Notes from Reefton. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Reefton, November 27.

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 12

Notes from Reefton. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Reefton, November 27.

On Tuesday some youths playing on the hillside at Boatman's found some coaree pieces of gold, started washing, and obtained prospects of one and a-half pennyweights to the dish. Ten men are now working there obtaining over wages. Golden Treasure. — Tlie directors have received an offer to take all the antimony ore that can be produced from the mine at £1 per tou — weight equal to two tons measurement— the only stipulation being that the ore shall be up to 30 per cent, in quality. The ore has been assayed and yields considerably over 30 per cent., so there is no room for doubt an to quality. As the lode is of considerable extent and ready for immediate stoping the offer means a big thing for the company. November 29. The Stock Exchange reports: — "Business has been rather better this week, and a muoh firmer tendency is notlceab'e in several different lines, noticeable among them Globe, Progress, Hercules, and Ho 2 Dark. The weather continues favourable to outside work, and good progress is being made with the connecting tramways and other operations in hand preparatory to crushing. No obange from the Argosy tunnel is reported, and shared remain a before. Big Elvers are quoted at 5s 6d to 6s, and In the mine good headway with the tunnel to strike the stone is being made The reef In the Cumberland maintain* IU ike and quality, and, tfcooe !» being

broken out. Crushing at Drake battery starts whenever the connection is complete. Globe have shown a rising tendency, and are to-day quoted at 20s to 21s. Driving from the main shaft to strike the block is started. The newly erected tailings apparatus is now in position, and working satisfactorily. Seventy-five per cent, of all the gold in the sand is olaimed to be saved by the new process. A dividend of 6d, equal to £900, was struck to-day, payable on Monday next. Golden Treasure have been asked for at low rates. It is rumoured very favourable terms can be obtained for the working of the mine for antimony alone, whloh artiole now rules at a high figure in the metal market. The return from the Globe battery this week does not include the contents of the boxes, which will remain as they are until just before Christmas. Works at '<- Golden.Lead property are being well advanoed. HerCules have- bad a, still* further rise to 3s 3d, and a fine body of" payable stone is being brought on in the new level. The Dark has just completed a good orushing of 773 tons for a result of I3BBoz amalgam. No. 2 Dark improved slightly, and have sold up to 3s 3d;, the mine Is promising well, and crushing starts next week. The four weeks' crushing at the Progress battery ended today, and "gave 15320z of amalgam, and a dividend of Is, . equal to £12.0, is payable on Monday next. The mine looks well. Scotias have had a little business up to Is 4d, and Wealth of Uatlonß changed hands at Ss-M'rcruihlrig'at'thlß battery has been resumed again. The Inkerman produced.6B4oz amalgam. In the mine' the reef looks well,' and on the south lease the new outcrop is 3ft In thickness and of good quality. Stone from this part will shortly bd going through the battery, and It is in every way likely that operations here will greatly benefit both the Inkerman and Scotia Companies. November 30. The following are the battery returns for the week:— Globe, 2020z amalgam from 190 tons (top plates) ; Keep-It-Dark, 4600z amalgam from. 160 tons (cleaning up); Progress, SfllOoz amalgam (cleaning up) ; Inkerman, 300oz amalgam from 140 tons (cleaning up) ; Venue, 130oz amalgam from 95 tons (top plates) ; Wealth of Nations, 1630z amalgam from 114 tons. Inkerman.— The manager reports: — "AH the ■topes are looking well as regards stone, some of the faces showing very good gold. One hundred and seventy-four feet of sloping was done for the week. The winze is now down 32ft, and if the reef keeps the same underlie as she had above No. 2 level we ought to get her in about 6ft more sinking. Be the south lease one man is blooking out stone near the surface. There is 3ft of solid stone and 2ft of rubble, all of which carries splendid gold. The contractors are making very good headway with the tramway to connect with the serial paddook. As soon as this is completed more hands will be put on to break out stone on the south lease. Next week will start a rise from the tunnel on the level. The rite will come through just below the road, and will be used to tip the quartz that comes from the south lease into. I would suggest that driving north in No. 3 level be started again, as I feel confident that another block of stone will be met with farther north." Globe.— The manager reports for the months— " The main shaft contract has been completed to a depth of 149 ft, and the chamber started in good ground. A drive will be commenced towards the reef next week. The winze is down 100 ft. I oannot repert the width of the reef, not haying touched the hanging wall since starting." Cnmbtrland.— The manager reports: — "We started to stope south of the winze, started driving on the i reef going south in tho level. The reef dipping under foot, we cannot turn the tunnel quick enough to keep on the reef the way it is going at present. The tramway was laid on Thursday to the paddook. I There is about 12 tons of stone in the paddock. The reef looks well in the stopes and level. The contractors for the tramway have about seven chains to lay I before it is complete." Inglewood. — The directors have accepted tribute for working about four acres of the company's ground to a depth limited to 100 ft below the present workings, the tributers to pay 9 per cent, on the grois yields of gold obtained. Gallant.— The manager reports having sent 15 tons of itone to the paddook during the week, also having takeu out come very grod stone. Trucking to the battery commences on Wednesday, and orushing on Thursday. Venus.— The manager reports: — "During the week 37 tons of quartz were taken from the mine. No change to report." Scotia. — The contractors have driven 10ft for the week. No change to report, but the track, if anything, is a little smaller. Alpine.— During the week the main drive north in No. 2 level has been extended sft. The new make of stone has widened out to between 6ft and 7ft of clean quartz, but the gold is not as good as when first broken into. No work was done in the south drive in leading the stope. The reef it about the same width as in the level, the stone showing nice I coarse gold in patches. Nothing new to report from the stopes above the intermediate level. We have not yet cleaned up at the battery. Dividends.— Globe, 6d ; Progress, Is. The general tone all round is more healthy, snd there are signs of a revival of busineis. December 1. Heroules.— The mine manager reports :—" The distance driven for the week is 12ft south and 9ft north. The contractors have Bft more to go in the s >utn drive. The distance driven on stone is 37ft. At present there is a bank of mullock in the centre of the reef, and 2ft of clean stone on eaoh side. The show of gold in the stono is keeping about the same. There are 34 tons of stone in the paddock."

The United Alpine cleaning up gave 3390z retorted gold for four weeks.