Mining on the Old Man Range. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 19

Min ing on the Old Man Range. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

May I.— A day or two ago I was able to glean a good deal of information as to mining affairs on the Old Man Range. The Upper Waikaia Sluiciug Company are pushing on with the preliminary work as fast as it is possible to do so. Pourtean men are engaged en the race, and have been so for two months past. - The cutting of the race i 3 an undertaking of some difficulty, much of it having to be cut through solid rock. The li-ie of the race is along steep country, and the reef crops out often in places where not expected. The reef has to be blasted and the broken rock'removed. The mean depth of the race is 18in, but it has to be cut deeper in the rock and filled up with tamped earth to the average l«vel. There are in places gooA-sizid cracks in the rock which would Absorb a good deal of the flow of the race. A tamped earth bottom has therefore to be maintained throughout. It is expected that to finish cutting the race will take another month. The total length of the race is 88 chains, of which 20 chains will consist of naming. The mean width of the race is 4ft. Twenty heads of water from the Waikaia lliver have been secured. Two men are emplojed prospecting. A considerable quantity of timber has beau taken out, and a good denl still remains to go. On Siturday three teams went out with timber. M'Leod, M'Kay, Alexander, and Murchison, four paities working on the terraces, have plenty of water, and, batter still, are getting plenty of gold. Several extended claims have been taken up oa the terraces.

Kirwin and Morgan are on pretty good gold at Bullock Creek, but their water supply i« scarce. Ah Sam's claim at Allan's Hill is doing well.

Neil Vernou, a well-known rniaer, has been granted a claim on the Walkaia, on which, he purposes puttiDg a plant at an early date. M'Kay and party have got a claim of 40 acres on the Waikaia, and a water right of 20 heads from the Whitecombe Greek.

The Tuunfel party bslow Potter's and the two parties at Potter's are working away with good results.

There is nothing doing at the Uise and Shine. Prospecting by the Prospecting Syndicate is still being carried on at what is tenntfd the Round Hill. A water right of 70 heads has been granted out of the Wa.ik.iia lliver to work the ground if the prospecting ia satisfactory. The diggers whose claims are on the very high levels will be coming in this month for the winter. If they didn't do so they would be snowed up. A good spec is awaiting anyone who has capital and enterprise enough to open a sawmill at the Waikaia Bush. Splendid timber for mining purposes is there ia any quantity, and as mining is on the increase in the locality, there is a certainty of a good market.

Mining' on the Molynenx. (From Our Roxburgii Correspondent.) May 1. — The Roxburgh Amalgamated Sluicing Compauy washed up on Friday, after a three weeks' run. No. 1 lift yielded 720z, and No. 3 yielded 790z ; total for the two lifts, Isloz, valued ;it £581 7s. On April 8 the wash-up was 139 jz for four weeks, and for January the return was 119oz. '1 he total for about 12 weeks' work this year is 4093Z, valued at £1574 13s. The company's financial year ended on Friday, April 30. The lower lift was dismantled during the latter end of the week.

The Pleasant Valley Sluicing Company washed up at the end of last week, after a fortnight's work, the retuva beins; 14 >z 7d\vt 21gr. Much satisfaction will be felt among .shareholders at this very fair return, which is four times the amount of the last wash-up. The property of the United Hercules Hydraulic Sluicing Company is to be offered for sale on Friday, May 14. The property was advertised for sale on March 12, but the sale was postponed. There was a light sitting of the Warden's Court this month. An important judgment was delivered by Warden M'drthy in re the application of John | DREDGING RETURNS Wells for a prospecting license of 940 acres of Moa Mr Thomas" Cullender reports 3£oa gold from

Flat station at the Island Block. The application was refused. In W. Keys's application for a prospecting license for coal, the waiden said he had no power to grant prospecting licenses for coal. The application would have to be struck outfor want of jurisdiction. Between three and four hours were occupied in hearing the case It. Bennetts v. J. Weatherall, which was an application for forfeiture of water race and cancellation of license. One of the reasons was that the conditions imposed by the warden when granting the water race had not been earned out. In lieu of forfeiture a fine of Is was inllicted, with costs of court 15s, witnesses' expenses £1 10s, and professional fee £2 2s; tota 1 , £4 Bs. The M'Kenzie's Beach Dredging Company (in liquidation, Mr Burton liquidator) brought suits for arrears in calls against John Landrigan (£34 18s (3d) and R. M'Carthy (£27 83 6d). Judgment was given for the amounts claimed, with costg. The next sitting of the court here will be on Thursday, May 13.