THE WEEKS MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 17

THE WEEKS MINING NEWS.

The Deep Stream Amalgamated Hydraulic Sluicing Company having been registered, the boa'd of directors have held their liret meeting and allotted the shares applied for. The shares were over-subscribed by several hundred, and la*:e applications were returned in full, and a pro rata allotment made to subscribers whose applications came to hand of ter the 28th ultimo. A quantity of preliminary busiuebs was got through, and the directors intend to make a strong effort to have their principal race completed and the whole of the plant erected and in working order within from four to five months. The over-subscription of this property within a few days of the issue of the prospectus is a welcome eign of the revival of our local mining industry. No less than half a doz«n representatives of mining syndicates have (according to the local paper) been in the Lawrence district during the lust few day 6. The syndicates are now appai ently giving the Auckland country a spell, waiting to see how thiug-s up there will pan out before any further investments are made. In the interval ihey are putting in the time in Ouago, and looking round for some likely investments. The Tuapeka Times reports that the dredges at Miller's Plat are all idle with the exception of ope— the E-iina dredge, Dumbarton Rock — the river being too high. The Island Bkck Extended Company has shut down, and has been so for nearly three weeks for want of water. The Island Block is also iv the same position from the same cause. It looks rather strange to see one part of the mining community idle for want of watorand the other through having too much. We are informed that the Gouten Treasure, Otago, and Golden Gate dredges resumed work at Miller's Flat early in the week. An Auokland tekgram mys the Hauraki return was 1325cz from 350 tons, of the value of £3965; Scotty's. 170nz 7dwt, of the value of £510 ; Victoria, 170oz from 160 loads, of the value of £500. The Tuapeka Times understands that the balance of the purchase uionev wbr paid over on Friday to the owners of the OPQ mine, WaiporL The property is now in the bands of the syndicate of which Captain Andrews is the representative in this colony, and no time, it may be a-fsumed, will be lost in setting about the development of the property. 1 lie Parrawa correspondent of the Southern Cro'-s says the Purrawa Gold-miniag and Water Supply Company are pushing on with their operations, and expect to ruu the water intu the pipes and make a start about the beginning of the mouth. The company's ground is three miles down the Matanra Gorge. The first thing that catches the eye after rounding the spur on the north is the watei pipes (13in in diameter) coming down from an altitude of 500 ft on the south side at a very steep angle to the river. They are carried across on a suspension bridge and over the il.it to the ten ace on the other eide, 40Of t high. Here the water will be conducted by races into two dams, which will fcive ample piessure for working the fall on either side of the spur. The total length of the piping, which is of steel, is about three-quarters of a mile. The water is obtained at Fiery Creek, at the point where at present there are thr.ee heads of water running — a fact that is wortKnutiug, as this has been an exceptionally dry season. The water race is 32 chains in length, being principally constructed with fluming to carry a good supply of water. Mr £. Pearsey, the company's manager, has Rix men employed, and as the work so far has only taken ahout four months, there has been no time lost. Good prospects have been got on the company's gionno, and the refeult of the undertaking will be watched with great interest, because, if it proves successful, it is expected other claims in the gorge will very soon be worked on the same principle. The following Tuapeka Mouth items are from the Tuapeka Times :— Messrs Reid and Goodwin's dredge at Tuapeka Mouth has been bard at work all the week, and everything has gone on as smoothly as is possible. There bas not been a hitch in the woikings from tbe start, and she is putting through the stuff as well as can be ex : pected. She is at present only working in two shifts, but next week her full complement of shif<s will be arranged for. It ia also proposed to work her by the electric light. Great praise is due to Mr R Newell for the masterly way in which, ansisted by Messrs J. T. Taylor and W. Cummings, he has put the machinery together. She is now In'ing covered over, and wken that is done she will be complete in every way. The prospects already obtained, we are Riven to understand, are such, if continued, as should make the dredge a more than profitable venture. She washed up on Saturday last, but tKe results have not yet trantpired.— Messrs Cantw^ll aud Fis-ser, who at the last sitting of the Warden's Court were granted a dredging claim at tbe mouth of the Tuapeka River, intend to start work as soon as ever ttfe survey is made. This thould be a profitable " 6pec.," for the ground before now hns been proved to be gold-bearing. In 18S8 the Hope of Dunked (M'Clelland'i dredge) worked the ground by meam of a current wheel dredge and got good prospects out of it ; but as she was by reason of her make unable to work close in to the bank she was ultimately taken up to the Beaumont. The Jane also worked there for some time, but was unable owiMg te her small size to thoroughly work the grouad. When the river is low cradlere have beea known to get as much as 20s ptr day, while just below the mouth of the Tuapeka is a. bank of hard cement which is expect«d t« yield large dividends. Above Tuapeka Mouth there is an island which has been proved to be gold-bearing, and in every way the prospects of the proposed dredge seem particularly rosy. — The Dead Level claim at Tuapeka Mouth is awaiting the arrival of the pipes to start elevating, when active operations will be immediately proceeded with. This mine has without doubt a good future before it. Several mining prospectors are now engaged inthe Table Hill district on the look-out for reefs. The country is well known for its auriferous nature, and it is to be hoped that they will ere long be succeisful in their efforts and obuin reefs of a payable nature. — Bruce Herald. The Cromwell Argus gives the following as Lhe business transacted at the las'« meeting of the Lowburn Miners' Association : — A special meeting of the committee of the Lowburn Miners' Association was held on Saturday 30th ult., to consider application for aid to prospecting under Class II of tbe regulations, for tunnel at Quartz Reef Point, by Messrs Tillman, Partridge, and Goodger. Proposed by N« ?. Kloosb, > Xliafc the

persons above stilled, also the locality, be approved of. — Gamed unanimously. The leugth of tunnel is to be jiliout B.oft, through rock and drift, and Mr A. Tat rick was appuinte.-i to take the measurements monthly. The secretaiy was instructed to communicate upon this matter with the Government without delay. — Regard ng the proposed consolidation of tho Mining Act, letters were received from the Cardrona aud Waipori branches expressing htrone opinions that suggestions from delegates i-lected by miners' associations re altera tions necessary should be forwan.ed, and that the r mitral branch should move to that efTeot Mr Werne'r btattd tlr-it. as the associations had for these m-iny years taken an intelligent pait in matters connected with tin; mining industry, he considered that they had a claim upon the ■ Government to lake part in any. confeience proposed to be held for amending the act. He felt , quite convinced that the w-irdens would look upon the counsel from intelligent men of practical experience as an aid in their labour.*, without whi'h any new measures brought forward wuild simply be an experiment. The preseub Mining Act wa-> obscure and contradictory, and upon some at present mott important matters quite insufficient in its proviMotie. For instance, 1 tl-e question of water lor domestic use, a most import nit one was not dealt with at all, and, the I granting of hundreds of acres of aurifeious land I to one person or syndicate where people had ' settled on the understanding that by occupation ' of 6inall claims the ground would return them a subsistence for their lifetime certainly brought ' up a social question that required some consideration at the hands of intelligent men interested in , the welfare of the people in their district. It was resolved : That the bianeho.3 of the Confederate Association of Otago and also tlit- association on tho West Coast be communicated with bo as to i lay before the Minister for Mines the desirability of the as-ociations being represented at the coming conference in Wellington. — The secretary was instructed to write to the Government re Kdward Mnrrell's subsidy, also to notify Mr Murrell of discontinuance. The Tuapeka Times of the Gth has the following with reference to a visit to the Gabriel's Gully Prospecting Association's workings: — "On Wednesday last a representative of this journal paid a visit to the Gabriel's Gully Prospecting Association's workings. Coming down over the crown of the hill he was seen anei cordially welcomed by Mr John", the manager, who was hard at work at the mouth of th« tunnel, which shows out clearly, cut as it is through the shelving slope of a darkcoloured reef. From the mouth, extending down the bed of the creek, runs the framework, from ■which the trolley, emerging fiom the tunnel and laden with mud and mullock, discharges its load. After a few minutes' conversation, Mr Johns and his visitor go, candle in hand, into the mouth of the tunnel. Almost at the outlet there is a bad place, and thick manuka poles, glistening with the damp, support a roof of stout rafters and a thatching of manuka branches, over whic,h the clay and debris from the top have been filled in. Mr Johns and his men found in exploring the old workings that the roof of the old tunnel had in certain places fallen in, leaving large cavities, 10ft to 15ft, above the level of their drive. These places require more than merely a cleaning out of the fallen debris ; they have to be " filled in " above a made roof, and this constitutes a great deal of extra work. The tunnel passes through solid rock, where no stays are required and then passes through a bad break again, where once more there is a strong, btout roof overhead. For 700 ft the candles light the way, till a gleam illuminates the darkness in fiont, when Mr Johns's three assistants way be seen burrowing into the fallen rock and debris. Inch by inch the side walls are secured from falling in, and great pieces of boarding are gradually inserted in front of the workers in order to prevent the broken stuff from running back upon them. Blocks, chips, and s,tout pieces of manuka are inserted here and there, and the bhield boards are prised and lifted, lifted and prised until all is secure ; and then the little iron trolley that is coining back from the mouth of the tunnel rumbling through the long, narrow passage, i-< filled with staff and pushed out over those 700 ft, to come back again and again for more. So little by little, inch by inch, foot by foot, the length of the tunnel is made. For 30Oft more, bo Mr Johns says, the drive will have to go before it is even expected to reach the reef left 23 years ago. He says the tuunel was first put in in order to drain the old workings, which were full of wa+er, and at many places even now the water has been blocked and dammed up in the drive, only to be released by him. The air in the mine is aerfectly good, and the only difficulty is for a tall man, -who has to suit himself to circumstances by stooping. The width of the tunnel at the base is about sft, and it.narrows conaids-rably at the top. Mr Johns is sanguine of success, for, as he sayis, quartz will pay now, when it would not pay in the sixties, and he calls to mind a picture of the labour that would ba employed if only the reef turns out payj able. The mine is left with the hops that it.may prove successful and that the enterpiising prospectors may reap a well-merited reward." We are indtbted to the same issue of the Tuapeka Times for the following items : Captain Andrews, who represents a Home syndicate, paid a visit to Tnnpeka Basin on Thursday, in company with Mmvs Pilling (by whom that ground was recently taken up), and afterwards visited j Round Hill and Waipori.— Messrs Kitto and I party, Munro's Gully, are in possession of a very good supply of water, aud their operations have not been affected by dry weather. They have just cleaned up a paddock, and are now employed shifting plant preparatory to taking up another. — We understand that the balance of the purchase money was paid over yesterday to the owners of the OPQ mine, Waipori. The property is now in the lunds of the syndicate of which Captain Andrews is the representative in this C3lony, and no time, it may be assumed, will be lost in setting about the development of the property. — Mr Quintin M'Oonnell, engineer to the London and New Zealand Finance Corporation (Limited), passed through Lawrence the other day on his ' way to Waipori, where he is to repo>t on cc tain ' claims in the Post-office Creek. He is accompanied by Mr O. Holland, and has been visiting ' the various mining districts of Otagp. He has in- j spected various miaes in Preservation Inlet, and I has in an interview accorded to the Southland Times expressed himself very strongly on the action of the miners there, who labour, he saya, under the mistaken idea that English capitalists will invest their money in undeveloped mines. He then advises them that before they invite experts to look at their properties they should have done enough work to satisfy their visitors that there is a reef on the property. Amongst the applications dealt with by Warden Macfariane at Goldsborough on the 13th inst. was (says the West Coast Times) one of more than ordinary importance to miners generally. Messrs Cox aud party applied for an extended claim of six acres which had been held by Messr* Thomson, I Stainrs, and party (the objectors to the grant of the application) for some years pa»t. The objectors, it seemed, after their protections had expire'!, decided to apply afresh for -the ground, did :so, the application being granted bj the , warden in due course But ivh;n their agent came to take out the certificate of registration within the 30 days allowed by law, he could not | obtain the same owing to the absence of the clerk < of the court, and after the expiry of the 30 days from the date of the application Ihe certificate was refused. Messrs Cox and party pegged out the claim on the ground that it was un worked and unoccupied, and was therefore open to be jmepad.

Application for the same was lodged in the court and was objected to by Thomson and party. Evidence hayiug been given of application made within due time for the issue of the certificate, counsel for the objectors asked the warden to order the issue of the certificate forthwith, which woti eventually done. The application was then gone on with, and the objectors proved that the grouud could not poanibly be worked except by means of the Waimea sludge channel, to which the objertors were contributors. A shaft had been sunk on the ground »ome years since, aud its timbers were still thcte. For the applicants evidence was led to show that the ground wa< unworked and unoccupied during the interval between the expiry of the 30 days allowed for taking out the certificate by Thomson and party and the date of Cox and party's application. , No notice of protection was posted on the claim , for this period. The warden, after hearing coun- , sel, decided to uphold the objection, especially see- ■ ixi'i that the law provided against the jumping of ' claims which were prevented from bsinc worked i through natural cau*es, 6uch as the want of water. I 'Ihe application was therefore dismissed, with cost- £3 13a against the applicants. Before leaving the bench his Worship threw out a suggestion . to the eftect that the authorities should take some steps to prevent the jumping of claims near j to and pending the construction of subsidised . main tail races.