MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1973, 12 September 1889, Page 13

MISCELLANEOUS.

The University Council on Thursday, at a special meeting called to discuss the position with regard to the prospecting operations on the Barewood run and Museum reserve, decided to accept from Mr G. W. Pogson, the lessee of the Barewood run, the surrender of an area of about 2000 acres over which the claims extend, reserving, however, to the lessee grazing rights over the surrendered land. There was some discussion on the subject o£ disputes between the prospectors, it being stated that some of the holders of the earlier-issued licenses were "jumping" the claims of others, and it was decided that Mr W. L. Simpson should act as arbitrator in the matter. With respect to the Museum reserve a somewhat similar decision was arrived at.

Mr Robert Paulin, of St. Clair, in a letter to the Daily Times says :— Fine gold can be found all over the beaches and drifts at the head of the Arawata, the sources of which river are in the same mountain ranges as are those of the Dart and Matukituki ; and I believe the gold all comes from an extensive gold-bearing formation in these ranges, cut into by both the West Coast and the Otago rivers

A correspondent writes from Nenthorn :— " The Hunbington mill made a preliminary crushing on Saturday 3lst ult. at the Prospectors Company's claim . It was formally opened on Monday at 9 o'clock, and ran all day up to 6 o'clock without a single stoppage, and gave great satisfaction to all concerned. Many of the visitors expressed themselves highly pleased with the results, and the rapid way the machine has been erected.

We learn on good authority that a pubiic battery is about to be erected at Nenthorn. This should prove a great boon to nearly all claimholders on the field. There Is little doubt but that the enterprise will be supported by all claimholders who are not in a position to erect their own crushing plant; and it should prove a successful speculation to those in<vesting their capital. The BCheme is receiving tha support of a large number of shareholders interested in the various claims, and a prospectus with an influential provisional directorate will shortly b8 issued.

A meeting of the board of directors of the Kawarau Big Beach Dredging Company (Limited) was held afc the offices of Mr L. A. Norman, Princes street, on Wednesday evening, and was attended by Drs H. Lindo Fergusßon (in the chair) and Davios, Messrs D'Arcy Haggitt and Geo. Fenwick. Plans and specifications for a steam dredging plant of the most complete character were carefully considered, and after a lengthy discussion, it was resolved—" That B, S. Sparrow and Oo.'s tender for supplying plant b.e accepted, conditionally that it te in readiness for commencing operations within four months from date." The energy being displayed by the directors of this and various oth°r dredging companies recently floated cann6t fail to be appreciated by the shareholders interested in the success of the various undertakings. In the "Nenthorn Mining Notes" published in this journal last week, our correspondent omittel Co state that Mr James Mitchell was in attendauca at the monthly meeting of the board of directors of the Orq>suß Company hold at Nenthorn last Saturday* The exoitement auent the recent deep ground discoveries at Tinkers is (says the Dunstan Time*) intensifying. Preparations are being made to sink other shafts j the real value o! the discovery will therefore soon be known, The big price* (£3lO and £340 respectively) realised for the two 82nd shares of £175 paid up in the Mountain Water Race Gold Mining Company, Tinkers, as sold by auction, Ib the ?ery best possible evidence as to what is thought

locally of the recent deep ground discovery. The prospects of the deep shaft at Tinkers areas promising as ever, and the strata now being gone through indicate the Ticinity of the main reef, when something particularly good may be looked for. Some of the claims on this line are being amalgamated with a view to sinking. Some 200 acres have been marked out on the north side of the German Hill diggings by Mr B. Flannery, a party of some 30 Dunedin men having been formed by him for the purpose ; and as these gentlemen are prepared to go to an outlay of £100 apiece for prospecting, something good io bound to result. Who will say now that mining is done in Otago ? The Eiverton Star reports that two applications for special claims have been lodged with the warden. One is on account of J. P. Spring, of Dunedin, for 60 acres at Yellow Bluff, 25 miles from Invercargill, for a company to be styled the Yellow Bluff Gold Mining Company ; and the second is also for Dunedin residents, for 60 acres, for a company to be named the Bushy Point Gold Mining Company. In each case the capital is stated to be £6000, and it is proposed that the claims be worked by dredging. At a complimentary dinner in London to Mr William Knox, secretary of the Broken Hill Silver Minei, New South Waleß, after he toad floated thiß great mine on the London market, Mr Knox said that about three years ago this mine might have been bought for £16,000, but now it was valued at mora than £8,000,000. The shares originally issued at the price of £9 each were now worth nearly £500. Within the previous 20 months 3,047 ,7000z of silver had been received in London from the mine, in addition to 11,886 tons of lead.

The success of the Welman dredge at Waipapa Beach has induced the proprietors of the goldmining claim at the mouth of the Clutha to take steps for thoroughly testing the richness of their claim. Mr Barreli, a mining expert of extensive experience in Victoria and this colony, haa been engaged during the week in sinking holes all along the claim between Kaka Point and Port Molyneux. Gold has been found in all the holes, but a3 Mr Barreli has not yet separated the gold from the black sand, it is impossible to say whether the claim is as rich as it iB believed to be by all diggers who have visited it. The difficulties of working claims below high-water mark and saving the fine gold having been success fully overcome at Waipapa Point, there is every reason to believe that a dredge will shortly be at work on the Molyneux beach, where the gold is known to be coarser, and consequently more easily saved, than at Waipapa. — Olutha Leader. The Lake Wakatip Mail says:— Local residents, and especially those who know something of the value and character of the Big Beach and adjoining ground, will not be 'surprised at the dissatisfaction' expressed even in Dunedin at the prospectus lately issued by the Sew Hoy Big Beach Gold Mining Company. . . . We are only enabled to give the following remarkable sentence :—" The large quantities of 'gold obtained every week by the present dredge, from ground which is acknowledged to be the poorest part of the claim, is already a matter of history in beach' dredging, and need not bo repeated here." This is news indeed, aa old miners who know the particular ground in question say that it is maiden ground, and that there are many acres of old worked grouad in the claim which it is hardly likely will prove as rich.

The following items are from the Tuapeka Times : — One of the best proofs of the mineral wealth of tha district is the readiness of shrewd and experienced miners to invent their money in mining speculations Within the past few weeks a considerable amount of local cash has found its way into some of the recent discoveries in the district, and now, we understand, a number of Blue Sour miners, anxious to participate in the good things going, have determined on takmg up a piece of ground below the Beaumont, which is considered sufficiently promisingto warrant the investment of capital. — The five-head stamper bittery known as Quilter and Miscalls, Waitahuna Gully, iB about to be removed to Waipori, having been secured by Messrs Stewart and Gare for erection on their quartz claim at Long Gully. Mr Quilter, to whom the battery belonged, has accepted an interest in the claim in exchange for the machine. —The steam dredgs at Coal Creek ia in good working trim. It is surprising to see the quantity of dirt brought up from the river bed j very little gold will pay the owners. I hope they may obtain plenty of gold. The river is rather low just now in many places for the other dredges, but last night's north wind will, I fear, bring up the river, which will cause a suspension of work on our beaches. Scores of Chinese and European miners have made good wages on the beaches for months past.— A Miller's Flat correspondent writes :— " I understand that the Blue Spur miners who "were in treaty for the purchase of Meßßra Sheehy's claim were unable to come to terms with the owners, who are now negotiating with a party from Waitahuna, including Messrs M. Ryan, J. Cowen, J. Laff ey, and others. It is not yet known whether the second party has been more successful than the first ; but this Ido know — that Messrs Sheehy will not sacrifice their properfcv, which is unquestionably a most valuable one. To develop it properly, however, will entail a considerable outlay, but as the ground has been well tested, and its auriferous character proved, the investment is a sound one. Messrs Sheehy 'b drawback has been the want of sufficient capital, and on that ground alone they have been obliged to go outside the district to seek assistance to aid them in opening up their property." The Waikaia correspondent of the Mataura Ensign writes :— " Mining matters do not improve, but there is a deal of prospecting going on, with as yet no satisfactory result. M'Queen's dredge was not successful in striking anything in the first attempt with the cylinders, and the firm have now removed their engine to a more likely spot close to the terrace. No doubt in the course ot a few days the result of their labours will be known. An extensive claim has been granted to this party at Gow'e creek, and the surveyor has goue up to-day to lay the ground off. Old hands who have worked in that locality speak favourably of the success of this speculation. Mitchell's claim still remains idle, waiting the arrival of the pumps. Parties on Hospital Hill, who are paying rent to the Charitable Aid Board, are about worked out, the ground yielding but poor returns of late, and when timber, rent, and water have been paid for, but a small pittance remains for the miner. A large quantity of snow has left the ranges during the past few days, and the river is high and will continue so probably for a few days." The Port Molyneux correspondent of the Clutha Leader says it would appear from the application of different parties for the leasing of large areas adjacent to the moufch of the river for prospecting purposeß that all hope of the Port proving payable as an alluvial goldfield has not yet died out.

It eeems strange (says the Tuapeka Times) that while each successive Government continues to profess the utmost anxiety for the welfare of the mining population, nothing of a practical or substantial character is done to advance their interests or free them from the vexatious restrictions with which they are surrounded on every hand. Not only is the industry of the miner hampered by the imposition of a most unreasonable lax in the shape of gold duty, but he is even compelled to pay for the grouud on which he works to produce this revenue. A rental of 10s an acre is now being charged at Waipori for ground taken up for raining purposes. This ground, it should be remembered, is practically abandoned, utterly unfit for any purpose of cultivation, and is at present used as commonage. For an area of 300 acres a rent of #150 a year is charged, which, with the cost of machinery and other heavy expenses, renders the working of the ground an almost prohibitiTe undertaking to the class of men whom it should be the duty of tha Government to assist and encourage. In contrast to this, dredges on the Molyneux are let down at the modest sum of 5s an acre ; and why a ren ( al of 10s per acre is exacted in the case of the special claimowners at Waipori is one of those problems that we fail to understand. On the one hand the arrangement in force is harsh and obstructive to the point of blindness, while in the other case the summit of generosity is reached— unintentionally of course. Mr John Arnett returned this week from Kopek, Stewart'R Island, where (says the West-rn Star) a little while ago he made some discoveries of alluvial tin and tin ore. He brings several baga of the latter to be tested. Mr Arnett and his party have been busily engaged during the past few weeks in opening out their ground, and the prospects obtained so far seem Tery promising. In prospecting in .the same locality come distance from their claim, they came across another lode of tin. The formation is altogether different to that of their present workings, the reef being a crystal quartz instead of yellow conglomerate, and showing a large percentage of tin. Mr Arnett intends applying for protection for the new ground. Among«fi numen us inquiries regarding the undertaking Mr Arnett received an offer from one of tha •' Bobs " Chinamen at Round Hill to oend 88 men over to prosp ct the ground, which he, however, did not accept, 1 here is every probability, taya Mr Anett, that the whole of the oouutry from Pegasus to Lord's river will be thoroughly prospected during the coming summer. The following items are from the Tuapeka Times s —The Island Block Company have at length Bueceeded in getting the water conveyed in nipes aoross the river to the block, where the hydraulic machinery

•wiU*bo in full swing in the course of a few days. The plant on the east bank of the river is woi king very smoothly, an enormous quantity of dirt being put through" the elevator during working hours. The manager 1b well satisfied with the returns. — Our Roxburgh correspondent informs us that a sudden rise in the river on Thursday flooded the Hercules Company's paddock, but without doing damage of any moment. The wash-up which took place in th» company's claim towards the end of the previous week was very encouraging, over lib weight of gold having been obtained.— No time is to bo lost by the directors of the Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company in pushing forward operations with vigour. Mr R. Hay, consulting engineer to the company, is busy preparing plans and specifications for a dredge, which is expected to be in working order on the ground in about four months' time. Afc a meeting of the company held in Dunedin on Wednesday, Mr T. Brydone, whose name is intimately associated with several of the leading mining ventures in Otago and other part 3of the colony, was appointed chairman of the board of directors, Mr Brydone has great faith in the gold-bearing character of the Waipori Flat ; and if the dredge, which will shortly be in course of construction, answers all requirements, we have not the least doubt but that the results will exceed the anticipations of those who have been instrumental in forming the company. Mr R. Pilling, sen., has been appointed local director, and the practical knowledge he possesses of gold mining should be of valuable service to the company. We understand that the share.list, which closed last Monday evening, was over-sub scribed to the extent of 2000 shares, although the prospectus bad only been issued little more than a week before the applications for shares closed. The following Waipori notes are by the Tuapeka Times correspondent :-" The O.P.Q. reef, from which such great things have been expected, haß been nearly idle for several months past. Hill and party have had some disagreement with the batteryowners, and this, combined with the danger of lo.ing gold when crushing in frosty weather, is why working iv their part of the reef has not been pushed on. They have a splendid show of stone, and about 60 tons at grass, and will shortly start their old business of turning out cakes. — Thomson and party would have to put in dead work to reach payable stone, and as there is still a prospect of the claim being taken over by the London syndicate, the time for which expires about the end of the present month, they are averse to doing auything in the meantime.— Porter and Carpenter have their tunnel in 200 ft, and have strong indications of being near the lode.— The Cantou people are busy working away and turning out some pretty stone. Rich specimens come up in nearly every bucket. About a ton of stone has been set to Dune,din for crushing, and will certainly turn out well. I heard a miner say that it would not be difficult to pick a ton of atone that would yield 20oz. This company has a good property. Adjoining the Canton, on the north, is the Canton Extended, owned by Mr John Lawson, of Berwick. The reef is almost sure to run through this lease, and probably extends to the Aurora, which is owned by Knighfc and party. The leases of these two claims have only recently been applied for, and little or no work Mb been done in them.— The Shanghai, adjoining the southern boundary of the Canton, is owned by Messrs W. and H. Towdall. There are also two other olaims pegged out or applied for on the same line of reef. — Messrs Stewart and Gare have made arrangements to purchase Mr Quilter's battery at Waitahuna for their reef at Long Gully, and are now engaged in taking it down. I understand that Mr Quilter takes shares in the reef in return for the battery. This reef is owned by men who will work it themselves, and they will le almost sure to get a good return for their labour and enterprise, as the reef is well situated for working, and would pay well with a comparatively small yield of gold, although, judging from prospects shown me, I should say there is no fear of the yield being Bmall,— The Blue Stocking reef, named after what the prospectors thought to be a blue stocking found in the line of reef, and which a lady friend of mine tells me is a black.sock, is owned by Messrs Evans, Anderson, Knight, and Eaton. It is a small leader showing near the surface, but carries a fair supply of the precious metal, and looks as if it would widen at a lower level. The reef is situated about a mile to the east of the O.P.Q. The owners are now driving through broken country on the line of the reef, and hope to strike it at about 50ft. If they find it at that level, they will have 200 ft of backs to work on."