Wakatipn Mining- Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1932, 30 November 1888, Page 12

Wakatipn Mining- Notes.

(Feom Our Own Correspondent.) Arrow, November 26.

Cold and unsettled weather still prevails, interfering much with open air mining works, especially at elevated situations, as at Advance Peak and Mount Criffel, and to some extent also at Cardrona, where necessarily the great bulk of the work consists of new undertakings.

MACETOWN.

The Premier Company are crushing away with a full supply of water and stone of an average quality, which is daily added to by the output of the mine. Mr Hugh Hunter is making very satisfactory progress with the main adit for the extention of 100 ft, for which he is the contractor.

The Sunrise Company are experiencing great difficulties on account of the severity of the weather. Fresh snow is falling almost daily, covering up the cleared tracks, tools, and everything about the mine. In the mine itself things look very promising indeed, stone of ex» cellent quality being met with driving in a western direction.

The Tipperary Company are gradually licking their new claim and company into shape, but it will probably be next summer before a start with actual work can be made.

UPPER SHOTOVEB.

Through the extremes of the weather we have had the Gallant Tip has lost a full day's repairs to the battery, but crushing is now proceeding amain. No news is to hand from the Phoenix mine, but it is understood that the stone now being raised is of a more promising nature than that put through at last crushing. Considerable activity prevails in the large sluicing ventures of this neighbourhood, which is likely to make itself practically felt in the Christmas escort from these parts.

HEAD OF LAKE WAKATIPU.

The tributers at the Invincible mine have struck the lode in the winze sunk from the machine level at a depth of 52ft. It must, however, not be supposed that this is a new discovery following upon prospecting works, for it was a well-known fact that the lode existed below the main working level of the mine known as the machine level. The lode was not sunk upon previously because the last manager of the company thought that the inflow of water, together with the extra haulage, would prevent paying results from being obtained, and probably his surmise would have proved correct had the company undertaken the work. That it does not prove so in the present case shows the virtues of the tribute system, backed by the quality of the men forming the party, who must be counted with the pick of the miners in this district. However this may be, the proof of the lode going down in continuous shoots, adds confirmatory evidence to the theory I have so often advanced, that the best and most valuable lodes in Otago dip perpendicularly or nearly so ; and on the other hand, that but very few of our local perpendicular lodes are barren. When these two facts are read together the evidence they furnish should command much more attention from quartz miners and investors than it does at present. The lode in question at tho point where it is opened up at the bottom of the winze is 12ft thick, showing gold freely. White's reef might also be quoted as supporting tho above theory about the character of perpendicular lodes, its deviation from the vertical being very slight. Alluvial mining at the Bucklerburn is still looking healthy. Report says that the last European miner has been hunted out of the Dart Valley by the Chinese, who now have the whole country to themselves.

Mr E. J. Foord, electrical engineer, Arrowtown, and agent for the Elwell-Parker light, is about to light up Mr J. Ewing's extensive sluicing works at Vinegar Hill with electric lamps. The apparatus fitted up at the Bendigo mine by Mr Foord gives complete satisfaction. The last cake from the Gallant Tip of 130oz from 280 tons of stone is proof of the regularity of the lode, showing that moderate but reliable returns have a virtue of their own.