the week's mimmj news.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 20

the week's mimmj news.

Ah Auckland telegram states that the Waitekauri Company crushed 1938 tons for gold valued at £5629, the total to date being £169,920. Tho Waiotahi Company (Thames) crushed 80 tons for gold valued at £363. The Great Mercury Company, Kuaotunu crushed 150 tons for gold valued at £299. This company is to be refloated into a local one. Mr Reeves received a letter on the sth from the dredgemaster of the Sunlight dredge informing him that he had succeeded in safely floating the dredge down the river to the company's claim at the Beaumont, and that he hoped soon to make a start dredging. The directors of the Shotover Quartz Mining Company have made a call of 2d per share, payable on .the 12th inst. • The Mount Ida Chronicle reports: Arrangements have been made for placing a firstclass up-to-date dredge-, to cost about £6000, on the Church Flat claim of Messrs M. and J. Brown, Kyvburn. The buckets will have a capacity of 'sft. Tho capital has been privately subscribed. The undertaking has nothing but good wishes from the friends of dredging in thia district. Mr E. Roberts is tho consulting engineer.

Ihe dredge is being fitted with boxes to Jake tho place of screen and tables. It is hoped by this chango to save a much larger proportion of the gold than by the ordinary screen nnd tables. '

The opening of the Galtee More dredge took place on the 6th insk, and everything went off splendidly. Mies Kelman performed the christening. The dredge worked well, and great credit is due to the contractor (Mr E. Knewstubb) for the way he carried out his contract, finishing exactly on the last day. The dredge started on Saturday, and has been working steadily ever since. They have dredged through the dam, and aro now dredging about 12ft deep, but there is no sign of bottom yet. — Dunstan Times.

The Serpentine correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle writes : —There has been great stir in mining here of late. M'Donald and Parker have sold the third of the four shares in their mining venture for the sum of £100, and are going to retain the fourth as a sleeping share. A race is to be cut from the Taieri to work the ground. There are several parties working what we call the Taieri Basin, about four miles above the falls. About this basin in small parts occurs quartz wash with fair prospects for sluicing. Other parties have parted with their property; some for over £100. One of thjs purchasing parties hails from about Waitahuna. Barry Diamond and two mates are going to put an elevating plant at German Jack's, nnd have bought a water-raco from Mrs Edmond. They hope to have the plant ready for work in the spring. Its coat before it is ready for work, they tell me, will bo about JE3oo.— "Wilson and his mate have bought Lennon's property, and are putting up a new hut and making other preparations for a- start. People have said that the Serpentine is worked out, but these and other facts seem to indicate that it is only now making a proper start. The old hands are busy when they have a drop of water, but I must say that they were not favoured with much of the rain that recently fell in other places. At a meeting of directors of tha Golden Gate

Company, held at Miller's Flat, a dividend of 3s was declared, and a substantial sum set aside for a reserve fund. — The Success Dredging Company declared a dividend of Is on Wednesday night. — Tuapeka Times. An Auckland telegram states that the Waihi-Silverton Company crushed 1000 tons for a return valued at £1521. Shotover Quartz Mining Co. (No Liability). — Mr S. E. Brent supplies the following extract from the mine manager" 3 report: During last week the machine level has been extended lift, making the total length 621 ft. A length of 25ft of open ground was timbered also during the week. Up to the last 3ft driven the formation retained its character, and also had ! several leaders of good-looking quartz in it; |-but this has now given way to a more unfavourable bar of ground. • j The, following telegram from Lyell concerning the Alpino mine has been received by Mr Trythall: — "Reef struck in No. 11 level north, sft thick, 70ft south of the north winze. Payable gold." The Mount Benger Mail says: Mr E. Cutten, C.E., arrived in Roxburgh on Thurs-i-day evening, accompanied by two Russian gentlemen, representatives of the Russian Government. Their mission is to get a thorough insight into the working of dredges, of which onß has been built for the Russian Government by Messrs A. and T. Burt, to the designs of Mr Cutten."