THE WEED'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 18

THE WEED'S MINING NEWS.

At a general meeting of the Teremakau Gold Dredging Company, held last night, the resolution previously passed authorising the issue of 8000 new shares was duly confirmed. These shares will be issued to shareholders, in proportion to their present holdings, at par. The directors met subsequently and signed contracts for machinery, to be delivered by Messr3 Geo. Fraser and Sons, of Auckland, within seven months; and for a Marshall and Son's engine, for delivery within the same period. The consulting engineers (Messrs Cutten Bros.) expect to have the dredge at work in March next. Meantime the capital will be called up -in a manner that will not press unduly upon the members of the company.

The Manager of the Klondyke Gold Dredging Company wired on Tuesday from Matakanui : "Frost Very severe; have had to stop dredging."

Messrs M'Kechnie and Fleming report the successful launching of the Eclipse pontoons on Saturday last. Mr Roberts, the company's engineer, reports that the machinery contractors are making fair progress.

The paragraph which appears elsewhere from the Cromwell Argus referring to the Cardrona Valley Company's dredge was incorrect in stating that Mr Reynolds was the engineer. Mr E. Roberts is the engineer for the dredge, which was visited by his inspector last week.

A Wellington, wire states that the mining regulations under '' The Mining Act, 1898," were gazetted yesterday afternoon-.

The Dredgemaster of tho Golden Beach Company reports a return of 350z 2dwt gold for three days' dredging.

The directors of the Golden Beach Company have declared a dividend of Is per share, payable on the 29th inst. Our Reef ton correspondent telegraphs: — " The Consolidated Company's dredgemaster reports not having cleaned up for the past week, having shifted the dredge up the river, and being now engaged in opening a new face."

The prospectus of the Foley's Creek Gold Dredging Company will be found in Thursday's Daily Times,- and is published for public information only, the shares having all been subscribed privately. The directors last week secured the Galtee More dredge, which will be immediately dismantled and transferred to the claim, where, in a few months, it -will be iv complete working order again. From the contents of the prospectus it will be seen this is no ordinary piece of ground, and from the thorough manner in which the prospecting has been done every care appears to have been taken to test the claim.

Mr R. T. Wheeler, jun., the secretary of the Dtnistan Lead Gold Dredging Company (Limited), reports having received from the engineer the following : — Messrs A. and T. Burt are making satisfactory progress with the work of ladder and buckets, the ladder being put together and riveted. The buckets are all bent and put together, and are now ready for riveting; connecting link forged. The ladder, rollers and bearings, and hanging gear are now moulded ready for casting. Messrs J. M'Gregor and Co., the contractors for the elevator and winch, have the winch well advanced; all the material for the same is turned and ready for putting together. The engines for the winch have arrived, and the work of putting the winch together will be commenced in a few days. The elevator is well advanced, the whole of the framing being put together, and all the gear patterns are finished. I have advice from my Melbourne agent that the machinery being'constructed by the Austral Otis Engineering Company is finished with the exception of some few articles, which are waiting the receipt of gaugers for finishing. lam advised by Messrs Thomson, Bridger, and Co. that the machinery, etc., ordered through them has been shipped by the Aotea, due in a few days. The gauge re.ferred to will be made and forwarded to the Otis Company to enable them to complete their work. The boiler is now being proceeded with by the Dunedin Engineering Company. The engines have arrived, and are being stored in Mr Manning's yard. All the timber for the pontoons is either on the ground or on the way to the ground. The statutory meeting of shareholders of the Extended Fourteen-mile Beach Dredging Company was held at the registered office of the company on "Tuesday, 19th, a large number of shareholders being present. Two shareholders who had visited the claim (one of them being a miner on the bank) gave glowing accounts of the prospects of the company. The chairmen (Mr C. J. Payne) pointed out that the claim had been so much admired that several parties instituted lawsuits in respect to it, and it was only after having fought several cases that the present vendors were able to get their special claim, which consisted of a full mile of the Molyneiix River, and adjoined the lower end of the Fourteen-mile Beach Company, the shares of which, notwithstanding the dull times, were at a high premium. The future action of the directors, he said, would be largely guided by the experience of the Fourteen-mile Beach Company. Messrs Payne, Blyth, Hemingway, Coull, and Nind were elected directors, Messrs Mitchell and Leslie auditors, and Mr J. Sham secretary. The Tuapeka Times states that dredging material is still coming to hand at the Lawrence railway station at a rate that the carriers taking it up country are simply unable to cope with, and the consequence is that the station yard is stacked from end to end with timber and machinery for the different dredges in course of construction. Several new teams have lately j been put on the road, but the assistance of these has made no appreciable difference. At a meeting of directors of the Vulcan Gold | Dredging Coaipa,ny, held on Thursday, Messrs Cossens and Black's tender for the machinery was accepted. A Marshall engine and boiler have been ordered, and the contract for building the pontoons will be let in a few days. All indications point to a prosperous future for this company. - "he secietary of the Shotover Quartz Mining Company (No Liability) has received a telegram from the mine manager stating that he has struck stone one foot wide, which he thinks will prove payable.

The engineer of the Golden River Gold Dredging Co. reports that the pontoons were successfully launched on the 20th inst. The Golden Beach Conipanyls dredgemaster reports that the ground is still keeping rich. It is going deeper, and improving as it dips; but the best gold is got on the inside of the cut, wheie it runs into the flat. The G-reat Western Gold Dredging Com-

pany's dredge is complete now, with the exception of the gold-saving tables and housing, ( and theso are being fixed into position as quickly as possible, so that it is expected she will start dredging by the end of the month. Mr P. Bus bridge, late of the Golden Terrace dredge, has been appointed dredgemaster, and Mr D. M'Phec eng-neer. j The statutory meeting of the Daylight Gold I Dredging Company was held at the Otago Stock [ Exchange Rooms. There was a good attendi ance of shareholders. Messrs H. B. Cfourtis, j T. Begg, George Moir, J. Hargraves, J. Bethune, and W. J. Guthrie were elected direc- [ tors. Mr George Neill (secretary) reported that j he had recently visited the claim, and reported [ it as splendidly adapted for dredging, and ! much sought after by the local residents. Mr S George Blyth was appointed auditor. At a subsequent meeting of directors Messrs I Cutten Bros, were appointed consulting engineers, and Messrs Mondy, Sim, and Stephens i solicitors. It is intended to push on the con- >: struction of the dredge rapidly. Messrs A. and'T. Burt (Limited), contractors ; for the Dart River Gold Dredging and Prospecting Company's dredge, report that the whole of the machinery for the dredgo has left their works, and is being landed at Kinloch. The timber for the pontoons is well advanced, and almost xeady to start building. The Lske County Council have undertaken to form a road up the Dart River, but, owing to delay in survey, etc., this road is not yet completed. Messrs A. and T. Burt have, there- ■ fore, had great difficulties to in getting sawmilling plant on to the ground, so as to get timber cut for pontoons. The river being low during winter months, and thorefore accessible "for traffic, the contractors are making arrangements to have the machinery conveyed to the claim. Every effort is being made to push on the work, but it will, bo somewhat beyond contract time before the dredge can be at work. At the last meeting of directors of the Golden Elbow Company the tender of Messrs Anderson, of Christchurch, was accepted for the machinery, 'to be delivered in eight months. By arrangement with the directors and contractors for tha Gold Deposit Company, a site has been fixed on their claim for the building of the pontoons, and as the contractors (Messrs Pithers and Neeson) have all the material ready to be forwarded to the site, a start will be made on them immediately. Allowing for all contingencies, the dredge will be ready for work in ample time for next season's river. Shareholders are now holding firmly, awaiting the issue.

Mr R. T. Wheeler, jun., secretary of the Dunback. Gold Dredging Company, has received the following report from the company's engineer: — Machinery contract: The ladder is riveted up, ready for gear ; screen now" riveted up , condenser nearly finished ; air-pump being bored out ; feed- water hea-ter cast ; shoots riveted up, and bars prepared to -be bolted in places; grating for pump in-tube finished, and in-tube pipe pattern made; bucket and link material in hand, and templates prepared ; patterns for main gear, winches, plummer blocks, and tumblers well forward. Pontoon contract : Half the red pine timber and most of the bluegum has been forwarded by the timber merchants, Messrs J. Murdoch and Co. The carters, however, have requested them to bold the balance back till the road to the claim is completed. At present the timber has to be unloaded short of the claim, thu3 necessitating double handling.

The Secretary of the Dobson No. 2 Gold Drpdging Company informs us that advice has been received from the company's engineer (Mr Payne) that the engine and boiler for this dredge are on board the s.s. Otarama, due this month, and that Messrs Stevenson and Pooie (the contractors for the machinery) fully expect to complete the erection of same within a month after the arrival of the boiler and engine. They are pushing the work of erection on as fast as possible now, pending the arrival of engine. The newly-appointed, dredgemaster, Mr R. Newell, leaves during next week for the claim, to superintend the completion of the dredge, and there is every prospect at present that the dredge will be one of the first, if not the first, to commence operations on the Grey River.

The Gazette of the 7th inst. states that Mr L. G. Reeves, of this city, has been granted the patent rights for unsinkable pontoons for dredges. The following is the specification : A frame is made of wood or iron of the required size, and in this frame is placed wood or iron tanks. The whole is then securely fixed together and decked over. The pontoon, or hull, is then completed, and is said to be unsinkable.

A meeting of applicants for shares in the Central Magnetic Gold Dredging-Cornpany was held on Monday evening, when it was decided that the registration of the company may be effected and the properties offered be acquired, with a share list of not less than 5000 shares nor more than 6000 shares. Not more than 2s 6d per share is to be called up until the returns from the Second Magnetic Company's dredge, which is expected to be at work on the adjoining claim in about two months, are known, when the shareholders in the Central Magnetic Company will decide as to their future action. At least 2000 shares must be reserved, which will be available for issue pro rata amongst contributing shareholders. The Hartley and Riley Beach Dredging Company (Limited) washed up on Friday for a return of 260s llclwt of gold for 120 hours' dredging. The manager reports that he would start shifting the dredge on Monday.

.Tho dredgemaster of the Chatto Creek Dredging Company (Limited) wires that he was obliged to stop working on Thursday on account of the severe frost.

Messrs Cutten Bros, report that Messrs J. M'Gregor and Co. are making fair progress with their contract for machinery for the Inchdale Gold Dredging Company's dredge. The following is a list of work done to date : — Ladder is laid down, and plates and angles marked ready for punching ; condenser riveted lip ready for tubes; tubes cut and end castings finished; winch patterns are well forward; shoots, plates bent ready to rivet; screen plates marked ready for punching; patterns for main driving gear are well forward; all material for buckets in hand, and templates prepared.

The Alexandra Herald states that the price realised for " the Galtee More dredge was 1 £4025.

The secretary of the Watterson's Consols Dredging Company reports- — The contract has been let to the Despatch Foundry, Greymouth, for the manufacture of the machinery, including everything, except the engine to be completed in ten months from date of acceptance of tender. The engine, a 16 horse-power Qar*

rett, has been ordered, and will be delivered in plenty of time. The building of the pontoons has been let to ife Jay, Ahaura. Contract time, 3ix months from acceptance of tender. | The monthly meeting of the director's of the ' Cool Cueek Flat Company was held on I Friday. Mr George Knox, the chairman, who is about to visit the Home country, obtained six months' leave of absence. Messrs North and , Kyle were requested to visit the foundries where the machinery is being made, and hurry on the work as much as possible. All the contracts were let two months ago, and the time for completion expires in Febmary next. The iirst consignment of timber from Tasmania has arrived, and will be conveyed 'to the ground ] without delay. The total cost of the dredge when built is expected to amount to about £8150. This claim throughout Us whole length occupies the old bed of the Molyneux River. Before the company was floated the ground was ; thoroughly jnospected by independent parties, 1 and proved to be highly payable. The depth varies from 25 to 40 feet, and during the summer two men were constantly employed stripping off about 10ft of the top surface, using the water , from the company's races to sluice the stuff into the river. i In Friday's Daily Time 3 appears the prospectus of the Auckland Lead Gold Dredging Co., promoted to work the famous le^a known by too same name, between HoVitika and Grevnioulh, West Const. It was intended to bring this j company out over six weeks ago, but. tiie i vendors decided to withhold the prospectus ; till they hs<l converted their holding from a j prospecting area, to a special claim. This has | now been done, and the inteiim secretaries notify that the lists will close " at noon on Monday first, 25th inst., and request all those fo^- -whom shares -veve reserved to send la '. their written applications for shares before that time. Fresh applicants for shares will be allotted any of the reserved shares which are not taken up by the time stated. Messrs Sutherland and Nelson are the contractors for the pontoons for the Golden Elbow Company. The directors of the Matau Dredging 'Company have declared a dividend (the tenth) of Is 6d per share, payable on Tuesday. Our Auckland correspondent telegiaphs: — " After three years of patient investigation, t,lie Rev. Joseph Campbell, of Te Aroha, has concluded that there is no refractory ore problem in New Zealand to be solved, inasmuch as the quantity of payable ore that is not amenable to cyanidation, or tliat may not fee concentrated, is very limited, and merely occurs in patches that are not woith working. Though the plant he has erected is complete in every particular for dealing with any class of ore, either free milling or refractory, experience shows that none is obtainable in the district, and he has, therefore, decided very unwillingly to close down the plant. He will leave Auckland early in July, and spend a, few months in the South Island, where, at the invitation of Bishop Julius, he will take a temporary charge, and study the geological [ features of the country." I The boiler for the Premier Waikaka Dredging Company arrived in Gore on Wednesday. The directors of the Golden Gate Dredging I Company have declared a dividend of 6s per j share, payable on Tuesday. j A dividend of Is 6d per share, payable on i Tuesday, has been declared by the directors of J the Golden Treasure Dredging Company. I Messrs H. F. Nees and Co. report the com- ' \ pletion of the pontoons they built to the order J of Messrs Joseph Sparrow and Sons for the I Bald H-.1l Plat Freehold Gold Dredging Company (Limited). I The chairman of directors of the Shotover [ Gold Dredging Company (Limited) has just [ leturned from, visiting the claim. The dredge | has opened out a paddock at tho foot of the gorge, and there is now a marked improvement in the wash. The hard frost somewhat deters operations. As the paddock ha& only just been opened up there will be no wash up till Friday next.

A<s rumours have been current that the Riverbank Gold Dredging Company are abotit to go into liquidation, the Dunedin Stock Exchange have the assurance of Mr A. Hamilton, the secretary of the company, that this is not so, the present prospects being considered satisfactory. A Greymouth telegram states that the machinery for the Grey River Company's dredge is completed, and will soon be on the ground.

The return from the Buller dredge last week is 12oz 9dwt for 129 hours.

The annual meeting of shareholders in the Dunedin Gold Dredging Company will be held at the company's office on Monday, July 16.

It is currently reported that the Woolshed No. 2 dredge, working at Waikaka, has gone into liquidatiou. This is the dredge which some interested parties reported obtained 68oz for a week's work. One member of the party is said to have sold his share (a sixteenth) for £200 immediately before the meeting at which it was decided to cease operations. — Tuapaka Times.

The monthly meeting of +he directors of the Great Lead Company (West Coast) was held on Monday. The contract for building the hull was let in January last, and the work is to be completed in August next. The machinery, which comprises the buckets, ladder, and elevator, is being made at the Despatch Foundry, Greymouth, and is to be ready at the latter end of September. Messrs Crokatfc, of Glasgow, provide all the steel gearing. This claim, the area of which is very large, occupies one of the best parts of the Grey Valley. It is right opposite Noble's Creek and other rich gold-bearing tributaries which flow into Waipiina Creek, one of the tributaries of the Grey, and the boundary of the claim on the north-west side. The whole of the Grey River here for about five miles is in the heart of a country famous for its richness 35 years ago. No attempt was ever made to work in the liver itself, except on the beaches, where coarse gold was often obtained. The claims within this golden area are the Great Lead, the Waipuna, the Golden Banner., the Grey River Consolidated, and the Westland. The ground will probably be shallow: varying from 12£t to 20ft. The bottom is a' soft, sedimentary rock, of a bluish colour, and known as the marine bottom.

At the first meeting of directors of the Great G-reenstone Gold Dredging Company, held at the company's registered office, Hokitika, on the 13th June, Mr H. L. Michel was elected chairman, Mr J. D. Lynch secretary, and Messrs M'George Bros, and Watt, of Dunedin, consulting engineers. Since the flotation of the company, Messrs Bringans and Rivers, of Otago, visited the claim, and reported to the directors most favourably. Operations have since been begun aa_tke Jp test tlig

depth. Under the supervision of -Mr- Fleming (M'George Bros.' and Watt)," shafts" are being} put down to thoroughly test the particular locality where it is .proposed to start tha dredge. The" directors hope to get one shaft down to the main bottom on the creek. Tha directors decided to take advantage of the present spell of fine weather on the coast, and are having the prospecting shaft sunk still further on the company's giound. r .'ie men are down 23ft, having struck the, main body of wash at 20ft, the top dirt being light drift, very free from stones, and showing gold all through. Ths wash prospects Jdwt to the load at present, and is expected to improve towards tha bottom, which is estimated to be 35ft.

The fianfurly was moved up to the Bannockburn side of the river opposite to Scotland, and has now dredged across the river on -account of the water being so low. The diedgemaster expects to get a face opened out by Wednesday, and then he will find what Scotland Beach, really contains. — Cromwell Argus-. At a meeting of the directors of'the Belrnonfc Gold Dredging Company, held on Saturday, Messrs Mouat and Wales, of Dunedin, were appointed consulting engineers. An extraordinary meeting of shareholders ix£ the Enterprise Gold Dredging Company will be held on Wednesday, July 18, to consider a resolution to increase the capital of the company by the issue of 500 shares of £1 each, and! aleo to consider proposals to acquire another dredge and claim.

An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in the Nevis Gold Dredging Company; will be held on July 20 to .consider a resolution to increase the capital of tho company by the issue of 500 shares of £1 each.

All the hills and terraces cpnnd about No Town have been pegged out as mining leases. Mr Irving, of Reefton (says the Grey River Argiis) has been visiting that locality lately and is said to be representing a large company, which purposes bringing" a water race from Lake Hochstetter to work the ground by sluicing. All the ridges for miles around are known to be highly auriferous, and if the race were brought in it w,ould be the means of giving profitable employment to a very large number of men for a great number of years. At the same time tbe proposal is a gigantic one, and would, if carried out, cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Lyttolton Times says: — One thousand six hundred and twenty-four claims are reportedto be held by various persons on the Wesfe Coast as special claims and prospecting leases. At an average of £5000, these would represent a capital of £12,800,000.

About five years ago the late William Docherty, the well-known southern prospector ancl explorer, returned fiojn a long stay out west and reported that ha had found mica on the slopes of a mountain near Lake To Annu. Ha look sample? to Dunedin with the idea of floating a company, but died before anything waa done. Since then, we believe, two Wesif Coasters have succeeded in finding mica on the selfsame mountain, which they have named! Mount Macaaidrew. They took samples to Dunedin, the largest weighing 101b, and capable of yielding sheets of mica that will cut lOin bySin. Samples of the mica have been sent to experts in England and America, and the reports of those in New Zealand ara to the effect that it is equal to the finest Canadian mica, the best at present known in the world. Geologists say there is no tear as to the permanence of the field, and their opinions are backed up by the prospectors' statements that the ieef opensd out is only one of four in which the feldspar, which is the matrix of mica, is showing on the surface. Mica, it should be explained, is not found in a lode. occurs aa veins through feldspar, and this mica is found, in the customary and desired foundation. The chief use of mica is an insulating agent in the application of electricity, it being proved that mica is pre-eniinentiy suitable as a non-con-ductor The rapid advance of electrical engird.! ing as applied to the world's scientific enterprises makes mica of very high value. The prices range from 2s Gd per lb for smalL sized pieces up to 40s per lb for large-sized — say 12in square. The small stuff is built up into sheets by means of shellac and fragments of mica placed together and subjected to pressure. The pioduct" is called inicanite. The mica that ib too small to be used is made into French, chalk and a- lubrication. There is no waste. This poiuts to the fact that more prospecting should h& dons in Western Otago, the mineral resources of which are as yet biit little known. — Western Star."