Notes from Greymouth.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 25

Notes from Greymouth.

(From Otjb Own Cob-respondents.)

GREYMOUTH, February 2.

More returns are to hand for the past week than for months past, and the yields are satisfactory, only two out of 20 dredges giving less than 20oz. The share market to-day was almost brisk, reminding one of the milder days of the boom.

The North Beaoh "dredge has not yet got a start.

The Mokoia dredge, working in shallow, rough wash, got 270z Hdwt. The ground ahead appears to deepen, with better prospects. The Nelson Creek, with 470z, is somewhat disappointing. The wash continues uniform, and Idle prospects of improvement are not very good. The Premier dredge is gradually working up into better wash, last week's yield being 240z. Tie wash is deep and beyond the capacity of the ladder, but show 9 signs of rising, in which case better yields can be expected.

The Boatmanß Cr.eek dredge, having been thoroughly overhauled, got a good run last week, the result being 290z. The wash is hard, but the dredge, being a fairly good machine, Bhould be able to cope with it. The Stony Mosquito dredge got 30oz lOdwt for three days. The wash continues very rich font hard, the dredge only lifting a small quantity. Tlie mine manager of the Garden Gully Company reports : —The contractors have finished their work, having done 7ft of driving and 13ft of crosscut since last report. As suggested, ona shift in the -crosscut at the north end was done on day wages. The full length of the driva contracb (100 ft) is now completed, 35ft being driven in a southerly direction and 65ft in the northern crosscut at the south end, and the reef proved to be 16ft from wall to wall, composed of a bank of quartz and elate, some of the bank showing fair prospects of gold. The crosscut at tne north end lias proved the reef to be 10ft wide at this point, skewing » solid face of quartz. The

reef will therefore average 12ft to 18ft in width, the oro throughout being of good qua'ity. I have left the drive ?• d mam tunnel in good rerx'.ir. I have dismantled the fan, and placed all" tools and material m the hut. Febiuary 5. The dredging returns this week wul show an improvement. The Shellback diedge will give its first washing up since restarting. The old Maori King dredge is likely to get a start about the end of next week.

At a meeting of the Ross Dawn Company last night a resolution to wind up the company for the purpose of reconstruction was confirmed. A large numbei of shares have aheady been applied for.

Messrs Titley and parly have be-^n successful m securing the Prince of Wales dredge and claim on tribute.

Work at the Montezuma dredge was again commenced this week, and is now steadily progressing. Some further altprations have baen made to the s?nd pump, ard it is now v/orking satisfactculy. The dredge is on good gold at present, and a payable wash-up is expected this week, the expectation being that the present run will continue for some considerable time.

Since the holidays everything has been working satisfactorily en the Commissioner's Flat dredge. The master has now proved that the gold-bearing Jayeis aie dipping, and has decided to follow the leadsito a greater depth. Having a machine that caa do the work, he has decided to work the giound to the main bottom. There is, however, the difficulty of large boulders to contend against, which caused a delay yesterday of three hours m a shift; but from the nature of the ground the wash should be good. The trouble of sunken timber is, however, past, and the dredge is working in solid country at a depth of 37ft below the water level. Tha face above the water level is 25ft, and the total depth of the face to be treated is 62ft. Having ample tailmgs room, there is no danger of the dredge being silted up. The dredge ib at present woikmg three shifts.

February 7. The share market was limp and lifeless at the ond of the week, dus, some folks affirm, to the banks commencing to draw in. The Paotolus dredges did not clean up this week. Both dredges are shifting the lines preparatory to opening a new face towards the Try Again Terrace.

Callaghan's Creek dredge, owing to floods, did not bottom till Tuesday, and will not be cleaning up this week.

The Butter Junction dredge washes up on Monday.

TKe return of the Greenstone Creek dredge was 290z 6dwt for 114 hours, and the Greenstone Three-mile washed up for 19oz for the week. The Greenstone Junction has not had a full run for the week, but will be washing up. The Blackwater River dredge got 660z 13dwt for a short week's run. The dredge was oft the centre of the lead. The returns will continue to vary with the position of the dredge from side to side. The ground continues, however, to improve as the dredge advances on each cut across tlie claim.

The Blackwater Lagoons dredge is working back to get at the lower portion of the Blaokwater River lead. At present she is working on unpayable ground.

The Mosquito dredge obtained 48oz, with improving ground ahead.

The Nelson Creek claim continues to disappoint. The return last week of 490z is of course very payable, but the dredge is now working m a place where 200oz per week at least was expected to be got.

The Jameson Reward dredge washed up 430z for the week. The dredge is now on a good bit of wash, but the ground' is very patchy and cannot be depended on.

The Stony Mosquito dredge got 470z sdwt for three days, with .splendid wash ahead. The insufficiency of the machinery is very much against this company, which otherwise would get very much larger yields. The lead now being worked is that which extended down to the Leviathan claim, but, unlike the Leviathan's, this ground has not been worked before.

The Mokoia dredge obtained 420z 16dwt. The dredge is likely, within a week or so, to oome upon richer ground.

The Eohmoor dredge obtained 340z for 116 hours. The ground continues hard, tearing and wearing the machinery and causing stoppages.

The Stafford Waimea dredge washed up 230z 9dwt for 108 hours. Another fortnight should see this claim well opened out, and the dredge getting good returns.

The Moonlight dredge obtained lloz 2dwt for the week, no improvement showing.

The Commissioner's Flat dredge got 15oz for 70 hours. The wash continues hard and rough. The Bignell's No Town dredge continues to work in bluish wash. The gold is not quite so heavy as that in the No Town claim, but the wash itself is similar to that in which No Town miners got the best gold in the early days. The Shellback dredge washed up yesterday. The resiilt was not up to expectation. If no improvement is shown the foundry company will soon shut down.

The Golden United dredge got 220z,

Two samples of stone taken at haphazard from the tip at the mouth of the present low level tunnel of the Garden Gully mine and forwarded to Reefton for analysis yielded respectively at the rate of 4oz lOdwt and 4oz 9dwt of gold per ton. The development drive on the 10-w level is now completed, and the crosscuts at each end prove the leefs to average over 12ft m width, with excellent stone exposed. The prospects ahead of this company are bright

February 8.

The No Town Creek dredge lost a good deal of time, hence the reduced yield of 420z. The wash ahead is as likely as ever. The wash in the Reeves's Proprietary claim has softened a good dea, l , enabling the dredge to treat it in bulk, with the result that 340z 4clwt were obtained.

The Premier dredge had a miehap, and only got in three days for 20oz. The wash is rather deep. The New Woodstock dredge washed up lOoz lOdwt. The wash is pretty tight. It is understood that the dredge is to be considerably strengthened at an early date. The Boatman's dredge put in 120 hours for 17oz. The wash is hard.

The Bignell's No Town dredge, which has been at work for the last couple of weeks, has slowly opened up a paddock. The diredge is a good deal hampered by sunken timber. A shift and a-half is being worked. The buckets are now down in wash, and should soon touch bottom.

The Greenstone Junction dredge got 260z sdwt 2gr for the week. The -wash is deep, but slowly improving.