THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2728, 27 June 1906, Page 25

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS

WEE£'S_MpfING June 20. It is calculated (says the New Zealand Mines Record) that no le?s than £1,000,000 has been obtained for the gold won by hydraulic sluicing from a comparatively small area of ground in and around the town of Kumara. . The river height on Tuesday morning was 7ft 7in above the normal mark at Alexandra, showing a fall cf lin since the previous day. Tho .secretary of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company reports that work at both claims is progressing favourably, there being plenty of water. A wrng-dam to turn the creek is being constructed to protect the work at 2>Fo. 1 claim. Tho Alexandra Lead dredge had a good run during last week, with the ground continuing fair. The height of the face above water level was 46ft, and below water level 23ft. The bottom was soft, and the dredgemaster looks for an improvement at any time. The Emu Bay Railway Company's receipts for the month of May reached a total of £5147, »s against £3991 for May. 1903. The total receipts for the five months of 1906 amount to £25,410, as against £19,246 for the same period in 1905. June 21. The river height on "Wednesday morning was 7ft llin above the normal mark at Alexandra showing a. rise of 4in since the previous day. The contractor for the erection of the Black's Plat Company's dredge expects to have every•thiisg completed by about the beginning of next week. Dredging will in all probability bo commenced about Thursday of next week. Boiih dredgemasters of the Otago Company report having had a, satisfactory run last week. The Tirer was steadier, and, should it continus co, returns are likely to improve. The secretary of the Muddy Creek Company xeporta a return of 220z 4dnt for 125 hours' dredging. The ground worked by the Lady Roxburgh dredge last week was patchy, ■and had been .previously worked. Tho dredge was workn g ahead on a narrow cut. and if the i.vei «:•■ tiiiues to fall the mid-river cut wiH be la!.. i tip The actual time worked by the Punt dredgs last week was 125-i hours, the distrnce worked »h«ad lOJft, and the width of the cut lPOyds. •wifca the ground varying" in depth from 30ft to 38ft. Prospects were the same as in the preriou3 week, and tho ground was still tight «ud contained a number of " chinamen Thi bottom was very uneven aud toft, anl tho formation was principally cL\y with Scad Btone patches. The manager of the Mount Lye'l Uinu>g and Railway Company reporting for the week ended June 6, stated that the vaiicus ttopes at the 200, 300. 400, 500, 600, and 700 1 eve's were producing fair grade ore, as also wero Btopes at other leve's. The smelting and converter plants were both in operation. During the current half year 1603 tons of blister - copper have been consigned,

Very little dredging was done tiy the Junction Electric dredge in the first half of last week. On Monday a stoppage was made for two shifts to put in a. new shaft where one had broken ou the Saturday night. On Tuesday morning the drop chute carried away. With these stoppages the paddock became full of drift, and it took two days to clean it out. For this reason there was no wash up. The •wash was very tight and prospects very fair, but considerable trouble was experienced with largo stones. On resuming dredging on Monday last, the Eleetxic No. 1 dredge was to be dropped back and the lines altered. Conditions were favourable, and actual dredging operations would b; commenced yesterday at noon. The No. 2 dredge started work at 1 p.m. on Monday, and was dropped back about 40ft in the moming in order to work up part of the cut towards the south side, dredging being started about the centre of the liver. There will be no wash-up this week, as it will take nearly a. week to open out the paddock again. June 22. The secretary of the Ladysrnith Company wires a wasb-up at the claim for a return of llloz as the result of five weeks' sluicing. The annual meeting of the Golden Gate Dredging Company (Ltd.) was held at Wood's Hotel on Thursday evening, eight shareholders j being presert. Mr Hart (chairman of directors) presided. The balance sheet and directois report were adopted. The retiring directors (Messrs Hart and Borland) were re- : elected, and the auditor (Mr L. E. Haines) 1 was reappointed. Votes of thanks were passed to the chairman, directors, secretary, and dredgemaster. The chairman intimated that a dividend of one shilling had been declared at a meeting of directors held that morning. Our Alexandra South correspondent wired j on June 21: — "The liver rose 18 inches since I last Eight, aud is now at 9ft Gin. Snow is | coming away fiom the high hills \ery fast. June 23. The river height on Friday morning was | 10ft liv above the normal mark at Alexandra. j The New Trafalgar dredgemaster writes as follows under date 16th inst. . — "We had a fair week's dredging up till Friday, when we lost some time -with the elevator, on account of some pins breaking. The grourd is much the same as last week, and is about 32it deep, with a clay and old man bottom. The face is about five chains wide." The Sandy Point Company's dredgemaster reports as follows for hist week, under date 16t!i inst. — " Dredging 127 hours, width of cut 160 yds, average depth 28ft, distance worked ahead Bft, average height of face above water level 20ft. Had good running during week; prospects still remain good. Will be shifting across to the river side of the cut this coming week." Says the Lake County Press •— " The secretary of the Cromwell Mine Syndicate made an application for an advance by way of loan under the Mining Act Amendment Act of 1905, of the sum of £2500, being one-half of the estimated cost of driving a low-level adit , in the Cromwell mine at Bendigo, Otago. Mr Reeves has been informed that if the syndicate complies with the provisions of the Mining Act Amendment Act of 1905 the application will bo favourably considered." June 25. The secretary of the Riley's Beach Company report iiia.l repaid will be completed by Wednesday next, and the dredge will be pulled past the Lowburn punt on Thursday on the i way to her own claim. The ri'.-er height on Saturday morning was 10ft above the normal mark at Alexandra There was no wash-up on the Chailton Crock dredge last week owing to repairing operations being earned on. Mr J A Yule, secietary, Gore, wires as fol'ows — Waiui'iniu Queen. repairing oil c.igmes, Royal Waiinumu. r.o lelurn. Referring to the letter that appeared in the Daily Tunes on Saturday fiom "Share-hold-er" r<- t'l *- KL^ra Company, Waikaia, ilr Crust \ t '..<:: ii ,<n of directors' desires u« *o state t iut i.. p directors aud their consulting engi- j ne. i (Mr Mcrr.sni ) proceed la the claim on Moi c!^\ Mc-antiine the diedgema&tor reports that the ma h.ncy is working well, and that he ! bo. ion- 4 on the l'Jtii n.'.t. The o.ilv wa=h-up ' there- ii.i« ht_jn ga\p a returr of 4.,/ 9dwt , Xow '.hat the ]„ udotk is opened up a.l) should ' i.* l- am ai.d ] ayah c leL.n - .lie looked , 'li.c re* - m l'roui the (■o'llen Run died°e '..>-t woflv was Uoz l^lvw for 1 2-4 hour^ work 1* r.'rlju? for last woek, the drengoir- -icr f.irti' > d that work lire been "-an.cd on vi.li a \ uMv of getting tLc 'at 9 o - i a better hi.c Oh I1)I 1 ) c line of i\ork f i.r r^tnn:s cou'd nrevjou'-lv be depL-i.ded on. biu the dredge !i.->= struck wh.it at present bears indication's of being a deep pat hoe. Should this be the ca°? the go.d should a-^aui be picked up on the other r.se,

but at present it is poor and drifty, with the bottom a white quartz formation. June 26. The river height on Monday morning was lift lOin above the normal mark at Alexandra. Heavy rain fell on Sunday. The Secretary of the Electric Company reports receipt of the following wire- — "River in heavy flood last night; closed down again till river settles. This wire applies to the company's -two dredges. During tho week ended Monday, June 25, rtturns were reported from 35 dredges, the total yield being 886oz 14dwt, or an average of 250z per dredge. The Bising Sun dredgemaster reports as fol'ows for last week. — Dredged 125 hours and worked ahead 20ft- The ground was poor, , and easily worked, containing very few 'stones The bottom is pipeclay, and is dipping ahead. The machinery is running we'l. The Orepuki Advi>cate states that a local syndicate, including a few residents of Gore, has been formed for the purpose of prospecting Pahia for dredging. Operations will start Immediately. A party of miners 'says the Western Star) lecently pjgged off a piece of ground at Ccac Bay for gold minirg purposes, and, after prospecting it thorough'y, it is considered that good wages can be made. Writing under date' 23rd inst. the master of the Moiyneux Kohinoor dredge stated that everything on board was running in excellent order last week. The ground being worked did not, however, continue nearly so good in the latter part of the week. The dredge got on to a hard bare reef, carrying very little gold, asid at time of writing was still on it. Judging by the formation of the bank alongside, however, the dredge shou'd soon get over the hard reef and into better ground. The river was again very high, but in the meantime this is of advantage to the dredge in her working.