WORKING PLAN FOR RIVER, DREDGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 18

WORKING PLAN FOR RIVER, DREDGES.

Say the claim was surveyed into sections " of one chain each, as on the chart, each chain numbered from the bottom of the claim up. The manager could in his report each week say, " Working in seventh chain," or tenth chain, as the casa might be. | This would in many caFes prevent poor and ' weak shareholders from being frightened into , selling their interest by false reports, pre- i | sumably started in the street, but very often , emanating from much higher places. j Many of our dredging men aay the industry does not lend itself readily to manipulation of this sort, and on most of the fiat claims this is certainly correct ; but there are some known instances where the running of dredges on poor ground until the bulk of the shares were , in Iho proper hands has occurred which ' would put the most brazen reefing swindler | to the blush. j It might be worth mentioning that even when ground is worked onco, the claim can hardly be called worked out, as moat dredgemasterß admit that they are losing a j large percentage of the gold raised ; and I ! i have it from a well-known gold saving exI pert who has given a good deal of attention ;• to the matter on various up-to-date dredges, 1 that so far as he could discern, almost as good > prospects were obtainable from the elevator buckets as from the virgin wash taken from ! the ladder buckets themselves. So that with i improved saving appliances the principal rivers must have a new lease of life. — I am, etc., ! Bald Hill Flat, December 7. F. W. G. i ffotes from I.yelJ. | (FfiOM OUB OWN eJoSRESPONDENT.) December 22. The Mine Manager of the Alpine mine reports as follows :■■ — Stoping has been continued at the back of No. 11 level north extension. Tho reef is from 3ft to sft wide. Stoping is also progressing above the south extension on a reef from 2ft to 4ft in width. Work has been continued in the stopes above the intermediate between Nos. 10 and 11 levels. - The reef is from lft to 2ft wide, and of fair quality. Stone is also being won from a branch reef -in No. 10 level, the wfdth of stone being 4ft. A little work has been done in the rise above- the , sfcopes in No. 10 level. There is still 4ft of atone in the riae. The winze in the north end of No. 10 level has been -sunk a -further depth of 10ft, making a total depth of- 29ft. A new make of stone of better quality was strunk on Saturday, and has been carried down together [ with tho regular reef in the footwall. The ! new make is striking away to the north, and i is keeping well into the hanging wall of the [ stone upon which the winza is being sunk. I i am endeavouring to follow both bodies. Th 3 ! No. 7 level has been repaired 1 for- a distance of i 36ft. We are keeping the new drive in the ' ! footwall, and are following a small -reef from i j lft to 2ffc wide. Stone 'is being- sarved". The j quantity of quartz sent to the battery is 210 ! tons. The return for three weeks is 105o<s gold from 580 tons of stone: • • - • I Notes from Reef ton. , (Fxou Oxra Own Cobrkspondbnt.) December 19. The dredgemaster. of the Consolidated dredge reports having cleaned up on Saturday last, with, a result of 22dz 17dwt lSgr of gold for 200 hours. Operations during the week have ' been much hampered owing to the floods. The greater part of that time was occupied in reopeuing the face and clearing the drift de- ( posited in it. 1

• peared for the plaintiff, and Mr Inder for defendants. Mr Inder raised, the preliminary paint that seeing plaintiff was claiming for -damages to a freehold and for an injunction, a question j of title to land was involved. He further con- , tended, that as the defendant company was nofc the holder of a raining privilege under the I Mining Act, but was carryiaj; on mining operas tions on its own freehold, in either case tha > Warden's Court had no jurisdiction, and the I action must be brought in the Supreme Courts, Mr Bowler having replied, The Warden gave judgment in the following terms :-—" Upon the facts set forth in the complaint and admitted that the defendant company is the owner in fee simple of the land i upon which it is engaged in mining operations i without any right, title, ot license authorisingI it so to be engaged but only by virtue of its biuug the possessor of the same land, tha I warden has not jurisdiction to hear the plaint! by the plaintiff— a neighbouring freeholder, who holds a miner's right— no more than he , would have if the defendant company caused. I J£i vr y by any industrial pursuit— that is, ; The fact of the mining for gold on freehold 1 does not of itself confer jurisdiction. More-over,-after-reading the ohiter dictum of Mr Justice Williams in. the case of M'Millan r. Great Extended Sluicing Company (IV, N.Z.L.R., section 381) in which he says : 'I do not think the warden has jurisdiction,' I con.- , tend this should have weight in deciding tha point raised as to the jurisdiction of the Wat- • den's Court in this case. lam of opinion that I a 'question has been raised involving title to | land between two parties whose dispute does I not conic within the operation of the Mining I Acts, and for these reasons the jurisdiction ia declined." The question of costs was deferred, and. the warden consented to State a case for the opinion, of the Supreme Court. — Mataura Ensign. DELAYED RETURNS. TO THE KDITCin. Sir, — From to-day's (Thursday) issue of the Otago Daily Times I find that the Galtee More's wash-up for last week was 12oz, and that the Nil Desperanduni's return was 15oz. Perhaps Mr Ryan, of Alexandra, who is the secretary, for both the above-mentioned companies, will kindly "explain why these returns were not pub' lished earlier. — I am, etc., Dunedin, December 21. Day Shut. THE OTAGO SCHOOL OF MINES. ' TO THE BDITOB. Sib, — While admitting the .truth of your statements that the School of i Minea is a useful institution, and that ' the character of its work is excelI lent, I should like to point out one or two r little discrepancies in the annual report by i the director, and in your discussion of it ia j last week's number of the Witnesa. It is 1 there said " that a diploma from our School ! of Mines is accepted outside New Zealand j as a guarantee of sound training- on. the part ; of the holder, and, that being so, it mnsfc be agreed within the colony that the money voted by Parliament for the School of Mine* is well spent." This strikes one as rather incongruous. Parliament votes an annual sum to train students to a certain profession, and then, by one of its own enactments, debars them from obtaining employment in their own colony. Our money is thus being spent to benefit the other colonies, to which these men are driven to offer their services. The New Zealand Governinenl examination, ' for a mine manager's certificate is ridiculously simple, as compared with the four seta of annual examinations which have to be passed , to entitle a student to the diploma of the ' School of Mines. Yet he must pass thift Qo-

Yernment examination, at great personal inbonvenience and expense — an examination .which a simple session's attendance at the school would fit him for. Again,' at the School of Mine 3is a battery, .which cost a considerable sum of money (assisted by Government grant), and the curriculum of the course, as set put in the university calendar, includes efficient instruction in the working and management of this bat' tery. It surely can't be the knowledge that this battery— owing to mismanagement at the beginning and exorbitant charges at the .present time — only works about one week in each session, that causes the Government to ■hold another examination for a battery manager's certificate. These restrictions do not hold in the other colonies, and hence^most of our best students seek employment there. Another unsatisfactory point, which is touched on lightly in the report, is the practical work of the course. Otago is the acknowledged seat of gold dredging in the world, and yet our School of Mines does not recognise any practical work done on dredges by its students. Thus, unle3s students have sufficient means to study this important branch of gold mining independently, they are cut off from all knowledge of it. So we have the anomaly, that when the students, ■whom we are so carefully educating for Australia and South Africa, apply for work in those colonies they have to admit that they know nothing about gold dredging ! The director in his report deplores the fact that there is a difficulty in obtaining practical work- diiring the summer months ; yet it is a notorious fact amongst the students themselves that the director does net make, and never lias made, any attempt to obtain employment for them. This is exceedingly discouraging to those of the students who have not sufficient private influence to obtain work, as the regulations regarding the practical part ; of the course are rigorously enforced, and rightly so, by the director. Yet one cannot help thinking that he certainly, by Ills influence amongst mine managers, could overcome this difficulty for at least some of the students. — I am, etc., A. 0. S. M.

OTAGO GOLD PROSPECTING ASSOCIATION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Some time ago I took up some shares in a company called " The Otago Gold Prospecting, Dredging, and Mining Association." As it is fully five months ago, and I have not been called upon to attend any meeting of j shareholders, can you tell me if the association is still in existence or is it defunct, as I hs.\e not had any notice of statutory meeting of shareholders? As I have not heard a word since the company was formed, I would be glad if you could throw some light on the eubject. — I am, etc., Twice Shy. [From inquiry, we are informed by Mr George Noill that the statutory meeting of the Otago Gold Prospecting, Dredging, a»d Mining Association was held on the I(Jth November, and that all shareholders were notified that the meeting would take place. The association is in active operation at the present time, having acquired six properties on the West Coast, and prospecting with their cylindrical plant is at present being made on a number of other properties down south. The names o{ the directors, olrendy, said to have nppeared in this paoer, aTo Messrs C. G. V. Leijou, 11. S. Valentine, and D. Ferguson.— Ed. O.D.T.] BEPORTS FROM WORKING DREDGES. The Enterprise Gold Dredging Company ■washed up on Thursday for a return of 28oz lGdwfc IBgr uf gold for 90 hours' work. The dredge is now clo-ied down for the holidays. The Hartley and Riley Beach Dredging Company (Limited) washed up yesterday for a return of 570s Sdwt of gold for a week's dredging. The. secretary of the Inch Valley Gold Dredging Company reports a return of 330z for 132 hours. The Chatto Creak report a return of Boz for three days' work. This dredge has stopped in crder to get a new tumbler in position. The piot,pects are improving, and when repairs arc completed the manager expects the reuirns to look up again. "" The Golden Point Company, owing to the unavoidable absence of the dredgemuster, wiil not wash up till the beginning of next week. , The yield of the Chicago dredge for last week was 30oz. The return from ihp Molyneux Hydraulic dredge last week was lioz, «nd that from the "Unity dredge for 30 hours ivas 7cz. DUNEDIN STOCK EXCHANGE. Sales took place on the 20th at the following premiums: — Arrow Junction 2s 9d, Bendigo 7s, Blue Duck Is 6d, Is 9d, and Is Gd, Boundary Creek 4s and 4s l}d, Central Electric 535, Dunstan Lead Ids Gd, Earnscleugh No. 3 2s 3d, Electric Extended 7s 9d and Bs, Endeavour 5s 3d, Galvanic 5s 3d, Gentle Annie 3s 9d and 4b 3d, Gibbston 9d, Gd, and 9d, Gold Queen 15s 6d, Golden Gravel Is 9d, Great Central 6s, Grey River Consolidated Gd, Halfway House 12s Gd, Kawarau Bridge par, Metallic Is 3d, Monte Christo 6s 6d, Old Dunston 2s Gd, Richards's Beach 9s 3d, River Molyneux 5s 9d, "Roxburgh Jubilee 6s 9d and 6s, Royal Maori 3s, 2s 9d, 2s 6d, and 2s 9d, Sixteen-mile Beach 2s Gd, Vincent Extended 10s Cd. Sales were also made at the following prices: — First Chance" (paid up) 22s 6d and 23s Gd, Golden Point 34s 9d, Hartley and Riley 1853 and 186s, Magnetic 64s and 655, Vincent 41s and 425. Sales were made on Thursday at the following premiums: — Alpine No. 2, 12s 3d and 12s 9d; Bendigo, 7s; Blue Duck, Is 3d; Central Electric, 54s 3d; Electric Extended, 8s 3d; Excelsior, 2s Gd ; First Chance, 9s 9d and 9s Cd; Fraser Flat, Is 9d; Golden Bed, 9d; Golden Reward, Gd; Golden River, 3s 9d and Is lOd ; Kelly and Casey, 4s 3d and 4s 6d ; Leaning Rock, 9d and Is ; Moa Flat, 4s and 4s 3d ; Old Dunstan, 2s Gd and 2s 9d; Richards's 'Beach, 9s 3d ; River Molyneux, 5s 6d and 5s 9d ; Roxburgh Jubilee, 6s 6d, 6s 3d, and 6s 6d ; Royal Maori, 3s 3d; Sailors' Bend, 235; Taton's Cardrona, 3d; "Vincent Extended, 9s. Sales also took place at the following prices: — Golden Beach, 525; Klondyke, 28s 6d; MagEetic, 655, 65s 6d, and 64s 6d. Salejj were made yesterday at the following premiums: — Ahaura River, Gd ; Alpine Consols, 14s 3d ; Bendigo, 6s 9d ; Boundary Creek, 4s 4Jd and 4s Gd ; Central Electric, 60s ; Dunstan Lead, li^ 9d; Earnscleugh No. 3, 3s 6d; Electric Extended, 9s 9d; Endeavour, 5s 9d ; Erickson's Reward, Is 6d ; Gentle Annie, 3s 9d; Golden Elbow, 9d; Kelly and Casey, 4s 6d an* 4s 9d ; Old Dunstan, 2s 9d ; Sailors' JJend, 245; Sixteen-mile Beach, 2s 3d; Upper Magnetic, Gs 6d, 7s 6d, Bs, and 9s Gd. Sales also took place at the following prices: — First Chance (paid), 25s 6d; Hartley and Riley, 185s; [Vincent, 435. OTAGO STOCK EXCHANGE. Sales were recorded on the 20th at the following premiums: — Electric Extended, 7s Gel; Gentle Annie, 3s 6d ; Golden Reward, Is ; Great •Ct-ntral, Gs 6d; Leaning Rock, 10id; Monte IChristo, 6s 3d; Richards's Beach, 9s 3d. Sales were effected on Thursday at the following premiums :— Boundary Creek, 4s 9d; Caridrona No. 1, par; Central Electric, 555; Electric Extended, 8s 3d; Gibbstou, 6d; Halfway llquse^ *2s 6di Kelt* pad, Casey* 4s lid, is 3d,

4s 2d, and 4s 3d; Leaning Rock, 7Jd and 9d; Moa Flat, 4s 6d; Old Dunstan, 2s 7Jd; Sixteenmile Beach, 2s 6d. Sales were also made at the following prices : — Hartley and Eiley, 182s ; Tuapeka, 33s 9d; Vincent, 425. Sales were made yesterday at the following premiums: — Electric Extended, 8s 4Jd and 8s" Cd ; Great Central, 6s 4Ad and 6s 6d ; Leaning Rock, 9d and lOJd; Moa'Fiat, 4a 3d; Old Dunsfnn, 3s; Richards' s Beach, 9a 6d. Sales were also made at the following prices: — Magnetic. 65s 6d; Vincent, 41s 6d and 425; AVaimumu, 265. THE WEEK'S DREDGING RETURNS. Curing the week ended Monday, 25th inst., returns were reported from the following 15 dredges, the total yield being 3910z 9dwt, or an

average 01 'j.boz -per areage: — Oz. Dt. Gr. Golden Gatp, 3 aland Block .. 59 11 0 Hartley and J\iley, Croniwell . . 57 8 i Manorburn, Manuherikia 51 10 0 Inch Valley, near Palmerston (132 hours) 33 0 0 Enterprise, Alexandra (94 hours).. 28 16 18 Tuapeka, Tuapeka Flat (122 hours) 26 JO 0 Success, Waipori (127 hours) ..26 1 6 Dunedin, Miller's Plat (4 days) . . 25 0 0 Mplyneux Hydraulic, Alexandra. . . 21 0 0 Ni! Desperandum, Manuherikia .. 17 16 0 Sunlight, Beaumont (140 hours) ..11 5 0 Galtee More, Manuherikia, . . . . 10 0 0 Morning Star, Manuherikia.. .. 9 7 0 Chatto Creek, Manuherikia (3 days) 8 0 0 Ettrick, Hoa Flat (4 days) . . .. 6 5 0 Total 391 9 0