NOTES FROM WAKATIPU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 20

NOTES FROM WAKATIPU.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

ARROWTOWN, June 3.

THE MACETOWN REEFS.

The Glenrock Company during last month (May) crushed 325 tons of quartz, obtaining 1 2200z of smelted gold. This yield leaves a very handsome surplus over and above working expenses to be remitted to London for dividends. What, however, is of even more importance than this pleasing sensation of dividends is the fact that the May cake proves that the gold in this mine, which has now been traced considerably over 2000 ft into the bowels of the earth, does not give out in depth. On the contrary, Mr W. Patton, the mine manager, reports that the general appearance of the mine gives good hopes of fair returns for some time to come.

In these days of dredging excitement it is scarcely the time to moralise upon the prospects and" capabilities of lode mining in Otago, Kit it may be as well to place such facts as the above upon record for future use, when the time sliall have -come in which the millions of pounds sterling now dredged from their hiding places are looking for investment. Messrs Williams and Partridge, the tributera of the Maryborough claim, are progressing favourablyj and meeting with very encouragintr prospects. SHOTOYEK.

Mining in this division of the Wakatipu is healthy and expanding, which is chiefly owing to Messrs Smith's new idea of applying the jet or suction pump to hydraulic lifting in sluicing work. One or two attempts having recently been made to belittle the invention or deprive Messrs Smith of the credit of being the flisC to apply the new method, a few words on the subject will not be out of place. Messrs Smith do not claim to have discovercaa new principle in hydrofctatics or hydraulics — they simply say that they were the first to apply the jet pump in their claim for lifting gravel, etc., from a lower to a higher level by a. cheaper and more efficient plant than any other now in existence. With them the idea was entirely original, nor, so far as ie known, was a similar attempt made by anybody else anywhere until after a description of the plant appeared in the "Witness about two years ago. Messrs Smith spent a considerable amount of money and timo in perfecting their appliance, and in view of the great service they have rendered the mining industry it would be extremely unfair and ungenerous to withold or stint the due mead of praise to which they aro so justly entitled.

Messrs Strakle and party have now nearly completed their suctiou plant, and will before long be ready to begin work in their claim. Mesbrs Collins and Company made a start with sinking their first paddock a week or two ago, and met, I hear, with very encouraging results. Their claim is known to contain a very large portion of entirely new ground that could not, previous to Messrs Smith's invention, be worked with any chance of success. Now, however, witli its aid it is almost sure to yield highly payable returns for a long time to come. The plant is an entirely new one and was specially designed for the claim.

The hydraulic pluicing claims working tha terraces upon the banks of the Shotover are all in a healthy state.

Messrs Davis Bros., who work upon a larger feale than perhaps any other party in Otago, have made considerable innovations in their sluicing claim at Stony Terrace, which will greatly assist in the economical working of the claim. The depth of the ground is about 250 ft, the whole body of which is sent down the tailrace into the Shotover. A free and ready get-away for the tailings is, therefore, a first want. This is met by a tailrace, 1700 ft long by 3ft wide. About 40 tons of steel mining rails, for gold-saving purposes and 12,000 ft of timber for the boxes are used. This, and the other necessary material, totted up to a cost of £700 without counting the labour. Hitherto the claim was worked by a main tailrace cutting through the centre of the claim, but a branch tailrace 100 ft long has now been completed, which will very much facilitate the discharge from the claim. Having already done a good deal of work towards the next clean-up, Messrs Davis Bros, look forward to a good return for the current year's work.

Mr Robert Johnson, at Pleasant Creek Terrace, is developing his claim more for the purpose of ascertaining its value and capabilities than- for any immediate returns. Although Pleasant Terrace has been worked since the earliest days of the district with truly sensational success, as witness Grace's famous claim, there are plenty of evidences proving the existence of other runs of gold that have never been touched. Air Johnson's present work is directed to proving the extent and depth of these runs preparatory to tapping them by a rock tunnel tailrace. The Londonderry Company, formed to VfosU

the terrace of that name, have been fighting great and numerous difficulties for a length of time. By dint of sheer pluck and perseverance the manager, Mr James Scott, has overcome most of the troubles the claim and^ company were beset with, so that things now work more smoothly and look hopeful. The chief want in this claim was a rock tunnel tailrace capable of dealing in an efficient manner with the wash containing the gold. This want is now being supplied, and in a few months' time a tailrace equal to all requirements, will be finished and prove to the shareholders the value of their property. As in so many other cases, so in this one, the impatience of shareholders came more than once near wrecking the company. In such circumstances the mine manager is entirely at the mercy of the directors and shareholders, whose sins and shortcomings are but too often heaped upon the manager as a convenient scapegoat. Messrs Aspinall, at Skippers Point, are still obtaining highly-paying returns from their claim, and though they may not rival those of the palmy days of the past, the yield is still one far above average mining earnings as times go. Messrs Monk and M'lnnes, who, I believe it is safe to say, obtained more gold than any other party of two men with a similar head of water from one claim in Otago, have just had a very satisfactory washing up, proving that their truly wonderful claim is not being exhausted. This claim lias now been working for about 37 years, and has yielded astonishng quantities of both fine, coarse, and nuggety gold. As is well known, the claim ie situated near the Sandhill, Upper Shotover, and is quite a unique mining property. Messrs Sainsbury and Son, whose claim as situated at Maori Point, famed for its richness since the early days of the rush, have gone to a very considerable amount of labour and expense to put their claim upon an efficient footing. Like most terrace claims upon the banks of the Shotover, there are deep runs of gold at the inner part of the terraces ; to work which' tunnel tailraces blasted through the solid rock at a sufficiently low level to tap them are required. Messrs Sainsi>ury have just completed a work of this kind, driving a rock tunnel 250 ft about 50ft below the bottom of Maori Point Terrace. This work will enable them to work a considerable portion of the terrace. They have now opened a paddock which shows promising indications of a handsome reward for the enterprising parly, who richly deserve to meet with more than average succe-sp. Moonlight No. 1 Company have washed up a small paddock, and after 11 weeks' work obtained 58oz 14dwts, a very satisfactory return for the few men employed. An additional supply of water is now being brought in, which will very materially assist in the future working of the claim.

ARROW FLAT.

The Arrow Flat Hydraulic Gold Mining Company are now making a start with work. Men are employed making tracks to the race -n course of construction for the haulage of pipes, for syphons, timber for fluming, and other heavy material, under the directions of \lr Taylor, the representative of the com- , ny, who is now upon the ground. Messrs A. •i.d'T. Burt, Dunedin, are the contractors for ('■e pipes and hydraulic appliances, and 1700 ft o'i syphon pipes are expected to arrive upon the ground in a few days. The mine manager selected by the directors is Mr James Martin, at present manager of the Mt. Pleasant claim, Roxburgh. Mr Martin has had 15 years' experience of hydraulic work. To settle "the trouble about the water question the directors have decided to buy out Mr J. Miller's prior right, of eight heads, so that the continuation of the water supply of the company not being up to requirements is definitely disposed of, as the company have now the sole right to the Roaring Billy stream, in quantity more than they^,are ever likely to require. The company are now upon a sound financial footing. All the money required for the completion of the work is either actually in hand or guaranteed, so {hat there need be no further hitch in the progress of the work.

DREDGING.

At the sitting of the Warden's Court at 'Arrowtown last Tuesday, no less than 40 mining applications wero. dealt with by Mr Warden M'Carthy. Of these 28 wjero dredging grants in some form or another. Applicalions foi prospecting areas cropped up in so lively a profusion as to arouse the suspicions of the Warden. Mr M'Carthy announced that in future no more prospecting areas would be granted in the Cardrona ~~ T alley, a fully justified' putting in of the peg. What dredging means in the sliapo of departmental office work may be seen by i lie fact that the Mines Department has yielded to representations made to increase the personnel of the Clerk of the Court Office by a cadet. This applies also to the Cromwell and Queenstown offices. Besides, Mr Warden x\l 'Car thy has the Mount Ida district hitched on to his own pretty extensive circuit. This is owing to the illness of Mr Warden Dalgeish, so that goldfield officers may lie said to see more of the revcrs-e of the niedal than of the shiny side.

Mentioning the niph to Cardrona as a dredging field, it is surprising to note how late in the day it comes. It is safe to say that there is not a more promising or safer dredging field in Otago than that porxion of the Cardrona Valjey which has now been pegged off and applied for. There- are two prime considerations in the success of dredging ventures. First is the facility of working the ground, and the second is its richness. In both respects the Cardrona has a good account to give of itself, and it will not be long after the first dredge has started work that this will be plainly shown. In a future article the capabilities of the Cardrona Valley as a dredging field will be fully discussed.

In the meantime it may be mentioned that two dredges have been designed or are in the hands of contractors for the Cardrona in accordance with recent boring operations. One of these dredges for the Cardrona No. 1 Company has been actually commenced ; a second dredge for Cardrona No. 2 Company is being contracted for ; and it is also contemplated to shift the Victoria Bridge dredge from the Kawarau to a claim on the Cardrona. Other claim-holders are following suit with pushing on preliminaries as fast as possible, and before long the Cardrona will De a busy scene of activity and bustle.

On the Shotover river Mr R. Cotter has located a claim joining the Talisman ground and extending to the lower Shotover bridge. This should be a good venture, as gold has been found and worked upon both banks of the river.