THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

The following items are from the Tuapoka Times :— We learn that Messrs Kittj and party's hydraulic sluicing claim in Munro's Gully ia under offer to Mr E Johns, of Blue Spur, *or the sum of £12,00<i. — The Upper Waipori Company's No 2 dredge, which was recently <u»innntled aud overhauled, is now out of hand and in woiking order. The dhector's purpose visiting the claim during the present week and selecting the site where operation? are/ to be carried, on. The No. 1 dredga lirb met with very poor results since she passed through the gorge and commenced work on tho upper flit. The manager is satisfied that as soon as he gets .piopeily opened out, and further into tl»e flit, the returns will improve vt»ry considerably. -We have b-en informed that Messrs Jas. M'Neil and party, who hold a special claim on Waipori Flat, have accepted the tender of Messrs Morgan and Cabl», of Port Chalmerj, for the iron work of their dredge. The greater part of the timber for the pontoons is now on the ground.— Messrs Matthews and pirty, who hold a dredging area of 50 acres below Docherty's bridge, Tuapaka Flat, have the timber on the ground for the pontoons of their dredge They do not intend to lose any time in pushing on with the erection of the dredgo and having it in workiug order. — An occasional correspondent supplies us with the following notes :— Messrs Teasdtile and party, who have taken up a claim in Sailor's Gully, are still engaged widening their race to bring in a supply of water for working the ground on the hydraulic principle. Mr J. Ryan, the .successful tenderer for the erection of the party'B dam, is pushing on with the work, and expects to have it completed within contact time.— Messrs Thomson anl party and Messrs Trayes and party are working away steadily, the returns from both claims being eatisfactoiy. The former party are engaged bringing in a race to work the claim which was taken up some tima ago by Kearney and party, but which was sold by auction on the party dissolving partnership, Thompson and party becoming the purchasers. It ia looked upon as being a good "spec" and likely to pay good dividends. —Messrs Hagan aud party, having the benefit of nearly the whole of the water flowing down the main gully, are enabled by its means to discharge their tailings into the Waitahuna River, ncaily a mile distant —Mr Perry has removed his dredge about a mile below the bridge, and af er some delay, which was in a measure unavoidable, has started work, with, I am pleased to hear, encouraging ■ results. ■ It has been reported that the Electric dredge is i off gold. This, we (Cromwell Ar^us) believe, is not the case. This company are making prepara- 1 tions for a building site for their second dredge near Goodgeramd Co.'s coal pit. The Cardrona correspondent of the L ike County Press writes : -" Things are still rather dull in the mining line, but there are hopeful prospects, as I hear one Criffel Face claim had a splendid wash- : up, and it is estimated that this claim will yield about lOOjz for the season— not a bad dividend for a two-man claim and a short season's sluicing I cannot say for certain these figures are correct, but that it the general report in the township about this claim, and there is every probability they are near the. mark. It is a wonder that in a district like this, where there is 60 much untried country, some capitaliata have not come here • seeking for investments. I myself know of at least three places h*re where payable gold is known to exist, and the only reason it is n3t worked is want of capital. Tha whole of the Cardrona Creek, from the racecourse down to its mouth, is eminently suited for dredging or hydraulic sluicing. Good gold is known to exist, yet cannot be got without capital and we a« a community are too poor to raise it from amongst ourselves." The Dunstan Times furnishes the following items :— The launching of Messrs Leijon, Magnus, and Steel's new dredge took place on Saturday afternoon last in the presence of a good number of spectators. Mr Steel had charge of the launching, which went off very succeasfully. Mr Duncan was the contractor for the building of the pontoons, which are 78ft long, and haa completed the work to the entire satisfaction of the owners Mr Steel has charge of the titling up of the machinery, which is now proceeding, and it is expected the dredge will be working in six or seven weeks' time.— Our Alexandra correspondent says he was shown a really fine sample of gold last Saturday, which was taken from Mr He t nry Symon'a claim, near Galloway station. By all accounts this mine is looking better thau ever, aad given good, means and appliaacea for working

the ground, there is no doubt it may prove -to ba one of the best claims in the district.— Tho Ngapara dredge was under repairs last week, and started work again on Thursday. The Ida Valley correspondent of the samopapec writes :— A little stir Las taken place in mining matters here. Messss Noone-, J. M'Atamney. and P. Scott have taken over the German Hill claim, water race, An., and are at present engaged putting the race in order, which they expect ta.have completed in a few week*. This company hay« also spent some time prospecting new- ground, and have struck a lead which they consider should pay handsome returns when the water is brought on to it. It is surpriting that this race should ever have been idle, as in the past it has always pail, fair returns. It commands mile» of country known to be rich with gold, and is the only watec right of any consequence that can be brought on to the ground. It should be a valuable property, and I should not be surprised to hear of big returns ere long.— There are also several other claims working on German Hill, and all are, I hear, doing satisfactorily, even with the limited supply pf w*ter, which is at present confined to a few hours' running per week. Messrs M'Adie have also started sluieiugin their claim." A Wellington teleeram states that Mr R H. Elliott, who has been prospecting the T*r*ru* ranges for some months past, haj procured eold-bea-ing stone 40 miles from Wellington Many years ago he found a likely-looking reef, which hi had no time to develop, and ho has never been able to discover it sines. In looking fur it he has come across nine other reefs all containing cold, and samples from these are now befog tested. The Tuapeka Times raports that Kitto and party's hydraulic sluicing claim at Munro'» Gully is under offer to Mr JS. Johns, of the Blue Sour for^l2,ooo. , A Nelson telegram states that .promising reports are being received from Taitapu, Collin/ wood, as to discoveries of auriferous stone. On the Dunstan creek (says theDuustan Times) extensive areas have been marked off lat-ly for ' dredging purposes, embracing about six miles of river bed. It is now generally balisved by old miDPrs in this locality that there is a highly payable dredging claim extending, all the way from the St. Bathans outlet to that at Cambrian, and from 'indications in the surroundings it is mow than probable that their opinion is conect However that may ba, the whole of that "wide river bed has been applied f6r, and prospecting will no doubt commence tpeedily with a view of placing a dredge on the ground. The river ia kuown to pass through auriferous territory, and in addition to this there are the tailings lyieg there from oue of the oldest and richest goldflelds in Otaao, having been in successful operation for the past 25 yeaja. a Mr Fred Kvans, managing director of the Achilles Goldfield* (Limited), Bullendale, informs the Lake Wakatip Mail that the lart cruHhing, finished at the end of April, turned out 5600z melted gold from 600 tons of quartz. It is very gratifying to state that the prospects all through the mine arc very good, and thert ia every appearance of their being of a lasting character. The Head of the L^ke correspondent of thp Mail statei that parlies of prospectors have been succea&ful in unearthing a reef which will average over an ounce to the ton. The fortunate discoverers are now busy getting out a good-sized parcel of stone for a trial before going to any great expense upon it. Tho battery and plant of the old Invincible mine have been sold, but tho name of the purchaser has not jet transpired. The Great Northern dredging claim on the Dart has been pegged off afresh. The ruanagei of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company (Limited) reports having washed up for last month for 1630z 7dwt 3gr, value £590 83 3d. Mr C. S. Raeves reports & return of 31oz 7dwt 13gr gold from the H'nterprise dredge, Aloxaudra, for last v/eek's work 138 hours' dredging. The Jutland Flat (Ww'pori) Golu Mining Company (Limited) nbtnincd filoz 3dwt of gold for U4 houra' wages tima— 33o hours' actual dredging — last week. The Upper Waipori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company (Limited) obtained from No. 1 dredge 13oz 161wt of gold for 131 hours' dredging last we«k. Mr Thomas Cullender reports 41oz 14dwt 12gr ret >r ted gold from the Sew Hoy Big Beach Gold Mining Company (Limited) from two dredges for past week.