THE O.P.Q. REEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 18

THE O.P.Q. REEF.

ON THE LOKDON MARKET. London, April (5. The formation is announced of the O.P.Q. Gold Mining Company of Waipori, New Zealand, witb a capital of L 150.000, of which LSO.OOO will bf? offered to the public. Tha option for the O.P.Q. reef was taken up some time ago by the New Zaaland Minerals Company, and iv now being floated on the London market. It is intended, we believe, to use electricity ai ti motive power at the mine. Though -nob the first quartz discovered, the ficst actual quartz workings in Otago were on this reef. On this point the late Mr Vincent Pjrke wrote :— ' 'The first actual quartz workings were doubtless those at Waipori • v the Shetland reef, where tho O.P.Q. (Ofcago Pioneer Quartz) Mining Company carried on operatious for several yeara. Thn reef was discovered in March, 1862, by a party of six Victorian miners — all Shetland men, — who discovered the reef projecting above tho surface and showing gold. Although six are mentioned, the name? of only two (Jii'sea, Fraser and Andrew Williamson) are recorded in the first announceoasn'u of the discovery, which appears in the Witness of July 26. Afc first they broke the stoae down with nicks and washed ifc in a cradle, and Hn this rude manner, they obtained 7oz for two weeks' work Subsequently they wrought it with a batteiy of four heads of fctumpers." The thickness of tho reef varies from 3£ft to 6ft, gradually thicke-n ing as ifc gets deept'r. Iv 13(53 the yisld from 179 tons was reported fco'ba 20ioz. The O.P Q. Company worked th') rer f fur some years, aud but for want of skilled manageujent, it is believed, it would h&vo been worked up to the present time.