Miscellaneous.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 13

Miscellaneous.

Word has been receive 1 that the Mahikipawa diggings, Maryborough, have been proclaimed, aud that a sum had been paced on the Estimates for the survey and formation of a road to tbe field.

The Tuapeka Times states that Mr Perry has taken in hand the forming of a company to work the Wetherstones Flat on the hydraulic principle, and the preliminaries of the undertaking have already been carried out. The flat was well worked many years ago, but on the old primitive principle then in vogue; and from the experience of similar grouud elsewhere, it is not too much to expect that when Mr Perry gets his most approved hydraulic machinery and gold-saving appliances to work he will turn the ground to very good account.

The Clutha Leader ia informed that at the end of last week a party of six residents in the Catlins district had made all preparations for a start on a tour of prospecting for gold in the Tautuku district. They were going round by boat, anil were only waiting favourable weather. It is reported that many years ago two men discovered rich gold in the locality, and wrought at it so long as their provisions lasted. They then had to leave in order to replenish their store, when one was lost in the bush. The other died in the hospital, and left a rough chart Hhowing where they had found the gold. The discovery o? this chart has induced the expedition referred to. It is also said that when the body of the lost man was discovered, a packet of gold was found underneath it, thus confirming the report of the men having been successful in their search after the precious metal. Such is the story as related.

The returns for nine days' crushing from the Gallant Tip mine, Skippers, were 89oz of amalgam from the plates. The manager reports an improvement in the quartz. — Lake County Press. According to the Alexandra South correspondent of the Mount Ida {Chronicle, dredging is now being vigorously carried on. Mr M'Queen's steam dredge is likely to be removed to the Teviot. Mr Welman has been very successful in floating his dredge to the place of intended operations. The dredge is now safely at anchor on the quiet waters of the Manuherikia, and all things are in order, waiting for action. The contractor for sinking the prospecting shafts for the Waipori Alluvial Gold Miuiog Company, after reaching a depth of 45ft in the first shaft, received instructions from the company's engineer to transfer his plant to a site a few chains higher up the flit. Mr M'Queen has accordingly acted upon these instructions, and expects to have the machinery again in motion in a day or two. Very little encouragement was met with in sinking ihcj first shaft — even at the bottom the traces of the precious metal were very slight. — Tuapeka Times.

At the half-yearly meeting of the Wareatea Gold Mining Company, held at Mr D. H. Hastings' office on Monday, the report and balance sheet were adopted. The report submitted by Mr M'Queen as to the prospects of the mine was consUertd satisfactory. It was stated that the directors have under consideration the advisability of working the ground by means of a dredger, bat before any definite arrangements were made the shareholders would be consulted. A call of 6d per share is announced.

A Nehon telegram states that specimens of galena from the Welcome claim, Owen, assayed by Mr Skey, have yielded at the rate of 91oz 141wt Bgr of silver to the ton and 116oz 18dwt 4gr to the ton respectively. The latter specimens contained a little gold, and 64 92 per cent. lead. At the Wellington and Silver Stream leases a lode of galena from 3iii to 9in in width was found at the junction of t f he two claim?. Ou sinking 2ft it has opened, but to 3ft.

A Waipori correspondent sends the Tuapeka Times the followiug items : — The contractor for sinking the prospecting shafts for the Waipori Alluvial GoLd Mining Company, after reaching a depth of 45ft in the first shaft, received instructions from the company's engineer to transfer his plant fco a site a few chains higher up the flat. Mr M'jQueen has accordingly acted upon these instruction?, and expects to have the machinery again, in motion in a day or two. Very little encouragement was met with inaink}qg the first, qhaft;/ evep, a,t the bottom the

traces of the precious metal were very slight. It is to be hoped that greater success awaits, the company's enterprise. ' - * *

If the number of mining ventures now on foot in our midst (says the Tuapeka Times) is to be taken as a criterion, there is a most encouraging future before this district, inasmuch as the proper development of our mineral resources is at last about to be taken in hand. If all the compauies now in the market and in course of promotion are successfully floated, we have something to look forward to in Tuapeka. Starting with the Molyneux, whose Factojian wealth has for many years been a source of much speculation in mining circles, there is scarcely a mile of it that has not been pegged off by parties of capitalists and working miners with the view of turning its mineral wealth to the fullest account. Operations have been stayed until the success of Welman's dredge was assured, and this now being placed beyond doubt, orders have been cabled Home to the makers ; and before long we may see several of these valuable dredges in full operation on tha river. Another appliance for recovering the gold from auriferous river beds has arrived in the colony. It takes the place of a diving bell, and enables miners to go down and scrape up the gold from the crevices and cranies which are not available to the dredges. But, perhaps, there is no portion of our goldfields attracting more attention at the present moment than Waipori. In addition to the Prospecting Company, which is carrying on extensive operations on the flat, Captain Pearse, of the Austral Goldmining Company, has been sent to London to float several quartz claims on the line of tho O.P.Q. reef ; and the same gentleman has also in hand the forming of a company for the working of a large area of the alluvial flat above the township. Then, we have a company about to be formed to work the valuable antimony deposits at the head of the Waipori river, not to speak of other minor undertakings. At Waitahuna there is some talk of again testing the flat, which is known. to be auriferous ; and if means can only be devised of overtaking the water, something good may be expected. The Roxburgh mines have also been prominently before the public of late; and there is every reason to believe that before long outside capital will play a prominent part in turning the well-known wealth of the claims there to profitable a'ceount. The latest candidate for public favour, but by no means the least important, is the Wetherstones Flat, which it is proposed to work on the joint stock principle. While the prospect which these various undertakings present is of the most assuring character, we think any attempt at overloading is to be deprecated ; for success largely depends ou the reasonableness of the vendors. If a claim is only worth a certain figure, there is no use in demanding 10 times that amount ; for unreasonable demands such as this only drive capital away and bring discredit on the district. If the promoters will rest content with a fair margin of profit, there is no reason why they should not succeed ; and the result will be beneficial all round.