Mining News.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 9, Issue 79, 4 October 1898, Page 2

Mining News.

The dredge on the Mahakipawa Arm that was recently submerged through the heavy gales, has been re-floated, and on examination is found to have sustained no damage. The construction of the dredge by Messrs Bringing and Cunninghame for the Imperial Dr&Hging Company, Wakamarina, is being jpoabed on f itb lilMllittlMML

The sum of £38,117 was expended by the Government last year on goldfields* development. It is proposed to vote £45,000 for expenditure during the current year. In the House recently Mr Mills, referring to the mining industry, said:—"l believe that the mining industry is so closely allied with the agricultural and pastoral industries—the producer and the consumers—that anything you can do to improve mining must necessarily improve every other industry in the Colony; and we ought to go further than we have done with regard to opening out our mineral country." The total output of gold from the Auckland goldfields for September was £44,787, which is not equal to last month's, which was a record one, but £7OO ahead of July. The annual report of the Victorian Mines Department states that the quantities and values of the gold raised in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania from the first discovery in 1851 to the end of 1897, were:— Victoria, 61,847.4480z5, valued at £247,389,792; New South Wales, 11,982,8510z5, valued at £44,488,861; Queensland, 12,006,9180z5, valued at £41,749,606; Tasmania, 940,7590z5, valued at £8,541,625; New Zealand, 13,565,5520z5, valued at £53,872,634 ; West Australia, 1,642,6400z5, valued at £6,241,947; South Australia, 468,8840z5, valued at £1,817,488. This makes a total of 102,484,9820z5, valued at £898,601,408. There are now on the southern portion of the New Chum line, at Bendigo, seven mineS which have attained a depth of over 8,000 ft., and many others approaching that depth. A feature of the recent Elondyke finds has been the unsuspected richness of the hillsides, whioh in many places surpasses that of the creek bottoms. Kalgoorlie mines are rapidly getting down to deep levels. In several, crosscuts are being driven at a depth of 500 ft. from the surface. At latest advices a singular sort of famine was raging at Elondyke. Nails for the sluice-boxes were soarcef than food. Qua man refused an offer of 4,500 dollars for 10 kegs. He insisted on 5 dollars a pound, and he got his price. Another enterprising individual collected all the old rusty nails he could find, and sold them for 8,000 dollars,

THE WAKAMABINA GOBGE GOLD-MINING COMPANY.

It has now been decided by the Directors of this Company that active operations in the Gorge proper shall, for the immediate present, be discontinued, but jt may be confidently expected that the work of lifting the re? mainder of the shingle will be resumed at no distance of time. During the time of Mr T. Alexander's term of office as Manager, all who are accustomed to visit the scene of the workings are aware that the two bays extending from the top dam have been completely cleaned out, and with results that, regretfully, have not reached the sanguine anticipations of the Company. That a stupendous work has beeu done can be more fully realised by a visit to the workings, but some impression of its magnitude can be estimated from the fast that 150,000 square yards of shingle have been lifted and deposited in the main river. This immeuse quantity of stuff has been shifted at the rate of 150 to 180 square yards per day when in full work, and much time has been lost by. floods and the large timbers, besides other obstructions that came to ligbt as the work of removing the shingle proceeded. Those prophets who have predicted that the large quantities of gold anticipated to be found in the Gorge did not exist, can take very small unction to their souls at their notwithstanding, that self sufficient wise-acres may add " I told you so t "—such persons have but to look at the magnitude of the undertaking and the fearless stand upheld by the share-holders to feel abashed and admit a regret that such work has so far been carried through at the Gorge with such unprofitable results. The Company and its Working Manager are to be sincerely congratulated upon the pluck they have shown, and it is pleasing to hear that there is still hope of striking a rich deposit in the third bay, situated between the pumps and the lower dam. Gold in payable quantities has been discovered in this bay, and the Directors have now the matter of cleaning it out under earnest consideration. During the time work in the Gorge itself is suspended, the Manager will steadily develop the sluicing claims upon the Company's leasehold, exploration of which has proved them highly payable, and there is every likelihood that the island between the Gorge and the river will be sluiced away forthwith. The indications that are now obtainable the laying bare of the floor of the Gorge) lead to the assumption that originally the river flowed < through the present cutting, and that after the period the gold had passed j down, the Gorge itself has been by superhuman agency, the rock being riven, the original channel blocked, and the course of the rjver diverted through the gorge thus created. The Company, which has battled so indefatigably against perhaps the most uphill fight on any colonial field, to retrieve the metal from its fastnesses, is still full of activity, its finances are in a healthy condition, and it is to be sincerely hoped thai the ill-fortune so 1 §mt maifcwiihv , w3L notdttE ifai fcnfcirtow I

into the third bay of the Gorge, and that the developing of the sluicing will yet return to its Directors and shareholders the handsome dividends their pluck and enterprise deserve. In regard to the third bay mentioned, investigations lately made by Mr Alexander lead to the assurance that the river, at the lower end of what is now the island, originally cut across the bay intersecting the two wings of the bottom dam, and it is in this portion of the bay where such intersection took place that it is,anticipated gold will be obtained. In the previous sinking of a shaft in this portion of the claim 4ozs were obtained without bottoming, and as will be remembered at the time of constructing the eastern wing of the bottom dam, good gold was obtained on the sidling reef, this part will come within the segment of the claim yet to be worked. In regard to tbe prospects of the sluicing to be undertaken, it may here be remarked that whilst the writer was at the claim, he, with the consent of the Manager, who was present, picked out with the point of a knife nearly 2dwts. of gold from a crevice in less than a minute. To any carpels - who may imagine the mine is closed down, carrying with it the appellation of "a duffer," it may be said such an idea has taken no hold upon the minds of those who have backed the undertaking, and who still.maintain, with commendable pluck, their full confidence in the ultimate successful and profitable result of the mine.