THE WEEK'S MINING HEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING HEWS.

John Graham, in a letter deiling with the Australian goldfields, writtm th*t it is evident there is nothing like advertising The Coolg*rdie ru-h is an iiutauc- of this. Young New Zefclanders are dying there like rotten sheep — peop!e who left a fine country, and one in wh'ch more gold is being got r.ban at Coolgardie. New Zealand had 15,000.2 more in 1885 and last year 60,0000z more than Western Australia. He notes that the spectators in London are not to be caught by chaff, as some of the Now ZeManders appear to have be*n.

Several large nnggetfefrom the D<-von Consols claim, Black Flag, West Australia, were on view in Adelaide the other day. The largest of the noggets weighed 3030z lOdwt. The specimens are valued at over £3000.

The Clyde corrdspendent of the Cromwell Argus writes :—": — " The Ngapara dredge has again started work after undergoing slight repairs. A shareholder informs me that the- dredge has been constantly on gold since it first started, and though the returns have been highly payable, no pheno nienai yields were obtained. This party have also procured a claim on tfee Nevis Flat, opposite Mrs Elliott's hotel, and it is. their intention to put a dredge on the property immediately the incoming winter breaks up s-ufticiently to allow carting bein^r done on the- roads through the Nevis district. The dredge owners here who have visited the Nevis goldfi-eld recently apeak hi glowing teims of tbe pru--pfcts of future dredging operations in that locality, and though not the prophet of niy family, I would be safe in predicting a dredging boom at the Nevis during th-- early part of next spring. There appears to be no lack of fairly good steaming fuel in that neighbourhood, therefore the residents may expect a dredge or two to be at work ther« in the very neat future. The timber work of the Clyde C'-rapany's dredge is now completed, and the machinery is being placed on board the pontoons. The dredge will bo ready to work in about a month from date. The Enterprise dredge has been working on highly payable gold for over a year, but so far I have not heard that a dividend has been paid the shareholders." '

A revival in the gold mining industry in the colony has beeu most marked of late, and it is pleasing to note that a p >rtion of our own district — Waikaia— is shaiing in the ko )d things going. Good payable gold has been found in several (matters there, and upwards of £39,1 00 to £40,000 of foreign capital is likely to be brought into the place through the' attractiveness of the yellow metal. Waikaia has been in a somnolent state for a lons time pist, with capital leaving the place instead of coming in, and it is pleasiug to observe that the corner has been turned and that a more or less leugthy period of re&etn Glance to "the good old days " appears certain of filling to Ihe lot of cur neighbours ' 'way 'back." — Mataura Easisn. The following items are from the Drinstin Times.:— lt is siid that the Anglo- Continental Syndicate, represented by Mr Gordon (late Government inspector of mines), has undei consideration the turning of the river near Victoria bridge. This will involve the expenditure of several thousands, but we think the company would be amply rewarded, as it . would enable about three miles of the river bed to be worked, and the wealth of the river is well known. We might mention that the Anglo-Coiitinent»l Syndicate is one of the wealthiest syndicates that has ever been formed at Home f<>r mining developments and enterprises, the capital being something like £3,000.000. What the advent of a compauy like this into New Zealand means, few people can imagine. All sorts of rumours are afbat ivgarding the movernentt. of the repieseutative? of Englissh and African capitalists. We heard on'y yesterday that Mr David Ziman, who represents the New Zealand Consolidated Goldfields Company (capital £250,000), was up this way, and that amongst other things his v sit was not altogether unconnected with the Roxburgh Amalgamated Company. In fact the tame rumour stated that the terms would be something like 15s a share cash and a third interest in tho claim. We merely give these rumours for what they are worth. Anyway, whatever comes of these companies aud syndicates thu mining industry of Otago and New Zealand will bu bound to " boom "

TheTapanui Courier says :— "Mr Jajnes Patterson has now got a fair start with his new dredge on the Pomahika at Mainholin. The punte, for this dredge are bnilt of kauri and hardwood, and are of the most substantial pattern. So well are the in. t-- bfil an., caulked tlut not a drop of water finds its way into the well hole. The deck smfaco is 50ft by 16ft, but the punt is divided into a 9ft and 7ft respectively, the engine being on the larger division The punts are well furnished with stanchions and cleets for working the steel ropes and hawsers, and a powerful (tali ws at the bows carries a double-pu-ch^se block for lifting and low -ring the ladder. The ladder is elevated and lowered from a winch, and is easy work for a lad. Three other patent winches are fixed on the deck for hand ing the mooring gear, and it is the owner's intention to add two more shortly, to simplify sh.ftin S operation-!. The dredge is remarkably easily handled, and can be shifted and put to work in new ground in the >pace of a, few minutes. The bucket ladder is 29ft in length, and is at present furnished with 15 steel-lipped iron buckets, 14in by 14in, and lOin deep, lifting about half a hundredweight of wash (or 7cwt in all) each revolution. This quantity will be doubled when the full number of buckets is placed on the elevators. From the poppet head the wash descends into the Bluics box, 18ft long, with a fall of 2Jin to the foot. The sluice box is furnished with ripplea

and punched iron plates, sacking being placed beneath to hold the gold. The water for tluicing is raised by metus of a centrifugal pump, a«d is ample for the purpose. The motive power on the dredge is a Marshall and Sona' 7 • horse-power engine, which drivea the elevators and pump with power to spare, and which will ultimately cope with more buckets. The engiue is roofed in, and it is the owner's ultimate intention to" cover in the greater portion of the dredge, so as to allow of work being carried on day and night. At present the diedge is not getting a great deal of gold, as she is engaged cutting a channel through a shallow bar into what is considered a good reach of the river known to contain fair gold. The punts for the dredge weie built by bit Jenkins, of Dunedin, a thoruiighly practical hand, who has had experience in the same class of work on the Molyneux since the first dredges were built.* The engineering work was dope by Mr Jamieson, of Invercargill, and is giving satisfaction, only one smallcastmg and roller having been broken in five weeks' work, and these' were easily repaired. A powerful anchor and sevaral fathoms of chain hang at the bows t? avoid risk of accident in case of flood, and the dredge seems well found in plant for system itic working ; and a staunch -Hngey carries lignitejrom the bank to the coal box of the engine, and is found handy for shifting the mooring lines. Tuken as a whole, Mr Patterson has a suitable plant for .dredging the P mahaka, and we wi?h him evary success tn his spirited venture, undertaken solely at hit own cost.

Our (Tuapeka Time^Miller's Flat conv-snoiulent writea :— " lam very phased to beiu a position to inform you that ths prospects of the Inland Block Extended mine nre showing decided signs of improvement, and that indications are not wauting that the turning p jint in the forttiJtea of the pivsent owners has at length been foar-hed. A few we ks asro I mentioned that the manager had set in to work on the lower side of the wild more towards the river, and alth 'Ugh tampered lately on account of the shortness of the water supply, lie haa obtained results that must fee veiy gratifying to the shareho'dera and to all interested in the welfare of tho mining industry 'in the <H trjet. On Thursday Mr Madden washed do wn, jifter running from midnight on Sunday, for a return of. 70oSs of the precious metal— a really satisfactory return. The wash continues to improve in iippearance and extent, and there i* every likelihood that the next pa'ldock which is taken out will ».how that a very rich and permanent run of gold l>as been struck. I have frequently expressed the hops tbat the shareholders of the Golden Bun Dredging Company would ba rewarded for the pluck and euterpn^e they displayed in acquiring the Exteuded property and afterwards setting in to work in such a whole hearted manner, and it is gratifying to know that there is every prospect ofthat hope being more than fulfilled." • > The Southland Times says: — " Sati-fucrovy news is to hand from Presei vation by the steamer Jnvercargill. The manager, Mr J. E. Davis, reports to Mr Allen, tho legal manager of the Morning Star Gold-mining Company, that he had got some good stone in No; 1 level, south, and out of a trial crushing of 59 tons of stone 570z lOJwt of gold had been obtained. He had driven 4S?f *■ on the reef, but had not pub in any timber. Ha would, however, timber up before going any further. Tho r<-ef w.u 4ft wide in the fare, with good w alls. He tried to puih it ohejd to see what it was like bsfore beat day, as he knew they would be anxious as to the result of ihe month's work. Hi took everything in a face, and no picking about it ; therefore it was a genuine trial crushing. There were two shifts finished in the stores below, and when the timbering was concluded he would start them lisiog on the new stona. Out of ths utop.-s he had crushed 184 tons of stone, and got 1670z 9dwt of gold. He .was taking out the last stope, and it was p- obable that there would be between 70 and 80 ounces of gold when operations ceased there. It will thus be seen that out of 243 tons of atone 224<>z I9lwb of gold have been obtained. The gold, which is in two cakes, is on view in the window of Mr A. Fergusou'js (jeweller) shop."

The new dredge at Glenore has been shift -d about 50 yards from tho pHce where it was built, and is low opening up a pafldock- prepsiratory to beginning in earnest. The greatest difficulty encountered in moving the dredge was the shallowness of the water. Not only had a dam to be consttucted to increase the depth, but the level of the road at the foot of the hill had to be raised from 2ft to 3ft tor a distance of about 80 yard* to keep it above the water. It is now six months tince the dredge was commenced, half of the time having beep spent in fitting in the machinery aud other appji»nces. We can only hope the promotet 1 * will have the success they deseivj for their enterprise. — Bruce Herald. The Wyndham Farmer says that a party of surveyors arrived at Otara on Thursday to peg off the claiui3 on Waipapa beach applied for on behalf of the South African syndicate. If the syndicate is satiofied the beaches are sufficiently auriferous it is prepared to erect machinery, it is s.ii'i, which will constantly employ over 100 men. The manager of the Australian Tin Mining and Ciusbing Company forwards the following reports :—" Australian Tin.— Tasmania, ApiiU7. Got steam up on the 14th, testing engine and vanners ; worked sati.-factorily. Keady to start cru«hing when sufficient water available. Stone improving as it goes down. Three more men on putting in cut, which will give 16ft face to start with." April 28 — " Started crushing 2ith, but not enough wafer to continue. All mining l-*ses now secured and in company's pas*e"sio'>." The Australian Tin Company, Blue Tier, Tasmania, May s.— Started crushing on the 4th inst., and will continue while the water lasts. Crushing wheels woiking well. The directors of the Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing Company (Limited) in the report to bo presented to shareholders at the annual meeting express their anticipation that the year now commenced will Btill further prove that the company possess a very valuable property. The value of gold won during the year was .£8922 18s 4d, as against £8818 16s 2d for the previous year. Dm ing the year the company paid six dividends of Gd per share each, being equal to nearly 17 per cent, for the year, besides which a further sum of £150 has been put on deposit, now making the reserve fund for contingencies £460. Tho RLillei's Hat correspondent of the Tuapeka Times reports that the prospects of the Island Block Extended mine aie bhowiug decided si"ns of improvement, and that indications are not wanting tbat the turning point of the fortunes of the present owners has at length been reached. On Thursday Mr Madden washed down, after running from midnight on Sunday, for a return of 70oz of the precious metal— a really satisfactory return. The wash continues to improve in appearance and extent, and there is every likelihood that the next paddock which i 3 taken out will show that a very rich and permanent run of guld has been struck. Mr J»bez Burton reports :— "The Roxburgh Gold Steam Dredging Company washed up on Saturday 12oz gold. The ground is very rough and there are large bouldera on the bottom which knock the machinery about and prevent the dredge buckets getting to the bottom. The Ettrick Gold Staam Dredging Company's dredge commenced working on the old claim last week and obtained 2\oz of gold. It will take a month to open up the face of good washdirt as the dredge has to shift a quantity of tailings brought down by the flood?." The Dunstan Times^ reports that Hyde and party 8 dredge washed up 28oz. The Enterprise

dredge, at Alexandra, has ag»m got on the goftFA and a week or two raoie will doubtless see itrpaying,dividends again. La»t week they washed up 31oz 7dwt 13gra. .The Ngapara dredge last week obtained 48oz. <■ The accret»ry of the Barewood Quartz Mining Company (Limited) reports having received » I return of 88oz Bdwt of retorted gold from 115 tons ! of atone for four weeks' work On her last trip the itebmer Invercarcill brought two massive cakea from the Morning Star Company's reef, Preservation Inlet. From 243 tons of stone 2240z 19dwt of cold were obtained, A telegram received yesterday from Roxburgh corrects the statement that the Golden Run Com* pany obtained a return of 70oz, the amount ! actually being 17Joz. Mr O. S. Reeves I'eiiorts a return of 250z 15dwt 6gr gold from th« Enterprise dredge, Alexandra, for last week's work- 128 hours' dredging. Mr Thomas Calender reports 360 a 14dwt 6gT retorted gold from the Sew Hoy Big Beach Gold Mining Company (Limited). In place of retorting on Saturday afternoons, it is now done In tha morning, hence the usual amalgam was not retorted last week.