THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 28

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

The . secretary" 01, the Paterson's Freehold Jtompany repoitß return, of lloz lOdwt from -the". No. 1 dredge for 120 hours' work, and a, •aeturn of 14oz lOdwt from the No. 2 dredge for 131 hours' work. - - The JUTaimumu . dredgemaster reports tnat »he pontoons were finished on Thursday night, »ndi dredging started at 8 o'clock on Friday Slight, when everything was working well. The New Trafalgar dreflgemaster, reporting Sinder date May 11, stated that he was enfeaged running out lines and getting tables aready for dredging, and the contractor expected to "be able to make a trial run on the 3.7 th. Reporting under date May 13, the Waikaia " »redg«naster stated that he washed up all jtables on Wednesday, *nd started to prepare ; and get the aboard for commencing ' repairs- on Thursday morning. The ground showed an improvement at the beginning of f ithe week, .and got much deeper at the middle ; of the ffice. j The wash treated by the Mystery Flat dredge ! last- week was no poorer, but much rougher, containing some very large stones, which, gave • "trouble and caused small stoppages. Stripping j Was also very tough, but when the dredge gets -, further Ahead it is expected that the blue pug play- will run out. It was intended to put in fee new tumbler on Monday. - f Reporting under date 14th inst., the Lady (Roxburgh, dredgemaster stated thai the river - jvrfts falling again, and the weather was clear tend, frosty- He expected to start dredging at ynidnight on 'Sunday, and as the dredge would ibe working in a bit of a gorge a steady river ■would be required. There was every proba- i .iility of the ground proving to be deep. A j tnew path and liners have been put in the screen, and the winch engines have been overhauled.

The Hessey's dredgemaster reports having had a fair run last week. The ground on the .west or township side of the cut was all drift, »nd continued so up to the end of the week. She deepest ground was 16ft, and the dredgemaster does not expect any change for the tetter till the bottom xlips off. The dredga Twas stopped a shift changing the corner bars «nd putting in new liners and plates. The master of the New Golden Eiver xbedge that .he started dredging on the 9th, *nd .continued working till Wednesday, and Jiad nearly reached' the wash when the pontoons sprang a. leak, and the dredgmaater considered it advisable to pull th© dredge into jfche'mooring-gro'und until the leak was located «nd stopped. It was eventually found to be jjn the after-end of the well, aria was success- - tally stopped, and a start will be made again •s soon'ais the, dredge ia pulled "interposition »nd a few alterations effected ao as to allow ihe buckets. to clear the drop-chute better.. Work at .the Nokomai. .Hydraulic Sluicing Company's -claim is still. interfered trith..be-' -cause of the shortage of > water. At. Ko. 1 satisfactory, progress, considering the ..dry weather, haa been made, And a large, amount o*f top material haa been sluiced. The elevator was to be put in. yesterday, but little elevating can be expected until the dry weather breaks up. At No. 2 elevator several showers have increased the water sujplz, but it took over

two days to fill the dam. Sluicing is carried on, therefore, under disadvantageous conditions. The top ground in the present paddock is much heavier than in the last, and it contains many" stones. \ " ' May 18. The directors of the Dunstan Lead Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend! (the sixth) of Is per share, payable on Thurs- ; day, 25th inst'. | The Otago No. 1 dredgemaster reports j having had a steady run last week, with a> slight improvement in the return. The master of the No. 2 dredge reports a rise in the river on Friday, by which the dredge was put off the bottom. Prospects continued fair, i The New Eoxburgh Jubilee dredge had a . fairly steady run last week. The ground continued about the same, but contained a, number of heavy stones on soft bottom. The river rose on Friday and caused the drift to run very freely. The dredgemaster expects to run another week before stopping for overhauling. The Alexandra Lead dredge was running well during last week, and ths return -was more than was expected. The dredge has been working ahead very fast, and has only a cut sufficient to enable the dredge to be swung round when it reaches the site where it is intended to put the new elevator on. The ground was? keeping about the same on the inside of the cut. The Eise and Shine No. 1 dredgemaster reports that last week the width of the cut was 540 ft, and the depth of the ground up to 60ft. The dredge crossed the cut once and ahalf. During half the week the dredge was taking up the eastern corner, which has to be kept open for coaung. The bottom across the whole cut was soft, and there was solid wash nearly all through. The gold should make on the east side as soon as a sloping reef is reached. The No. 2 dredge worked ahead Bft, and the ground continued about the same as for some weeks past. The t actual time worked by the Electric No. 1 dredge last week was 132 hours, the distance worked ahead 21ft, and the width of the cut 87ft, with the ground varying in depth up to 40ft. The gold was of a scaly, fine nature.- The granite reef has pinched out, and has given place to a pipeclay and sand reef. The^ river was unfavourable during the latter end of the week, but was steadying down again, and the weather promising. The No. 2 dredge worked" for 132 hours, got ahead 27ft, and had a cut 90ft wide, with the ground varying in depth from 27ft on the north side to about 40ft on the Bannockburn side. There was a strip of unworked ground on the north side which was not very rich, but most of the gold i» being got there at present. The river rose about 3ft on the night of Thursday, 11th inst., and a lot of silt was brought down into the paddock, but the river fell to its former level again. The Junction Electric No. 1 dredge worked ahead 24ft laet week. On Wedneaday night, 10th, the old ground on the Richards's Beach side of the out was worked into. It was very rough on the Cromwell side. The cut was about 55ft wide, and the depth of the ground was 80ft. Towards the end of the week the prospects wer.e much poorer. On Friday night the hangers broke, and a. start was made at 3 a.m. on Saturday to lift the ladder, and by 11.30^ a.m. it was safely on deck. The rough ground^was very severe on the buckets. The actual time worked by the No. 2 dredge was 123ihrs, and 240z of the return was won from Monday, the Bth. The prospects continued the same, but owing to the- rise in the river the drift was very heavy, consequently the dredga di<s not get over so much bottom. The ground was 30ft deep on the Cornish Point side, 'and' went down to 40ft ia the 'centre, rising again on the Cromwell side. The No. 3 dredge was working very steadily up till Thursday afternoon, when on© of the friction pans on the winch broke and caused •> stoppage, and from then up to the end of the week repairing was being done. Eeporting under date May 13 the Sandy Point dredgemaster stated that he started dredging on Tuesday night, 9th inst., and up to the end of the week worked for 88 hours en a cut 150 yards wide. The average depth of the ground w*» 26ft, the di&tancM worked

aEead 6ft, and the average height of the face above water level 22ft. A great amount of top stuff fell in during the overhaul, and caused a lot of bailing. The dredge worked n.ost of the week on the New Perseverance side of the fut, and the best ground was on the inside. The Manuherikia dredgemaster, reporting under date May 13, stated that last week te put new bushes and new rollers in the lower tumbler. The river was very shallow, and it was found difficult to shift the dredge, consequently it was not shifted as far as was intended. Dredging was started on Thursday at midday, and bottom leached on Friday morning, but it was all old ground. The dredgemaster does not expect much for a week oc two, until the dredge has properly opened out. There was a few feet of a rise in the river, but it did not intsrfere with dredging. All the machinery was luniung well. May 1. The secretary of the Lady Annie Company reports a return of 450z ldwt for 137 hours' dredging. The New Alpine Consols dredgemaster wired on Thursday as follows: — '"'Expect to start dredging Monday ; river too high yet." The New Halfway House dredgemaster reported that the river rose Bft last week, but was falling again. It will, however, take about a week to get low enough to enable the dredge to resume work. The Matau dredge had a steady run last week. The prospects were very poor in the beginning, but improved on Thursday, owing to the clay bottom extending towards the east side and containing a little gold. There was a- sudden rise in the liver on Thursday night, causing, drift to run, and it will be a few days before a start is made again. The Alexandra Lead dredgemaster will not wash lip till Saturday afternoon of this week, and reporting under date 16th inst. he stated that the return would be about the same as in the previous week. This will be the last wash-up till the original elevator is erected, the machinery for which, with the exception of a few pieces, has left Dunedin, and it is now being carted from, Ornakau to the claim. The master of the Alpine K"o. 2 dredge reported that the ground where a start was made last week was too deep, so the dredge was pulled ahead, and bottomed on Thursday morning on good prospects. The river rose about 4ft that night, so dredging had to be stopped, and the dredgemaster does not expect to start again for a week or more. He is, however, very confident of getting good returns as soon as dredging is resumed. The Punt dredgemaster, reporting for last week, stated that he worked 110£ hours and washed up for 181J hours' work. The dredge was still working on the west side of the cut, and he expected to have the face squared by the middle of next week. The depth of ground was 32ft, 36ft, and 40ft in places. The bottom was very changeable, consisting of clay, sandstone, plenty of large stones, " Chinamen," etc. The engine was running very well, and the coal consumption has been considerably redxiced. The dredge is working a3 much as possible without the elevator. The Big River Company's mine manager reports that during the week No. 8 level ha 3 been driven 23ft, making the distance from the shaft 373 ft. A dividend of Is per share has been declared by the directors of the New Perseverance Company. During a period of 48 years to date New Zealand has exported 16,626,1410z of gold, valued at £66,136,648, and 5,306,5130z of silver, valued at £657,153. Reporting under date May 13, the master of the Molyneux Kohinoor dredge stated that he stopped dredging on Thursday night, and on Friday a start was made to pull the dredge up the irver, and it is now moored ready *k> start opening out. There is very little water there as the ground is deep, and it will take some considerable time to open out. The place where it is intended to open out is abreast of Wallis's tail race, in the narrow part of the river. That part of the claim has not, to the dredgemaster's knowledge, been worked before, and aa the river is likely to remain x low for the winter it will be a very favourable time to try it, and the beach lower down cart be worked in the summer months. The dredgemaster wired yesterday that he had stopped on Wednesday, X7th last., owing to a, breakdown of the engine. Since the commencement of operations up till quite recently the Masterton dredge has done remarkably well, this being instanced by the fact that as much as 12s per share has been paid in dividends and a sum of £400 placed to a. reserve fund. But the ground on which the dredge is at present working is apparently poor, and to test the small piece of unworked ground on the side of the river in front of where the dredge now is bores have recently been put down, but although they all showed the presence of gold there was not enough to warrant the dredge working there with payable results. It has therefore been decided to take the dredge across, the river, skim down to the south corner, and opening out take the whole claim, including the river, in a face. It is thought that the dredge will thereby again pick up the les-ds, of gold which run through the upper parts of the claim. To take the dredge down to the south corn-er near the junction of the Masterton and Mystery Flat claims will probably occupy about three weeks or so, and during that time the returns may not be expected to be very much, owing to the hurried way in which the dredge will work. But when an actual start is made and a face opened out shareholders can look forward to something really gcod. The ground in front is about 100 acres in extent, and should take about 10 years to work, and, in addition, the whole of it has been throroughly tested by boring, with, in every case, splendid results. The Mines Conference, which is to be held in Wellington mext month, will be attended by wardens, inspectors of mines, and other persons of New Zealand mining experience. They will be asked to consider amendments to the Mining and Coal Mines Acts, and to make suggestions for the general advancement of the industry. The Mines Department has received a report on a quantity of scheelite that was shipped to Germany last year from Macrae's Flat, Otago. The ore realised as much as 35 marks per unit, which works out on the usual basis'* at £122 10s per ton. A large area of ground has now been taken up near the Highley mine, and a company, to be ca'l"<3 the " New Zealand Grold and Tungsten Company," is being registered. The principal shareholders are men who have had experience In gold and eheelite in Otago. Commenting on the business aspect of the peculations of Johnston, the ex-manager of the Golden Blocks Mine, who was found guilty of the thcifb of gold at "WieHington and sentenced to <iix nuonths' imprisonment, the Nelson Evening Mail remarks: — "An issue that must strike the observer, especially thog© of the publio who in the colony or in the Old Country invest in colonial gold mines and hold shares in mining -companies, is the need of reform in the matter of publishing the particulars of periodical yields from such mimes. If the practice to which the accused in the Gulden Blocks case referred in his evidence (of keeping part of ft rich return to increase the seeming average of a poo* retarn) be at all general, then the investor must be- living in a fool's paradise. According to the accused, th« jrield of a- crush-inn was manipulated in ft

manner not at all reassuring. If the quantity of retorted gold was larger than usual, owing to the- miners being on somewhat richer stuff than the normal, a portion was kept back from the published returns, and added to the next or other returns when the stuff being worked was poorer. This process seems to be euphemistically termed by mining company managements ' averaging.' But the investing public, Tiho are perhaps not experts in quartzcrushing or sluicing, probably, have another name for it." May 20. The Alexandra Lead dredge was stopped on Thursday night in readiness for putting on the elevator. The dredgemaster intended washing up on Friday morning. The directors of the Otago Gold Dredging Company have declared <a dividend (the thirtythird) of Is per share, payable on Tuesday, 23rd inst. Mr S. E. Brent, secretary of the Last Chance- Hydraulic, Sluicing, Elevating, and Dredging Company, reports a return of 30oz for three weeks' work, sluicing and olevating. The directors of the Upper "Waapori Alluvial Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the forty-third) of 6d per share, payable on Friday, 26th inst. The master of the Bignell's No Town dredge, reporting fcr la.3t week, stated that he resumed dredging on Wednesday evening, 10th inst. During the time the new crossbar for the hangers was being put in the screen and a few other parts of fche gear were being given an overhaul Owing to the short run during the week there was no wash-up on Friday, but the dredgemaster hopes to wash up as usual at the end of this week. The weather has been wot, and there was a fair current in the creek. During the stoppage no silt was deposited in the paddock. There was very little change to report in the Dature of the ground as compared with the previous week. The dredge was still working through the old tailings over towards the north side of the face. These tailings handicap the dredge a good deal, but two or threp weeks should see the dredge past the highest part of the heap. The Three-mile (Greenstone Creek) Company's dredgeaiasler reports that during the early part of last week the dredge was working on the north sida of the faoe- in order to fill up the creek bed where the tailings were 1 scoured cut by the last flood. The ground there was very shallow, and carried very little wash. The bottom dipped towards the middle of the face, where there was a nice dredging depth, and where the wash was fair. From the middle of the faoe to the south corner the bottom dipped gradually, the ladder working to its full extent. The wash was very tight and rough a* that half of the face, and the starboard ladder hanger broke while working the deepest ground. Temporary repairs were, hawever, effected, and dredging resumed. The secretary of the No Town Creek Gold Dredging Company reports having received the following news from the dredgemastex : — Owing to washing the mats early on Saturday morning only a short week was run by the No. 1 dredge. The time dredged for the return of 540z was 113 hours, the distance worked ahead being 25ft. the depth of the ground 32ft, and the width of the cut three chains and ahalf. The N<o. 2 dredge is now a little more than one chain away from the bore holes, and is expected to bottom by about the end of this week or the beginning of next. The depth at present is 24ft and the width of tbe cut 95fb. May 22. The Waimumu Queen dredge resumed operations an Friday. There wa3 no wash-up on the Clyde dredge last week. The dTedgemaster expects to strike solid ground on Tuesday. The secretary of the Riley's Beach Company reports that owing to the high river the dredge had closed down towards the end of last week. From later advices to hand the dredgemaster stated that the river was faTiing, and he hoped to make a start early this week. In connection with the proposals recently put before shareholders in the North Beach Gold Dredging Company, the voting papers have row been returned, with the following result:— (l) That the directors put the dredge in proper working order and continue dredging operations — 11 shareholders, holding 460 shares; (2") that the assets of the company be sold to the new company, and that the dividend of 5s per share be paid to me in cash — 43 shareholders, holding 2980 votes; (8) that the assets of the company be sold to the new company, and. I authorise tbe directors to apply the dividend of 5s per share to pay my quota of shares in the new company with its management in Greymouth — 22 shareholders, holding 3375 votes. Total shareholders, 76; shares represented, 6815. The assets of the company will therefore be disposed of, and the dividend of 6s per share paid to shareholders. Accordingly notice has been given to Mr Joseph Taylor that, the company sell to him the assets of the North Beach Dredging Company, andi the balance of the purchase money will be paid over to his company on the l'2th June next. A Westport telegram Btates that the coal output last week was 14,199 - tons 9cwt, of which 13,125 tons lowt came from the Westport Coal Company's mines, ancl 1074 tons Bowt from the Seddonville State mine. May 23. The New Alpine Consols dredgemaster wires having resumed dredging at 10 o'clock on Monday morning. Consequent on the poorness of recent returns and tbe absence of any signs of improvement, shareholders in the Enfield Gold Dredging Company will shortly be called together for the purpose of considering the position of the company. The dredge has been closed down in the meantime. The directors of the Lady Annie Gold Dredging Company have declared a dividend (the fifth) of 2s per share, payable on Tuesday. This makes a total of 9s per share, or a sum of £1890, as returned in dividends to shareholders since the registration of the company in November of last year. The Rising Sun dredgema-ster reports that the actual time worked last week was 131 hours, and the distance worked ahead 9ft, the paddook being crossed three times. The ground was similar to that treated m the previous week. The dredge was to have been stopped on Monday morning to have the second motion wheel put in position, also new cogs and blocks on friction. It was expected that dredging would be resumed on Wednesday night. The manager of the Champion Sluicing Company's claim reports having obtained 13oz 9dwt of gold for five days' actual work. Notes from Cromwell. (Fkom Oub Own Corbespoitotht.) CROMWELL, May 18. The weather is fine, with very heavy frost, last night. The river has been falling very slowly, but will soon go very low if the frost continues. The- New Alpine Consols dredge has not started yet as the river has been rather high, but will start on Sunday night. The Alpine No. 2 daredige is dropping the pivot shaft down, and will then be able to dredge a few feet deeper. Tha Junction Electric No. 2 dredge is doing very well over the old ground. The No. 1 and No. 3 dredges are stopped, doing some repairs. The Electric No. 1 dredge is on very, rough ground. The No. 2 dredge 13 likeily to shift Sown the glftim, fco Qojcnish Beach.