MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 12

MISCELLANEOUS.

In, mentioning the fact thnt Mr John F. Kitto, of Miller's Flat recently made application fora patent which is described as an apparatus for applying the power of currents of river* to

raising water for the purpose of goldmining or irrigation, or to dredging the beds of rivers by means of the same power, the Mount Benger Mail says :— " Messrs Kitto and party have taken' up an ordinary dredging claim, and intend erecting, at considerable cost, the most efficient machinery to work the ground. Dredging is destined to become a most important industry in our midst."

The Waipapa correspondent of the Mataura Ensign writes as follows : — " Your reporter says that the heaviest gold was obtained on the Fortrose end of the beach or at Mr M'Gill's, but this is a mistake, for undoubtedly the heaviest gold has been got at the Waipapa end ; in fact, some got there has been known to go 13dwt to, the ounce in retorting. That goes to prove the correctness of what I say beyond doubt. A good many people have -visited the beach lately, . and have examined the pontoon and Mr Cockerell's gold-saving apparatus. There is undoubtedly a great quantity of gold on these beaches, and one and all who visit them — be they practical men or otherwise — express a hope that the Welman majrbe thoroughly successful in rescuing it, thus benefiting the shareholders and the district. Work in connection with the Waipapa Creek Qoldmining Company is progressing very well. The pontoon is all closed in, and Messrs Armond and M'Donald have commenced caulking her. They fully anticipate having her off their bands "by the end of the week, and there can be no doubt that the contractors are making a splendidly strong job of the work entrusted to them. lam informed that the beaches are all taken up about Longbeach and other places. No news yet of the prospecting party out under Whybrow's supervision and in his boat. Great hopes are entertained that they may • strike it ' either on the beaches or inland, for the crew are experienced men and deserving of success."

A new process for smelting refractory ores of gold and silver has (says the English Mechanic) been perfected by Mr Alexander Parkes. The essence of the process lies in the fluxes used, which consist of blue billy, sulphate of soda, lime, fluor spar, and carbon in certain proportions, according to the character of the ore to be treated. The ore is pulverised without being previously calcined, and is then mixed with the fluxes, which are also in the form of powder. The mixture is then smelted in an ordinary copper smelting furnace, and the resulting regulus is treated with water before it is quite cold, which causes its rapid disintegration. This saves the operation of mechanical disintegration which is necessary with regulus produced in the ordinary way. The regulus is subsequently calcined and then melted- with lead to collect the gold and silver, the lead being afterwards cupelled for bullion. All the processes subsequent to the production of the regulus are those ordinarily employed in obtaining the rare metals, the special feature of Mr Parkes' process being the use, in combination, of the fluxes named. The main results claimed by Mr Parkes are dis« pensing with the process of calcining the ore, and that of mechanically pulverising the regulus, by which means the expenses of reduction are reduced. Beyond tnis, it is Htated that a larger percentage of the precious metals is secured than by the ordinary known processes, and this is said to be confirmed by assays of the slag produced during several months' experimental working.

From 15 to 20 men are still at work ab the Pebbly Hill diggings. New ground has been opened by a party several miles further up the Hedgehope, An old hand at the work, after prospeotiug around for a week or two, came upon what he considers a very promising spot, and has now fairly commenced work. — Southland Times' correspondent.

A splendid nugget of gold was discovered at the Burnt Creek (Victoria) Co.'s mine. It was found in the puddling machine, and it is surprising that ie escaped notice till it reached there, as it weighs 3860z, and it is estimated that the net weight of gold will be at least 375bz. This is the largest nugget found since July" 1887, when one weighing 6170z was unearthed in the Midas claim. Two months previously a nugget 1690z in weight was discovered in the ground of the same company. These are the three largest nuggets found in Victoria since August 1880, when one weighing 3300z w*as found in Shicer's Gully, Wedderburn. A report was also received on the same day that a party of miners at Wedderburn, at 6in below the surface, had dug up a nugget 440z in weight.

A cablegram was received in Auokland from London containing an offer for the purchase of the Champion mine, Tin creek. It is probable that the terras will be accepted by the shareholders. A number of shareholders in the Moanatiri Gold Mining Company are desirous that the mine should not be sold in a foreign market, and a proposal to re-form the company is to be considered.

Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs t — Relative to the bonuses about to be offered tor the treatment of refractory ores, I gather that they will be given on the following lines : — A bonus of £5000 is to be paid for the first metallurgical establishment in the colony for the purpose of extracting metals from auriferous and argentiferous ores, on the following conditions : Firstly, 35,000 tons are to be treated before the whole bonus is to be.paid. Secondly, 90 per cent, assay value of metals to be saved ; cost of treatment adopted to produce and separate metal9'uot to exceed 65s per ton ; the value of metals to cover the cost of treatment, and the net profit not to exceed 15s per ton. Thirdly, the assay value to be determined by a Government officer appointed. Fourthly, £1000 paid for every 7000 tons of ore treated on tbe above conditions. As to low grade ores a bonus £1000 is to be given for the introduction of a process for extracting gold and silver from auriferous and argentiferous ores on the following conditions : Firstly, for 90 per cent, assay value, the cost to be not more than 10.-J per tou for ti-H.atnif nt. Secondly, for 80 per cent., at a cost not exceediug 7s 6d ; for 75 per cent., at a cost of not mores than 5s per ton ; 7000 tons being treated on above conditions. The value of metals from ores so treated must leave a clear profit of 7s 6d per ton after paying the expenses of treatment. In the scheme the Government retains the power to appoint a person to determine the assay value. I understand these are the general lines on which the Minister of Mines intends to go, but nothing ia yet definitely settled. These outlines of the scheme have been submitted to the gold fields members and also to Messrs Allen and Peacock, as these gentlemen have a special knowledge of metallurgy. I understand that some suggestions, by way of amendments, will be submitted by some of the goldfields members to the Minister of Mines. The Hon. Mr Richar ison informs me that he is prepared to receive any reasonable recommendations from members regarding the proposed bonuses. The Marlborough Express reports that a nugget weighing 7oz 4dwt was sold on the 16th which had come from the Makakipawa diggings. On the same day Gregg's party obtained between 6oz and 7oz of gold out of the tail race. The heaviest piece weighed loz 13dwt.

The Round Hill correspondent of tbe Southland Times states that there are now about 60 Europeans on the field. Many are employed cutting and sledging firewood for the Chinese, thus reversing the usual order of things. The

correspondent asserts that it is a'fallacy to sap. pose the Chinese live at less cost than Europeans It costs a Chinaman 10s per week, though he eats nothing but a little pork or bacon with his rice, and when they are making anything lfe e good wages they spend from los to 20s per week on food ; whereas the average European miner even at Round Hill, does not spend more than 8s or 9s per week on his food and tobacco. Josrph Clark and party have finished a tunnej to be used as a tail race after 12 months' work and at a cosb of £600: People who have not seen this goldfield cannot have the faintest idea of the immense amount of labonr that has been expended to look for and~win the g-ild that hag been- got. There is one claim that has been worked constantly for 10 years by four men that has been paying au average of £5 per week; that figures up to something over £10,000, Another has been working for six years, paying three men an average of £4 for the whole time, and there are some doing even bettor. Of course there are a great many who hardly ra&ko a liy. ing, as is usual on most goldfielda. It is satisfactory to learn that the Hydraulic Sluicing Company has been floated. Applications have been received for more shares than the number to be allotted. In the appeal case North v, Grose, heard at the Supreme Court on the 25th ult., His Honor gave the following decision: — I am satisfied that the magistrate was mistaken on the point of law which really forms the foundation of his judgment. The transfer signed by Dv Wanless was originally signed in blank with' out the name of the purchaser being mentioned. The transfer bo signed was dated 16th July 1887. After this the name of Mr North was filed in by Mr Grese, and the transfer was delivered by him to Mr North, Now the 132 nd section of the Stamp Act is clear that no instrument to transfer any shares shall be valid either in law or equity unless the name of the purchaser or transferee be written therein in ink at the time of or before the execution of the instrument of sale or transfer. By the 2nd section the word " execution " is defined as signature by any one or more of the parties to the instrument. The transfer is therefore strictly within the letter of the 132 nd section. That being so, I see no reason why it should be excluded from the operation of the section, unless it clearly appeared that for some reason or other it was not intended to come within it. In other words, the execution of the transfer in tho way it was executed was not, within the spirit of the prohibition contained in section 132. I think, however, that it is not only within the letter of the section, but that it is within the spirit also. It appears blank forms of transfer were handed by Dr Wanless to Mr Grose, who was a sharebroker, Mr Grose had discretionary power to sell Dr Wanless' shares when and how he chose, and to -fill in the names of purchasers. Obviously Dr Wanless by doing this armed Mr Grose with means, if he chose to do so, to evade the stamp duty on transfers of shares. The decision of the magistrate on that point being in my opinion erroneous, the question remains whether the jbdgment of the magistrate in .defendant's favour can be supported on any other ground, Now, no doubt it is the case if it appear clearly that the judgment was right, notwithstanding that on an isolated point of law the came to a wrong conclusion, this court will not reverse the decision. Here, however, the point of law which has been decided is really the basis of the whole case. If the magistrate was aware of the fact that this transfer was void by virtue of the Stamp Act, then the whole of the evidence wonld°assume a different complexion. It is said that Mr North by accept* ing a transfer has accepted that transfer in satisfaction of the contract. In other words, the plea of accord and satisfaction is now set up. The magistrate, however, did not decide that there had been accord and satisfaction. It is possible a person may accept a void transfer in accord and satisfaction of a contract, to give him a valid one. It would, however, take a great deal of evidence to convince me, sitting as a jury, that anyone did so accept a void transfer. Ifc may be, from the case as stated, that it would be open for a jury to find such acceptance, but on the other hand it is certainly open on the case as stated for a jury or a . magistrate sitting as a jury to find the contrary. Fqt* these reasons, therefore, I think the appeal nfißt be allowed, and that the case must go back for rehearing. Appeal allowed with costa (£lO 10a) and disbursements. An accident to the fan of the centrifugal pump of the Welman's dredger has delayed its operations. Two large stones dropped into the fan box instead of passing through the outlet, The repairs will cause a delay of another week i yet, and an alteration will be made to avoid 4 similar accident in future. The Naseby correspondent of the North Otago Times states that he has it on authority from England that the Great Eastern and Progresi Companies, Rough Ridge, have been floated on the English market. The Marlborough Times states that a Mr Maealister recovered a knife during a visit to tne Wakamarina goldfield which he had used 19 years ago to pick some 90oz of gold from ttie crevices of the reck. He was then suddenly called away, and threw the knife down. During his visit he remembered the circumstance, anil found the knife. A Taranaki paper states that a valuable dis* covery of spathic iron ore has been made a few miles from New Plymouth. A small piece wu forwarded to Mr Skey, Government analyst, by Dr Gibbes, who has received the following M the result of the analysis : — " This is a fairly good iron ore, containing 41 22 per cent, of irt>n, and only 1022 per cent, of siliceous matters." It is considered that this iron ore will be of great value if used in conjunction with iron sand for smelting purposes. The tributars of the Invincible mine, Headoi Lake, brought down on Thursday afternoon another cake of snielied gold weighing 114|<* Crushing operations will be suspended for a fe* weeks on account of frost. The next cake & likely to prove a big one. Active prospecting & still going on in the Phoenix mine, Skipper*) and it is anticipated chat the lode will short]/ be struck. At the Head of the Lake in allorW mining the chief interest at preseut centres jo the Dart, where one party of Europeans is tM to be making from £4 to £5 a man per weep The Chinese party are also supposed to be doiflf well. Several parties are doing fairly well m the Bucklerbarn ; rumour having it the otter week that a nugget weighing over 9cz had be*" uuearthed in that locality.— Lake Wakatipn Mail. Prom a copy of the seventh annual report o' the Californian State Mining Bureau which Iw Robert Neill has received from his principal"* Messrs Parke and Lacey, of California,— * c ' learn that the product of the United States W the year 1887 of precious metals was as h>>" 10w5:— G01d, 33,074,022d01; silver, sl,s7B.llß™' copper, 10,362,746d01; lead, 9,031 ,073d01r total, 104,645,959d0L „ The Cfaristchurch Press states that a tn« of the coal discovered i>y Mr Cloudesley J» the proposed route of the Midland lio« *j made on' Friday. About a hundredweight ?J , the coal was burned' ia the furnace of a st£*? .engine, and, lasted for an hour snda-bslf'l anadejioM clinkers," batborned to s white Wv Iv abotrt a quarter of an hodrl2lbpreß6OW^^

steam was obtained, and for an hour the engine wft a worked up to nine-horse power, with 551b pressure of steam. The following are the results of the tests of some other coals made with the fi ame engine: — Greymouth " nuts," lOcwt lasted nine hours; Westport slack, lOcwt lasted nine hours; Brockley, large coal, 10c wt lasted nine hours ; Newcastle slack, lOcwt lasted 10| hours. Ten hundredweight of the Mount Torlesse coal should, according to the rate at which the hundredweight tried was burned, last 15 hours.