WEEK'S MINING NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 28

WEEK'S MINING NEWS

April 3. The ground in the Mastcrton claim has become deep on most of the eastern half of the working face, and the deep ground is poor and drifty. On Monday the headline was shifted a chain to the westward. This confined operations to the eastern side of the cut for a few’ days. The clay overhanging the deep ground was very heavy, and thought it was discharged well from the buckets, it was inclined to stick in the ohute. The secretary of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company reports that No. 1 washed up on Tuesday work, the result being 530 z 19dwt. The stone wall is now built and the nozzle line laid, and a start was made on Thursday afternoon to blow oil the top material. No. 2 started on Tuesday to remove the overburden, and good progress has been made. The paddeck now commenced will be much larger than the one just finished. No- 3 is working steadily. The water is plentiful for all the claims. Mr J. W. Walker, one of the old Thames goldfiolld pioneers (generally known as “ Long-Drive Walker), is still in London endeavouring to float some Waihi properties, having successfully floated the Waihi Grand Junction some years ago. The veteran is now upwards of 80 years of age, but still as optimistic as in the old days, when ho proposed the “ long drive ” through the hills at the back of the Thames foreshore. From a recent communication the following extract is published in the Thames Star:—“Respecting the business that brought me her.o, my prospects of success arc brighter now than at any time since I reached London. Nevertheless, there is always the chance of tumbling over the ‘ unexpected.’ If ever I find friends for Waihi hero, it will be among outsiders The professionals have fattened on the game and retired from promoting busiress.” . -i n April 4. The river is keeping at a low’ level and all the gorge dredges are in full swing (says the Cromwell Argus). The Hartley and Riley dredge is likely to come across some good patches of solid ground where she now is, as the old Alpine No. 2 dredge found the ground very rough and skipped portions here and there. The master of the Waikaia dredge reports that operations were continued on the crosscut cast up till Friday, when the dredge was turned down stream. This cut will be continued to the bridge, when the machine will be turned west. The ground near the east terrace became poor in (juality, being swamp formation and mulIccky to the bottom. During the early part of last week the ground in the Success claim started to dip on the shallow or north end of the cut, and at the time of washing up the bottom had dipped to 25ft. This shows that the shallow bar has been got over, and there is now the full length of the cut, amounting to four chains, all on deep ground. The average depth of this ranged from 25ft to 38ft, and the ground carried heavy wash for the full length of the cut. The Luggatc Company’s claim, waterrights, and plant, were submitted by auction in one lot at Cromwell on Saturday last. Bidding opened at £SOO. and. after spirited competition, reached £B6O, at which the property was knocked down to Mr M. L. Spratt. It is understood the property has been purchased on behalf of a party which will give the claim another trial. Tno master of the Karaunui dredge reported that the depth averaged about 45ft. Two-thirds of the bottom consisted of coal formation, the rest being red clay. Some of the ground on the inside of'Uio cut was very deep. The repair’s to the main buckets wore finished, and a new string of pins was put in throughout the bucket belt, which should now not give any trouble for about 12 months.

Writing- under date March' 3C, the master of the Electric No. 2 dredge states that work was resumed at 3 p.m. on Friday, the 29th ult. The contractors (Messrs Miller Bros.) finished! up on -Monday, the 25th, and made a very good job of the work, everything connected with the framing now being rigid and the machinery running well. Owing to the wet weather the repairs to the bottom tumbler were delayed. The new tumbler cheeks and shaft are a good fit. Hard bottom was reached, but the dredge master expected soft bottom to come in soon. Last week the Electric No. 1 dredge worked 145 hours for a distance ahead of 21ft. The formation of the bottom continued to bo of coal and pipeclay. The prospects during the week were fair, and on April 1 moderate. Owing to the rains that, have been experienced the river has been very obauseable, causing the silt and drift to run very strongly. The bottom was cxtremelv rough, with- numerous large boulders, and the wash was very tight in certain parts of the cut. The sample of gold was of a mixed nature. The dredgemaster does not anticipate that the pretent week's return will be up to the usual average. The Rise and Shine dredge made 4ft ahead last week. The cut, which was 600 ft wide, had an average depth- of about 45ft. There was a slight improvement in the ground, but it was very patchy. The Cromwell Argus states that local shareholders in the company are not altogether pleased with the present outlook, and do not view with equanimity the proposal to spend something liko £SOOO on what they claim is the reconstruction of two second-hand dredges. The absence of dividends, the present poor returns, and the large expenditure which the company is undertaking has had an effect on shares, and it is doubtful if any increase in returns from No. 1 dredge would alleviate the unsatisfactory position from a shareholder's standpoint. April 6. In reporting a return of 250 z 12dwt for 111 hours' work, the master of the Rise and Shine dredge rei>orts an improvement in the ground on the west side. The Sandy Point dredge worked 127 hours last week for a distance ahead of 7ft. The width of the cut was 100 yards, and the average depth 30ft. As an extra amount of top stuff had to be baled, not so much bottom as usual was got over, There was no change in the class of ground or prospects. Some time was lost during the week with the main elevator rollers and driving ropes. Messrs C. Williams and W. Edgar, who aro prospecting for gold in the Tararua Mountains on behalf of a Levin syndicate, returned to that town on the 30th ult., after a three weeks' tour on the ranges. They appear to have struck slight indications of gold on one or two leads, but they are of the opinion that they may find better results further back on the hills. The country already prospected lies about eight miles from Levin. Mr F. W. Payne, mining engineer, will proceed to the West Coast during the week to inspect the Nelson Creek dredge, which was lately purchased by Messrs Sligo Bros., with a view to drawing plans and specifications tor its removal to tho Blackwater Creek. The new position of the dredge will be some nine miles from its present one and about four miles from Ngahere, in a locality where Messrs Sligo Bros, have recently prospected a claim with good results. We understand it is their intention to float a small company r.t no distant date to work the ground, but in tho meantime they wisli to push on with the shifting of the plant. Before being put into commission the dredge, which is a very powerful one, will be remodelled and made into a eluicebox machine instead of an elevator and screen dredge. The object of this is to make it more suitable for dealing with tho rough class of gold met with on tho West Coast. In reporting a return of 240 z 6dwt for four days' work, the master of the Electric No. 2 dredge states that the wash is improving. April 6. In reporting a return of lOoz sdwt for tho past week the master of the New Trafalgar dredge states that boiler inspection caused a stoppage from Tuesday to Thursday morning. April 9. The master of the Golden Treasure droelge reports a return of 250 z lOdwt for 126 hours' work. Tho Rising Sun dredge worked 112 hours last week on a cut of the width. The master washed up last Thursday, and as the banks were closed from Good Friday til! Tueselay morning, the return was loss than usual. There is no change to rejx)rt in the nature of thc v ground or bottom, and the machinery is running well. The opinion is very commonly held that tho Tuapeka district, so far as its mining resources are concorneel, is worked out. This view, however, is not shareel by Mr G. O. Taylor, who is just severing his connection with the district after nearly 40 years' residence. Speaking at the social tendered him recently, ho predicted that from a mining point of view Tuar>oka had a promising future in store. There were, lie said, millions of tons of gold-bearing cement awaiting a profitable system of treatment, and he ventured to say that that system, when discovered, would prove so simple that wo would all wonder why it had not been thought, of before. Needless to say, those present who were interested in tho mining industry share Mr Taylor's views, and never tire of promulgating the view that, so far as our mineral resources are concerned, only the surface so far has been scratched.