MINING

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 28

MINING

WEEK'S MINING NEWS

January £9.

The Golden .Gem dredgemas-ter reports a irarii-np lor 14os 17dwt as the result of a ieeek'a work. The Alewmdra Eureka dredgemaster re•porfcs, under -date 25th ingt., that he will be stopped dredging till Friday. doing some repairs. For the current half yeaT -the Mount Lyell Mining Company has consigned 2609 ions of blister copper. The No Town Cre-ek return is 430z for 127 nours.

A start has been made to effect a fW repairs to the Hartley and Riley dredge, and dredging will be resumed at an early date. Mr R. Bcott, a »on-in-law of the late Cap•iain MT/ay, has been, appointed mana-ger.

Th© Punt claim 1 is considered by dredgemen in the Cromwell district to be the best thereabouts. The company is said to have a claim that will last for a generation, and one that probably contains rich wash right through the flat.

The secretary of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company reports concerning No. 1 elevator that sluicing has continued all weeek, and work has gone on very satisfactorily. It will take 48 'hours at least to complete the removal of the top material. The weather continues dry and warm, registering an average for the week of 80deg. The total flow of water in No. 1 race is about five heads, and from the Lion about nine. The same weather conditions are reported from No. 2, and the manager reports that he has never before met so many stones, though the very large ones are not so numerous. The water running in the Nokomai Creek is only about three heads, and the dam on Sunday morning was 7ft from being full. Sluicing was s\tspended to allow the dam to fill, the water from the Lion race having been turned in on Saturday night. There was no report from the No. 3 elevator this week. In view of the recently reported discovery of gold-bearing quartz in the district, Mr W. Lorrigan, of Te Kuiti, made a tour of portion of the district extending to the southeast of Te Kuiti (says the King Country Chronicle). Mr Lorrigan, who was accompanied by a Maori guide, did some hard Travelling, and states that -though quartz was met with in various places, the indications were not of the most favourable character for gold. Little in the way of prospecting was undertaken, as the tour was not done for prospecting purposes. There is no doubt that quartz exists in the district, and with a favourable belt of country, there is a prospect of gold-bearing ore being met with. A telegram has been received from the dredgemaster of the Koputai dredge. Waikaia. to the effect that the crank shaft had broken.

In proposing the toast of " Mining" at the banquet to Mr J. Perriam at Lowburn last week, Mt M. Spratt, who is interested in several big mining ventures in the Gore district, is reported by the Cromwell Argus to have said if there were prospects such as there were on the Clutha River before the people of 'Gore, it would be eagerly taken up and worked, and as he had sent word to a few friends of his in conneotion with the forming of a new company to work the Alpine No. 2 claim, they replied offering to take up the balance of the Bhares. He also predicted « bright future far the mining industry in the district.

The folio-wing items are from the Cromwell Argus: — The river is now falling fast through the hot, dry weather, and it will soon be at a very Jow level. Th» Rise and Shine No. 2 is on top with a fine return again for a start, but owing to the framing giving way they will be stopped for a few days. The No. 1 dredge is doing better, and there will likely be improved returns now. Riley's Revival dredge is now doing well, and should have a good run of decent returns. January 30.

The Manuherikia dredgemas+er reports: " The ground is still about the same, and the river is getting very low. Everything is working well." The Punt Company's dredgemaster, writing under date 25th January, aays there was some time lost owing to the necessity of effecting some repairs. Prospects are improving a little as the dredge works ahead parallel with the cut that yielded the best returns. There is still 12ft of hard clay bottom on the top side of the cut. All the rest is sandstone, which oaxries the gold. The cut ia about two chains wide; depth from. 36ft to 37ft below water level. The Waikaia dredgemaster reports : — " The dredge has been working right across the face excepting one chain, and a-'half on the east Bide, the best wash showing in the river up to Wednesday, when most of the face changed to a drifty nature, with occasional heavy atones. Width of face about six ohains and'a-half; depth 16ft to Mft. The bottom is red clay and ' old man.' " The Rise and Shine Ko. 1 dredge worked Bft ahead on a out 400 ft wide and from 42ft to 48ft deep. The ground on the east side looked much better than it had for some time past, and there were indications of an improvement in the other half of the out. No 2 dredge worked 12ft ahead. The cut was 160 ft wide, and from 38ft to 42ft deep, with a clay and sandstone bottom, giving a fair prospect throughout. Towards the end of the week there was an improvement -in the ground on the east side of the cut. The two main beams of the gantry cracked on Saturday, and the dredge will be stopped for a few days for their replacement. The New Trafalgar dTedgemaster reports foT t-ne week encling January 32 that the dredge had a poor run during the week owing to some small stoppages. The ground is about 30ft in depth below water-line, the bottom is " old man." and very rough with stones. The ground is poor, but the gold is a good sample. As the groiind operated on. lately is not yielding satisfactory results the directors have instructed the dredgemaster to turn the dredge down the flat and work towards where the machine crossed better gold while working up stream. The dredgemaster of the Lady Roxburgh dredge reports for the week ended 25th inst. : " The working face has been reduced, and is now two Chains and three-quarters in width, having about the same extent of face for refairn cut on west side. There appears to be a considerable area ahead that promises good yields. On the west side the unworked ground extends some distance astern of present position. Our beat prospects are obtained on "this side, and I expect even better returns on the return cut. The river continues to fall gradually, and the depth of -"the^ ground 1 remain* about the sume — namely, 40ft." T-he Peterson's Freehold returns are: P«o. 1, 9oz 15dwt for 59 hours; No. 2, 12oz sSwt for 88 hours. Mr T>. Hepburn, the caretaker at present, and" when dredging dredgemiaster, of 'the Kew First Chance Gold DTedging Company, reports, under date the 26th inst : "In answer to your inquiry as to when dredging operations will be again commenced at the bank claim, the river will require to be ai the Cft mark at the dredge, and falling. So far the river gives piomise of being at that level vuikic tiu» SAxi lour weeks. La&t week

a hard nor'-wester blew for 24 hours, which did not afi&ct the river. This chows that there is very little snow to come away."

January 31. The Waikaia dredgemaster telegraphs: — "Return is 48oz 7dwt for 131 hours; a cross face."

The Mystery Flat return is 950z 2dwt for 173 hours.

Switzers dredgemaster reports a wash-up for lOoz lOdwt for 130 hours.

February 1. The Gold King dredgemaster wires that he has been working out into the river. The Alexandra Eureka dredgemaster wires that he resumed dredging at noon yesterday. The secretary of the Branch Creek Sluicing Company reports that the manager is busily engaged erecting the pipes, so that all will be ready for ripples, etc., when they come to hand. They have been very much hampered by the extieme dryness of the season ; such has not been experienced within the memory of the oldest rnineis m the district.

Febiuary 3,

The Rising Sun dredgemaster reports a return of 80oz for 130 hours. This constitutes a record for the dredge. The New Trafalgar dredgemaster wires: — "No wash-up; cleaning out face-" llie Clutha River dredge will not wash up this v.eek

The dredgemaster Kura dredge reports under date January 30. — "Removals and repairs are progressing satisfactorily ; expect it wil! b« the erd of nfcxt week before they are finished. Top tumbler supports are fitted and framing strengthened. Second motion shaft hat. been alteied to suit new crown whiel. First motion shaft bearings have been relmc-d- Buckets and bottom tumbler have been overhauled and repaired. Repairs to ladder now being effected; numerous other smaller jobs carried out."

The master of the Punt dredge reports prospects fair

February 4.

The river height Monday morning was 6ft above the normal mark at Alexandra. The weather was warm.

The Manuhenkia return is 31oz for 131 hours. The Bignell's No Town dredgemiaster wired yesterday morning thart he resumed 1 dredging on Sunday at midnight, but that it would take time' to clear the paddock of silt. The Ladysmith Sluicing Company washed up for 131 oz for five weeks' sluicing. The Sandy Ptoint master wires : — " No wash-up; will take most of week to clean face up:" The Cromwell correspondent of the Alexandra Herald states that news came to hand last week that Mr Arthur Lawrence, who lately returned from Western Australia to carry out prospecting operations on the Carnclsf Range, has struck a splendid reef, carrying payable gold, and that extensive means of treating the stone are to be adopted. Two other parties are also reported to have unearthed something good in the same locality. The Olrig dredge has only been working intermittently of late owing 1 to the shortage of water, arid has now closed down until such time as the supply becomes -more plentiful. Mining is not too brisk in Orepuki, and some men who found employment in the claims have had! to seek fresh fields and pactures new. As the claims become worked out attention is diiected to the land, and whenever any of the ai-ea to be withdrawn from the State forest is" open for selection it will be immeddately taken up. Inquiries ara already being made. — Western Star. Th 3 Rising Sun ground is evidently getting richer, as the returns are increasing weeklyOn Saturday the dredge got her record return of 60oz, and evidently three figures will soon be reached Only for the present low level of the Clutha, lhat amount of gold would have been won last week. The dredgemaster stopped dredging further info the bank, as the tailings would have encroached into the channel he is lea/ing for the dredge to be floated down to the bottom boundary to fetcn up another cut when it is required- There is no dcubt that as the cut has been gradually widened to *he east the rich run of gold thai the Punt dredge got on the Rising Sun's top boundary has been struck. This small dredge won over 50oz weekly there, and as the Rising Sun is nearly double her power and capacity, »he should get lOOoz. From h&r present face to the top boundary there is close on half a mile of virgin ground, and. allowing for her usual rate of working 16ft ahead weekly, it will take fully five years to reach her top boundary with her present cut. The outlook for shareholders is decidedly rosy. Another dividend will be declared" this week- The dredgemaster's report fo-- the week is as follows: — Dredged 130 hours, and worked ahead 16ft. Width of cut, 130 yards ; average depth, 40ft. The bottom consists of -sandstone and clay- Prospects continue the same, and the machinery is running well." Mr E. Butler has resigned the managership of the Gold King Company, and Mr Thomas Omond has been appointed manager. The dredge is being taken out into the liver, and it is the intention of the directors to work that part of the river immediately above Dumbarton Rock, as the river is at^ a suitable height to do so at present. It is expected that the dredge will be at work about the middle of next week.