Notes from Auckland. Auckland, March 9. A LIGHT RAILWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2246, 18 March 1897, Page 19

Notes from Auckland. Auckland, March 9.

A LIGHT RAILWAY.

1 Mr A. Phiilip3 has completed negotiations with the Talisman Extended Gold Mining Company whereby the property is to be taken in banu for six months during which tiino it will hn developed by the option holders, who have agreed to spend £1000 in further opening up itie mine prior to flotation on the Home market The works, which will be started at once, will be under the immediate supervision of a lirni of London mining *ngineers. The London and New Zealand Finance Corporation (Limited), by their local Hianager, Mr 1 Spencer Kllarns, has tak^n the option of the Ciidm.'ii Liren&ed Holding 1 (30 acced) and tho ' S<*ddi-u Special Claim (63 acres), which are situated at Waiornngomai, immediately adjoining the Aroha Gold Mine Company's lioluings. The terms of sal* ara as follow : - £730 for six months' option, during which the intending purchasers will test and thoroughly develop the ground, manning the ground with the required number of men. At the expiry of six mouths, should tlio result p-ove satisfactory, a further sum tf £2700 (making i3OOO in all) will be paid over 'ihere is also s. consideration of 20,000 snares fuliy paid-up to £\ in & company of . £150,000 ; or, ia proportion therttj, according to tbe deed of option, 20,000 shares are to bs allotted within three months of the expiry of the six months' option. The deed of option was signed ! and the £3>'O deposit lodged in the bank to the I owners' credit. 1 March 10. J The Victoria crushed 140 loads of quartz for ! 1780/. reported fold. \ March 12. j At a dinnor given to Mr Cecil Hartridge, a ' raember of the London Stock Kxchanße who hits i returned to England, via Sydney, that gentltnian ' said, in respoEseto tbe toast of theevenicg, thathe was well pleased with all he had seen in New Zealand mining, and he would bs able to give his London ' colleagues a favourable account of tbe way their money was being Rpent. He predicted that Cotomandel would come to ♦he'frcmt and astonish • the outside public if mine managers co-operated iin working mines. There wa3 no doubt thar. I there would be unlimited capital for New Zealand mines in the future. Commenting on the present ' position of the micing industry here, he said he ! was agreeably surprised at the systematic ) development; going on. Undoubtedly a large I amount of money wosinvested here, and he thought ' it was being co7i*ci=ntiously expended, with a ' view to the best possible remits. What was now required wa» sold, s»nd with the magnificent ■ machinery which had '^een erected a>, the different j niiuns it would enable them to explore the coun- . try at hitherto untriod depths He thought they would have every reason to be satisfied in the near future with their investments. Mr Hartridge concluded by reading a cable, just received, j "announcing the successful flotation of another CoromaHdel property. ■ < Man* 15. I The Waitekauri return was £4145 worlti ot told from 1712 tons. The Crown mine's return ia is £287.!. from 1161 toas. The Anglo-Continental Syndicate have retired from the option held by them over the Oomstock at Waiomio. An cxfension of the option held by them over Broken Hill, Waiomio, was granted for a jietiod of bix months, the Broken Hill Company paviug half the cost of 400 ft additional driving. Messrs Barley and Bruce, barristers mi patent, aEieriT.s, who have letters patent of the hypirphovic treatment in hand, received udvic.es by the mail frcm the Rev. Joseph Campbell, F.R G S., of New i South Wales, that he has formed the Montezuma and Mount Morgan properties at Te Aioha into a company of 32,000 shares, with £10,000 working capital subscribed, and £10 00* reserved. He is albo forming a syndicate to work his hyperphoric treatment, with a capital of probably half a million sterliug, by uniting wfith another process. : He says he has been t-ho wn themost perfect furnace and ore heating method in the world. The cost I \ of heating and amalgamating will be only 53 per ' ton inclusive, and will save 95 per cent, of the ora • value. The machinery is under order, and he expects to be treating ore at the Montezuma mine in .November next. Later advices srnte that Mr i Campbell has also placed the Silver King at Te I j Aroha. No terms are mentioned. j i ' i i • , j ' '■

Auckland. March 11. | Thfi New Zealand Exploration Company are ! prepared to construct a steam tramway from Paeroa to Waihi, with a branch lino to Waitekauri, without aid from the Government. Mr j Hunt, the manager of the company, explains that j the company have taken the initiative in the ; matter by engaging Mr Ashley Hunte? (formerly j of Sfewart and Hunter, civil Hnglneere) to make ; a flying survey of the proposed route. Ths starting point will, of course, be kt the junction at Paeroo, and the line is to pans through the township, following the line ot the main road as far as Maokaytown, and thence forward to the newly surveyed township of Parat.u, parsing the New Zealand Grown mine's battery, and then crossing over to Kirangihake. A tunnel is then to be made through the hill, after which the line again vrosses the river and foil* iW4 the southern bank up to the site of the new battery now in course of construction at Owharoa for the Waihi Company. j The line then crosses the river once more and \ follows the northern bank until it reaches the i junction of the present main road through | Waitote, and thence across the country to the I Waihi township. Just above Owharoa it is proposed that a branch live should run J up the Waitekauri Valley to the township. ; The total length of the proposed tramway will be. i nbout 20 miles. The initial expense of survey has ' been borue by the New Zealand Exploration Company, which is also prepared to undenake the whole work without asking any assistance from the Government. An application will be placed at its next meeting to obtain the necessary rights to enable the work to be proceeded with. If these are granted no time will be lost in starting operations. Ihe tlew Zealand Exploration Company have undertaken this work mainly on , account of the great interest held by that body in i the Crown and other mining properties. It is not proposed to ask for any conces-ion whatever from the Government, and as this survey has already been completed it will relieve the Hon. Mr ' Cadman of the expense c,t having another made Iby the Government department. Although i called a steam tiamway ths proposed line will be really a light railway similar to those constructed in Prussia, France, Switzerland, India, j and al;o mote recently iv Tasmania.