Notes from Arrowtown.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 24

Notes from Arrowtown.

(Fkom Ova Own Cor.eespokbent.)

AKEOWTOWN, July 22.

A coi respondent m the Drily Time 3of the 19th inst., signing himself '" Interested," wishes to know too much. It would be n large order to define all the various combinations of gold with other minerals — that is to say, other than fiee gold— a3 the combination vanes with the different lodes at Mactown, again m the different claims, and then again at various depths. As to how I arrive at the fact that a portion only of the free gold contained in the Macetown was naved, I quoted tha fact that since the Indian Glen rock Company introduced the cyanide process ihey obtained from the concentrated from 6oz to Boz of gold per ton or" the concentrates KOl tlic infoiimlion of " Interested ' 1 irsy nentaon that every 30 tons of quaitz crushed give& one ton of concentrates. This gives at tho lower figure 4dwt per tou of quartz, which, in itself is a paying average where quurtz occuis m large bodies. To show the principle on which previous mine and battery managers went to woik, it may bs mentioned that they chose such spots for the crushing mill where the discharge could be paid directly into the creeks ro as to leave no tell-tale tailings on the picinnea. Several parties of men, working the creeka afterwaids, did exceedingly well out of the quicksilver and gold recovered.

Tha Lone Star dredge, Cardrona, is credited vith having obtained 370z of gold !a3t week. The dredge is working well.

L?'franchi's Freehold dredge 13 experiencing the drawback* o£ breakage incidental to so many new dredges. However, the returns are improving, as is shown by the proceeds of last week, amounting to 21oz Mdwt.

A ton of iron ore frrm the Moke Creek iron lode reaiised £6 worth of iron. Considering the situation of the lode and the absence of roads this return scarcely pays for exporting the ore.

There is also said to be an iron lode near Rogers's Gully, Arrow Valley, a distance of 12 miles above Macetown. I have been over the ground, but failed to find the lode, though I saw maiiy immense ironstone .boulders. About the richness iv ore there can be no mistake, as thr-y a.r^. led with rust.

The Kiuvirau Biidgo Dredging Syndicate cannot be rccomni'mdi.d for its energy. The diedg? his been King idle for a number of months, while a stock ot coal stacked upon the bank is crumbling to dust, the syndicate paying a coretaker £2 per we?k to see it vanish into useless gru. To i>how how the syndicate stands in its own light it may be mentioned Uiat s'ldoni has the Kawarau been lower than it is at piesent. Besides this the river is 1 mining perfectly Hear water, allowing the nature of the ground plainly to be discerned : large stones showing 111 places, the easy spots showing with distinctness. There is not likely to be a more favourable reason for dredgn:g for years to come.

July 2G. ■S2Vr.ll inches of *now fell parly this morning. !m'. a keen fro=.t following, there ih no danger to bo apoiehended from flood*. The wi'athor 13 favourable to dicdguig, the river being \ cry low.