THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 19

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

The dredgemaster of the Central Electric Company teiegraphi»d last Wednesday that he had washed up 550z 2dwt 14gr. A report was current on Thursday to the effect that the dredge had got off the g~ld. The cliaiiman of directors telegraphed to ihe dreu»ema=ter on the subject, and received a reply that there was no truth m the report. The fact that on the 21st inst. we published a statement that the Magnetic Company's dredge had wished up 650z up to the previous night, and that the return foi the week, as published on the 25th mst., was shown to be 630z only, nas not unnaturally led to a great deal of comment in mmmg circles. The Dunedm ritock Exchange was moved to make inquiries on the subject, and we felt it incumbent upon ourselves, as both returns had been officially supplied to us, to seek an explanation of the curious discrepancy between the figures. The secretary of the company (Mr T. Callender), writing tinder last Wednesday's date, supplies the following explanation: — "'This morning I received from the dredgemaster his weekly return, and find that the wire sent me on the 20th inst., giving 6ooz, is not confirmed, but that the total wash-up for the week was only 630z ldwt. The first wire was so ->vorded as to lead me to understand that he hnd washed up 650z as he said the ground \vd3 rich, but :t now appears he meant this whe to indicate his estimate for the week's result. He is a now dredgemaster, and seems not i,o have thoroughly comprehended the nature o! wire I desired in the middle of week. I regiet the mistake, but it cannot occur again. The dredgemaster of the Electric Extended advised oa the 27th ult. that he had been engaged fixing a new bed plate, but would start dredging in the middle of the claim next morning. The secretary of the White Star Gold Drcdgir.° Company has been advised by telegram as follows — '' Very successful run on Mojicia; , working right on now." In reference to a paragraph appearing an the Daily Times last Wednesday with regard to a proposal to place Lafranchi's Freehold Gold Dredging Company into liquidation, the chairman of dirjotors informs us that the suggestion appears to emanate from a few Alexandra share speculators, whose hopes of a rise have not so far be 3ii realised. At the annual meeting of shareholders next month ample evidence will be forthcoming that the directors are fully justified m proceeding energetically to develop the undoubted wealth, of the claim. Meanwhile bona fide investing shareholders have not the slightest cause for alarm. Mr N. O. White has been appointed secretary of the Three-mile (Greenstone Creek) Gold Dredging Company. The Premier 'Waikaka diedge is at presort shut down owing to "the very unsatisfactory returns obtained. The dredgemaster has been instiucteel to sink a few shafts and report to the directors at the end of this week. We have been shown a very nice sample of gold got by the Central Mataura prospecting dredge on Mr James Graham's claim. The gold weighs 7oz 15gr, and is said to have been got by this dredge in about an hour, as during her passage through Mr Graham's claim she stopped for that tima^nd put her ladder down. The Tuapeka Times states that Mr E Hughes has been appointed dredgemaster, and Mr Erneßt^Hart engineer of the Reliance dredge. The Dunstan Times says Mr W. P. Stevens has been appointed dredgemaster of the Lady Cardrona dredge, and Mr Herbert Sanders has received a similar appointment on the Matau dredge, vice Mr J. J. Tough, who has resigned. At a meeting of shareholders m the Arrow Flat Hydraulic Company, held on the 26th ult. it was resolved to pla<:e the company in voluntarily liquidation, and Mr C. W. Brown was appointed liquidator. The pontoons of the Golden Standard, which were built on the River Makarora, with the intention of floating them down that river to Lake Wanaka, from thence towing them acioss the lake, and then dropping them down the Clutha to the claim, are unfortunately stranded, awaiting a rise in the Makarora to enable this to be done. The Tapanui Courier states that the Pride of Tuapeka Company has started transferring the dredge from the Bengerburn to the Greenvale claim, above Kelso. The engine, boiler, and buckets are now on the claim, and the pontoons are expected next week. A staff of men are on the ground to start re-erecting the machinery, so this claim should be at work about the end of May. The directors of the Lawrence Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the seventh) of Is per share, now payable. Tenders are invited for the purchase of the First Taieri Gold Dredging Company's dredge as she now lies on the Taien River. The dredge is said to be capable of dredging to a depth of 18ft. Tho Champion. Gold Mining Company (Limited) obtained 30oz 6dwt for 140 hours' elevating. We understand that a petition calling upon the directors of the Lafranchi's, Freehold Gold Dredging Company to call an extraordinary geAer.a]( fee&tiug te cgasidjer tie advjjsiji&iktj

of putting the 'company into voluntarily liquidation is being largely signed by shaieholders. Signatures representing 1000 shares have already been obtained on the gol-dfields alone. An opportunity will be given to Dunedin shareholders to s gn. Th^ dredgemaster of the Naumsi Gold Dredging Company (Limited) reports that theie was no wash up last week, as the dredge is slopped for repairs. The secretary of the Blue Duck Gold Dredging Company (Limited) repoits the following wire from the dredgemaster on the 26th ult. — "Trial run yesterday satisfactory , few sight alterations , start dredging Wednesday." The secretary of the Galvanic Gold Dredging Company has received the following v>ne from the diedgemaster — "Down 50ft, no bottom, shifted dredga across the nver , expect bottom shortly. ' The directors of the Perseverance Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the fourth) of 2s per share, now payable. The directors of the Tuapeka Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the 13th) of Is per share, payable forthwith. The secretary of the Inch-holme Gold Dredging Company reported on Thursday that the dredge was shut down during the week, undergoing a complete overhaul, but was expected to start work on Monday. The secretary of the Woodstock Company reports that ths result of the boring operations just concluded by the Keystone Company have proved highly satisfactory. The local director wired yestsrday that the material the dredge has to lift averages l*dwt rough, easily saved gold per yard. The full report will be to hand in a few., days. All contracts are placed, and the .work is proceeding satisfactorily. The dredgemaster of the Arthur's Point- Gold Dredging Company (Limited^ reported on Thursday to the secretary of the company thpt Ih-? dredge had been working day shifts only, and would have to continue doing so for a few days until she was out of the dam. He will probably be able to start the three shifts to-day, but it will take some time to open up a paddock and to bottom. The dredge ib working well, and a little gold is showing through the top* stuff. Tne dredgemaster of the Central Charlton Dredgir.g Company (Limited) reported on Thursday that the bottom tumbler shaft is bioken. This- was being renewed, and he expected to be able to start dredging at the beginning of the week. The Dunedin Stock Exchange report the following quotation foi shares m the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company — Buyers, £10 10s. The secretary of the Teviot Gold Dredging | Company (Limited) has received the following report from Messrs Joseph Spariow md Sons — • " The whole of the machinery has been dehvred with the exception of the buckets, which are being forwarded to the railway at present. Good progress is being made with the erection on the cla»m. A good portion of the machinery is in position on the dredge, including gantree, top tumbler, and large spur, wheel, first and second driving shafts, condensor, pump, and several other parts. The engine and winches are now being erected, and the housing is being built. The Electric Extended dredge re=umed work on Wednesday night. , The local director of the Gibb's Beach Gold Dredging Company, who is at present in Dunedin, rppoi fes that the dredge will get a start within a fortnight at most. The work of erecting the machinery is well foiward, and things are oaid to augur well for a successful run. Mr D. Leslie, secretary of the Duke of Wellington Gold Dredging Compaq', supplies the following progress leport on the machinery. — Boiler shell drilled ; tube plates .ready for drilling; smoke box finished, bucket bodies and ba-cks all b2iit ; flanging grabhook plates ; elevator buckets all punched, and now being riveted up, casting are all ready for ladder; screen heads bored and fitted on; shoots completed ; cutting off bucket link mate lal. Contractors state that tlrey almost sure to be ready by the middle of May. ' Mr D. Leslie, secretary of the Ganbaldi Gold Dredging Company, supplies th» following piogress report on the machinery Ladder finished with the exception of the bottom tumbler, which is being cast in the foundry , =hcots finished and being "forwarded ; screen completed azul spnt away, bucket backs and bodies bent; elevator buckets pretty, well nveted up , boiler ail riveted up and caulked, putting fnrna<-<* ung on, will be finished in about 10 days ; air and feed pumps completed all but the castings , all gearing wheels being cast except mam wheel. Contractors contemplate completing the machinery by the middle of May. Arrangements are now being made for the cartage airl erection of the machinciy. Mr J. J. Ramsay, the secretary oi tha Golden Gravel, informs us that the contractors state that the dredge will be ready before the end of April. The dredgemaster (Mr Barne=) goes up on the Ist of April to start making arrangements, etc., and it is hoped that the dredge will be at work by the Ist of May. The gold obtained by the Central Mataura, Company's prospecting dredge m patsing through Mr Graham's claim for one hour's work was 7dwt 15gr, and not 7oz. The Lawrence dredge was last week fitted up with the electric light, consisting of an arc lamp which will work uo to 2000 candle-power. The manager (Mr "Waken eld) speaks veiy highly of the advantages of the light, which is a very brilliant lllummant. lighting up the surrounding lulls and the flat m every direction. It has also the effect of greatly facilitating the work, minimising the chances of accidents, and is in every way a great advantage in the working of the dredge —Tuapeka Tunis. A Duntroon coirespondcnt writes to the Timaru Post stating t^at the dredge now woikmg on the Maerewhe.iua will m all likelihood close down shorlTy. II ha=i too short a ladder (23fb), and cannot bottom. Residents who know the ground are confident that it is good, and they deplore the action of the dnectois in purchasing a second-hand dredge, as its unsuitability will discourage other companies. The Mataura Ensign says a petition is being signed by the chairmen of the different dredging companies in the Waimumu Valley for .presentation to the Governor praying that the Waimumu River may, by pioclamation, be constituted and set apart as a v. atercourse into •which may be discharged any tailings, debris, and waste water produced by, or resulting from, mining operations, and m which, or on the banks of winch, mining operations may be lawfully carried on. In the petition it is stated that there are four dredges, of the average cost of about £4500 each, at present m full work, three of which are now dividend-paying di edges, and five moie other dredges are m course of construction, and the capital now invested m the actual construction of dredges amounts to the sum of £60,000 or theieabouts. The petitioners estimate that the valid claims for compensation would amount to between £300 and £500. The Union Waihi Company crushed 1750 tons of ore for the month for a leturn valued at £2329. The Hartley and Riley Beach Dredging Company washed up on Thursday for a return ol 770z 12dwt of gold for 136 hours' dredging. The dredgema&ter of the Gold Queen Comports a return of 17oz 12dwt for 90 horns' v,ork. The dredgemaster states that he is still opening out on the new giound wheic h° started last week. The dredge was stopped foi 2$ hoius during the week, owing to a slight bieakage m the machineiy. I There will be no wash up of the Inch Valley S^ed^e tius week. Th.s dredge stopped {or four

days owing to a breakdown. Work was resumed on Thursday night. The secretary of the Galvanic Gold Dredging Company has received the following telegram from* the dredgemaster — " Bottom dipping steep into river; mats showing little gold. ' The secretary of the Sailor's Bend Gold Dredging Company is in receipt of the following wire from the dredgemastei — " Dredge working well, drift too heavy, advise to shift up to the other side on Saturday.' ' Mr H. F. Nees, a directoi ot the Dunstan Lsad Gold Dredging Company, visited the claim on the 24th mst , and reports as follows . Messrs Knewstubb Bros, have made excellent progress with their contract for erection of machinery. Screen driving gear and rollers aro set in position, screen on board; fair leaders, air and feed pumps, condenser, heater, first and second motion shafts, crown wheel, mam engine, vvi.ich, top tumbler, and drop chute are in position , mam ladder riveted and hung m position , boiler on board, awaiting arrival of bricks to be built in— bricks should have been sent long ago. A quantity of other goods should have been here ere now. and the contractors are experiencing difficulty in pushing on for the want of them. The secretary of the Ford's Creek Gold Dredging Company reports having received advice from the local director stating that the dredge is now coming gradually round with head up stream, and when round, will bottom. There 13 no tirubeT to- costend with. The return for the week ending 23rd March was 4oz 3gr of gold. The secretary of the Lady Charlton Gold Dredging Company reports having received the -following telegram from the contractor — "Trial run La4y Charlton op. Thursday ; machinery working well." The secretary of the Lady Cardrona Dredging i Company informs us that the statement that a dredgemaster has been appointed is incorrect. The position of the company is that though the pontoons are launched and ready for the machinery, the directors have arranged that the machinery lias not to go forward to the claim till dredges in the neighbourhood— Cardrona No. 1 and White Star — have proved a success. A sample of gold from the Arrow Junction Company's claim is on view at Mr Mendelsohn's. The duectora of the Matau Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the 13th) of Is per share, payable on Wednesday, April 3 An Invercai-gill telegram says: — "Sixty ounces of shotty gold, the heaviest piece 9dwt, the result of a fortnight's work, has cpme dovvn from the Arrow Falls Company. This is a claim in winch much money was 'fiuitlessly spent by others for years past. The present holders are getting thiough the difficult part of the working." Mr James P?rk, who fakes the position of dnector of ths Otago School of Mines, has handed over ths management of the Queen and Moanataiaii mines to Mr Moreing. Messrs Park, Reynolds, and Co will sell the steam dredge belonging to the Great Western Gold Dredging Company as she now lies on the claim near Colac Bay on Saturday, April 13, unless the machine is disposed of privately. The machineiy was supplied by Messrs A. and T. Burt, and' the engine is a 12 horse-power Marshall's. She is said to be capable of dredging to 35ft blow water hie. The manager of the Golden Run pipes reports that he washed up 48oz gold. The secretary -of the Dunedin Stock Exchange requests to state that tiie Belmont Gold Dredging Company was -nadvertently omitted from the March issue of the Dunedin stock and share list. The company will be inserted m this month's list, with quotations for the shares. At a meeting of shareholders and dirpctois of the Golden Treasure Dredging Company, held at Wood's Hotel, Rattray street, en the 26th ult . a handsome gold pendant, Mutably inscribed, was presented to Mr Petsr M'Vicpr, Irte dredgemaster of the above company. Mr Grieg, a director, m making the presentation, congratulated Mr M'Vicar on Ins management and tact, and hoped that in taking ohaigp ot the Ahaura River Company's dredge he would be as successful as he had been on the Golden Treasure. The recipient suitably responded. A Beaumont coi respondent informs tr° Tuapeka Times that a large number of engineers are at present busy erecting fie machinery on the Golden Giavel pnd Golden Reward dredges. They are expected to be at work early in June. The secretary of the Last Chance Hydraulic Sluicing, Elevating, and Dredging Company lepoits a return of 82oz 13dwt 15gr for about five weeks' sluicing. The legal manager of the Shotover Quartz Mining Company (No Liability) has received the following telegram from the mine manager — " Have struck splendid stone in the level." The secretary of the Wareatea Gold Diedging Company, Limited (Mr Statham) reports as follows — '• The larger portion of the contracts Tor machinery is now completed, and arrangements are being made to make the first shipment to the Coast in the first week of April. Tenders have been called for the dehveiy of the machinery on the claim, and the plans and specifications for the erection, housing, and tables, et6., are being prepared. The contractor for the pontoons is making fair progress, the greater part of the planking being completed, and all timber for the rest of the woik on the ground. The clam is well forward, and wil l be ready in plenty of ti_ne_for the pontoons." The secretary of tho Woodstock Gold Dredging Company (Mr James Brown) notifies tha^ he lias received the full report by Mr J. C. Maynard, manager of the Keystone Steam Borlrg and Prospecting Company, on the lesults of the woik done on the company's claim. Mr Maynard writes — " It is with great pleasure that I am able to gf\e an exceedingly favourable lcpoit on your very handsome pioperty at Woodblock " Under mstiuctions frcm ' cur dnectorate two holes were sunk ahead oi where the pontoons are now being built, the fiist hole being «u'ik in the swamp and the second on a level piece or teriace, 21ft above the level of the swamp. Both bores proved the giound to contain suflicient gold to give unusually good prospects, the first' containing 14ft of easily worked wa?h pio^pectmg 33.7gr to the yaid, and the second cortammg 1 5tt of tight wash, giving about 60°r or 2Jd\vt to the yaid, a'-d having on the top of this leniaikably rich layer another 15ft of was.il, giving over 16gr to the \a,d. Taking the two boies — one m the swamp and the other in the teriace — tbe material which the dredge will actually have to lilt yields on lhe aveiage lidwt of lough and ea-si'y-saved gold per ya-rl The Pre&eival'on Inlet cc.ie&pon I c:.t of the Southland Times writes — One of the nirst picnnsmg mmmg ventures down here just now has been stopped — viz., the Cuttle Co-e tributeis, the ciuses being the too stringent conditions insisted on by the proprietor of the mine and the extraordinaiily high charge made by the Morning Star Company for crushing the stone. Usually the charge for ciushing i^ fiom 7s 6cl to 10s per ton, but the Stir Compinv want 20s per ton, the tubuters to find nil the labour. At Skippers, for instance, the Achilles Company will crush for anybody for 7s Gd pel ton and find eveiythiiis; — except, of course, the stone. The trial ciushing of three ton 3, made at the Star battery, yielded loldwt pel ton, and for the &?ke of all concerned 't is to be hoped that better arrangements will bo ma( n e with the propuetors of the mine and the b.tttciy ov.nei-3. [Sm<-e -writing the foiepoiri, tho tubutei^ have letuincd by the liavi ,nsfle better teims with the piopi'etois for the ciushing at the Stai Kitteiy.] — Nc\\ 3 ib anxiously awaited hcr£ as to nlrt the Alpha Company intend cloiug, tliCii actioa m closing dov. v

the mine being a puzzlo to everyone — Alluvial mining is carried on still by a few, who seem to be doing fairly well. The Austial Ohs Engineering Company. South Melbourne, have contracts for iiO less than 11 dredging plants for New Zealand, as well as several for Victoria. Some of tha plants are already completed, and all will be» limshed inside contract time. The Austra'j Otis Company certainly beat all competitors inJ the rapidity with which they turn out thencontracts, and the quality of the work wa have seen is of the best. Besides mmmg and general machinery of every description, the* Austral Otis Company have the most extensive pipe factory in Australasia, and can manufacture cast iron and wrought iron pipes of any size and in any quantify. They have lately completed a contract for 3000 tons cast iron water pipes for the Victorian Government. — Advt.