WEEK’S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 28

WEEK’S MINING NEWS

January 19. - Our Greymouth correspondent states that Mr Fletcher, manager of the Seddonville State colliery, has set to work to prove the Charming Creek find by putting down five additional bore*. The No Town Creek dredgemaster reports a return of 240 z, for 123 hours' work. t> A return of 78oz for the week is reported "' from the Paracale Dredging Corr t pany in the Philippine Islands. The return from the Peterson's Freehold dredge is 12oz for 132 hours' work. The Mystery Flat dredge had a steady irun of 138 hours last week, but the ground' was very poor. In the eastern half of the cut nothing but driftwood and silt wa3 met with, while the overburden was very heavy. In the other portion, the bottom, which was of red clay and sand, had risen considerablv. The dredgemaster has no doubt that when the bottom dips again much bettor ground will come in. The main driving pulley broke on Saturday night, and the dredge was stopped until a new one reached the claim on Tuesday. The secretary of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluioing Company reports that at No. 1 the work carried out during the past week has all been in connection with the electrical plant, the water being slack. At No. 2 sluicing off material was continued until Wednesday, when the dam ran dry, and l work was discontinued until Sunday, when sluicing was resumed at midnight. At No. 3 blowing off top material was finished on Friday, and the paddock was pumped out, but there was not enough water for the elevator. The men were sent to the head of the race to effect some alterations there. The Waikaia dredgemaster reports: " Dredging was continr.ed in the crosscut east, and the face is now within half a chain of the old extreme east paddock under the terrace. After crossing the east bank of the river the ground shallowed to about 16ft, allowing much quicker pro grass. There is very little difference to report in present prospects." The master of the Electric No. 1 dredge, reporting' for last week, states that the actual time worked was 132 hours, and the distance dredged ahead 15ft. There was no change in the width and depth of the ground, and the bottom continued a pipeclay formation. The cut still contained a numbed: of large boulders, mixed with clay from former slips. Prospects during the week were moderate and were unaltered at the close of the week. The river was fairly low for dredging. The master of the Electric No. 2 dredge reports as follows, under date 16th inst.: — " The whole of last week was spent in halinrtr out the paddock. On the Friday the drift was so heavy, and so little gold was showing on the mats, that it was eonisic'tered adviVlable to continue driedging without washing up. On Friday last exrallent prospects were obtained, with the result, that a return of 662*02 was got, as already reported. The best prospects are now bei.nor obtained about the centre of the river, and the cut is being widened towards the Bannockburn side. AH the machinery is running- well." The receipts from the Emu Pay Railway Company for December amounted to £5305. as compared with £5650 for December of 1908. makiner the total recefnts for the 12 months of 1909 £58.690, as against £56.812 For the same period of the previous yiear. January 29. The directors of the Talisman Company have declared a quarterly dividend of Is 6d, payable next month A vsmajl parcel of stone recently taken from the Kuranui-C'aledonian mine showed Bin inch seam of gold and good indications of other minerals. The master of Riley's Revival dredge reports that he is still opening out on the south side, and has dredged two more cuts in and found no change in the nature of Ihe bottom. The dredge will be taking the dirt right up to the boundary. The gold showing is fine, but of good weighing quality; .. ■ . A re-port from the master of the EnterprM«e' dredge ''indicated good prospects for this week, and a (rood return is expected. In co'l'Sequence of the late fatal accident on the drfdge the latter wpidd probably be closed down for a couple of days, and this may affect the return to some extent. A ret- lira from the Koma.ta R««vfs for the tfist period shows a return of £1852 from 800 tons of ore crushed. The amount spent

under revenue account was £1125, and for development, work £207. ' The-total value of gold won from the mine to elate is £341,903. The last wash-up from the Punt dredge produced a sample of gold very similar to that being wen by the Riley's Revival dredge, and as the ground is gradually dipping, it is'believed that the Punt dredge '■will soon strike the lead which has been so successfully worked further afield by several other dredges. The constructing engineer of the Karauriui dredge, reporting progress last week, stated that the riveting of the ladder was practically completed. The timber for ' raising the second motion shaft had been placed in position and bolted up. A start was also made to erect the frame for the top tumbler, on© side being finished. With the completion of the heavy work well in sight there should be no great difficulty in completing the remainder well up to contract time. . The following- wire was received on Wednesday at the Stock Exchange from the manager of fch* Waihi Grand Junction mine:—"Mill and cyamde works have been in full swing since January 3. Crushing 240 tons per day. assay value £1 19s, assay of tailings 4s 3d. Martha lode No. 5 level east 265 ft low • grade. Martha lode No. 5 level west 393 ft low grade. No. 4 lode No. 5 level east 535 ft low grade. Royal lode No. 5 level east 134 ft, assay value per ton £2 Is. Royal lode No. 5 level west 127 ft low grade. No. 5 level crosscut north 369 ft." According to an exchange, the statement of affairs of the Golden Crescent Sluicing Co. for the past 12 months shows that since the registration of this company in 1893 gold to the value of £20,591 Is 3d has been won, that the total expenditure has been £16,953 6s 3d, and that £7262 10s has been paid in dividends. During the past 12 months gold to the value of £l2lß lis 5d was won*, the expenditure being £2227 2s 3d (which included the expenditure incurred in improving the plant and water power). The first annual report of the Arthur's Point Gold Mining Company (Qucenstown) shows that during the past year the work in connection with the construction of the dam and the lowering and enlarging of the tunnel has been proceeded with vigorously. This will divert the water from some acres cf what is known to te rich, payable ground The tunnel has been widened, and deepened by 3ft, tor 210 ft from the start of the rock cutting. When the tunnel is complete it will give a depth of another sft below the present floor level at the intake, which will allow a drop of some 2ft to 3ft from the river-bed into the tunnel. January 21. The master of the Waikaia dredge reports a return of 13oz 15dwt for 136 hours' dredging. : ■!■ The Masterton dredge won a return of 16oz 3dwt for 131 hours' dredging during the past week. The master of the Koputai dredge reports a return of Boz 16dwt for 168 hours' dredging. The No. 1 Rise and Shine dredge worked 4ft ahead last week on a cut 600 ft in length. The depth varied from 42ft to 48ft, and the ground was similar to that of the previous week. The No. 2 dredge worked ahead Bft, the cut being 520 ft wide and from 36ft to 46ft deep, with the bottom varying from coal to clay. The master of the Masterton dredge, re-, porting under date January 17, stated that the dredge had a fair run for the week ended January 12, but owing to turning the face most of the week work was confined to the poor end of the face. ,The wash was not so good as it was previously, and the ground varied in depth from, 15ft to 25ft. _ The secretary of the Oia.go Dredging Company report's a good week's run for the No. 1 dredge, and an improvement in the return. Part of the time this week has been devoted to diverting the current into the paddock, consequently this week's return will be somewhat smaller. Some time was lost. or. the No. 2 dredge owing ' putting in the elevator, and it will probably be stopped npxt w?ek fo-v the purpose of having the ladder strengthened. . It was erroneously stated last week that a dividend of Is had been declared by the directors cf the Molyceux Hydraulic Comoany. As a matter of fact, the report and balance sheet are still in the hands of the printer. Mr J. W. Walker, whose connection with mining in the Auckland district dates from 1858, will leave for London on the 271 b inst. for the purpose of obtain in a - capital to develop another property at Waihi. The trip will be the third during uvi years. January 22. According to reports, water is still somewhat scarce at the Nokomai. Only two of the elevators are now working, but the third will start operations as soon as water is available in sufficient Quantity. The output of the Mount Morgan Gold Mine (Queensland) for December and November respectively was as follows, the November fisrurcs bein<r thc-f in n.arenthes°B: —Treated at the gold reduction works. 12.019 tons (13.828 tons) cf etone. produciriig 5632 fire ounces (7337 fir.? ounces') cf itrold : while the smelter and converters dealt with 13,179 tons (18.4*0 tons), producing A _Bs ton- (551 tons) of blister copper, containing 7983 fin* ounces (7565 fine ounces') of gold. The total cold production was therefore. 13.6200 z (14.9020 z) from 25,198 tons (32.268 tons) of stone. The ?old yield rf Western Australia for last year amounted to 1.595,263 fine ounces, valued at £6,776,242, as romparcd with 1.647.505 fine ounces, valued at £6.999.002 in 1908, showing a decrease of 52.242 fine ounces, valued at £222.760. The total fo--1903 was 49.65607. below that of .1907. and that for 1907 wa=i close upon 100:000oz below that of IGP6. The revised commutation of div'd<°-'" 1; : maid last veer ogives the total as f 11.284 115. a decrease cf £203.20'' as v.-Hh the previous year. The total dividends to date have amounted to £'0.448,010. The £rold exported from Vn-v Zealand las'' year amounted to 485.179 fine, ounces, valued at h.s atwunst 472 470 fine ounces. valued at £2 o n 6 925 in 1908. shovinc an increase of 12.709 fine ounces, v'c-l'ted at £<S3.QBS. The December gold production of Queensland a mounted to 42 200 fine ounces, valued at £179.2*1. o- 35 / >3 fine, ounces, •valued at £15,048, less than for 'the' same--'month' of 1908. '■*•■'.' '•' JanU'M-o 24. " .OThe 'master of the New Trafalgar dred,<re reports that the Last return war- obtained from th'° eas+ern poctioni of the claim. The Manmher''ki.n, dredge was troubled with heavv drift last week. ' '• The' .'/old nirf'ohiaeed by the Bendigo (Victoria) ba<nl« fix" the month of Decernb"i'i" w»'i 21.?i460ji 19dwt 21gr. as compared with !8,61C0z for the same month im. 1908.

The output of gold from Victorian mines during 1909 amounted to 654,222 fine ounces, valued at £2,778,956, as compared with 670,909 fine ounces, valued at £2.849,838 won dlurfng 1908, the decrease in quantity being i6.6870z, and value £70,882. , ■■ = ':. The master of the New Roxburgh Jubilee dredge reports having encountered ground which had been previously worked, consequently he proposed removing the dredge further out into the river. The Australian Mining Standard under- , stands that there is some reason for believing that the ore in the No 1 south drive at the 1100 ft level of the North Mount Lyell (P.) is cutting out, though northwards at the same depth Hiata is no change. In the upper levels, 1000 it and 850 ft, the ore bodies arc maintaining their values. At the Mount Lyell mine, from 150 to 200 ton s of pyrites per day is being won from underground in conjunction with the extraction from the open cut. Old llauraki shares manifested a good disal of activity last week in local circles. Referring to progress at the mine, the manager says in his report:—"4oo ft level : . Rise ladVaneed sft, making the total height. 54ft. As per telegram 1401 b of specimen stone has been won, making the total since last crushing 3901 b. The reef maintains its size, ana good specimen stone is showing in two places. 300 ft level: Winze advanced 4ft, total 41ft. A reef corresponding to the one we aro getting the gold on in the rise has been, met with in one end of the winze, and 31b of picked stone secuired, with good stone left showing in the footwaill of the winze. Stoping operations continue to yield fair cirushing dirt, blotches of gold being seen at each breaking down." The Warden, (Mr Bartholomew) gave a ruling on a very interesting point at Tuesday's sitting of the Warden's Court at Lawrence. On an application for the amalgamation of two claims which had been before the court for some- time, and which had passed all the formalities precedent to being granted being called on, Mr Finlayson asked that several names other than those mentioned, in the application should be included in the title. The warden ruled that he had not power to grant this request, and stated that the interests of the parties mentioned in the claims could only, be secured by transfer. January 24. The Molyneux River was 6ft llin above the norm?l mark at Alexandra on Monday morning, and the weather was fine. Last week's return from the Enterprise dredge was 260 z ldwt for 114 hours' work. Riley's Revival dredge washed up last week for 240 z lOdwt, obtained after 130 hours' dredging. The master of the Central Charlton dredge reports that the last return was obtained from a cut about 100yds wide, taking in portions of sections 3 and 4. The dredge is working well. ; _ The manager of the New Alpine mine reported as follows tor last week:—"The drive going south from. No. 7 cross-cut wa 9 extended 21ft in fairly hard ground. This measurement will be improved upon next week, as a lot of extra ground had to be taken out to get the truck line round the bend, being nearly a full bend." The master of the Rising Sun dredge reports having dredged 180 hours last week, 80 of which were occupied in baling the accumulated silt out of the paddock: • He shifted the headline, and the face is now squared. The bottom was partly clay and partly sandstone. Prospects continue fair, and the machinery is running well. The master of the Blackwater River dredge reports that the completion of the repairs commenced before Christmas and ended after the New Year included, amongst other things, the relining of the lower end of the screen, putting on of new top tumbler to elevator, and rebushing of main bottom tumbler, and general overhaul of ladder. It is Ekely that patches of worked ground may interfere with the returns , for a short time till the downward cut is opened out. At the Waihi Extended mine driving. both north and south, on the course of the No. 1 reef at No. 5 level is in pjs6gre«s. Going north 10ft of ore is exposed, with one wall in hand, and the improvement recently met with is being maintained as the drive advances —in fact, some of the ore showing can be classed as more than payable. Should -.2, creator width of this of ore be disclosed in following the reef the development will prove one of considerable importance to the company.