PROGRESS REPORTS

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 21

PROGRESS REPORTS

Messrs Mercer and Mitchell (mining secretaries) leporfc the position of tire companies of .vhich they are secretaries at April 30, a? follows • —

Ahaura River. — Mr E. Roberts, consulting engineer, reports that Mr Jay, the contractor for the pontoons, lias the timber all ready for carting on to the company's claim. Mr Jay's tender was accepted on December 5 last. Mr James Hargreaves, local dheetor, repoits that the roadway to the claim was expected to be passed by the engineer for the County Council on April 26. As soon 'as this road is completed, Mr Jay will have his timber carted on to the ground. The contract for the machinery by Messrs Cable and Co., Wellington, was accepted by the directors at a meeting held on March 1, delivery to be made in six months .it Greymouth from date of acceptanco. The engine (Garrett and Son) arrived at "Wellington per Gothic,, and Messrs Cable and Co. ha\e accepted delivery, and will forward to the claim with the machinery. Since the flotation of the company the directors have increased the area of the claim by the purchase of 29 acres freehold. Capital of company, £8000, divided into 5s shares, of which 2s 6d is called up.

Arthur's Pomt — Mr J. C. .M'George is the engineer for this company. The tender of Mt John Gordon, of Port Chalmers, for building the pontoons was accepted on December 20 last. Th • chairman of directors visited the claim in company with the engineer and two' co-directors, and selected the site for building the pontoons. The roadway to the site is completed, and the whole of the timber is now being carted on to the ground. The tender of Messrs Johnson and Sons, of Melbourne, Tor the machinery, including engine and boiler, was accepted on February 7 last, delivery to commence hi two months and to be completed infive months. The Union Company having increased their freights on dredging material to almost prohibitive rates, the directors are making every effort to obtain shipment of the machinery at rates which will come within ths original estimates. Mr M'George is now calling for tenders for the cartage of machinery from Queenstown to the claim. Capital of company, X9OOO, in £1 shares, of which Us has been called up.

Central Chailton.— Mr Leslie H. Reynolds is consulting engineer to the company. The directors of this company pm chased from tlis Ophir Dredging Company on Maich 17 last that company's dredge and plant, including all necessaiy tools and a fair supply of stores, for the sum of £2600 sterling. On April 4 the tender of Messrs H. F. Nees and Co. for the removal and re-erection, with steam trial, of this dredge was accepted, and on April 24 Messrs Nees and Co. started dismantling thedredge prior to removal. The whole work "has to be completed within IS weeks from thai date. The directors consider the shareholders are to be congratulated upon having secured this first-class dredge, which will enable the company to be in full working order in four months, instead of waiting 15 to 16 months for a new dredge. Capital of company, £7000, in £1 shares, of which 10s has been called up. CrifM L-iad, Cardiona. — The directors of this company are having the ground bored. Mr J, Timpany (local director) is superintending the work. A correspondent, writing to your .paper.

speaks of this claim as a bank claim, which in summer would be short of water. This is an error, the ckini being more of a river claim than a bank one. The whole river can be brought to ony part of the company's claim, which nas. an abundant supply of water. Mr J. C. M'George is the consulting engineer to the company, and has the plans and specifics^ tions for pontoons and machinery almost completed.* The directors will, however, not ac- _ cept any contracts until the boring operations ~are completed. Capital of company, £6500, in • £1' shares, of which 5s has been called up. - Dart River. — The tender of Messrs A. and T. Burt (Limited) for a dredge complete, with blean l trial, vn.s accepted on December 11 last; contract to be completed by June 30, 1900. Messrs Burt (Limited) have the work well forward, the whole of the machinery being now almost finished. The timber for the pontoons has been cut on the ground, and iss.a-11 ready ior use. Messrs Burt have been delayed in getting machinery on the ground, the road 'to the claim not being finished. The Lake County Council have had the road surveyed, and plans were approved by the Government, and Mr J. Black, engineer to the County Council, on April 27 telegraphed : ""Road Dart ; work will go on right away." The whole of the machiiieiy •will have to be delivered to the claim -wliile the river is low, and the directors are using every endeavour to have no hitch, so that th§ contractors may have no excuse in not having the contract finished within contract time. £2000 has been paid in piogress payments. As soon as the dredge has proved the ground the directors v/ill have the other dredges for the remaining portions of the company's ground constiucted. Capital of company, . £25,000, in £1 shares, of which 5s has beeVi ' called up. „ | Gold Deposit. — Messrs Fleming and M'Kecnnie's tender for pontoons was accepted on the 15tb February, 1900. The tender of the Clyde Engineering Company (Limited). Sydney, for j the machinery was accepted on March 27, delivery to be made within six months. Messrs I Fleming and M'Kechnie undertake to have : the pontoons -ready in time for the machinery. Mr Duff, onto of the diieetors, has visited thu claim in company with Mr M'Kechuie, and selected a site for building the pontoons; and j the road to the site is now completed. Mr J F. W. Payne is the -company's consulting engineer. Capital, £8600, in £1 shares, of which 6s 6d has been called up. . Golden Falls. — Messrs Knewstubb 8r03.' contract for building the pontoons and erection of the machinery was let in December, 1899. The tender of Messrs Johnson and Sons, oi Melbourne, for the machinery was accepted on January 31, 1900. The timber for the pontoons is now on, or being carted on to, the giouncl, and Messrs Johnson and Spns have all tinpatterns and material leady for the machineiy, and in very little time will have their whole contract completed. Mr F. W. Payne is the consulting engineer, and is calling alternative tendtrs for the cartage of the machinery to the claim, either cartage from ship's side or per rail to, and cartage from, Lawrence or Ranfurly. Messrs Knowstubb Bros, are erect- I ing the pontoons at Alexandra, where the whole ! of the machinery -will be put on boaul and j floated dowi to the company's claim prior to eres+.ion. It is not desirable to have the pontoons ready until the machinery is at hand Capital, £7500, in £1 shares, of which 13s have been called up. i Great Beach. — This claim is at present being bored. Mr James Duff, one of the direc- ! tors', is personally superintending the work. I ft is expected that by the end of the present ! Week the work will be finished. Mr F. W. ' f? ayne is consulting engineer, and is awaiting the results of boring prior to calling for tenders. Capital, £8500, in £1 shares, of which 6s has been called up. Grey River Consolidated.— Mr E. Roberts is the consulting engineer to the company. Some delay was caused and expense incurred by the necessity of having this claim bored. The Results of the boring, however, not only proved the value of the claim, but ascertained the depth of the ground, and enabled Mr Roberts to complete his and specifications. Mr Joseph Jay's tender for the pontoons was accepted on the 29th March. A Garrett 20 horsepower engine was ordered on the Ist February. The tender of Messrs Johnson and Sons, of (Melbourne, for the machinery was accepted on the 30th April; time, five months. Capital sBIO,OOO in 10s shares, of which 4s has been i called up. JSappy Valley. — The tender of Mesars A. and

T. Burt (Limited) for .the erection and completion of a. dredge, as per plans prepared byMessrs Cutten Bros., consulting engineers, with ■Ruston and Procter 12 horse-power engine and 14 horse-power boiler, was accepted by the directors at a meeting held on the 26th April ; steam trial to be given, and the whole completed within nine months from that date. This elpirn has been thoroughly piospected, nine shafts having been sunk with the average yield of gold slightly over 12gr per cubic yard of dirt. Mr Cutten expresses the opinion that the ground is an ideal one for dredging purposes. Capital »7500 in £1 shares, of which 7s has been called up. Hoiitika Extended. — The first statutory general meeting of shareholders was held en the 30th April, " when Messrs Alexander Kyle, A. C. Broad, C. G. V. Leijon, J. Wardell, and H. L. Michael, of Hokitika, were appointed diiectors, and Mr R. T. Wheeler, jun., was appointed auditor. This company has been formed with a capital of £12,500 in 12,500 shares of £1 etich to work and acquire a mining aiea of about 100 acres on the Hokitika River, adjoining the Hokitika River Compaq's claim. Kia-Ora. — Mr George Morison's tender for the pontoons was accepted on the 15th February, and the tender of the Otis Company, Melbourne, for the machinery was accepted oil the 27th March; time for completion, five months. Prior to the tenders being accepted the directors had the ground bored, with favourable results. A Marshall and Sons engine and boiler have been ordered through Mr F, R. Manning. Mr F. W. Payne is the consulting engineer. Capital £7000 in £1 shares, of which 12s has been called up. Leviathan. — Jfr F. W. Payne is consulting engineer for the company. Messrs M'Kechnie and Fleming's tender for pontoons was acceT>ted on December 11, 1899; completion within five months. Advices received from the local director (Mr John Druce) express the opinion that Mr Swarm, Mr Payne's West Coast representative, is well satisfied with the progiess of the pontoons. £550 has been paid in progress payments on this portion of the contract. The County Council are assisting the company in forming roads to the claim. A Garrett engine \vas> ordered on November 20, 1899; delivery within five months. The boiler was ordeied fronT Messrs Johnson and Sons, Melbourne, on November 21; delivery to be made in Melbourne on March 31, 1900, and the tender of Messrs Cable and Co., Wellington, for machinery wa=? accepted on December 26, 1899; completion within five months. Advice has been received of shipment from London of the engine for the electric light. Messrs Turnbull and Jones's tender for the installation of the electric light was accepted on the 11th December, 1809. The directors are leaving no stone unturned to push on the several works, and Mr F. W. Payne is now mating arrange2ne:iis for tha erection. Capitil £12,000 in £1 shares, of which 16s has been called up. Sixteen-mile Beach. — Mr F. W. Payne is the consuHiiig engineer. The tender of Messrs Wm, .Ba&ketfc and Sons for the pontoons was accepted on February 2; time, six months. The timber for the pontoons is on the ground, and Mcs&rs Baskett are busy at work with their contract. The Dunedin Foundry and Engineering Company's tender for the machinery was accepted on December 5, 1399 ; time, nine months. Wire lopes were ordered through Messrs Thomson, Bridger, and Co. on February 2, 3900. The National Mortgage and Agency Company have received advice of the shipment by Robey and Co. of the engine and boiler per Waikato, and this steamer will reach Port Chalmers at an early date. The directors are using every endeavour to have the contracts completed within the contract dates, and have notified their engineer that the penalty clauses for non-fulfilment within the contract dates will be fully enforced. Capital £8500 in £1 shares, of which 12s has been called np. Shotover.— The directors completed the purchase of the No. 1 dredge of the Golden Terrace Dredging Company for the sum of £2250 on the 28th February last. At the end of March the dredge was at the boundary of the company's claim, and immediately started to open out with the following results: — Week ending April 7, soz 17dwt sgr ; week ending April 14, lloz Idwt 9gr ; week ending April 21, lOoz 7dwt ; week ending April 28, lloz Bdwt. The directors express themselves as highly satisfied with the results of the workings so far. The returns were iv excess of working expenses

during the past three weeks, and during this period the dredge has only been, as it were, opening up a face to work upon. Capital £7000 in £1 shares, of which lls has bsen called up.

Tyson's Beach. — The directors of this company have made arrangements to have the ground tested to ascertain its depth, etc. It was fully expected to have had the work completed by this time, but the contractors for boring have been delayed in getting the rods. As soon "as the depth is ascertained the engineer will proceed in getting contracts let. Capital .£BSOO in £1 shares, of which 2s has been called tip. Upper Fraser. — The provisional directors of this company have completed the purchase of the freehold (100 acres), and have also interviewed Mr Payne v/ith reference to obtaining plans for a suitable diedge. The first statutory general meeting of shareholders is to be held at the registered office on the 23rd May. Capital £11,000 in £5 shares, of which 2s has been called up.