RE ALPINE EXTENDED TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2451, 6 March 1901, Page 21

RE ALPINE EXTENDED TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— Will you kindly allow me space through your columns with reference to newspaper correspondence referred to in the Alpine Extended balance sheet, where the chairman says.

"Being aware of the source from which W " •-& ters emanated, and knowing that they . '°s' Irom the wilful misstatements of disaffect. c workmen, makes the directors less inclined to 1 refer to the matter here." Now, Sir, I deny point blank that "Eighteen Ycar3' Expcr.ence' is affected m any way through the Alpine beiiv cosed down, and so far as -'Eighteen Year*' Experience" is personally concerned, he doesn'u care what they do with the mine, but, for the benefit of outside shareholders a-nd the genera! public, I shall expiain how the South Block is situated. This biock has been worked horn, v here it was fiist struck down to No. 7 level, a distal cc of about 800 ft, and was highly payiib'e the who'e distance. Above No. 6 level the North and South Blocks weie worked together, and crushed on an average about "one ounce" to the ton for IS months, which paid the shareholders 17s Del per share in dividends. Now, this store has never been worked below No. 7 level, wheie the stone shows m the bottom for about 120 ft. There is a winze sunk on it about 100 ft. At 46ft the stone cut out, but a little stone was got in the bottom of the winze No. 8 level is driven to within 40ft of this, vmze, and there is about 18m of stone in the face, with splend walls, quite sufficient to induce any "practical miner" to drive farther and piove the reef, independent of the block above As a matter of fact, by driving No. 8 level 40ft and rising 12ft, the connection is made. All the stone that has been worked below No. 7 is a good distance north of this block, the nearest point being about 150 ft, and when the amalgamation took place it could have been got at by driving No. 8 40ft and rising 12ft, because that level and the passes wer& in good oider, but since the amalgamation No. 8 level and the passes m that locality are in a very different state, and would cost a little to open theoi up again. This is not the first break that has taken place in the South Block. Theie was a big break between Nos. 5 and 6. With reference to the stone in No. 4 that 1 mentioned m my last letter, I can truthfully say that the local directors never saw it, and I defy them to contradict one word in my first letter or this one. In conclusion, Sir, I shall leave it to shareholders to judge whether the South Block should be opened up or not, and as to whether their mine is being worked or murdered. Thanking you m anticipation for the insertion of this letter, — I am, etc., EIGHTEEN YEARS' ALPINE EXPERIENCE.