MINING SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2669, 10 May 1905, Page 26

MINING SUMMARY.

Interruptions in tne shape of the Easter holidays -and a .slight rise in the river have proved a slight hindrance to effective mining during the past three weeks, but otherwise the industry has been steadily carried Th« returns as a whole are now gradually improving, and the totals f OT the past three -weeks compare more than favourably with "those for the correeponding periods of last year. A larger number of dredges are also now m commission, and -with a continuance of the present weather conditions a few days oh the "West s Coast continue i*> attract a £ ood deal of attention, and several new areas have been pegged ont in the locality. Dr Bell. Government geologist, recently «aid a visit to the reefs, and from what Jould, be gathered was greatly impressed with ' Ahem. He has reported to the Premier, and the nature of this report is anxiously awaited for, especially on the Coast. A miner who has just jreturned from" the reefs states that the approach is difficult. At the reef stone with gold visible was seen. "The reef on the outcrop, states the miner referred to, ' measured 19ft' across, and in the tunnel was fully 15ft long, and "was the whole width and length, of "fche tunnel for that distance. After leaving the tunnel we got some dirt and rock off the side of the hill above the tunnel and washed it in a shovel, and got •what a miner would call a 2dwt to the load prospect. Proceeding down again, I picked up a piece of stone in the creek, which .1 still have, and find that it carries gold freely to the naked eye. When we got to camp we washed the Hatful of dirt and got good prospects, also getting small pieces of quartz carrying gold in wbat we pnt -through the dish. I have no hesitation in saying, as a disinterested visitor, that in* my opinion there is a great future for these reefs, and they will be the making of Hokitika and surrounding districts." 'Jl private syndicate intends prospecting the country in the .neighbourhood of the Wilberforce reefs. The Consolidated Goldfields Company has purchased a valuable interest in certain auriferous land .at Kumara. also -extensive water privileges, and it is considered that the purchase will be -the means -of infusing new life into a decadent industry as far as that district is concerned.

Operations in the Premier mine, Macetown, are to be commenced at an early date, and preparations are now being made for a full complement of hands. The new reefs discovered at Mace'town continue to give promise of developing into something subetsuti?.! Work in the Mount Aur-iir. min-x l^ullendale. i& jtill progressing satisfactorily, and prospects continue very promising. Greymouth advices state that claims on

the West Goasf are doing a good deal better lately, there being a plentiful supaiy of water. The Waimea section is on" rich ground, the Wheel of Fortune giving 80oz for about 10 days' work. Another sluicing claim close by "the Stafford Waimea dredging claim is giving £25 per man per week. Kumara sluicers, with two exceptions, are doing but little more than giving small wages, and it is pretty certain that a good percentage of them will be unable to meet promissory notes given to the Government for overdue water accounts. The amount of gold exported from the port of Greymouth during the month of April was 66070z lOdwt, valued at £26,438.

The Britannia Quartz Mining Company crushed 185 tons of quartz for 3050z of gold. The Keep-it-Dark return for the month of April was: — Battery, 1279 tone crushed for 2350z 13dwt; cyanide, 1420z 14dwt. The JOrwan's Reward Gold Alining Company cleaned up for the month of April for a return of 1920z 4-dwt retorted gold from 775 tons of atone.

The Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand (Limited) report as follows . on operations for the month of March, 1905 : — " Golden Fleece : 1280 tons .of stone wore crushed at the 20-stamr> mill for a return of 5030z 16dwt bullion," valued at £2054 0s 7d. Thirteen tons of concentrates were produced, and 840 tons coarse sands cyanided. the latter yielding bullion valued at £289 5s 2d.

" Wealth of Nations. — Six tons of concentrates were produced, and 650 tons of coarse sands cyanided, the latter yielding bullion valued at £392 15s 9d.

! " Progress Mines of New Zealand (Limited). — 5310 tons of stone were mined, transported by aerial line to the 65-stamp mill, where 5110 tons were crushed, pro- * ducing 15620z 13dwt bullion, valued at £64,988 0s sd. Ninety tons of concentrates were chlorinated, yielding bullion valued at , £946 17s 9d. Two thousand seven hundred tons of tailings were cyanided, yielding bullion valued -at £752 14s 7d." * ! The Alpine Company's mine manager reports: — "The "rise was extended Bft, mak- , ing the total distance 166 ft. A manhole sft has been cut oitt and timbered. There is 2ft 6in of stone in the rise, but the nmin body is in the hanging wall. The winze in No., 12 was sunk 6ft, making the total distance 28ft. There is 2ft 6in of stone of , poor quality for the last 12ft." ! The- quantity of gold exported from New I Zealand last month was 39,084 oz, of the t value of £157.769, as compared with | 24,9590z, valued at £92,684, in the corresponding month last year. Last month's return was: — Auckland, 15,5320z, valued at £62,631; Dunedin, 13.8990z, valued at £56.529; Greymouth. 66100z, valued at £26,438; Nelson, 13150z. valued at £5250; H-okitika. 11540z, valued at £4616; WestJ port. 5760z, valued at £2305. The export of silver last month was 93,0320z, valued at £9431. I An Auckland telegram states that during the three -weeks ended April 19 the «old 1 returns to hand from the Auckland mines

, totalled £74,348. On only one previous ' occasion has this output been exceeded. During April the Waiotahi gold mine I yielded 13090z of retorted gold, of the value of about £3400. The total amount won from the mine to date is £207,980. , The return in this mine is such that while before ih? recent rich discovery the mine yielded £4000 yearly, the returns for the pa<it five months have been nearly £17,000. During last month the Talisman Consolidated Company crushed 3820 tons of ore for I a return of bullion valued at £9278 7s Sd. ! The Waihi Gold Mining Company during ! the four weeks ended April 22 crushed ! 21.778 tons of ore for a yield of bullion valued at £54.110. The mine has now pro- | duced an output of over four millions, the actual figiires to date being £4>031_484,. .