THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2402, 15 March 1900, Page 20

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

A case affecting mining interests and the

conflicting decisions thereon of Warden's

Courts, came before his Honor Mr Jtistice Williams in Banco on Thursday, and judgment was delivered thereon. The question remitted to the court was whether, under "The Mining Act, 1£91" (there is new

legislation applicable to more recent 1 licenses), a of mining property is liable for rent, ire&peclive of actual

occupation. . Mr Warden Stratford has given a decision affirming, and Mr Warden Hawkins and Mr Warden M'Cacthy decisions denying, sucfi. liability. The decision of the Supreme Court yesterday was that the licensee, under the act of 1891, is not liable for rent irrespective of actual occupation. This decision, affects a considerable number of licenses, but new legislation provides that '' rent shall be payable during the term of the. license," and of course the judgment has no application lo licenses taken out after the passage of tne later act.

Mr D. Leslie, secretary of the Garibaldi Gold Diedging Company (Limited) reports that Mr E. Roberts, consulting engineer for the company, has forwarded the plans for the pontoons

lo Greymouth, where tenders are to be called

[or their construction, and that the engine and Ninck have been ordered; also that plans for the remainder of the machinery are well in hand, and will be ready in a short time. The statutory meeting of the Diggers' Pride G-old Dredging Company (Limited) was held at the Dunedin Stock Exchange on Thursday evening, and there were about 20 shareholders. present. Messrs T. R.

Christie, R. Bentham, E. Ackroyd, J. Barton, and J. H. Chapman were appointed directoi-3, and Mr J. A. Hopcraft auditor. Excellent reports of Ihe claim held by the company were given by two or three shareholders who had made a personal inspection lately. Mr S. N. Brown, the broker for Lafranchi's Fieehold Dredging Company, Cardrona, reports its successful flotation. The share list is a widespread and influential one, and, after the meeting for allotment of shores, active steiDS will be taken to put an up-to-date dredge on th.3 claim. Meanwhile the ground can be profitably worked with the plant already existing if' the directors of the company so determine. In Friday's O. D. Times the prospectus of the Great Woodstock Gold Dredging Co., Hokitika River, is published. The reports go to show that the property is a valuable one. The brokers are Messrs Hamilton and M'Kerrow and Messrs Quick and Smith. The brokers of the Kiinberley Dredging Company inform us that over 1200 of the shares have been taken up in Alexandra alone. In addition to this the vendors are taking up a large number ot contributing shares. The list s expected to be closed in a few days. The first statutory meeting of shareholders of the Manorburn Lead Dredging Company (Limited) was held at Wood's Private Hotel "Dn the 7th, when there was a very fair attendance. The following directors were appointed: Klessrs L. Gards, John Wright, Hugh Adam, L A. Law, and William Wood. Mr H. R. yaw was appointed auditor. The^Secretary of the Shotover Quartz Mining Company supplies the- following extract from the mine manager's report: — "Machine level extended 4ft for week;— total length, 967 ft. Very little change in formation ; crushing resumed." - An Auckland telegram states that the Whangamata Gold Corporation crushed 725 tons stone for a return valued at £1126. Our Arrowtown correspondent wires: — "The Rolling Stone Dredging Company, Cardrona, 'are now ready to make a start, and dredging is going to begin to-day (Tuesday). As this is the first dredging company to give the Cardrona El trial much interest is attached to its doings Rnd gettings." The statutory general meeting of shareholders

In the Waitahuna Gold Dredging Company [Limited) was held in the company's office, Lawrence, on Monday, the sth, a large number of shareholders being present and represented by proxy. The following gentlemen wer elected airecters:— Messrs Stokes.. Wilde, Aclama. Mar-

"tin, and Arbuckle, and Mr H. Leary auditor. At a meeting of directors, held after the general meeting, Mr J. C. Arbuckle was elected chairman of directors, and Mr George Morrison secretary. The Grey River Argus says: — "We are informed that the North Beach Gold Dredging Company has been floated and registered m Dunedin. The company has been formed to acquire and work by means of dredging a claim j near Lake Ryan, beyond Cobden — m foct, Lake I Ryan forms a part of the claim. Old residents wiU remember the rich returns obtained in this locality in tho early days of the Co.ast till the diggers were beaten by the wet nature of the ground. During recent years en attempt was made by -Mr Joseph Taylor to york a portion of the claim which has been acquired by the company. Mr Taylor engaged a ' Priestman Grab machine, and duri-ig the peiiod j of his operations, which extended over three years, he obtained close on ,26000 worth of gold. The quantity treated by Mr Taylor's process could be dealt with in a couple of i months by means of the new system of dredging, and as there is a large area of similar ground available, the new company will pro- ! bably reap a rich harvest when dredging operai tions commence. The coinpauy was floated by i Messrs Harman Reeves and Co., in conjunction | with Messrs Cray and Co., of Greymouth, and nearly 2000 contributing share's hive been st:b- , sciibed for locally. It is very satisfno ory to i notice the progress of the dredging ircliistiy ■ in this district, and such claims as the one } referred to will surely serve to revive the piost'perity of Greymouth. J The statutory meeting of the Trafalgar Gold Dredging Company was held in Messrs Sligo ' Bros, office on Tuesday night, when the followj ing directors were elected: — Messrs E. Ackrovd, Fred Aithur, W. R. Frost, G. M. Mnrshiill," J. H. NimmOj and Dunn (AheuraJ. The Chairman reported that Mr Roberts had tho pl.ms of the dredge well in hand. An Auckland telegram tays : — "During the four weeks ending the 2ith February, the Waitekauri Gold Mining Company crushed 2055 tons of ore for a return of bullion valued at £6271. The tributeis in the ICuranui-Cale-donian Company treated 31 loads of ore and 1661b of picked stone for a return ci bullion valued a,t £605. The Hikutaia Gold SyndicaLe I crushed 69G tons of ore for a yield of bullion valued at £230. The East Tokatea- tributers have completed crushing- four and a-half tons of general, ore for the fairly satisfactorj' leturn j of 38oz melted gold of the value of ,£IOO. j Twenty tons ore from the Golden Pa mine was , crushed for a return of gold valued at jCIOO. ! The Royal Oak Gold Mining Company treated ' 103 tons of stone during the month fo" ISoz. Tho return from tho Hauraki Gold Mining i Company shows that duiir.g the month 150 | tons of quartz was crushed, and • 1611b stone ; treated for a return of -1320z, valued at £3344. I Information has been received that the negotiations for the amalgamation of the Talisman and Talisman Extended Companies linve been suspended for the present. As indicating that some of the mining claims at Orepuki arc paying handsomely, it might be mentioned that one which washed up recently produced £1200 worth of gold for about 12 weeks' work. The directors of the Clyde Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the twentieth) of Is per share, payable on Saturday. ! The Dredgemaster of the Waimuruu Gold Dredging Company reports : — " Uniform clean wash eight chains long, 14ft deep; month's good returns in sight." Messrs Sievwright Bros, and Co. report the successful flotation of the Point dOr Gold Dredging Company (Limited) witb a capital of j £12,200. The list was closed in a few hours, several thousand shares having to be refused. j The company's claim adjoins those of the Royal I Maori and Rise and Shine claims, and is highly reported on by Messrs Kitto (Magiieiac dredgemaster), William Raiikin, John Hayes, and F. -W. Payne. The statutory meeting of the Roxburgh Lead Gold Dredging Company (Limited) was held , on Tuesday, 6th inst., when Messrs H. Adam, ; D. J. Bews, T. K. Harty, C. F. Sundstrom, and ' David Cormack were appointed directors, and Messrs Barr, Leary, and Co. auditors to the company. Mr John Davie, secretary of the Alexandra Bonanza Gold Dredging and Sluicing Company (Limited) reports that the work of race cutting i on the lower terraces is being gone on with, ' and the engineer and staff leave Dunedin this week to make a more detailed survey and pie- ! pare specifications in connection with the dam , and water races preparatory to calling for ten- ! dei-3 for the vigorous prosecution of the work, j which will be put in hand at the earliest opI portunity, and, when finished, the water (J.O heads) will be used for stripping off the top stuff, leaving only the wash to be treated by the dredge when built. Negotiations have been completed with Mr Job Otborne, the wellknown borer and sinker of Canterbury, to thoroughly bore the basin portion of the claim with the view of ascertaining the exact depth of bottom, where it is impossible to get it otherwise owing to the water resting there, after which the first dredge will be at once begun. Mr Osborne's head man and boring plant are now in the North Island, but will be despatched as soon as practicable to the claim and operations commenced. A party of j three English gentlemen, who lately i toured the goldfields, have applied for i 2000 shares of the new issue, after having thoroughly satisfied themselves by reports and otherwise of the value of the claims and waterrights held by the company. Mr Edward Trythall, broker for the Bucklerburn Gold Dredging Company (Limited) reports that the shares are subscribed, and that at a meeting of provisional directors, held on the xSth, the shares were allotted. I A meeting of the directors of the Smith's Cieok and Bannockburn Deep Lead Gold Dredging- Company (Limited) was held on Tuesday, 16th, at the office of the secretary (Mr.R. T. Wheeler, jun ). The engineer, Mr F. W. Payne, r was in attendance, and, submitted tenders for ! the construction of a dredge, which were accepted. The ladder and buckets, machinery and boiler, and gold-saving tables were entrusted to Mr J. Sparrow, the Otago Foundry securing the winches. The main engine and ' winch engines were ordered from Messrs Marshall and Sons, through the local representative, Mr Manning. The order for wire ropes has been placed with Mes3is Thomson, Bridger, and Co. The time for the above contracts»is seven months. No fewer than five .dredges are at present working on the Waikaka, and it is believed that they are all yielding very satisfactory retx;rns, TJie Waikaka Queen x^ontoon wiU tq

ready to launch in about 10 days, and two otheis are in the slocks. The machmeiy for the Folks, United, and Paterson's dredges is aii'iving on the giound, and a few months will make the Waikaka as busy as the Molyneux. The pontoon for the Gleniti Gold Dredging Company was successfully launched at "Waikaka last week. Mr G. Stevenson is the contractor for shifting the pontoon from Roxburgh and rebuilding it, and Mr R. Ritchie is the contractor for caulking and launcnmg the pontoon. — Southern Standard.

A combined meeting of the directors of the Golden Gravel and Golden Reward Dredging claims was held in Messrs J. J. Ramsay and Co 's offices on Friday. Mr Crossan, who had interviewed Mr Stevenson, of Messrs Stevenson and Pcole, the contractors, reported that the contractors stated that the timber for the pontoons would be on the claims within tho next 10 days, and that all dredging machinery was ordered. Mr Stevenson expected to be oble to complete them by the end of August, but for a certainty they would both be in full working oider before the end of this year. The statutory meeting of tho shareholders in the Watterson's Consols Gold Dredging Company was held in Messrs Shgo Bros', board rcom on Friday, there being a good attendance of shareholders. Mr A. S. Adams oresided. The following sentlpuien were elected directors:— Messrs A. S. Adams, E. Ackroyd, J. Cles?g, C. M. Marshall, and Captain Paterson. Tj'ig Chaiiman .slated thai prelimiuaiy steps had been tskwi towards getting v cired«e placed on the company's claim,':uid they hoped to accomplish this in an unusually short time. At a meeting of the provisional dheetois of Robertsons' Gold Dredging Company, G'ardrona, the broker (Mr J. C. Ponsonby) reported that the share list was -1000 over-subsenbr-d. The shares were duly allotted, and it was decided to call the statutory meeting without fuither d-elay. The Secretary repoited that ho had received a letter from Mr J. JSTevis Robert=on, who had been sent to Caidrona to see that the claim was all that it was represented in the prospectus, and he (Mr Robertson) reported most favourably Messrs Harman Reeves and Co. report the flotation of the Willoughby Cardrona Dredging Company with a capital of £6500. This com" pany ia formed to work about 30 acres on the Cardrona River, and ia in the vicinity o£ the well-known White Star end Rolling Stone claims. Over 2000 shares were applied for. in. the Cromwell- di.vtiict.

The engine and boiler (Huston and Proctor) for the Central" Electric Company was landed ex Rmigatira, and has gone forward to the claim.

At a meeting of the provisional directors of The North Beach Gold Dredging Company (Limited), held ;.l Messrs Reaves and Co.'s office, on Friday, shares were allotted, and the .statutory meeting was fixed for Friday, 301k Maich. The whole of the contributing shares were applied for. Two thousand shares are held in Greynioulh.

The directors of the Paul's Beach Company have accepted the tender of the Dunedin Foundry Company for the machinery, to be completed in twelve month*. The Central Electric and Upper Magnetic Companies arc advertising for dredgemastcrs and engineers.

The noted Wet Lead, Karamea district, Westport, has been taken up as a dredging claim, and is now offered to the jiublic under the title of " The Miners' Lead Gold Dredging Company (Limited)," with a capital of £8600. The prospectus appears in our advertising columns. This claim was rushed in the early days, and sensational returns of gold were got by the miners working there, although they were unable to get below 10ft or lift with the appliances then in use owing to the heavy influx of water. The report attached to the prospectus will show what is thought of the claim by those in a position to judge. The Dunedin broker is Mr Edward Trythall, JSTo. 1 Bond street, Dunedin. The Table Hill Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company is the latest mining investment before the public, the prospectus of which appears in Friday's Daily Times. The property under offer is reported upon in high terms by well-known practical men. Ground worked in the immediate vicinity has yielded excellent results, and the property embraced in the claim under offer has been thoroughly prospected and proved. Mr S. N. Brown, is the broker, from whom, or the interim secretary (Mr G. C. Baker), prospectus and forms of application can be obtained.

In Friday's Daily Times appears for public infoimation only the abridged prospectus of the Woodstock Gold Dredging Company, the flotation of which is announced by Messrs Garrow and Stewart (Dunedin) and Messrs Paterson, Michel, and. Co. The company is formed to work, by di edging, two claims of proved richness, situated on the south side of the Hokitika River, opposite the famous Kanieri Flat, and aggregating in area 96 acres. The strong faith of the vendors in their property is clearly indicated, not only by their voluntarily debarring themselves from traffic in the vendors' shares until the dredge is at work, or the capital all paid up, but also by their having taken up two-thirds of the contributing shares. The public evinced such a stiong desire to obtain shares that several days before the prospectus was printed the brokers had received applications for four times the available number. Evidence of the dredgeable nature of the ground, and of ita richness, is furnished in the reports attached to the prospectus. Mr James Brown, Bond street, is the secretary of the company. The brokers of the Great Woodstock Gold Dredging Company inform us that 6500 shares have been applied for. Messrs J. J. Ramsay and Co. announce that they have admitted into partnership Mr Alex. Lindsay, of Invercargill. The Southland Times lefers to the matter as follows . — "Alex. Lindsay has become a partner in the firm of J. J. Ramsay and Co., sharebrokers, Dunedin. MiLindsay has been a teacher in the Middle School for many years, and is well known to the public. He is also a popular member of the Bowling and Chess Cluba. He has taken a great interest in dredging, and by his shrewdness has won the confidence of local investors. Mr Lindsay will without doubt do well in the line of business he has chosen to enter, and ho will greatly strengthen the Invercargill connection of his firm. Mr Lindsay will, of course, live in Dunedin, and he will take with him from Invercargill tho best wishes o.f an extended circle ot friends for his prosperity and success. A private telegram received in town on Friday forenoon from Reeflon stales that the Big River stiuck good stone m the lowest level. The Klondike dredge washed uj? Boa last

Saturday for 70 hours' actual dredging. The dredge was stopped a good, deal owing to sundry small mishaps incidental to the starting of new machinery.

The Big Beach Company, Arrow Eiver, hopes to make a start at the beginning of the week.

An Auckland telegram cays: — The "Waihi Company crushed G597 tons l"o: gold valued at £20,556.

Messrs Quick and Smith royoil the successful flotation of the Premier Gold Dredging

Company,

The directors of the Success Coirl Dredging Company have declared a dividend of £s per share, payable forthwith.

Dividends have been declared I>y the directors of the following dredging companies, which are payable forthwith : — Golden Gate, 5s per share; Golden Treasure, Is per share.

A latter having been received by us in which the prospectus of the Ruby Gold Dredging Company was adversely criticised, we have nruie inquiries into the subject, the result of which. 1= to show that the animadversions, of our conespondent were uncalled for. Ihe" company's property consists of a mile of the JLolyneux "River, commencing below the Golden Run Compauy'b claim, and Air F. "W. Payne, engineer, reports that it is a suitable btretch of river for dredging operation.-,, and tkat he doea not .la'.icipate any difficulty in oUCJiiMfuily woikuig it with a dredga of average weight and capacity.

_ Messrs Cook aucl G-ray report the E.vci.essfv! fiotaliou of the following goid dredging- companies, all situated mi tne'West Coast of tins island: — Tucker .Kiat Gold Dredging Company (Limited), situated near' Kamcri township; Jjee's Ferry Go.'d Dredging Compan-r (Limited' 0,1 tj\e Irrej- Riwr; Wieklow Gold Dialing Ccrnpiuy (.Limited), Oroy R.\«-l; Oolilsu ".iretGold f)ivd£iji<; Company (TumiW). O-rey Diver": and the No_ Towu UoM Dredging Company (Limited}. Some of inese companies oversubscribed. The first statutory meetings will be held on the sth April. The total subscribed capital of these companies anicuuts to &S3,K(JO. ; 'Ilie Secrataiy of ihe Dob-ou ZSTo. 2 Gold Dredging Company ir forms, us that Messig Stevenson and Pook, Uie contractor-; for tile machinery for the dipil^", arc making ■ rapid progress, and will have Win whole of the machinery completed veil wi'hin contract time, , next mouth; aloo, that tut pontoons, are • floated, and very little remain. 5 ) to be done to i them before they also will be oitt of the eontrac- , tors' hands and ready to receive the machinery. is every prosy oc 1 . of the dredge being at work by June next. This eV.mf is highly spokea o: by visitors to the Const u-ho are pracuicplly acquainted with d i e'lj.itip. < In Monday's Daily Times Mr W. L. Hooper. • broker, publishes the prospectus of the Inchholme G'a\d DrcJ&m,' Company for public I niformatio". only, tbr. whole ot the shares having been suLs. Allied for privately. The claim immediately adioius ih? Inehd.i'e mid Jnch Vali ley Companies' yo'r.v 1 . &..<] r- vasy Tho directors Ljv ]oji va vixra in gsiting to 1 business, having purdi-uvd the Mou^t Ida j dredge, iwA same should be working oa the I claim within a very short time. Messrs Nees j and Co., the contractors, have already sent men up to commence dismantling. We learn on good authority that arrangements are almost complete for the purchase of a secourlhand dredge for yet another claim near Palmerston. There was no wash up from the Enterprise dredge last week owing to a mishap to the engine. On Monday afternoon last the cover of the engine and cross head' got broken. j Sma-rt work was done by the dredgemaster, ! Mr Ryan, in connection with this mishap. | The break occurred in the afternoon of Monday. j Mr Ryan left Alexandra on Monday evening, j and caught the Otsgo Central train at Ranfiuiy on Tuesday morning, arriving in Dunedin that evening. He had the new casting made at Mr Joseph Sparrow's foundry by the following day, and arrived back with it to the dredge on Friday morning, and the dredge was again in operation on Friday afternoon, everything working satisfactorily. I The Secretary of the Bakery Flat Sluicing ■ Company reports a return of 520z lOdwb since February 14. A telegram from the dredgema&ter of the Clyde Company's dredge states that the river is 4ft above the normal level. Messrs Baker Bros, announce that prospectuses, with plans and reports, of the Pactolus No. 2 Gold Dredging Company are being prepared. The c'aim is on the Nelson Creek, on the West Coast. Thee Dunstan Times of the 9th hist, reports j that the Springvale Dredging Company's dredge i (late Hj'de and party) started work last Tuesday, and everything worked most smoothly. We hope to be able to chronicle some good . returns from this dredge before long. I Mr Alexander Kyle, of Roslyn, reported on I the Woodstock Gold Dredging Company's | claim to the effect that, by permission of | Mr Duske, whose claim of two acres is inside j the block, but not comprised within the area, I he look several prospects out of his main tun- , nel and out of the face where his party were working. All the stuff that was being removed contained gold. Five dishes of washdirt, taken from places far removed from each other — ! some from the bottom, some sft above the | bottom — were washed, and the average yield . was about a grain of gold to the dish. The ground is very wet. and cannot be worked more than a few feet below the surface by any other method than dredging.

The Cromwell Argus states that by building tlie pontoons on the Makarora River, near the mill, for any drerlges to work on the Upper

Clutha a saving of £150 per dredge would be effected. The timber could be obtained for 10s , less per 100 ft at Makarora, while the cost I of floating the pontoons down the river would only be about £50. Another result of this plan I would be a stronger hull, as the pontoons could be constructed wholly or black pine — a timber too heavy to float down the river, and consequently unfit to be rafted. An Auckland telegram says: — The following cable has been received by Mr L. D. Nathan from London re the New Zealand Talisman ] Gold Mining Company: — '"A special meeting | of shareholders is called to consider the removal I of the directors who arc opposed to the suggested amalgamation with the New Zealand Talisman Extended and adjacent properties The independent directois should be supported, and you must therefore induce as many as | possible of the dissentient donors of the present power of attorney to cable revoking the I same." i The Stirling dredge washed up on Saturday, 2dLli nil., 260z of gold, and on Saturday, 3rd Uist., 220z. — Biucc llciald. TJis .owners Ji&ve fl.ecide_<i to. make public, fchft

returns oi the Barnscleugh Ko. I dredge ia future. Her return last week ,vas 21cs 3dwt.