Notes from Macraes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 8 May 1890, Page 14

Notes from Macraes.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

May 6.— The crushing of 240 4 tont of ore at the Golden Point Company's battery gave a return equal to lOdwt per ton. The cleaning up was finished on Friday of last week. Considering the size of the reef, which is about sft wide, this return must certainly be looked upon as being most satisfactory ; and there is every prospect of such good returns being obtained for many years to come. The battery started work yesterday, and as there are fully 200 toes of ore in the paddook, it will not be very long until anotnergood cake will be taken out.

The prospectors on the Golden Quarry mine are engaged at trenching for the reef on the eastern slope of the hill, through which it is supposed the lode takes its formation. I have not been on the mine for some little time past, nor have I heard how the prospecting has turned out so far ; therefore I am unable to give you any idea of the present outlook of things at the Golden Quarry Company's property. Two or three men are constantly employed taking ore out of the Maritana claim, and it is the intention of the shareholders to have the ore reduced at the Golden Point Company's battery as soon a 9 the company's next cleaning up is finished. It is rumoured here that Mr Guffie has abandoned the idea of working the alluvial deposit on the flat. How true the rumour is I am unable to state ; but certain it is that very little has been done in the claim that has been applied for and granted to him. There is no water whatever to be had for sluicing purposes, and our alluvial miners are in an unenviable plight owing to the great scarcity of the precious fluid. The people of the Macraes township have repeatedly asked the county oouncil to oonstruot a public well in the township, but further than a little rhap9odical|discu6sion of the matter on thepart of our councillors we have heard very little about it of late. The members of the council for this particular riding are not overburdened with that amount of verbosity which is more or less excusable in a member of a public body. I would not have our members depart from their usual method of procuration, nor could it be expected that they should do so, but they could have certainly done a little more in the matter of getting us this public well and at the same time preserved their probity of character. If we do get the public well — and I have an idea that we shall get it — it should certainly be known that the councillors for this riding were observably indifferent to our needs in that respect, and we'll tell them of it when the time comes to do so.