MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2058, 3 August 1893, Page 16

MISCELLANEOUS.

The San Francisco Mining Press writes :^-" The cyanide process seems to be doing good work in Nevada. At Tuscarora the cyanide plant is running on tailings from the Union mill. The returns from 368 tons show conclusively that the MacArthur-Forrest process does extract the gold and a large percentage of the silver, assays from the tailings after passing through the solution showing only a trace of gold. Bullion to the amount of 6495d0l 20c was melted from the product, a certain amount remaining in the zinc boxes, which cannot be obtained until an entire clean-up is made. The capacity of the plant is being increased by the addition of two ore tanks, one solution tank, and a couple of zinc boxes, which will be put in this month, after which the yield will be much greater. Says the Mason Valley Tidings : ' The cyanide process, which is the method adopted for treating the gold tailings at Silver Peak, in Esmeralda county, is doing excellent work there. From a private letter we learn that 90 per cent, of the assay value of the tailings was saved at the last clean-up. This is certainly encouragiDg.' There are certain places where the process has not shown satisfactory results because too much was expected of it, or the men in charge did not understand it. Where intelligently handled with suitable ore, it seems to have given satisfaction. Experiments are being made in Calaveras county, this State, which may result in the adoption of this process. Dr SchiedeL of New Zealand, who has made a success of the process in working sulphurets.has been up at Angels, in the interest ef Alvinza Hayward, to see whether it can be satisfactorily used .there. Gold dredging at Waikaia has, in the meantime, been brought to an Unsatisfactory termination. The dredge was specially reconstructed some 18 months ago for the express purpose of working the Waikaia description of river bed. From the first, however, the work has been unsuccessful, a circumstance attributed to the fact that the proper part of the river waß never operated upon. These proceedings culminated in the work being abandoned, -and during the last few days the dredge has been arriving piecemeal at the Riversdale railway station for conveyance to Heriot, en route for the Molyneux, at a reach of the river known as Dumbarton Rock. Despite this unpromising state of affairs, we are assured there still exists substantial grounds for believing in the capabilities of the Waikaia as a district suitable for gold dredging purposes.— Waimea Plains Review. The manager of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company (Limited) reports for the week ending last Saturday :—" Been working two elevators full time all the week. Finished cleaning up No. 2 paddock on Thursday and obtained 41oz, which I consider a poor return. I am pleased to say there is some fine-looking wash snowing in No. 4 paddock. I expect to go another 20ft before reaching the bottom, and prospects, I think, will improve as we go down. Experienced a fearful gale on Tuesday morning, and had to secure the boxes by bracing them down with wire ropes. Water is plentiful, and the country surrounding the swamp being covered with snow, gives promise of a good supply for some time." . At their meeting on Monday last the directors of the Local Industry Gold Mining Company declared a dividend of Is per share. A- telegram from Perth, Western Australia, dated the 21st inst., says :— " Thelatest news'from the Coolgardie goldfields states that another rich patch of alluvial gold has been found- 10 miles from Hanna's discovery. Provisions are very scarce, and flour is selling at 75s for 601b bags. Most of the men on the field are reported to oe doing well. Not any are returning from the fields, but' many are going in the direction of Coqlgardie." ' Mr Thomas Callender, secretary of the Matakitaki Gold Dredging Company (Limited), reports having received the following telegram:— " Washed down on Saturday, 6oz lOdwt of gold. ' The secretary of the Dunedin Gold Dredging Company (Limited) received the following telegram from the dredgemaßter :— " Dredging two days for 12£oz gold. River in flood ; now going down. Start dredging on Monday." The secretary of the Jutland Flat (Waipori) Gold* Mining Company (Limited) reports for the week ending 29th mst . :— " 260z Bdwt gold for 144 hours' wages time ; 142 hours' actual dredging." The Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company (Limited) obtained from No. 1 dredge 30oz lOdwt of gold for five days 14 hours' dredging last week.