MISCELLANEOUS.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 13

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Bannockburn correspondent of the Cromwell Ar^us writes on the sth inst. : — " An offer of £1000 sterling was made by a party of miners for the Carrick race on Wednesday last, but I hear the present holders would not consider it, the price being too low. If it had been purchased it would have ended the strike, as the tenderers were prepared, I hear, to lower the price of water to meet the strikers' demands." The mine manager of the Rise and Shine Goldmining Company sends the following very favourable report :— -" Struck wash from 14ft to 15ft deep, which shows good prospects from top to bot'.om, and from the bottom very good coarse gold is being obtained, a sample of which can be seen at the secretary's office. A mining export, who is thoroughly conversant with this kind of mining, speaks very highly of the prospects of the claim. The company intend putting on an extra shift of men in order to push on the work with all despatch, so as to get the claim in thorough working order." — Tuapeka Times. We recently published a private cable message with reference to a large nugget of tin discovered in a claim in which Mr Sligo, jun., late of Dunedin, has an interest. From the Zeehan and Dundas Herald we learn that the nugget is what it has been represented to be — that is, the biggest known in Tasmania, if not in the world. Its weight is computed at fully 2+ tons, and it is believed to be 50 per cent, of tin It measures 3ft 6in in length, oft 4in in width, with a thickness of lft 4in, while the length on one angle is sft. It was found in working a piece of alluvial ground at North Dundas, together with other laige nuggets close at hand. The sides aie still sharp, ar,d there are indications that it had not travelled far, so that in all probability the lode is close at hand. Water can be brought on to tbe ground at small expense and in sufficient quantity for hydraulicking The company has three adjoining claims not yet prospected. Our Reef ton correspondent telegraphs that the directors of the Progress Company have declared a dividend of 6d per share, equal to Xu'OO. The Mount Ida Miners' Association have pa?sed a resolution urging the Minister for Lands to take into consideration the strong protest that the miners' associations are making against the manner in which leases in perpetuity are at present disposed of ; and also pointing out to him that it is absolutely necessary that the leases in perpetuity should be granted on tho .same conditiou as the small grazing runs, and that the miners aioinnoway antagonistic to settlement, so long as their future interests are protected on the goldfields. _^______