MINING SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 32

MINING SUMMARY.

A few additional dredges have been put into cc-niinismon since the issue of our last S-um-mary, and the majority of those now at work aro doing very well, the Teturns comparing more than favourably with those won m the beginning of last year. Dredging operations have, for the most part, been very steadily pursued, and there has been nothing in the way of a high river or running drift to cavisa interruption, as the Molyneux, although stationary for some time, has been at a fairly dredgeable level. A fall oi a further few "feet should see the Electric No. 2, New Fourteen-mile Beach, Hartley ard Riley, Manuherikia, and a. few others steadily at work again, and, judging by the success at present attending the operations of most of the dredges, the coming year should prove as profitable as any previous one. Sluicing operations, both in Central Otago and on the West Coast, have to some extent been hampered by shortness of water, consequent on the dryncss of the weather. Matters have, however, improved flightly, and some of the claim? have been able to commence work again. The recent finding of a promising goldbeariri'g reef at Macetown, reported in our last Summary, has set residents m tho locality searching fox similar outcrops, and several parties have been out on the ranges for the past week, but with what success is not yet known. A considerable amount ot* country has also been pegged off. Information from Pa-bearoa states that a rich find of gold has been discovered in Messrs Stewart Bros.' hydra\ilic claim in that district. The ground in which the find occurs is 12ft deep, very stony, and prospects up to 4dwt to the dish have been got to the bottom, and a grain to ihe shovelful almost all through the washdirt, and the gold, it is stated, is evidently leading into a large portion of unworked ground. Prospecting at the Paparoa reefs is being continued with very fair prospects in th? drive. The idea of putting in a lower le%'el tunnel is again being revived, but there appears to be want of co-operation. It is stated on reliable authority that a splendid reef of excellent quality and of good width has been struck by the diamond drilling operations 108 ft below No. 10 level in thi© Progress mine. This is ihe lowest level in the company's property, and goes to prove that the reefs live down in lhait district. Several Reefton and Hokitika lesidents aie sending experienced qiiartz miners out to the Wilberforce country on a prospecting expedition, which is expected to extend over a period of six weeks. The manager of the Golden Blooks mine (Nelson) reports a return of 2700z of gold as the result of last month's operations. Tlie quantity of stone milled was 244 tons, and the battery was running 22 days. This is the largest return obtained from the mine for some considerable time. The Mineral Belt Copper Company, Nelson, has been working for a considerable time with a view to proving the value of the deposit in Aniseed Valley. In the No. 5 level the lode has been proved 10ft wide of solid ore. A low level tunnel to cut the monster lode is expected to reach ore in a day or two, and already stains of copper are appearing in the roof. This lode showed 32ft of ore m the face 125 ft above the drive now being put in.

The Progress Mines of New Zealand (Limited) report as follows on the operations for the month of January, 1905: — Five thousand two hundred and forty-two tons of stone tvere mined and transported by aerial tramway to Ihe 65-stamp mill, where 4882 tons were ciushed, producing 15550z 19dwt 12gr of bullion, valued at £6166 12s. Ninety tons of concentrates were chlorinated, yielding bullion of the value of £976 0s 9d. Three thousand three hundred tons of tailings were tyanided, yielding bullion to the value of £006 9s 9d.

Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand (Limited). — Golden Fleece mine, 1120 tons of stone were crushed at the 20-sta.mp mill lol'I 01 ' a leturn of 4590z 18dwt bullion, valued at £1856 19s 2d. Eighteen tons of concentrates were produced and 150 tons coarse sands cyanided, the latter yielding bullion of the valtie of £344 4s. Wealth of Nations mine: Nine tons of concentrates were produced and 720 tons coarse t-ands cyanided, the latter yielding bullion of the Value of £4.03 13s 2d*. At the Energetic mine the main shaft was put down by the contractors a further distance of 35ft, making the lotal depth, 125 ft; total depth of the shaft 1494 ft in all. Jhe KeeiJ-it-Dark Company's mine manager

reports for the month of February as follows. — Stoping from No. 4 a-nd No. 5 levels. There- is no change of importance to report in the reef, which at No. 4 stops is rather broken at present. "\\~e are up to where we had to bieak in t>he reef in sinking the east; winze. I think the. reef v/ill improve in another s-tope higher up. Nine hundred and seventyone tons of quartz have been mined and sent to -the battery. No. 4 crosscut has been extended 20ft ; it is now in 64ft. I think if there were stone in tr-at direction it should havebeen met with now. In No. 6 level we opened out 20ft in the uprise and cut the reef, which was looking strong and promising under foot. "Wo then came down to drive to intersect it in the level. We have driven in 16ft, and broken quartz is now making in the face, andl o-old is to be seen in the stone. No. 5 level has been driven 24ft for the month. Promising leefin"- country is now in the face of the drive. The return is: Battery, 1000 tons crushed for 190oz 12dwt ; cyanide, 120oz 13dwt Sgr. During the month of January New Zealand exported" 58 1320z of gold, valued at £234,812, as compared with 29,2170z, valued at £109,862 m the corresponding month of last year. The export of silver during January was 43,8630z, of the value of £4427. During February 31,81G0z of gold, valued at £123,268 wps entered for export, against 52,3180z, valued at £20-2.294 m February last year. The quantities entered at the various ports were as follow: — Auckland, 16,55<10z. value £(57,552; Nelson, S.'oloz. value £3&41; Oreymcuth, 50300z, value £20,360; Dunedin, 67810z, vpHte £27,125; InvercaJrgill, 24200z. value £9600.

Th.9 export of gold from the port of Greymouth for last month was the smallest for many years — namely, 8290z lldwt 15gr, valuedi at £8319.'

An Auckland telegram spates that the gold! return? from the Auckland district for ths ihr^e weeks ended 15th February total £55,594. The Tairvia Broken Hill return from 170 ton 3 slimes is valued at £306. The MaJrara Royal crushed 100 tons ore for a return of £190. In the February crushing of -Hardy's Mines (Limited) 145 tons produced 18| tons of concentrates, valued at £145 IBs 4d, from 10 stamps for 17 days. The first return for the current year from the Waihi Gold Mining Company shows that during the three weeks ended January 38 there were treated 21,400 ! tons cf ore for bullion valued at £43,477. The Waiotahi Company banked 13940z of gold, valued a.t about £4500, as the result of a recent crushing. Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Returns.

COMPARATIVE DREDGING RETURNS. The following table shows the weekly returns reported from the Otago and Southland dredges for the past year, together with, the figures for the corresponding periods of 3904, 1903, and 1902. Pennyweights aoid grains are omitted in each instance: —

' The following table shows the weekly leturrts reported from the "West Coast dredges during the past year, together with tl c figures for the corresponding weekly periods of 1904 and 1903: —

j DIVIDENDS. | The following dividends have been declared ! since the issue of cur last Summary : — Upper Waioori. 6d ; Otago, Is ; Lady Annie, 2s ; Golden Bed. Is; Blackwater River, 6d ; Paterson's Freehold, Is ; Vinegar Hill, Is ; Waikaka j United, Is.

Blue Spur, 6 nicmfhs .. Nokoniai .. .. Ladystnith, 3 weeks .. .. .. Tinkers, month Vinegar Hill, 14 days Local Industry, oboui 4 days .. Champion, week Oz 75a 215 106 105 90 26 12 dwt. gr o o 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 12

11 AZ 52 51 51 52 51 45 183 1103 1357 1196 1420 1425 1337 1211 41 894 4 53 3 252 39 57 1390 50 53 2047 53 61 2332 59 60 2194 -61 67 2457 57 61 2135 55 133 910 1232 1316 1460 1639 1481 1357 14 42 52 51 52 53 52 50 3i: 1091331 120' 1311 134' 133' 139( 9235 15,33-1 9563 906!

1905. 2 23 4 0 13 40S 3 0 12 319 17 12 17 47-2 3 0 18 412 6 0 20 510 3 0 15 461 8 0 15 478 15 0 1904. 15 373 2 0 14 396 1 0 17 567 8 0 24 732 16 0 23 66-1 9 2 24 736 3 6 22 615 12 0 26 769 8 0 1903. 21 505 0 6 19 693 11 0 19 573 7 9 23 694 13 23 23 680 5 0 25 739 0 14 26 804 6 0 26 713 11 S 3085 19 12 4914 19 8 5313 15 6