MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1974, 19 September 1889, Page 13

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Nokomni correspondent of the Mafcaura Ensign writeß:— "There is nothing new to report in regard to mining in this place. Some little prospeoting is going on since the diecovery of the Cameronian reef, but nothing of any importance has been struck as yet. Mr D. A. Cameron has had a man on for some time prospecting the Mataura river for dredging purposes, but though getting specks of gold to each dieh tried, I hear it is not good enough so far. Nothlug has been done on any of the claims applied for on the Oamerouian reef so far ; one would think that they would prospect their holdings at all events and see what they are worth. The same remarks apply to Conliffe's extended claim on the flat, and I am in doubt if he ever will start it at all."

The Waikaia correspondent of the same paper says:— "Just now there is a decided reaction in mining matters. Claims of considerable acreage are being pegged out in all directions, and some of them are looked upon as likely to prove highly remunerative. On Tuesday an extensive area was taken up by an Invercargill syndicate, the locality being on the Winding creek above the flour mill. This claim has been taken up with a view of working a large accumulation of tailings, the result of extensive working on the old hill when Skene and Hasfc were the proprietors of the Argyle water race. Independent of the tailings, there exists a considerable quantity of unworked ground, known to be auriferious, as previous to the water coming in various parties were working in the gully with satisfactory results, their earnings per week varying from £2 to £7. Many years since an attempt was made to work this gully, but the continued accumulation of tailings was an obstacle to the success of the undertaking, and the clatm had to be abandoned. I understand that payable gold has been obtained on Mystery Fiat ; the bottom has not yet been reached, but the present prospects will pay working expenses. Both this claim and that above the mill are to be worked by dredging."

A new and ingenious method of extracting gold and other metals from their ores on the dry system, without the aid of water or chemicals, has been invented by Mr William L. Card, of the United States. The system consists in the employment of two main agencies -a current of air and gravitation, in appropriately arranged machines. There are four types of these machines— namely, a small handworked prospecting machine for testing the richness of gold and mineral deposits of the apot ; a machine for concentrating refractory ores ; a machine for extracting free gold from alluvial and placer soils ; a machine for extracting free gold from crushed quartz. The principle underlying each of the machines, however, is the same, although differently carried out to suit the requirements of each case. Aa a geneial principle the crushed ore is fed into a hopper, whence it is admitted on to a series of inclined sieves, which in some cases are vibrated and in others remain stationary. A fan or blower is used to force a blast of air underneath the sieves and upwards through them. In one case, however, the air is drawn upwards through the sieves by a fan placed above the machine. As the crushed ore falls on the sieves it is kept in a state of continuous but gentle agitation, and the blast is so regulated as to drive off ,the duafc-like particles of earth, while the gold or other metals, by reason of their superior gravity, remain at the bottom of the sieves. The particles of gold are caught by the sieve on the top of the incline, but if any small particles should pass beyond it they fall into the second or third sieve. The tierra Beca machines are being introduced into England by Mr Charles Wetzlar, of 149 Upper Thames street, London, where we (London Times) recently witnessed a successful demonstration of their working. Large bulks of ores were put through the various machines with most satisfactory results. To instance one experiment, 6dwt of gold dust and some small nuggetß were mixed with a quantity of dry earth and p'.ssed through the machine for extracting free gold from alluvial and placer soils- In the result the nuggets and 96 # 3 per cent of the gold dust were recovered, thus satisfactorily demonstrating the efficiency of the machine in separating gold from a dry matrix. At ft meeting of the Waipori Minera' Association held last week it was decided, after a great deal of discussion, that the committee be recommended to object to any area of more than 75 acres applied for on the Plat being granted in anyone claim. •• From the arguments used in favour of limiting the areas," says the Tuapeka Times' correspondent, " it appeared to be the general belief that a deep lead similar to that at Tinkers exists in the Waipori Flat. Of course i f such a lead really exists there is good reason why only small areas should be granted. But against this there is the fact that the existence of this lead is very doubtful, and that if only small areas are granted no person or company would incur heavy outlay in putting expensive machinery on a claim that would be worked out in a short time, and the consequence would be that the ground, although of great value for dredging, would lie idle and unproductive, as it has for years past." The same correspondent says :—" Mr H. Hunter Brown, of Christchurch, has been appointed to take charge of the Waipori Alluvial Gold Mining Company's claim in place of Mr B. P. Bkberg. This company is'negotiating with a party of Chinese for what is known as the Bakery Point race with a view to purchase. The Celestials value the race at £500. It was bought by them from Messrs Caudwell Bros, a few years ago for £260." s

We (Tuapeka Times) understand that Messrß Sheehy, of Miller's Flat, came to terms last evening ! with the party of Waitahuna residents who have been in treaty during the past week or two for the purchase of the former's mining property on the east bank of the Clutha river, immediately below W. Waugh's farm. -We have been informed that a local resident who made application for 250 shares in the Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company, which was floated in Dunedin last week, has only been allotted 100 shares by the directors. The sharelist was over-subscribed to the extent of fully 2000 Bhares. Our Waipori convspondent writes :— Messrs Stewart and Gare have got their five-head battery on the ground and expect to have it at work in about a month's time.— The Canton party are taking out some splon'did-looking stone, which shows gold freely. I hear that Mr C. KobortßOn is arranging to place this property on the Sydney market. It in undoubtedly a most valuable property. -It is reported that a cablegram was received from Captain Fear, c on Wednesday re the O.P.Q mines. The time for disposing of the concern expires on the 21st inst.— W. Knight and party, at the head of Nuggety Gully^ have cut the trough of the reef line : it is very much broken up, but the mullock shows fair prospects, From appearances the reef i-uds into the land held under perpetual lease lately taken up by Mr Cotton. —O'Brien's claim, situated at the head of the Waipori Gold Dredging Company's ground, is looking well at; the present time. There is about 20ft of splendid wash showing below the false bottom ; it carries gold from t'*p to bottom. Two specimens of gold bearing quartz were brought to our (North Otago Times; office yesterday by Mr James Spence, who says that quartz of the kind is abundant in the p^rt of North Otago where these specimens were found by him. Mr Soence, we believß, has obtained a provisional right to 30 acres of land in the locality whore the qmrtz ia found, and he is taking steps to have some of the quartz submitted to . a thorough test. For his sake, aud that of the district, it is to be hoped that the test may prove satisfactory in every respect. In an article on the revival in mining the Lake County Presa makes the following remarks on (hedging prospects:—." Let us for a moment compare the old system of dredging with the latest development—the spoon dredge with the eteara-worked bucket-and-ladder dredge. The spoon dredge, we are told by those who worked them, lifted some seven tons a day of eight hours, while its successor may be made to treafc_ 100 tons per hour (or more, according to the strength of the motive power employed). What wonder was it, then, that those who knew that certain ground had paid wa^es for snoon dredging should have the idea forced upon them of the highly payable character of our large beaches if worked upon, the mwest system by which 10 times the quantity of gold-bearing sand could be treated in one hour that the spoon could lift m a whole day— the one lifting 800 tons per diem to the other's eeveu tons! Was it eurprising that, when the Big Beach Company once they had overcome initial difficulties obtained regular returns of gold up to an average of some 50oz a week from a dredge treating 75 tons of atuff , there should have been euch a rush for dredging claims? The number and extent of claims applied for are now a matter of history. . , . We do not pretend fo say that all the ground that has been ppgsed is suitable for dredging, and in chis respect it will be necpss.try for interulmt/iiive'-toi s togive careful consideration to the report* that are placed before them from timetotime as to the prospects of successfully working the various o asms. We are convinced that a great many of them will, under fair conditions, give investor' a large return for their money. The result of the bhotover Big Beach Cornpauy's operations may be cited. We have no hesitation in asserting that there are many equnlly good claims -some possibly better, indeed. ... In our opinion dredging is only in

its Infancy. Much ground heretofore considered worthless will, by means of the Improved dredging appliances, be worked with very great profit. Instance : Such deep ground as that held by the Last Chance Company cannot be bottomed by pumping. Now the bucket-and-ladder will not alone work shal low ground, but will dredge to a depth of perhaps 100 ft. Thus, provided the surplus water cannot be got rid of, and by a system of elevating and stacking tailings, the bottoming of the ground may be accomplished. We hear it rumoured as being probable that the claims above and below will be amalgamated, as they might be, with eeeming advantage, by dredging a large tallrace from the lower end (near the Criterion), about a mile down, in which distance some 70it of fall would be obtained. Thus by natural means the ground would be drained to within such a distance of the bottom as would enable it to be dredged In the manner indicated. Wehavetheassuranceofexperts that under the new system ljgr of gold to the cubic yard will, under favourable circumstances, pay all working expenses. Mr Beal, in his report, cays Jenkins and Chapman's claim will average 12gr to the yard, judging by the prospects obtained from the surface gravel on the beaches. . . . Reefing in the district has also improved prospects, and there isevery reason to hope that a large amount of capital will at an early date be expended in developing the many legitimate undertakings in the district. Late years have also seen great improvements in the systems of alluvial mining, the adoption of the hydraulic elevating system being the most notable. In ordinary sluicing, too, many improvements have been and continue to be made in the methods of goldsaving. And in all cases it is a healthy sign to remark that the idea of investors is to treat quantities of stuff, not rich in patches, but ■with the gold well dispersed through the drift, as, for example, at Stony creek terrace, Skipper's Point, &c. Under all these circumstances it is but reasonable to anticipate that this district, which has for some time been almost deserted by capitalists, will at an early date take its place ns one of the leading goldfields of the colony. Many Dunedin capitalists now freely admit that had they spent as much upon this district as they have elsewhere — and to no purpose — there would be many more mines at work at the present moment."

The Oraki corresp. ndent of the Western Star writes :— " I have heard that a party at Lake George is making between £4 and £5 a week ; not so bad coming into one house. Ly Chong and other Round Hill diggers have told me that from 12 to 16 years ago they took from one paddock on the old railway line, about two miles west o Oraki, as much as £40 worth of gold ; they cannot now make out the place. Somo Chinamen have been-poking about the vicinity this while back. The reason why jjy Chong knocked off after getting such good results was that he could not net fall, and gold at Round Hill was then easily obtainable. Grand prospects are being got at Lake George, buttheieis the old cry of want of fall to work. As the lake at the most io only a big lagoon, I do not see why it should not bo drained. The prospects received are enough to make one's mouth water,"

A report was in circulation in Dunedin on Saturday to the effect that the Crceeus Company, Nenthorn, had washed up, and that the result was very unsatisfactory. From a gentleman who left Nenthorn on Saturday, and who had been at the battery on Friday, we learn that the rumour is without the slightest foundation. The company had not washed up wjien he left, and the battery was still crushing with cv cry prospect of a moat satisfactory return. The recent rain has given a capital supply of water, and the 10-head of stamps are kept steadily going. The company probably knows its own business best, but we venture to suggest to them that if they have not yet decided to instruct their battery manager to wash up, it would be a wise course to now do so. The shareholders and all who are interested in the development of the field are naturally anxionß to kno.v the resilfc of the first crushing ani as fully 100 tons of stone have now been put through, the yield fr-im this quantity will be a good test. The general opin^o i at Neathom is that the Orotsus stone will give an average yield of ljoz to the ton. The Secretary of the United Hercules Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Limited) reported on the 11th inst., that the result of the previous 10 hours' running was over 15oz of cleaned gold, or an average of 1-ioz per hour. The bottom had not then been reached, but it is thought to be close at hand. A considerable quant. ty of the upper gravels had been run off, but until the bottom is reached and cleaned up the actual value of the ground cannot be fully ascertained.

The hopes of holders of claims on the deep lead at Tinkers and Drvbread arc in no way abated (says the Dunstan Timeß). The prospecting ahaft is still being sunk, and by last accounts the stuff prospects as well as ever. The depth is getting too great for the windlass, and a whim is to be erected. There are two more shafts to be sunk— one at Drybread, the other at Blackbush ; and if both strike the golden wash the bona fides of the lead will be fully established. The quartz and seam workings at Ophir are beim* worked steadily, and from the Ophir Company's claim atone Is being crushed. By now, the battery having been going for a fortnight, it should be known whether it is up to expectations ; but the shareholders are wonderfully reticent and kept their knowledge to themselves. A meeting of gentlemen interested In acquiring an interest in the Spec Gully Hydraulic Sluicing Company, Naseby, was held at Mr L. A. Norman's offices, Princes street, on Thursday evening, and was attended by 12 shareholders, Mr 0. F. Greenslade being in the chair. It was resolved—" That the proDerties be reported upon by Mr John Kwing, of St. B'ithans; that Mr Norman bs secretary of the company, and than the secretary bo instructed to at once have the proprietary registered as a limited liability company under the provisions of "The Companies Act 186," and to have the memorandum and articles of association prepared with as little delay as possible. A call of of £1 per share (realising £700) is made, after which the proceedings terminated in the usual manner. Mr Norman advises us that he received a telegram on Friday from the mine manager of the Mount Highlay Consolidated Quirtz Mining Company (Limited), Hyde, Btating that crushing operations had commenced. The company, it m.ty be stated, possess a new reduction plant, possibly of the most substantial and complete character at present erected In Otago, The whole of the machinery was supplied by Messrs B. S. Sparrow and Co., Dunedin, and reflects infinite credit on the engineering skill and workmanship of the firm.

The Bruce Herald reports that at a meeting on theOfch inst., it was decided to form a small prospectIng association. It has for long been known that there ie payable ground in the river at the Woolshed, but owing to the porous character of the gravel it has been found impossible to get at it, or lo work the deposit in a profitable manner The fact of the river having been worked constantly for the last 30 years is proof positive that there is gold in payable quantity, but no greater depth than 20ft has ever beau reached. A prospecting right has been secured extending a mile either way from. th« traffic bridge at Glenore, apd arrangements are being made to ot - tain tne services of one of the Government boring rods, in order to test the ground, and should the tri.-il prove encouraging, as there is little doubt it will, a company will ba floated and a bucket and ladder dredge procured.

News has been received in Milton that somo goodlooking stone has been struck in the new Prospecting Company's claim at Canada. The contract tor the next 50ft of driving has been let to Mr Robert Keen.

Referring to the Mount Bischoff Tin Mining Company the event marks an era in the history of this prosperous corporation, and is a. matter of congratulation to the shareholders and all couci-rned. The Launceston Telegraph says: — "It is now 11 years and nearly seven months since the first dividend of the company was declared, and they have succeeded one another with unfailing regulnrity. varying, according to the exigencies of the output, from 10s to £1 per share. Other companies in Australia have declared larger dividends for Bhort periods, but we believe no other mining company has with such regularity declared such handsome dividends for so long a period, while many of the ncost noted mines in the world have only reached that total after* 50 years' labour. The present, which is the 149 th division, is at the rate of 15s per share, the amount pay able being £9000, and the diyidpnd tax thereon £337 10s. The total amount paid to shareholders by this dividend is brought up to £1,005 000-equal to £84 18s per share,— aud besides, th<3 Colonial Treasurer has received £33,638 10s in tlao shape or a dividend tax. The total output of ore to 30th June was 32,413 fons-a small amount compared with the eize of the dividends, a* the value of the ore raised only amounts to jfii.OOO^Q'i, or just double th' value of the dividends paid, 'iho benefit to Tasmania in the distribution of mon^y apart from that paid to the shareholdprs may be gathered from the following figures!— Wages, £523.000; cartage, £135,000 ; plant. £111.000 ; freights, £32.000 ; smelting works account, £97,700. The mine was discovered in Deci-mber 1871, by Mr James Smith, one of the most indefatigable explorers who have ever benefited the Australian colonies. In 1873 the company was floated in J2,000 shares of £5 each, 4400 fully paid up Being

reserved by Mr Smith, who also received £1600 cash, the paid-up capital only amounting to £6100. The industry gives employment to over 400 bands."

A ton of stone from the Canton Quartz Mining Company, Waipori, was crushed on Friday at Messrs Kincaid and M'Queen's. The yield was 4oz lSdwt of retorted gold. The stone was taken from a 4sft seam. It is reported that a Sydney syndicate have the mine under offer for £15,000.

Quite a flutter was caused in the town of Naseby yesterday (says the Mount Ida Chronicle of Saturday) when it became known that the whole of the Taieri river, from its junction with the Eweburn down to the Taieri lake, had been pegged off as dredging claims on behalf of several powerful Dunedin syndicates. The speculators evidently think well of their ventures, as they have had to pay nearly £250 as application fees. Another syndicate has pegged off the Taieri lake with a view of working it on the dredging and sluicing prinoipla. Another large area has b»en pegged off in the vicinity of Macraes. Mr J. A. Miller, who is the agent of yet another Dunedin syndicate, has pegged off 200 acres at Horse Flat, and has applied for a right out of the Shag river for the purpose of working it. Ju 'ging from the remarks made at Tuesday's sitting of the Warden's Court at Queenstown (Bays the Wakatip Mail), it is evident that Mr Hugent Wood has received some sort of communication from headquarters as to the size for special slatms. for -he intimated that in some cases the areas applied for were too large, and when referred to the Minister of Mines they will be considered as such, but the maximum extent to be allotted was not stated. The warden said it will be necessary, for the information of the Minister of Mines, that applicants give the size of the dredges proposed to be used by them, aud how it is intended to work the ground— whether by steam, water, or electricity; also when the dredge is expected to be erected, the supposed depth of the ground ; and if the dredge is to be worked by e'ectricity, what it is intended to drive the dynamo with Mr Wood also stated in the Warden's Court, Arrowtown, that in place of the usual 5s an acre the rent of special claims in future would be the same as for licensed holding namely, 10s per acre for the first three years, and 15s and 20a for the remainder of term.

A Hokitika telegram states that the Kelly Terrace tribntorß, 10 men, washed up for six days, the return being 250z lGdwt, valued at £98— equal to £9 16s per man a weßk. The shallow rush south of Hokitika is turning out well. Our Hyde correspondent wrltee that the Mount Highlay battery is in full swing. Our Roxburgh correspondent writes :— " I am informed that the last washing up of the Hercules Company gave I6oz gold for 14 hours. At this rate the speo. would pay handsomely if the plant could be made to work uninterruptedly. The Commissioners' Plat Company will probably be floated very Bhortly."