THE NENTHORN REEFS. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 12

THE NENTHORN REEFS. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

March 30. The query of " What is being done at Nen« thorn?" has frequently of late, met my long ears. I now propose to answer it. Had I not been absent for some time on business it is probable there would have been no necessity fot such an inquiry, En avant. Matters are going on, as expressed in that familiar phrase, "as well as can be expected" ; and what more could be wished for? All the claims— i.e., licensed holdings — whioh seems to me to be only a euphemistic title for gold mining leases— applied for on the field, were granted at Macraea on Wednesday last by Warden Wood, and all the claimholders are putting on two men each to thoroughly test their acquisition. I believe the Oroesus Company, which includes the Hibernian and Old Ireland, are about to place their properties on the market thus : 100,000 shares of 10s each, of whioh only 20,000 are offered to the public, and when 2s each has been paid up on that number the whole company are to " ante up." lam not a sharebroker, and if my phraseology is sot quite technical 'l must stand excused. I can safely predict, however, that suoh a contingency U not likely to arise, as I will presently show. | The company's property consists of three 30-acre leases in which gold can be traced throughout the entire length. In the Croesus and Hibernian tha reef has been opened up for 15 chains, and in every place tested the prospects are phenomenal; A contract has been let to sink a shaft jn tha boundaries of the two above claims. It is now down 25ft. The reef is remarkably solid and permanent in character, and shows splendid gold from wall to wall, the width being in no place less than 2§ft. The company have parchased the battery (10 heads) of the late Canada Reef Company, near Tokomairiro, and this will be immediately removed and erected on the Nenthorn creek, where the company possess the water right; so I expect ere winter closes this enterprising company will have realised the cor* rectness of its title. Ashby and Co., adjoining the above, are sinking a shaft, and are bringing splendid stone to grass- daily. Still further west, on the same line, Kenny and Co. are sinking ; they are down 25ft, and the gold still continues as good, as formerly chronicled. A newly opened claim adjoining the Break o' Day, called the Zealandis, shows excellent gold. This line runs nearly parallel and about 15 chains from the Crcesus line, with which it will probably ultimately converge. The Victoria Company a few days ago despatched three tons of stone to the Ballaiat School of Mines, Victoria, to b* tested, which fact does not reflect much credit on our very paternal Government wbich professes to do so much for the mining industry. M'MiHan and party, the prospectors of Nenthorn, had a return of nearly 3oz per tou from their second trial crushing »« Kincaid and M'Queen's battery, Dunedin. As this parcel of four tens was taken from two shaf ts nearly 20 chains apart, it may be conceded that their prospects are good enough. This party have not yet decided, I believe, what direction their future operations will take; dot if they should pla^e their property on tho market the public will have a chsnce to go into a.real good spec. The Naseby <• syndicate *"»*« about to erect' a battery/ and/are now setting oat the course of* their water woe. A prof* pector, Mr M'Gratb, dm been showing tome splendid stone from" to locality iome distenoa from here^ Particulars not yet disclosed, so I can. say nothing farther about }t at P**

Bent. Mr Gordon, inspector of mines, was up here a week ago, and was highly pleased with the place, which he is reported to have said "will be a second Thames,'! and he thinks a heavy battery should at once be erected, but whether he meant by Government or private enterprise I cannon precisely determine. Business seems to be lively, and most of the residents are settling down and making preparations for the winter campaign. I don't think that dread season to the miner can be very severe at Nenthorn judging from the splendid sole of grass everywhere seen. The snow cannot lie very long. The Nenthorn goldfield appears aow to be fairly launched, and with good guidance I see nothing to prevent it blossoming into one of the very best quartz mining districts in New Zealand.