LATE MINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 25

LATE MINING.

(Continued from Page 17.)

MINING AT CROMWELL. CFrom Our Own Correspondent.) December s.— Mr J. O. Matthews is still per" severing with his attempt to buy out Bfuinock" burn. He had another meeting with the parties interested last Saturday, but I do not know with ' what result. He has obtained on behalf of a syndicate! the grant of a special claim of 50 acres , at Baonockburn, to ,be worked by hydraulic ! sluicing. ' The Electric has been doing well again, and has ! struck it richer than ever. She won about 30oz in seven and a-half hours last week, and this week, although no returns are m«de public, was expected to be a record even for the Electric. It is a pity the company does net publish its returns, | as its doing so would cause > a flow of foreign capital to the place that wtfuld make things hum. Orookston and Roy are dredgiog well under the high bank at Deadman's Point, and though they i say nothing about their returns they stay in one place very steadily, and that is looked upon as a capital sign. Mr J. Bethune, better known as " Jimmy," has returned from Coolgardie to Quartz Reef, and looks none the worse for niß continental tour. He haß j brought, back a bit of Coolgardie metal, but thinks there is no place like home. The M'Lay dredge is proceeding apace, and the machinery is now being put in. In a month or so she too will be hard at it scooping up the filthy lucre from the pellucid bosom of the Upper Olutha ; and may she scoop it up in tons t ROXBURGH MINING NOTES.' (From Our Own Correspondent.) December 7.— The Ettrlck dredge washed up on Saturday for 30oz. The 2s 6d dividend recently declared by this company was payable on Saturday, .-s were also a Is dividend in the Golden Gate and a 2s 6d dividend in the Golden Treasure. The Edina dredge, now under the managership, T understand, of Mr John Ryley, washed up on Saturday for 13oz. The Dunedin dredge washed tip on Saturday for the first week's work after her recent repairs, but the return was not very encouraging The Roxburgh dredge reached her destination ol Saturday. • The little dredge known as the M'Kenzie's Beach dredge has been shifted further up the river, and the big dredge is now moored in her place. As all the buckets have to he put on again, the dredgemaster (Mr -William Telford) does not expect tp make a start for two or three days. It is generally believed that Messrs Bain and Burton will mak ■ a good thing out of their claim, which the Roxburgh dredge will work. The snow haß disappeared from the Old Man Ranges. It is currently reported here that a party consisting of Professor Black and two or three influential mining men intend going out to Campbell's Gully and vicinity for a week or so. There is a good deal of prospecting und mining on the | ranges, but I have heard of no astonishing refcurnß as yet. [ A few shares in the Ettrick Dredging Company | were recently bought by Mr Burton at 27s 6d per j share, wbirh is considerably over the quotation of ! the share market. The Roxburgh Amalgamated Sluicing Company washed up for November at the beginning of last | week. The return from No. 1 elevator was 350z, I and from No. 2 elevator 41oz 15dwt ; total, 76"0z i 15dwt, of the value of j£295 & 9d. The month's j return is considerably below the average, but this ! time it is due to the fact that most of the month was occupied in opening out the paddocks after stripping The Golden Run Sluicing Company's last washup was 220z 7dwt. The Golden Treasure's return for eight days' work was 58oz, and the Gelden Gate for a, week won 270z. I Mr R. Cockburn was out to Lake Onslow on Thursday last. The dam was full and overflowing. The creek ii getting low owing to the dry weather, and as water is becoming short it is necessary to make use of the dam. The directors and shareholders of the Golden Treasure Company evidently hold the dredgemaster, Mr G. Bennct, and the secretary, Mr J. Burton,' in high esteem. At the usual monthly meeting on December 1 they were each presented with a handsome marble timepiece, suitably inscribed. Mrs Bennet was also presented with a silver teapot. Both officers were highly spoken of. There is a fair amount of business set down for j hearing at the sitting of the Warden's Court here on Friday. A good many of the cases are those adjourned from !a.st court day, but there is one which will excite a considerable, amount of inI terest among the mining fraternity— viz., Messrs j Laffey and party's application for a water^race capable of diverting 50 Government heads. Laffey and party intend trying to get the Roxburgh Amalgamated Cos. right to their dam at Lake Onslow. , - MINING AT HORSESHOE BEND. (From Our Own Correspondent. December 7. — The dredges are, I am glad to say, doiug their best to keep mining alive, and the Island Block is still "on it." About the middle of last week good gold was reported, and although such information is always welcome, it was doubly so in the case of the Golden Lead, which up to the present has been remarkably quiet— a very unfavourable symptom in { mining. On Friday the talk all around us was j " The Lead has ' struck it ' properly at last, and the Gate is again into a golden gutter." I have not had an opportunity of getting last wetk's tallies', hut there is no danger of much delay in news of this kind to-velliug. Mr Thomas Callender reports 17Joz gold from the Matakitaki Gold Dredging Company (Limited) for 112 hours' dredging. Mr Jabez Burton reports :— The Ettrick Gold Steam Dredging Company washed up on Saturday, for five days' dredging, 30oz gold. Ihe Roxburgh Gold Steam Dredging Company's dredge will commence work on Wednesday next." Mr Robert Cockerell, of this city, who is con. tinually turning his mind to the invention of mining appliances/is now showing twp of his latest inventions— namely, a section of a new spiral twi»t stamper guide for crushing and grinding quartz (which the inventor claims will crush •tnd pulverise with at least one-third of the weight

' now used in the ordinary stamps) and improved gold-saving tables for dredges, batteries, and general sluicing purposes. The tables consist of a series of cast iron boxes, which clasp together to ; any length or width required, with two falls, and open at the discharge end, where a grating ia formed, under which the user may choose tho mode he-wishes for saying the gold, by inserting under each box quicksilvered ripples, plush slides, or copper plate, any of which can be quickly changed and replaced at pleasure. All of these are so arranged as to prevent their becoming choked. Amongst the many advantages which Mr Cockerell claims for the new tables is this: , that either rough or fine wash may be treated j without injuring the amalgamating cell?. All grades of wash travel over the new tables at different paces according to size, owing to the arrest fall for saving being different from the travelling fall for tho coarse wash. The tables will, it is contended, work with much lees water than any other make now in use, and arrest the gold in a much shortor distance, and the working is easily understood. We learn that a small battery and tables are bsing now put up for Messrs Capstick, Kirk, and party at North> Taieri.