THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

An Auckland telegram states that the Moana tafati returns show that. 1220 tons ore were treated and 6020z 6dwt gold extracted, of the value of £1633. The return is from plates only. The returns from Ihe concentrates are i:ot due for some time.— The Muhar-s. Royal Tapu crushed 315 t&ns for gold valued at £535.— The cleaning up at the Woodstock battery for four weeks ending March 28 is £782 from 310 tons completed. The secretary of the Dunedin &tock Exchange reports receipt of advice from Melbourne that the agreement between the Mount Lyell and Lytll 'lharsis Companies for the treatment of the latter's or« at the Lyell smelters has been signed. An Auckland telegam states that the Waiotahi. Company crushed 100 tons for 1650z gold. - t'J he directors of the Wnterprise Gold DreJging • Company -have declared a dividend, of la" per share. - . .. „ A Press Association telegram from Nelson says :— " It is leported feat tbe Taitapu Company ( has dismissed the manager and 70 men, the lirst crushing of 480 tons having, -as 'reported, ocly yielded 950z amalgam." " - The Mount B-jpger Mail reports that the Peasatft Valley Cumpany declared a dividend of ' 2s on Monday night. The BlHton correspondent of the Clutha Free Pie.ss writes :—": — " Mining in the Bruce County has j besu on the upward trend lately. There are now three dredges (the Woolshed, Golden Bank, and Glenrre Dredging Comraoy's dredgf) at work on j the Glenore rivor, and all seem to be turning over , .a very fair and satisfactory picfit, but being j private companies they do not publish their l returns. In the same locality there are a con- j siderable cumber of inhabitants fi\ m the Flowery ] Land, "some of whom are known to he making } their pile of goH as well as tailing*. Thea goW- j mining operations have been once more set a-going in the Table Hill district. Two parties have foe some time been searching for the long- ■ lost Canada reef. One of these, Messrs Lawson ; and party, have erected a battery, though their prospectsJiave not bsen quite equal to those oi ! Messrs M'Gill, who are supposed, to have come > upon quartz of a payable nature, and it is the intention of Mf M'Gill to have a battery erected almost immediately." Tbe Southland News says :— " One of the most remarkable developments of the s minipg industry is that of the drclge. Its possibilities were thought of many years ago, but its practical application was at tirst unsuccessful. The early j dredges were clumsy and comparatively ineffec- ■ tive, but of late years great improvements have been made, and dredges ai c now at work in vaiious parts' of Otago with almost invariably profitable le&ults. That their use may be extended to the " Southland district is considered not only probable ; but, as ivcent experience teaches, possible. The ' - f xact point at which to begin operations to the j best advantage is obviously the first consideration. , To this! end Mr "Alec. S*ngster has for some time I applied himself, with the result of evolving a pros- J peefcing dredge by means' of which the value of \ river drift at any depth of water, or force" of j current may be ascertained. Taking the ordinary j oyster dredge as his type he has added to the scoop ; a set of steel teeth fitted in .such wise as to ' grab ' [ anything they come in • contact with and lift the ; same into 'the bag. With the aid of a portable crane and winch and a boat to carry out the 'goldfirider,' it is claimed that the auriferous prospects of any river may be approximated with' sufficient certainty to warrant the investment of capital. A practical test of the appliance was made by Mr Sangster the other morning off the head of the wharf, Messrs West and Methven ass-isting, ihe , first haul proved conclusively the gripping power of the dredge, which came up filled to the biiui with the alluvium of the river. It had evidently not merely scratched the surface, but dug down into the deposit to ths depth of its teeth— in short, taking a bite out of the plac > where it was lowered. Mr FSangster has registered his invention, and invites all whom it may concern to inspect the working model at his workshop at Mvertoß, adjacent to the Commercial Hotel. A strong recomtnehdation of the 'gold-finder' is that for prospecting by a party of two the dredge does not cost more than five or six pounds." An Invercarglll telegram says :—": — " A cake of 171oz was obtained from the Morning Star mine for three weeks' work." • • The secretary of the Duuedin Stock Exchange is iv receipt- of advice from Reef too. ..that a reef has been stiuck in the No. 1 level of the Keep-it-Dark Company showing a solid body of stone, with gold visible. - Tho return for the Buller dredge for three daya last week was 16Joz gold. The Duuedin Gold Dredging Company obtained 13J02 gold for live days' dredging last week. Mr Reeves reports a return from the Enterprise died^e of £ooz 14dwt 12gr of gold for this week." The Jutland Wat (Waipori) Gold Mining Company obtained 40oz 12d\vt for 136 hours' dredging last weelr._ ' \ Mr .Tabez Burton reports that the Ettrick dredge washed up for the week ending Saturday, 2nd I iust., 21oz gold.