THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2293, 10 February 1898, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

The Hon. E Richardson, who recently paid a visit to Ot»go and inspected a number of gold dredges, was interviewed by a representative of the New Zealand Times on his return to Wellington, wheu ha sp«ke enthusiastically of the progress of tha industry. Mr Ricbardson pointed out that within a rftdius of five miles from Alex»ndra, on the Molyneux and Manuherikia, there are 39 dredges at work, and companies floated to put seven more on. AVithin one week, lia said, 6SQoz were obtained by one of thoaa at

work. The average yield of these in private hands is said to be lOOoz a week, and as the working expenaea amount to 7oz the result is an immense profit. The wages paid on the 19 dvedge3 referred to are about XCOOO a month, ancj the coaling and other expens s amount to about JEBOO, which makes a totul iv Alexandra alone of £33,000 a year. This gives an idea of the magnitude of the operations now carried on in the locality. It was stated to Mr Richardson by experts that the whole valley of thm Manuhenkia was payable dredging ground, and it is being rapidly taken up by different companies ; and there are thousands of acres in the vicinity which aru said to be equally payable, but the want of water is a serious drawback.

The gold from the fin-t wash-up of the D«ep Stream Amalgamated Hydraulic Sluicing Company to the end of January was received in town on Thursday afternoon. The total clean up of the boxes wks a yield of 82oz 4dwt. This ia from 9, paddock of somewhat shallow ground, portions of which had been previously worked, and is frem one elevator ouly. The yield is considered a satisfactory one. We are informed that the second el&vator is now being got ready, aad will be placed in position with as little delay as possible.

The directors of the Blue Spur and Gabriel's Gully Consolidated Gold Company have declared an interim dividend of 5 per cenf. on the ordinary shares for the year ending February 28, 1898.

the directors of the Enterprise Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend of rs per share.

The following items are from the Cromwell Argus :— The tailings oa liendigo Gully have been taken up by a Dunedin s-ynclicate, to be worked by a secret process.— The Electric No. 1 drtdge commenced work ou Monday. The Electric No. 2 has sb. f led a abort distance up tho river, and we hear is making preparations for a new boiler to be pufi in in place of the oue they now have. — The Slaorl (Hotop'o) dredge got the " colour " l.'si, weak. The gold is veiy fine.

Tho r-nmial laec^iiig of the Upper W«\ipori Gold Drstlii:ig Oornpiny wn? held iv the Agricultural TSviitcUngs on Monday, when the report (which hi*3 been alsfcady published) and balaace slieot \vera adr.p:ec). Ihe rutuiag directors ('ile^srs James Hazlett and Jimcs Hogg) avid the retiring auditor, (Mr T. Cullendei) were re-elected. Mr and Mrs John Hefford and several other members of the family returned to A&hburton on l<"ritls\y evening, the £Brh Jaouaiy (says the Press), arb«r a holiday tiip lo Peel Forest and the Mvuuo Peel opj,l fields. Mr UefFord inspected several of the cUima. Thre« or tour parties were at work, and another was away prospecting new ground, bnt thny had not been lucky enough to discover; any p&ifciouWly good stone. Mr iftfford and his party had a m«st pleasant tiji>, and mat -with great kifcdness and hospitality from various psople durfng tbe journey. Peel Forest, has long been a favourite iei<dezv-oits for ple t is.nre-seck«is, but comparatively few Lave extended thoir. rambles as far as tho opal fieKls. The trip, ho'vaver, is one well worth making. We ( I'imaru Herald) were shown rec&ntly by a V-r *-pector down from the Motmfc Pet-1 opal field % number of email pieces cf opil, obtained by mere fossicking ou tho surface of the ground. He was

wealing an opal pin, and when he spoke of havingf

pome opala he wns cliaffiisgiy challenged to show a bife pqu si to the piece in his pin. when he confidently and coriecrly said ho hs>d better pieces. Some <>i the spe_cimeL<s sbowed very good colour, and though not ia themselves valoAbie, they must prove good incentives to fuither search.

Mr i' red Evaus, rsunaging director, reports from the Achilles miue, liiillendale, tliafc 3S3»z of retorted &014 h*ve been obtained froai 700 t*n^ of &tene as the result ef 22 days." crushing. The new winding and pmnpiag g«sr, which bas been a considerable t-me ia ereobwa owiiig to various di awbacks, is to statfc &n Moaday. This and other improvements eiFecSed bs Mr KvAtif, such as the smking- of main shaft, will enable the company to dispense with, abaus 30 haids.— Lskc W.-,katip Mail.

The Molyneux Hydraulic cJre-ige's return fer tlie week ending Wednrsdiy, 2nd mat;., was 230z lSdwt 7gr (vaJue £SS 4s 5/t> The E'4iQa d»e«3g» washed ilowu 2U>z sdwt 33g:r for fouff days. The wabh at present being ouerated on is vaty g«od, capable of yMdiog- fiom 20t>z a week iipvvards. — Sun«t»n Times

The Round Hill Miniug Oorsipany** return for January was J&k>z, of eho value of £628. Mr J. "White, naana^tag dtroctor, informs us that work, was much interrupted owing to intermittent water tupp^y.

Aq Aiwkland tekgram stale* that ths W&odstack mi >^a daring three week* crushed 71S U>na for ijisJliaa v?-laed at £1552. Dry crnhKuag will be »bw»(Jonecl, and wet crushing- csmnaertced within a f»itt>gb.i.

Uut Arrow-town covrespoa«?enfc teiegvapbs :—: — " Th» return for Jamtaty frota the 61enr«ek. Oompauy's raine wa»37l£oz b&r b!>llion i«««ai «««a 410 tens. The Weataalisv-Nsw Zealand Gold Bxpfosers obtained 19Joa from 80 tons cvnshed."

The mj-aagiei 1 of the Roxburgh Amalg&niftted M.ining and -Sluicing Comptiajr (Liinitftfi) jep»r(jg having witsheiJ up tiie elevators for January, the return bfriug J?iSor. ifKvt lS^r.

Mr R. T. "VVheeler, jn»., secretaiy of ths Golden Ten-ice Oredsin? Company, reports a rehmi of 260z 19*lwt 10gr retosted gold from la*t rep«i* to January 2&. Tho Duuedia Steck Excbanga reports the foll&wiu^ return? :— G&ldea TreaHiro, lifts ; Gol.i«n (Sate, 18oz lodwt. Tho Utagw Cempa^y, ovriog to w*nt of co»l{ did nofc wash up.

The secretary of the Clyde Dredging Cem^an; (Limited) rep«ts a yield of 15oz for last week, xhe yield for tha previous week waa 8»z. Mr Reeves reports a return from the Enterprise di'cfrgo of 4ftoz l&lwfc 12gp for last week. Tha TJpptr \\ aipati Alluvial Gold DveeigMtg. Com^iaDy ( Limited) obtained lajfc week f ram No. 1 dredge 12i?z 9dwt of gold for 127 hours' infcThe JufclantL £.'**• ( Waipori) Gold Miaiog Cwn-"paay-frjiinicecU obntrtre<i-2;fe-s 4dst± cl seibl for 157 houra' wages tinie— 3s2 hours' actual dredging. The Otago Dredgiug Company's return ion lasfe week v, as 270z 7dwt.