Notes from Wakatinu.

Otago Witness, 25 January 1900, Page 21

Notes from Wakatinu.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

ARROWTOWN, January 20.— Now that the holidays, races, and all other diversions of the season are over, people generally, and the miners amongst the rest, are once more settling down to regular work. The scarcity of water is making itself felt, however, earlier than usual, and a number of sluicers are reduced to half-time work, or even complete idleness. DREDGING. We are now within coo-ec of actual work being started as the resxilt of the recent dredging impetus. The company alluded to is the Rolling Stone Company, Cardrona, which, I believe, may be described as a private concern to all intents and purposes. The dredge, which is an entirely new one, is expected to be at work about the end of the present, or early next, month. As it will be the first dredge testing ths value and the dredgability of the Cardrona drifts, much inteiest is attached to the results obtained. Although the ground was thoroughly tested -by boring, and prospects were obtained exceeding expectations in their richness, it still remains for a practical test to confirm the promises held out by the boring. One of the newest additions of the dredging ventures in this district is the Horseshoe Bend Company, Kawarau. During the first rush to this river, just ten years ago, a dredge working on the ground, demonstrated the fact that the ground was easily dredgable, and that the gold was there in paying quantities. The risks of this company are, therefore, dependent only upon the extent of the payable ground. The Arthur's Point Company, which has set itself solving the payability of the oiu Big Beach Sew How claim by modern dredging improvements, and by going down to the main bottom, is about to make a start with building ths pontoons. The Dart River Amalgamated Prospecting Company is stated to have completed arrangements with .Messrs A. and T. Burt for the building of a dredge at once, and two additional ones in case the first proves the ground payable. The other dredges building upon the Kawarau are making progress at a rather slow rate. These dredges are the Kawarau Bridge, the Metallic, and the Galvanic. QUARTZ MINING. The G-lenrock Company, Macetown, in putting through the cyanide vats 22% tons of concentrates, obtained 168oz 3dwt sgrs of bullion (smelted gold). This is a high average, and adds a considerable quotum to the value of the quartz taken at its batteiy returns.- The cyanide works at this company's mine have recovered, at a rough calculation, about lOOOoz of gold, the original cost of the plant being somewhat short of £500. The gold saved by this process gives a key to the losses, or rather waste, of the past, a waste eveiybody wa3 perfectly aware 7 of at the time. If the truth were told, it would be found that in more instances than one crushing machine sites were chosen at points wheie there were no opportunities for stacking the sand from the batteries, so as to have no tell-tale tailings upon the premises. In this manner a great deal of gold and quicksilver was sent down the creeks, a very small portion of which was recovered by subsequent cleaning up of the creek beds. Mr W. Patton, the mine manager, reports that the quartz in the mine continued in very narrow bands, and, up to the present, there are no signs of th •> quartz widening out. The Shotover Quartz Mining Company have now pushed ahead the low level adit 927 ft, proving that one wall 01 the formation continues into the hill, which, of course, is a promising feature. Small quartz leaders are also showing in the face, which goes to encourage the hope that a change for the better is perhaps not far off. The 48 tons of stuff crushed a little while ago gave 21oz ldwt retorted gold. SLUICING. The Arrow Flat Hydraulic Company are now putting their pressure pipes intc position, and in a week or two at most a start with actual wor* at the claim will be made. As with every new race of the length and capacity of that of this company, there will always be some little trouble until ihe water is delivered at the claim without some interruption from slips and breakages of the race. But as the next ensuing three or four months are the driest of the year, it may be taken for granted that by the time winter is upon us again the race will be in proper working order, causing no further bother. Good progress is being made with the Moonlight No. 2 race, and if the present rate of advancement is kept up, things ought to be in ship-shape order before the coming winter.