THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

A correspondent writes us that the old Dunstan road, on Friday, bore a wonderful resemblance to tho road of the sixties when the "rushes" were on. Party after party of men, waggons laden with timber and mining plant, aud an express with explosives passed up on their way to the Deep Stream Company's ground above Allan Boyd's station, The company are cutting in their own race, and early in the week engaged a party of some 40 wages men to reinforce those already at work, and others from the Otago Central who are in camp at the claim awaiting engagement. Mr David Robertson, so long foreman for the late Mr Proudfoot, and now works manager for the company, left Outram in a buggy for Deep Stream after despatching hi 3 ramp impedimenta and plant, and the only new feature in this revival of the activity of bygone days, so far as the old Dun3tan road is concerned, was the ploughing contractor with his teams and pai'Aphernalia of the earth. j;coop3 and other modern race-cutting appliances. The Golden Gate dredge paid another shilling dividend of Tuesday.

The Cromwell Argus states that a quartz reef situated about two miles up Boundary Creek, head of Lake Wanaka, has been taken up by Captain Hedditch. It is his intention to form a company to prospect this reef by putting in a tunnel, catching the reef at about a 40ft level. The reef is 2ft 6in wide, aud well defined. Several assays of ths stone have been made from stone on the surface, and in every case gold has been found. The assays have been sdwt, 7dwt, 33dwt, aud 19dwt to the ton. Should this tunnel strike the lesf as supposed, and the stove continue the same, it ought to be a valuable one. There are both water and timber alongside in great abundance. It is quite accessible, as there is a pack tra»k within 100 yds of the reef. The outcrop of the leef is visible for fully a mile, averaging about the same width. Should the prospects of this reef turn out as anticipated many claims could be taken up, as the country is not much broken up. It is his intention to start the tunnel within a fortnight.

The Cromwell Argus hears that the option of another going dredging claim has been disposed of — viz., Mr Charles Turnbull's, at Cardrona. A second party of tributers to work on the Cromwell Company's mining company is being formed.

The Golden Bay Argus reports : — Acting tinder instructions from a syndicate of which Mr F. Buxtou, 0.8., is the" representative, Mr G. H. Allan has pegged off the iron deposits at Onekeka, preparatory to taking up an extensive lease of the valuable and extensive iron measures there. We now learn, however, that owing to the shortness of last session and the inability of Mr Buxton to get a bill through the Holism which was to give his syndicate extended privilenes in connection with the iron industry, the matter has to remain iv abeyance until the return of the Premier from England. This is unfortunate for the district, as Mr Buxton informs us that he has the necessary capital to secure the lease, and had intended visiting England at once, with every prospect of leturnini; by October next, with all the necessary machinery for the immediate erection of extensive works at Onekaka which would employ an immense number of men and give a great impetus to our commercisl prosperity.

Th- Alexandra Herald reports : The men working for the syndicate who were taking over the Excelsior reef, on the Old Man ltange. received word !a t week to discontinue work at the mine. What the company intend doing bext is -not yet known.

A Reefton telegram states that the Keep-it-Dark Company's return is 3140z amalgam from 225 tons (clean up), and the Al Company 590z of gold from 14 tons.

The Tuapeka Times reports the discovery, a few miles from the antimony mine, of a reef, which is well defined and has been traced for two miles.

Au Auckland telegram gives the Hauraki return a? lOßloz of gold, of the value of £3183, from 400 tons.

The Alexandra Herald ha 3 the following about the Nevis goldfield :— "With dredging applied to this field we think it will prove a large factor to the prosperity of the district. There are two flats — the Lower, Jflive miles long-, and the (Jpper, six miles long, with a gorge of about six i iles between. The enterprise of the Alexandra dredgeowners) has opened this field. Thirty years ago over 1000 men were at work at one time with payable results— say, from £iS to £20 per man per week. The whole of the available dredging ground is now pegged out, and three dredge 3 are now in courae of erection. The Nevis Golddredging Company's dredge is expected to start work almost at once, it being on the eve of completion. The Upper Nevis Gold-dredging Company's dredge is expected to be at work by the end of May, and the Ngapara No. 2 should be ready in June. All these parties are highly impressed with the no>&ibilities of their properties, and would not quit their holdings under substantial premiums. There is very little doubt but that several other dredge 3 will be put on next summer. The ground is from 12ft to 18ft deep, with from fiin to 24in of wath on the bottom. The top stuff, rejected by the early digger, carries gold, and is in itself quite good enough for the dredger. There are three hjdraulic claims on this field. Water is plentiful, but operations are sadly hampered from lack of enterprise on the

part of the claimholder«, as the plants in use are ■ quite inadequate to utilise to the best advantage the splendid water supply. The first party which ' puts on an tffective plant will astonish its neighbour?. Sixteen-inch pipes, in lieu of 7in and r 9th, with 425 ft of ditect pre^sme, will soon tell its i own tile. This out-of-the-way spot will toon be i hoard of, and ifc is to be hoped the returns will ! repay the enterprise of our local dredgers and add to their wealth and happiness It is as certain as i night follows day that in a very few years we will i have in our community a fair number of men | -who will be able to write their cheques for five ■ figures." At the last meeting of the Alexandra Miners' ■ Association a resolution was passed on the | motion, of Mr Henry Symes to the effect that the i Minister fo"r Mines be urged to amend the Mining Act in the direction of giving wardens power to inflict a fine in lieu of forfeiture in auy case whei'a the holder of raining property neglects to renew his miner's right. This resolution, if given effect to by the Minister, will be hailed i with satisfaction by all mining men throughout ,-tho colony. We (Alexandra Herald) notico that 1 the motion has been adopted by the central I -branch at Lowburn, and will be ?nnt to the con- ! forence of wardens to be held at Wellington next ! month.

The quarterly meeting of the Lowbiun Miners' Association was held on Saturday, April 2i, 1897. The correspondence consisted of 2f communications fmm the different branches, Mines department (Wellington), and other places.— Mr W. Valpy wrote from Glonorchystatiugthat a branch of the association had been formed in that locality. —From Mr P. Hjorring, Naseby, acknowledging receipt of £3 ]os, being XI subscribed by the members of the Lowbiun association, 10* from Air Campbell, chairman of the Waipori branch, and £■2 from Mr J. Werner towards the erection of a memorial stone on the grave of the late A. G. Brown, for many years secretary of the Mount Ida Miners' As ociation. — From several of the Otago sbranehes, and also from the central secretary of the Federated Minera' Association, Wtstlan'd, approving of miners being represented at the ronference re consolidation of the Mining Act. — Prom the member of thp district re the above. — From the Minister for Mines inviting suggestions being forwarded from the association, but stating that the conference w.ould only be attende I by the goldfii'lds' wardens.— Mr Werner 3tated that he had already written to the branches regarding this matter, and expected replies during the coming week from the majority of the branches. It was his intention to collect nil the different suggestions, and, if time allowed, have them submitted to a revising committee of three members from different associations before sending them to Wellington ; but evidently there would not be thnp to follow such a course, and the only way would bo to ascertain^vhcQ the conference would be held and forwaru whatever suggestions that had come to hand by such time. — A number of addenda to and alterations of the present Mining Act were then submitted to the meeting and approved of, includingspveral proposals carried at the late conference of Alexandra, and al>-o a new resolution forwarded from that branch.—Cromwell Argus.