REMARKABLE DRPDGING OPERATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 15

REMARKABLE DRPDGING OPERATIONS.

For many years past the solid sand bank at the entrance to tho liiver Mersey has been an obstruction to tho tmde, and detrimental to the shipping entering the port of Liverpool. After much hesitancy th-s obstruction is at last to be removed. A new contrivance will be lued, by which it io expected rhat a wide, deep, aiul safe channel will be cut through the bar of sand, and the greatest existing drawback to the i<afe approach to the Mersey will be removed. The machines, or series of machinea, which will be employed iv malting this channel will co.npri»e au enormous and powerful steam " sand sucker " or pump, and two self-deposit-ing steam hopper barges. The modus opsrandi will consist in attacking the sand bank at a particular point by these three machines, the sand sucker being placed between the hoppers. When tlie tongue of the suuker has beon inserted into the bank tha machinery will be tet to work, and then up comes th'i sand, not in buckets full as with the ordinary revolvine dredger, but lirernllv in tons The sand will pass into th<) receiving hopper, and these when full will " dump" their cargoes nfc ii point where thero is little or no tidal current,,

and no danger of Its being carried back to its original position. The surveyor of the Mersey Dook and HarbcWr Board has long been considering the best means of removing the bar, or at least minimising the obstacles it offered to free navigation, and believes when the work is completed there will be nothing to prevent the largest ocean-going steamers crossing the bar either before or after high water. At present their detention costs the transatlantic Companies thou«ands of pounds anntially. tVhen the dock board agreed to the proposals of its surveyor it was at ohco determined to place the construction of the machines in the hands of competent and experiencedengineers, and, as is generally tha case, a Clyde firm has got the work. Messrs Simons and Co., of Renfrew, have undertaken to design and construct three suction (jumps, and it is understood that their "output" of Band will be about 10,dOO tons a (Jay. The cost of this machinery will be »biut £20.000, but what is that compared to the benefits and convenience which will accrue to the mercantile service of the port ? SEW HOY BIG BBA.CH GOLD iIININQ COMPANY, SHOTOVER RIVKR. Mr D. Mason, manager of the above company, telegraphs that 51oz amalgam is the result of four days' dredging, which will yield 62 per cent, of retorted gold. Advice received on Saturday gave a rrturn of 7207, of amalgam for tho week. The first of the new dredges is now nearing completion, and it is hoped that by the end of the week the whole of tho material will be on the ground ready for fitting together. BA.RBWOOD REEFS. That part of Barewood reef known as Cunningham's, and from which such goo i results were obtained at the Exhibition Battery, is likely aodh to be worked by a Sydney company. Messrs Hitchie and Co. have made arrangements to take out 100 tons of quartz and ship same to ([Footsoray for treatment, and Bhyuld tho result be satisfactory a Sydney syndicate )b prepared to purchase and work the claim. A gang of men left on Monday morning by the Rtago Central tniin (which takes them wltbin a mile of the reof) to at once take out and send down the stone. Tents, sacks, timber, and tools were sent with them. This will be a thorough test, and if the atone is poor will save another failure being floated. OTAGO STOCK EXCHANGE. Saturday's Quotations.

MISCELLANEOUS. The Auckland Star, referring to the Kuatonu goldfields, says : — " We feel it our duty to warn the public against a prevailing disposition to use the mines on this field unduly for Btook-jobbing purposes. A goldfield may do Auckland an immense good ; it may also prove more mischievous than the land boom, which has left so many shrewd business men immersed to their necks in debt. Legitimate mining and a steady output of gold will promote a prosperity which must benefit, more or less, every industrial and commercial concern, but the transfer of the hard earnings of the workers to the pouches of the drones is an operation that cannot possibly contribute to the general well-being of the hive. One practice, which we think ought to be strongly discountenanced, is that of making issues of 50,000 shares in a single mine. The object no doubt is to catch outside investors as a first operation. It may answer for a few protnoteijjftto divide 50,000 shares among themselves ana then dole them out as opportunity offers whenever a little spurt attracts buyers ; but the permanent interest of a mining company can never toe served by such largo issues in a small community like Auckland. Auckland has gone through many mining booms in the past, and the experience gained by us citizens has been more often bitter than sweet. The associations of bygone days, however, ought not to pass utterly from memory." In the report read by Mr Bawlins at the meeting of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Company on Thursday, reference was made to a flume which is being constructed by the company. The length of this flume is to be two miles JJB chains. The length stated in our report was obviously a blunder. Further information from I uhipuhi confirms the statement as to the discovery of valuable stone from the Tupone claim. The stuff shows gold plainly, and is claimed to be very rich in silver chloride. The Fair Maid Gold Mining Company report that only 25 hours' sluicing for the week ended 7th mat. yielded 570z ot amalgam. The company are short of water, no rain baviug fallen for three weeks The Nenthorn Recorder says : — " The Croesus and Victoria have produced some tons of 6upei ior stone, calculated to give handsome returns. The firstmentioned is showing evideuce of a prosperous future, while tho latter may bo said to emurc success. The Victoiia 1b in capital working order at preßont, having the main shaft sunk to a dep'h of 100 ft, and a substantial whimi<rectiid. The Kuri-ka is eon!innally producing rich ore from the low level. The Surprise Company arc very cheerful over I heir prospects, which nresteatlily improving as thmicpMi is increased. A crushing of nboiitoO tons, whii'h is likely to take place bhoitly. will prove to tho (shareholders the correctness or otherwise of the glowing reports now in circulation. The t.ributers working the Prospectors' mine are gutting the or« cr-uhed this week, and «c learn that the pUtes are showing only indifferent prospects. Fully 20 tou<> of taoue wiis raised from the Bine Slate mine during the week. We regret having so little r,o record in respect of this property, which io not receiving anything like proper treatment, 'ihe ZraUnaia aud Break-o'-Day mines are making very slow progress also, having only a few hands employed in each The want of that energy displayed by neighbouring elaimholders must evidently account for the undeveloped condition of tueae valuable properties. Sheeny and party sire working on the Homeward Bound reef, with what results wo cannot eav. Francis Hughes has been appointed manager ot the Consolidated mine, where his vast experience as a practical miner miy prove serviceable in finding the ••xact locations of the rich deposits fought, fcrin vain by his predecessors. The Consolidated Biittfiry Board are cutting a w ater race from the Crousus gully to the battery, iit order to secure a good supuly i>f tho precious fluid ''he battery itself U i. rawing near completion, and will nrooably ba m full swing by the end of tho motif h. The return fiom the Golden Point mine, near M;ic hps. irni 'alien short of expectations, lmving produced only fldwt (mci some grains of rold per ton. Kvtrn this yield is i-xpecred to pnv, as the reef U strong andt asily worked. The Golden Qumry anil Maratana mmc.9. on tlie, sirnc line if reet, are f; n voumhlv commented upon by our scientific mining expnrts " The Kosa United Co ,Ho!<itik:i,clearpil Ui« boxes at the elevatora on "•'atuiday and obi ained 3<5.20/., which with tha returns from other tribulers };iv<i'a totpl of 4270z 2dwt, oi $he value of £1623, for f,hn washmjr This high yield was obtained notwithsraniiini; t,),,\r, the weather lias been very unfavourable for t'is class or mining. We have lately experienced fine

day* and frosty n*gh««, which greatly reduced the supply of water for olntcert. Searly SOOOozf of gold were aenfc from Paeroa to Auckland' by the Waihf Gold Mining Company on Upper Waipori AHutlftl Sold Dredging Company obtained 20oz of gold for 52 hours" dredging last week. , We were shown n« Tuesday a nice little cake oi retorted gold, weighing Boz, from 10 tons of Waitahuna stone crushed at the exhibition battery a abort time ago. On account of the closing o' the exhibition the amalgam was not retortdfl till the other day, when the above splendid result was obtained. We understand that the reef from whieb the stone was taken has been tested by an adit, giving 120 ft of backs, and shafts sunk below the adit to depths of 30(t and 50ft respectively. The ieef is solid, welldefined, and about sft thick. Operations are about to commence on the reef, which so fßr gives pronMse of proving a really good concern. The Wailiawa correspondent of the Southland News writes:— "The Six-mile Beach Dredging Company are lapidly preparing for a start. The Bngine she«is, huu, &c, ate now being erected. I believe there IS to be another compunf formed for the purpose of working thn Waikawa beach with a Welman. At all events', those who have examined the ground with that view are well satisfied with t'.e result. The capital of the Longwood Sluicing Company is to be doubled by the issue of lOCnew shares, which are to be offered to the present shareholders, in the same proportion as those at present held by them. Mr Di.lgleish, U.M , has delivered judgment for plaintiff iisainst both defendants in the case Melville v. F. and J. H. Kvaus Ihe point iv dispute, was a« to whether Mr Fred Evans wns a partner with his son in the Cornubla mine, and the conclusion arrived at by the warden was " that Mr Fred Evans has by his aotions throughout placed himself, however unwittingly^ in the position of responsibility as a partner." Notice of appeal was given.

A DIFFICULT CASK There is a certain learned Judge who sits in one of the London High Courts of Justice who says that patent medicines, or, what ho is pleased to term them, " quack medicines," should never be used, except od the advice of a medical man. The Judge may bo correct as to the large majority of patent medicines ; but there are exception* to this rule. If our readers will carefully follow the history of the case below, we feel quite sure that they will agree with us. The case in question is that of the young son of Mi I Thomas Buzzard, of Belton, Uppingham, Rutland, who in January 1881 was attacked with rheumatism in the feet, which rapidly extended over the entire body. The family doctor was called in, who diagnosed the case " rheumatio fever," and attended the patient until October 1882, when he gave the case up as beyond bis skill, ordering him to be sent to the Leicester Infirmary, where, at the end of two weeks, he was discharged as incurable. From here he was brought home completely crippled, and very badly deformed, his feet being drawn up to his hips, and seemingly firmly fixed. He was perfectly helpless, and suffered most intensa pain. As a last resource he was placed under the care of a celebrated physician in Leicester, where he remained for a long time, but continued to grow worse. Having now been a helpless cripple for over three years, andhis case being pronounced in mrnblo by some of the most celebrated i/e^ical men in the Midland counties, his pjicnts were persuaded by Mrs Mary Ann Halls, who lives at Uppingham, to use St. Jacobs oil, Mrs Halls relating to them her own case of having been a cripple for years, and being permanently cured by the use of the oil. A few bottles were purchased, with the result that, after applying the contents, the son was able to get about on crutches. Continuing the use of the oil, he became perfectly cured, and Mr Buzzard, writing to the proprietors of St. Jacobs oil under date of March 16, 1888, says that his son now often walks eight miles in a single day, and that he is perfeotly cured. The case is regarded by himself and wife, as well as his neighbours, as a most miraculous cure. From the foregoing, as well as from many similar cases which might be cited, it is clearly shown that the preparation in question, although under the ban of a patent medicine, possesses wonderful curative properties ; and it being an outward application, can do no one any harm, "\yhile the learned Judge may advise us " not to use patent medicines unless prescribed by a member of the medical profession," there are cases, as the facts above clearly show, where St. Jacobs oil has accomplished in a very short period that which the most eminent medical men have vainly tried to accomplish for three years, and then signally failed. IF YOU WISH to be worried into an early grave by tho petty inconveniences of the paradoxical sublunary—if you wish to lose your trams, your trains, and your temper — if you wish to arrive at your business premises in themomjng disposed to quarrel with everyone you come in contact with, and to arrive home of an evening in a fit mood to abuse your wife, baste the baby, kick the cat, or, indeed, for the matter of that, to " kick the bucket," in a sudden fit of splenic apoplexy, why, buy one of those cheap, trashy, made-up-to-gull Swiss atrocities in the shape of a so-called watch. But if you wish A RELIABLE TIMEKEEPRR, a trueand trusty friend and faithful companion —if you wish a timekeeper which myriads of grateful purchasers have satisfied them solve is fully up to the standarn of excellence clnimed for it, the testimony in favour of which is overwhelming, the reputation of which is unrivalled, the durability of which i* assured, the construction of which is simple and such that it rarely gets out of nrder, and, in event of accident, can be repaired at a trifling cost — if you wish a lowr.ost and reliable TIMEKEEPER which has proved itself worthy of the high encomiums passed upon it in every clime, by pulpit, press, and populace, you will assuredly BUY A WATERBURY. AH parts of its beautiful mechanism are made by the most marvellously • accurate automatic machinery, and duplicates of these parts are, for the purpose of economic repairs, kept constantly in stock at the comnany's various repair depots established • hroughout the chief centres of the colonies?. Series 133., the old favourite, 13s 6d ; Series J. (Gents) or L. (Ladies), the New Waterbury, •>i«ni-s.etting, short- winding, and enamelled dials, 22s 6d; or with patent dials, 2Cs each. • "'o'd by all storekeepers and dealers. Xote. — All watches manufactured by the Waterbury Watch Co. have the word " Waterbury " printed in small, fine type upon their dial-faoe, together with the interwoven letters W. W. Co., without which norm •"c genuine, 3

Sew Hoy Big Beach (30s pd) 12 6 Golden Bar (20s paid up) ... 18 0 Kawarau Big Beach (7s 6d paid up) ... ... — Sandhills (10« paid) ... 8 6 do (contrib., 88 paid) 7 6 Talisman (15s paid up) ... 14 0 do (contributing, 8s pd) 8 9 Upper Waipori (10s paid) 9 0 do (4s 6d i-aid) G 6 Walpapa ... ... 30 0 Wakatipu <7» 6d paid up) ... 6 3 Sluicing Uompanies : Kair Maid, We»tport(lo& paid) — Roxburgh Amalgamated (3s pd) 3 0 Scandinavian Water Race — United Hercules (£1 paid up) — do (contrib ) — Jtago Quai tz CompaniVs : Eureka (10s paid up) ... — Gallant 'lip ... ... 3 0 Tipperary ... ... — Beefton Companies : Beaconsneld (Weatport) ... — Big River ... ... 4 3 Fiery Croßß Extended ... 6 0 Golden Treasure ... — Globe... ... ... 25 3 Inglewood ... * ... 2 0 (cum dlv.) Inkerman ... ... 26 0 Lone btar ... ... — Hil Deaperandum Hercules 2 0 Reeolution ... ... 16 Reward ... ... 1 0 Scotia ... ... ... 2 0 United Alpine (Lyell) ... — )3 R 20 0 5 0 8 9 9 6 6 9 6 6 10 9 3 3 .'OO 0 52 0 50 0 2 6 2 0 5 0 0 6 26 0 37 6 0 6 2 0 26 0