The mines.

Otago Witness, Issue 1532, 19 March 1881, Page 21

The mines.

Rumours are current that a patch of gold has been struck at Doctor's Point, Alexandra, but the scarcity of water prevents its being opened out. The want of water in other parts is seriously retarding mining operations.

Mr J. F. Watson received a telegram from Lyell on Friday htating that the return from the United Alpine Company was 2030z of amalgam from 123 tons of quartz, for four and a half days' crushing. Mr Thomas Hunter received a similar message.

We learn from the Colonist that at the halfyearly meeting of the Homeward-Bound Company, at Reefton, great dissatisfaction was expressed at the directors having sold 5000 shares to a Mr Gl-orrie for 6d each. It was asserted that the shareholders understood the directors were to place the shares in the Dunedin market; also that Is 6d each could have been obtained for the shares at Greymouth. Legal proceedings in the Supreme Court to teat the legality of the sale are threatened.

A new process for the extraction of gold from pyrites has been invented by a Mr Harrison, of Sydney, who has been experimenting with some pyrites from the Dargon Creek, which has hitherto defied all attempts to extract gold and other metals from it. Mr Harrison (says the Sydney Morning Herald) brought to our office a small cake of pure gold extracted from it, to gether with a bye-product of fine copper. The gold was retorted, and the copper precipitated ; and both were obtained without the use of an amalgamator. As there are millions of tons of pyrites iv Australia, should the process be found to pay it will add considerably to the production of our reefs.

The Western Star says : — " We were shown some very fair quartz specimens from the Pioneer reef, Longwood, yesterday. Fine gold was well distributed throughout, with here and there some coarse patches. The reef has now been proved from one end of the claim to the other, with most encouraging results, and we hope soon to chronicle the erection of machinery for the claim, a.% is proposed by the shareholders."

Mr Thomas Hunter received a telegram from Reefton stating that the Welcome Company crushed during the week 110 tons of Btone, which vialded 851 ounces of amalg un from the blankets alone.

The half-yearly meeting of shareholders in the Weihersfcones Cement Gold-mining Com • dany was held at the offices on Monday afternoon. The manager (Mr J. A. Mackenzie) read the statement of receipts and expenditure. Mr H. North, who presided, moved the adop. tiou of the statement, which was carried unanimously. Messrs J. C. Brown and H. North, the two retiring directors, woro unanimously re-elected. The retiring auditors, Messrs Quick and Park, were also re elected.

The Southland Tim9B says :—": — " On Saturday Mr iFreeman exposed in his window, Deo street, a nice sample of gold from Stewart's Island ; the exact locality, we are informed, being Port William, to which place there was a small rush some weeks ago. The parcel weighs about 11 ounces of rough gold, which does not bear the appearance of having travelled very far. The most important element is, however, wanting — namely, the time occupied in finding it. While on the subject we may state that we have heard that parties are making very fair wages, as much as L3 los a week per man, washing the beach at Bushy Point. This ib worth the attention of the unemployed after harvest is over."

The County Council (says the Western Star) last year received over £600 on account of gold duty. This shows that over 6000oz of gold have been disposed of > looally during that period, the whole of which is the product of Orepuki riding. That amount by do means represents the total returns, as it is well known that a large quantity of gold was sold in Inver cirgill and Duuedin, not to mention the no small percentage that; is usually smuggled out of the country by Mongolians without pajing du^y — The sam« journal says : — Sections in South Riverton have a value apparently over and above their suitability for building or resi dence purposes. It is stated on very fair authority that a resident there recently took from a blind gully on his property a small bottlefal of gold, and thought to prevent his good luok from becoming known by selling ib in Inveroargill. — In an article on the Round Hill alluvial workings the Star says : — The geological formation consists of recent deposits of cby upwards of 20 feet thick j underneath this a bed of fine sand stratified with "black sand." The thickness of the sand bed varies from 10 to 20 feet. A seam of coal shale nrxt occurs, about five feefc thick, resting upon clay with boulders through it ; and the bed rook is for the most part hornblende greenstone, The gold is found scattered through the sandstone, and also underneath the seam of shale. This formation is very uniform, and seems continuous for some distanoe at this altitude. The lower flat ground also bids fair to have another series of strata and deposits peculiar to it, which might represent heavier gold pro-pects. There is work for miners at Bound Hill for many generations, and we wish them good times in getting the gold. The Arrow correspondent of the Cromwell Argus writes: — The unprecedented drought for the last three months is beginning to have an effect upon the water available for crushing power at Maoetown. The Homeward Bound Company found it preferable to stop their maohinery for the time being. The want of water and other causes have had a prejudicial effect upon the Macetown reefs, and ihe seaeon now drawing to a close cannot be said to be up to that of last year in the production of cakes ; however, there is still time for another crushing before the frost puts a stop ro the season's crushing. . . ._ . In spite of the dulness whioh reigns in mining matters here operations are still extending, and an application for a new lease has been made daring the week. In alluvial mining excitement is pretty well sustained. As the Whiteohapel Flat rush is settling itself to the ordinary routine of goldgetting and working; out, another, though milder excitement, is rising in connection with some ground at the Kawarau river, where a rich deposit is supposed to exist. Several claims have been marked off, and work is prosecuted with vigour. We (Tuapeka Times) saw the other day a fine specimen, of 3dz 12dwt of gold f<oin one ton of quartz from the Conroys Quartz Mining Company's ree<\ It ie calculated that the stone will yield an average of l£oz to the ton. From the old workings nearly 500 tons of stone were ernshed, yielding £2005, or an average of over loz to the ton, and there are bow 100 tons of •stone at grass of equally good quality.

The Wakatip Mail says :— Mr W. L Davig is the successful contractor for supplying the maohinery for the Invincible Company, Head of the Lake. As Mr Davia aud hia brother are largely interested in this mine, an a.*suiaoce is thua given, that a good ora&hiog plant will be obtained, and which Mr Davis proceeds shoitly to Castlemaine or Bendigo to secure. The company are busy putting in their low level

runnel. The reef in the prospecting one proved over four feet wide, so that when they again reach the reef they should have an immense body of stone to stope out, beside having the surface reef available and the large slips. The battery required, we understand, will be a powerful one, if present prospeots are sustained.