LATE MINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 45

LATE MINING.

XOTES FROM DUXGARVILLE (\V C). (From Our Own Correspondent.) DUNGARVILLE, April 7. The dredging industry, as far as this district is concerned, was never quieter since it& inception than at present. The only working dTedge is the Cornwall, which, under tha managership of Mr George "Wilacu, has made \ery Unouiable pi ogress since the commencement, the returns creeping uj steadily week b\ week. During the la^l mouth breakage ■• lihvc been fiequent, and a considerable loss ot time was entailed. The old links, buckets, rollers itha rollers were a new kind, but provec worthless), etc. art- the pans that ore giving (.Ut. Between fi\ c and s.u: tons of machinery art; Jyii'g at (he Puroa lailway at.ilion icariy tc li~ t"ken on* to the c'aim Mt Cowie, lat« engineer of the Maon Quwi diedgr, has beer i ugaged to assist in carrying out the necessary lewas This dredge bus been built iotir time-, '•'nsfc v was erected to wo k the Galtec Aloro i..a:m, the i the C;,mbna'i.s thirdly it wa-* -!nltc:l to Folej'fa Creek, i.isd Instlj to its. pn.sc»it property. Let us hope that it v.'il 1 .it !<ist pro\e i< div.t'.cnc'-p.iving concern, 'llio con:pniiy is to be congiatulatcd on having s-jcured ih" •-crvices oi a competent, hardworking, p.mibtaKiug manager in die per^ou oT }'r iJcoig^ Wilsa-i. L r p to la' t week ho \ aikea lh>' Crcx^e wAU Six o" z few, I'.clucmt; h.nise'f, and irok lv«. turr. at tho v. inch as the shift came iou.nl in ord^r to keep ciowi- expense. Tli" gold ob'an.cd by the dredge when opening out was of :i thin «CRly nature, there being n' . body in it, wluoh tendered it \try difficult t'j ba^-e. but as s,hc \,'orkcd u.j the t... er bed 'iLt gold pci rr.uglier and richer, and I have no doubt h\ the inr.e she leafhrs the nouth o~ Moaqu.tc. Cieolt th» ie.ii: -«s v. :M l.» uretty fjoca. ihc Marscipn Xo. 1 ilrcuge. j'.aati-d iivo milea furlrhcr down itieam, h?s made :i fresk .-.t.tit ur;t''-i liie niiniag* men. of Mr Shrjves. \.ho is t-kmg " cut no the rivei boc! towards l-'uchs..! Creek, where "he expects to find shallower gri'iind, csirryins; p.'V.ible gold. At pre«n' he cannot bottom —the ladd-r only reachnig a depth of 25ft. The top cinlt tarries a. fan puipoilion of light gold, but l.othing pa%- . ' c wiiiiout the bottom gold. The terrace* '■iirrouudmp; Fuchsia Creek \\crs highly cur.Jeious, rijd have Veen worked, so it is quitfl within the bounds of probability that if the ivesent syndicate who own the dredge uei-•-c\eic they may vet strike it rich. 'liie Marsden Xo. 3 :s still floating m hey ijoi.d like unto a uiounment of indiscretion. She !u! v a powerful-lool.ii.g-diedge, possessing a ladder capable of drcd-irg to a depth of 28ft, whil=t !h" r!i>im "-he :s built to work h?s an average rl-nth of from 40fi to 50ft. The company has {.(/in- into liquidation without having taken .i turn out of the machiiu-rj What a pity the '-.lareholder-, louldr't liquidate the peicon j who iiie r^--i)O. -lb c fo-- bringing things to such a pas- Tin- writer 's of opinion that the " \vcep»ng hi I w.nlir.tf and gnashing of teeth a'ld outei d;>rki."-s tlneatercd us m the woild to coii.o will clever be equal to the mißery c?u-ed by the Rotation of some gold dredging companies. The Maoii Queen Gold Dredging Company has gone into liquidation, and the directors have issued the prospectus of a new company under the title of the " New Maori Queen Gold Dredging Comna.ny, with !i proposed capita' of £2500. They propose to buy the old dredge fc- the sum of £1500 ?.nd givt- her another run for it. The shares r.n first offered to the old shareholders, and if they do not take them ur they will then be offered to the public. How ever, I hear that the Maori Oueeu ;s to start work in the couise of a lew weeks. If that is so the new company must ha\e been successfv'lv floated. Mr Cowie, ergjneer, hit 3 had all the repair-, c irried out during the respite, and everything is ready exeeptin*? the crown wlicl, \.liich will be put into position as boom as it corati along. Had that wheel kept together tic dredgo would have been working all the. t mr 'I he w.ish was improving, and the return" wou'd lit-o be.i better. 1 knpe the new comp.r\ will mi 't w 'th better luck than the ok. <;"(• M> C<nv c is In iking after the dtedgc .i rl k"fi)i'g her pumped out diunig his spare ninnip.it 1 ). Tho County Council are going to snend £•*>) of a Government giant m widening th" bor^p track leading from the main load t > the Maori Queen claim. 'Fins will enable carters to convey machinery and coal right up to the dredge without any trouble. The timber for the M'.'.ori King Company"." pontoons is still hmg on tho company's claim c.\p< -ed to .vine! and weather

Town iroji'ltie-. although on" dors nofc sf»» the population i^rowinij;, sell \eiy leadily. Oiip of the l)c 5t5 t finished and perhaps tho liaiifL-omr-t resideiicei m In\er. ai gill has l)pcn -old by Mr AY H Scandrett, the' veilknow n lai'fl a^ent. to Mr Horace ISastingc, who ha- i <-t iri-'l from nctive busine =-. Ifi va- < r.'< ted recftilly for Mi K. I'hillipfr, :in old In\rr< .iicfilbte, from plans drawn by >Ir (' H Ro'jerts. founerly of Oaniaru NEW MI'SIC. -The Dre-den Piano Company have ju-t piibl.t-hcd the " Funcial Maieii," by He-cthoven, as performed by tin- ])un< c'iiij Carri-on "BancJ, a c opy of wii c i i- ju-t to hand. The piece is in a Imihlj form, and a-> it h issued at Is, it i- u.i:lim ;lie r<a.cli of all. It i« neatly ur.utcd by the Caxtoa Company.