LATE MINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 30

LATE MINING.

(Continued from page 22 ) CENTRAL OTAGO NOTES. (From Otjp. Own Correspondent.) Alexandra, April 15.— The Molyneux is subsiding, but slowly, being now about 3ft sin ebove normal. She rose about 2in on Saturday, but has fallen again. The river is very 'clear at present, but Rt the beginning of last week the water was anything but clear. The Earnßoleugh No. 2 has had a wonderful Tun of great returns for some time past. Tbis Week's return i 3 excellent. 1 The Earnscleugh No. 1 is still stripping. >It will not be long before she staits dredging again. , Some machinery passed through here last week for the Eprnscleugh No. 3. I am afraid 4t will be a long time before this dredge is working. The Matau continues her splendid average— 6Soz 19 excellent. "' The Vincent is at present stopped for some necessary repairs, but is expected to start again this week. The New Alexandra commenced dredging last week. I look for decent returns now, as she is dredging at a new cut in trie vicinity where her l»6t good returns were washed up. The Unity dredge is dredging steadily. MiBarry, her dredgemaster, is seriously ill. I /wish him a speedy recovery to his usual state of health. The Cairnmuir is expected to be ready for work shortly now, as the delay caused by the toon-arrival of pipes is over, they having come to hand at last. The Perseverance is now lower on the return list than she has been for months past. This .week's return, though not nearly so high as her average, must be considered higher than the ordinary dredge's average. « The Enterprise continues to keep her high average up. She is dredging steadily. The Chicago's return of 220z odd for three days' actual dredging is a decided improvement. Since she shifted over to the other side of the liver her returns are improving. The Golden Beach h?s started well, after her overhaul. Her return of 83oz odd for a h+tle over a week's dredging augurs well for her winter's average being high. The Alexandra Eureka is pegging away Steadily. She is shifting a little this week. The Moa (Clyde) dredge's return shows a decided improvement for the better. A slight accident happened her on Friday last. The pinion for the screw broke. A new oue reached here on Saturday evening, late, and it is expected dredging will be started to-day. ' The Manuherikia does not seem to be working any too smoothly lately. I attribute this to hurried erection, also to tha fact of the 'engine not being powerful enough. I look for, if report is verified, phenomenal returns from this dredge. The wash-up, if any, on the S-ilor's Bend dredge is kept quiet. I believe she is working Bplendidly. The Golden Falls is still by the biidge, doing nothing. Up to the present nothing is being done to float the Morning Star dredge. The Manoiburn had a breakdown last week. - The -spur wlieel broke, and a new one will have-jio be sent up from town befoie dredging can commence. . The machinery on the Bald Hill Flat-oredge 'is running smoothly. Tlife Fourteen-mile Beach is working dayBhifts only at present, pending stronger friction clutches arriving from Dunedin. In my humble opinion, it will be many months before the Alexandra Lead dredge is finished, co far as erection at present promises. The planking is near completion on the Uiver Molyneux pontoons. A very fair amount of machinery is on the ground. The erection of the upper framing on the Uendigo is fast nearing completion. NOTES FROM WAKATIPTJ. (From Otjb Own Correspondent.) ATrowtown, April 13. — Dredging is still logging, dragging its slow length along. Rumour occasionally plays upon the hope-strings of expectation^ but the sound produced is always followed by discord. There are many iea"sons to account for what cannot be called anything else than stagnation, not the least of which are of so delicate a nature that they can be agoken of in print only in the language of flowers, and are certainly forbidden topics in this column. However, the real facts explanatory of di edging ibeing backward in the Wakatipu are that nearly all dredges have to start by prospecting the Ciaims they are intended to work, and that the shareholders' patience is not equal to the Strain delay puts upon their golden dreams. CARDRONA DREDGING. This phase was illustrated tl»e other week, Tacon's Cardrona dredge was shut down 4>y order from the directors, having been at ■work barely two months. The dtedgemaster ,<Mr Low) and his crew worked half p shift to iollow up a prospect got from the ground, when .■ihe order to shut down came. Mr Low went to Dunedin, with the result of the half-shift's work, to interview the directors personally. The upshot of Mr Low's prompt action was a decision to rescind the resolution to shut down "and - to keep going for another month, and work has ibeen resumed. It is a pity that the piospect 'obtained is kept quiet. However, either the publication or suppression of future doings will tell a tale that can scarcely be misread. Cardrona No. 1 is getting gold in quantities that cannot be called payable, the most encouraging circumstance being that the distinguishing wash continues with satisfactory regularity, bo that theie is 'still a hope that thi3 claim may be heard of sooner or later ivith favourable results. , The White Star has ie_peated the mistake of the Rollling Stone dredge — namely, starting a mile away from the spot where the gold was proved to exist, by the lowest working done '.upon the lead. There was nothing whatever to prevent the dredge being built at the upper end 'i/f the claim, picking up the lead where it was known to exist, and following it to the lower ■./boundary. Instead of this, tfco dredge was l>uilt a mile away, rt a point where it may lake her months of unprofitable work before payable gold is mei-Huth, if, indeed, the patience of the shareholders does not give ouTere (hat happy time comes. KAWARAU DREDGING. The delay of realisation of golden hope 3 from Ihis river is owing to the depth of the deposit Df tailings and debris from previous workings 'upon the terraces flunking the river. Gold has llbeen obtained by the Merrimac and Galvanic Ivhich in lesser depths would pay. But machinery put to its utmost tension does not work .lirtth satisfaction, and hence the want of success, which, in these cases, should, and could, Clave been foreseen. The Eclipse is still idle, pending the arrival of her main shaft, which bent some weeks ago. The Kswaiaa Bridge dredge is coming on, .T)ut it will not be before the end of next month that she can be expected to make a start. The Arrow Junction dredge was shifted some Vime ago to the lower boundary of the claim, .lear the junction of the ArroW" with the Ka\farau River. Tiie locality has nmch to 1c- 1 'tommend it, the gold being almost sure to be

there in payable quantities, the drawbacks being depth, running tailings, and perhaps snags. The Kia-Ora will soon be ready for her trial trip. The greater part of her machinery is fitted up, and as nearly everything necessary for its completion is on the ground, there should be 110 great delay with a start being made. The Dart dredge has been at work for a while, but had to stop for the want of machine oil, which will be supplied in a few days. Some alteration had also to be made to the machinery. The Arthur's Point dredge went through the usual ceremony of christening last week, "nd has been at work off and on. It is reported that the Shotover Quartz Mining Company's stone is improving m value The mine manager (Mr James Miller) of the Arrow Falls Tunnel Company reports favourably on the quality of the ground now being sluiced away. There will be another clean-up nest week. NOTES FROM ALEXANDRA. (From Oue Own Correspondent.) ALEXANDRA, Apnl 15. Tne Molyneux has risen 2in or 3in since yesteiday, and owing to heavy rams further up a slight fiesh is expected. More machinery, including the boiler, arrived on Saturday for the River Molyneux dredge. The Moa dredge will start dredging to-night. THE WEST COAST. (From Our Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, April 15. The local directors of the Ford's Creek dredge received word on Saturday to lengthen the ladder Bft. The dredge has been dredging to a depth of 27ft without getting bottom. It is expected that Bft more will be ample to reach the deep ground. When this work is completed the ground will receive a good test, and if paj'able, prove adjoining claims, principally the Wicklow and Strives Companies. The work of erecting machinery on the Ruby Creek dredge is proceeding satisfactorily, and will be completed m about seven weeks. There was no wash up on the New River dredge last week, nor on the Dobson No. 2. The Grey River wash is again 10ft deeper than the ladder can reach, but still the directors keep on. The gold got last week was only from the top drift. Neither this claim nor Dobeon No. 2 can ever hope to prove successful till they have better appliances. The general opinion is that they should sell the present dredges, which they could easily do, and build machines capable of dredging 40ft. When the directors ,do so, both claims will pay. The New River -dredge is another instance of attempting to win gold without an up-to-date machine. The dredge was formerly used on Lake Mahinapua, and is not only of a veiy primitive character, but the machinery is weak and badly put together. The re=ult is now apparent. The dredge is now on ground that would give from 20oz to SOoz per week, but she might as well not be there. She is continually breaking down, and the opinion is that she will continue to. do so. An extension of capital and an up-to-date dredge will be imperative ere long. Later. The order to lengthen the Ford's Creek ladder has been again countermanded by the Dunedin directors, and Mr Wick, the local director, is loud m declaring his disgust. The directors of the Prince of Wales Company declare that the loss of time in getting a dredge is occasioned by the excessive price demanded for the pontoon and machinery in the colony, amounting to £13,000. The order has therefore been sent to England, and they are getting steel plants for £4386 and pontoon for £876, or a total of £5262. It will be six months yet before the dredge gets to work. Mr Duncan, connected with Brandy Jack's claim here, was offered ground at Deadman's Creek, but as it was not prospected, nothing further was done. This ground is low and wet and difficult to test, but rich gold was got on the higher portions, and as far down as water would permit mmer3 of former days to go.