Notes from Greymonth.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 24

Notes from Greymonth.

(Frou Our Own Corbespondent.)

GREYIIOUTH, August 26. The Victory is Mill dredging m the drift between two high banks of the Kelson Creek, the depth of wash varying from 16ft to 28ft. The dredge is now on a good bit of gold right in the centre of the claim, and is likely to improve.

The Aldinga dredge ia in 18ft of good-looking wash, which la improving. There weie a number of minor breakdowns during last week.

The Trafalgar is still in deep ground, with very little alteration sinca last report. The Eriok3ou's Reward dredge is now on s«*l gtt>& wash* and if the machine, wetf onlj

working better much larger returns would be obtained.

The Pactolus dredge is working in shallower ground admirably. The larger and second dredge is in full swing, and in a fortnight ther<» should be good returns.

The Mosquito dredge is now working well, the ground being pretty clear of timbeT. If this vash continues better returns may be expected. The Leviathan Freehold was delayed during the week owing to alteration to the machinery. She is working at a disadvantage, not having much room in the dam, and it will be a fortl.ight before she will get into working order, when good results should be obtained.

Tho Hokitika River dredge has not been working for the paot few days. In the present position dredging opsralions are r.ot satisfactory, owing to the dredge not being able to bottom, also to tha fact that no gold haa been prcved to exist. Another trial will be made on the north side of the river. The dredge will have to wait for a rise in the river before she can get acioso. The Nelson Creek dredge is now working a httlo distance from the further bank, coming across strea n in a semi-circle course. This mode of working ia found to be more convenient, and saves a good deal of time in shifting head and cross lines.

The liquidator of the Brandy Jacks has remitted to the shareholders a final dividend of 2s Jd per share. This makes 4s BJd returned to the shareholders, out of 8s paid up. The Greenstone Three-mile returns should he maintained for some lime to come, and when the southern end of the cut ia being worked considerably increased. The face 'now opened ia about six chains across, and the return was obtained at the far end from where the 50oz was secured. The ground ranges from 16ft to 20ft deep, is hard, especially, on the bottom, besides being rough. The dredgeninster of the Greenstone Junotion reported ou August. 23 n, return of S2oz Sdwt, a decrease compared with last week. During the- earlier part of the week submerged timber caused trouble, and bottom only being obtainable on some shifts made an appreciable difference in the return, otherwise no difference could be seen in the ground from that of the previous week. Mr Nelson, who has put down a number of bores- in the Boss district, testing""ni»ny places, is about to. make further trials there. He intends to gi'e his attention to the black sand deposit's oa the beach. August 27. I The Mojquito and Stony Lead dredge i« nearly ready for starting, and will probably get going by the end of the week. The prospects before "this company are very encouraging. ; The No Town dredge will probably get a start about Thursday, and, as the wash ia rich, good n-turns should be obtained on Saturday week. The Lagoons dredge started three shifts on Monday, and is now down 17ft in rough wash. She should get a return in a fortnight. j The Maori Gully dredge got a freeh start on j Monday, and is now down 30ft. She will get i a face at the end of the week, and a return on ' Saturday week. I August 28. The contractor expects to launch the Wai- ' majigarofc dredge in about eight days. An extraordinary meeting of shareholders ill the Old Diggings Company is convened for the ; i Bth. September to consider the advisability of gcing into liquidation. The Gj;eat Woodstock dredge is working into better ground, and many miners express the opinion that better returns will be obtained shortly. The Prince of Wale* dredge had a trial run yesterday, and everything worked satisfactorily. Very little opening-up work will be necessary, i as it is expected that a Teturn will be recorded during September. The directors of the Nelson Creek Company . have declared a dividend of 4s per share, mak- ! ing in all 22s paid to date. This is the first ! W-eat Coast company to return the original > capital to shareholders. As the dredge ha* ■ only worked a very small portion of the olaim, and the best ground is believed to be ahead, I the prospects before shareholders are very j bright. J Having had a thorough overhaul, the Red Jacks dredge has resumed work. The Totara Flat dredge was refloated yester- • day. The extent of the damage is at present unknown. Nearly all the Caledonia dredge has been Tcmoved to %h& Blackwater claim, where the ' dam is nearly completed. \ August 31. I Last week's returns are disappointing, though the Nelson Creek return is expected.^ to improve matters. The Pactolus dredge broke down in the middle of the week, and did not wash up. She starts again on Monday morning. The larger dredge having cleared room for herself to move in, starts three shifts at midnight. The first week's return will be hard to gauge, but after that lOOoz per week is regarded as certain. The Buller Junction dredge was putting in a new screen and rollers last week. She starts on Monday. The Callaghan's Creek dredge had to stop to clep-r away timber, but will get a start on Monday morning. The Mosquito dredge obtained 40oz 7dwt. Timber was again struck. The Great Woodstock return is 30oz. This dredge has still considerable difficulties to con- | tend with, and the wash is very uncertain. j The Hokitika River dredge started working | yesterday, heading for the north side of the I river. The wash on the southern side will not pny. The Prince of Wales dredge made a trial run jesterday, when everything worked satis- [ factorily. The dredgeinaster has had some j trouble with his crew. ] The Kohinoor dredge is stopped at present through, an accident, the bottom tumbler being bioken. The ground was improving- when the accident occurred. The delay will last about a week. I The Stafford Waimea dredge obtained 16oz 18dwt for 114 hours. The diedge came across ' ■ the woodwork of an old tail race, which I hampered them during the week. j The North Beach obtained 31oz 7dwt for , 1 119 hours. A small breakage delayed work. The wash is quite as good as for the previous week. The Kohinoor dredge only got in 80 hours' work for 16oz lOdwt. Some of the ground has . been previously worked. The Aldinga, dredge, in 18ft of wash, got 14oz 15dwt. I regard this claim as certain to improve. The Leviathan dredge worked all the week in a perfect mud hole, the quantity of wafh being infinitesimal ly small, and the return of 11 oz for tko wash treated is mof? than was expected. The dredge secais to have got on to a deep gut of mud and sediment, lying between the beach and the back run of wash. The water in the dam is as thick as gruel. Thf-re ia not much chance of an improvement as long as the present condition's exist. The Leviathan Freehold Company's dredge is working crossing the creek, where a good deal of non-auriferous rnut&nal will have to be removed. The tables are completely clogged with niu'l and pug, that pievent the small quantity of wash coming up from being propeily tieatcd. The luaclnu" hal tundry Ijreak3, and was v. crk.ng 90 hour? for Boz. , Tv« Red Jacks for the. w«*k'o itturn got

August 31

18oz 18dwt. The dredge is still in the narrow* and still hampered by timber. The Maori Gully dredge got soz for 60 hours' work. The timber is thinning out, but gold is scarcer. The splendid winter season has favoured tha miners on the Callery, a tributary of th* "Wniho River, and quite a harvest of gold ha« ' been obtained. DECADENCE OF THAMES MINING-. THAMES, August 28. A conference was held to-night between representatives of the Thames Minears' Union and Borough Council to consider the languish* ing state of the mining industry and proposed] remedies. It was decided to call a public) meeting. Complaints were made of tha lengthy protection given in some cases, na work having been done by companies for years ; also the fact that companies were allowed to man their ground by the employment of tribu* ters. PROTESTS AGAINST "LARGE CLAIMS., INVERCARGILL, September. 1. , As a result of the discovery of gold- at Pahia, a largely-attended meeting of miners -, 1 at Orepuki protested against the granting of~ 50-acre claims, and resolved to ask the Government to resume the freehold of property known to be auriferous between OrepuM and Pahia for mining purposes. . THE GREY RIVER CONSOLIDATED ," COMPANY. t In order to get the Grey River Consolidate & » dredge-into commission once more, with^jkfe; to testing the main lead which , wag. -crojuedV while the dredge was working its' way iigsKps' river, it has been , decided by the- deberitnji;*-holders-to form- a small. company ..wi^h, a caj>i£»l of £1500. Of this sum £1000 will bereprefentedT by the debentures, and £500 :of- fresh capitjkl . will be raised among the - ciebenture-holatrp* • The- new capital will be placed on the footijiijßof preference shares, the whole amount >> tofcps” returned to the contributors before the deb"en> tuie-holders participate in the profits, »|ot which they will rank as ordinary sh"ares. ; f ; lr* addition to this the new capital will be *--fli#fc charge on the dredge and claim should; the operations prove unsuccessful. About haU>sh«) required amount has already^ been subscribed,, and with such great advantages as those-; :enu- ; merated it is thought that there" will- be^no* difficulty in raising the remainder. It might be 'explained that the dredge crossed | three leads in working its way to the riv«r, and. the principal one, which it is thought desirable to follow up, gave a return of 250z during the day or two occupied in crossing it. ._ ; NEW LEANING ROCK GOLD DREDGING* COMPANY. The first statutory meeting of shareholder* j in the New Leaning Rock Gold Dredging Comi pany was held on 26th ult. for the purpose of eleclingdirectors and auditors for the ensuing 1 year. There were about 20 shareholders present, and Mr W. G. Somerville presided. The Chairman having mentioned that tha qualification for a director in the old company was the holding of 25 shares, Mr Jonathan Rhodes moved that the qualification in the new company should be the holding of 25 shares. Mr R. G. Whetter said he thought tha qualification should be fairly low, as there! would probably be a number of shareholders,who had less than 25 shares. He moved as v* amendment that the qualification be- five,' ' shares. ' - > The amendment was seconded by Mr-Harra-way, and carried. ' i Mr Harra-way asked that th,e> minutes' of , tha, meeting of the provisional directors -when th»' shares were allotted should be xead. He o said a, great deal of dissatisfaction existed with Tegaid. to the way in which the shares were allotted. > The Chairman decided to take the business in the order indicated in the circular calling tho meeting, *and the matter dropped. M rW .Dall moved that the number of directors be three, the motion being seconded by, Mr C. A. Arnold. Mr M. Pearce moved as an amendment that the number of directors be four, this being seconded by Mr Harraway, and carried. Mr Dall explained that he did not care how . many directors were elected^but he wished to guard against a large sum being paid in fees. : \ Mr Rhodes moved that the remunerationof the directors be 48 guineas per annum, the. motion being seconded by Mr A. Blackie. Mr Dall moved as an amendment that the remuneration be 30 guineas, this being seconded by Mr Arnold. ' The amendment on being put was lost, ana the motion was subsequently put and carried.'. Messrs W. G. Somerville, A. E. Harraway*' J. Rhodes, P. Aitken, J. C. Short, N. D. Cochrane, A. Blackie, M. Pearce, R. G. Whetter; and J. Arkle were nominated as directors, ana on a ballot being taken the first four wero declared elected. Messrs D. Leslie (of Messrs Mitchell and Leslie) and James Brown were nominated for the position of auditor, and Mr Leslie wa« elected at a remuneration of five guineas. Mr Whetter moved — " That it be t r«com« mendation to the directors that Mr R. A; Mathewson be appointed secretary at a salary of £50 per annum." ' Mr D. Leslie moved as an amendment— LhaX the question of remuneration be left to the The Chairman pointed out that the recom^ mendation was quite unnecessary, as .Mr Mathewson- had been appointed secretary at ai salary of £65. . " , / Mr Whetter consequently withdrew nis recommendation. , „ _ On the motion of the Chairman it was decided that the books of the company be closed on August 31, and that the next general meeting of shareholders be held in October, the date to be fixed by the directors. _ -• , A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the proceedings.