The Mines.

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 12

The Mines.

At the adjourned meeting of the provisional mining Company (Limited), held on tho 9th at Mr M." Pym's office, it was dedirectors of the Deep Valley West Quartzcided that two of the Board should visit the claim and furnish a full report as to tho best mode of working. It was stated that a plentiful and unfailing supply of water, running right through the property, was available for crushing purposes. The directors, therefore, intend to open out and thoroughly test the reef preparatory to the erection of machinery.

Mining operations throughout this district (says the .Cromwell Argus) are and have been for some time back very quiet, there being really nothing doing worthy of note. We hear that tho new make of stone struck in the Cromwell Co.'s mine at Bondigo is most promising, both in bulk and quality, but nothing definite can be said about it until further observations are made, and these are now in progress.

Mr J. F. Watson received a telegram from the Arrow on Monday stating that the directors of the Ladye Fayre Gold-mining Company had declared a dividend of 6d per 24,000 th share, payable on and after the 17th inst.

The Deep Lead Company, at Blacks, No. 3, have bottomed another shaft in their claim at about 70 feet. They are evidently (says the Dunstau Times) on the side of the reef, as on one side of the shaft there was only six inches of wash-dirt, while on tho other there was over two feet, and prospects taken promiscuously from tho heap yielded fully half a pennyweight to the dish. With two feet of dirt, and half a ponnyweight to the dish, tho claim should pay handsomely; but as in all probability the depth of wash will increase, and the gold be more plentifully distributed in the deep ground, the shareholders may rely on a good rise, if not a fortune.

The following items are f orwarded by the Mount Ida Chronicle's Serpentine ' correspondent :— ' The Golden Link Company are busy putting up their new battery. They will have it ready for crushing in five or six weeks' time. It will be a grand thing for the Serpentine, as the proprietors of different reef will then be able to have trial crushings made. The Company's tunnel, which will strike the old shoot of gold, will be in in a week or two. There will be some good crushings presently, for I know there is some grand stone on this shoot. They will go in 80 feet deeper than when they left off. The Golden Belt Company recently put down a shaft 25 or 30 feet, and struck the reef, getting very good gold. The reef is eight feet wide. The Try-again is at a standstill. I hear they are going to sink a new shaft, to test the reef at a deeper level. Mr Turnbull has a good few tons at grass from the Scandinavian mine, waiting for the battery.'

THE MACETOWN BEEFS.

(FP.OM OUB OWN OOBBESPONDENT.)

The very encouraging success the t Maryborough Company has met with during the present season has infused renewed activity into mining matters at Macetown. This season's yield of the Company's claim, about 800oz, shows that the reefs at t Macetown contain gold in payable quantities, and that all that is required is' an energetic prosecution under intelligent management to attain satisfactory results. The success of the Maryborough Company is by no means an isolated proof of the value of the Macetown reefs. The Ladye Fayre, which coquetted with the shareholders for the past five years, has at length proved that all that is necessary is a little energetio courting to make her yield to the shareholders' desire. A trial crushing, the first of any extent which has been made from the Ladye Fayre, has just been completed at the public battery, and resulted in a cake of 338£0z of retorted gold from 210 tons of stone. Besides the amount reduced, there are upwards of 200 tons of stone of the same description at grass, and as the gold-bearing stone averagoa from 18 inches to two feet in width, a large quantity is at the command of the Company, which is sufficiently encouraging to them to cause them to make use of their splendid machine site by the erection of a 10-stamper battery. The Homeward-Bound Company also furnished last week a cake of 170oz of gold, the proceeds of 240 tons of stone, which, if not rich, considering the facilities introduced in working the mine, must still be pronounced payable. The Mountain Maid Company also contributed proof of the value of the reaf s at Macetown. Eight tons of tons was packed down from Advance Peak, where this Company's claim is situated, to the public battery, with the result of a cake of 16oz 12dwt, or nearly 2oz 2dwt per ton. This claim is the Catherine claim resuscitated. The yield is encouraging, aa the gold-bearing stone averages from 10 to 18 inches in width. The reef, which occurs in solid country, is easily and inexpensively worksd 11 The Sisters," which is one of the latest discovered reefs on the field, likewise submitted a parcel of two tons of quartz to treatment at the public battery, by way of teat as to the value of the claim. The yield was 2oz 16dwt, or 28dwt per ton. The telegrams I forwarded to you of the yield of the two lastmentioned claims differ slightly, the reason being that the exact amount was not known at the time of transmission, but the above-stated quantities are correct. The gold-bearing stone in the Sisters averages from 12 to 18 inches, in a reef about five feet in width. The situation of this reef is on a saddle between the Shotover and Arrow Rivers, and it has been traced down the hill on the Shotover side for a distance of 500 feet. The reason this party did not submit a larger quantity of stone for reduction is the great cost of bringing the quartz to the machine on account of distance, The cost of packing and crushing amounted to £3 2s per ton, and of course such an expense is prohibitive. However, the party have the satisfaction to know that their reef contains gold in payable quantities. Several applications for cancellation of some of the mining leases at Macetown are now m abeyance; and although for that reason particularising comments are uncalled for at the present juncture, a general survey of the bearing of the Lease Regulations is apropos. 1 here cannot be the least doubt that not only the Macetown reefs, but nearly every goldneld, has suffered more or leas on account of large tracts of its auriferous area having been shepherded in a legalised manner ; yet it would be to defeat the very ends for which the system was estab-lifhed—-viz., to hold out inducements and to afford security to the investment of capital in mining enterprises— were cancellation granted in every case it was asked for. It must bo remembered that the obligation to proceed with the working of the lease is no mote binding on the party asking for and obtaining cancellation than it was on the original holders. This subject is of sufficient importance to commend itself to the goldfiolds members at the Uoxfc flitting of the House ; and as the remedy is so omWw, j* i» to be hoped that spmemeane

will be devised by which the enforcement of the labour clauses will be made more stringent, without injuriously affecting the security of niinino- leaseholders. A monetary; fine for noncompliance with the labour clauses might perhaps meet the case, and tend greatly to render the mining-lease regulations a more effective factor in the development of mining in New Zoaland than has hitherto been the case.

(FKOM A CORBK3PONDBNT.) March 4th.

The Mountain Maid Company's trial crushing has just been put through the Public Crushing Company's battery, with the satisfactory result of 16oz lOdwtß from eight tons of stone, or an average of a little over two ounces to the ton, giving the fortunate shareholders, after paying all expenses, a dividend of £3 10s per share. This handsome return, following close upon the splendid yields of the Maryborough and Ladye Fayre Companies, go far to prove that there is a bright future in store for the shareholders in the Macetown Reefs.