with in similarly situated localities. The vory fact that a policeman never visits this placo is a good proof of tho peaceful disposition of the pecplo. Our Mutual Improvement Socioty is a perfect success, and it is really gratifying to see tho engernoas of mon to be present on the debating nighty.

I havo to chronicle a very sad accident that happened to ono of our oldest and most experienced miners of this district on Monday last. Mr James Thompson, shareholder and working manager in tho Peraovoranco Company, was Betting tire to a small hand blast, charged with about 81bs. of powder, when all hands wont to dinner. Aft or waiting for some timo, he found that it was a miss- tiro, and in order to havo tho blast off boforo 'ho water was turned on again, ho commencod drilling out the charge, when an explosion suddenly took place, sonding tho powder into his faco, and on to tho upper portion of his body. Ho was found sitting shortly afterwards, about 150 yards from tho spot where the accident happened, frightfully mutilated. He was conveyed to the hospital at Lnwronco, whoro it was found necessary to amputate his loft arm. Tho doctors aro alhO afraid that, both his oyes aro destroyed, but they have not been able yet to oxanaino thorn. How the poor fellow inanogod to crawl such a.distanco away from tho plaxo whoro it happened, blit.fi u« ho was, is very singular, ft is strange that minors will persist in exposing thoir lives to diingor in such a can/lens man nor. knowing, as they do, how many acuidvnts havo occurred from tho same thing. I trust this will bo a lesson to them.

Hk who got* angry in diioits»>on while his opponvnt keep* 0001, holds tho hot ond. of tbo poker.