MINING MATTERS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2018, 13 April 1875, Page 3

MINING MATTERS.

Cuke.—There was no breaking down of stone in the Cure mino up to a late [ hour last night, but the men were em- : ployed stripping jho chief portion of the I day, and there will be a good strip of the lode ready for taking away this morning. Of course there was no change notienble yesterday, but on Saturday evening a fine parcel of about 101 bs of good specimens came to hand, and if the same show continues to-day there '.will doubtless be a valuable addition to the contents of the specimen chest. There are'about 25 tons of general crushing stuff in paddock, and about 1501bs of specimens and picked stuff, and crushing will be commenced/or the company in the course of a day or two. There should be a handsome yield. City of London.—The requirements of the mine appear to have been met by renting the full force of the Kuranui battery, of which the manager took over possession yesterday. Hitherto the crushing from the new level has been carried on at the Herald battery, but although perfect or nearly so as a gold saver, this mill only comprised 20 head of light stampers, which were not sufficient to keep under the stuff taken out of the mino. It would be inconvenient to divide the crushing and besides, few companies or proprietors cared for starting their mills to work without full employment. At present the'mine is only calculated to afford rock for 40 head of stampers, and the employment of a larger force would not be economical, The crushing has therefore been removed to the Kuranui battery, where 40 head of stampers will be set to work. There are some, slight alterations and repairs necessary to the battery which will occupy until Thursday, by which time everything will'be ready for a start. In the meantime the Herald battery will be kept at work. In the mine itself an importantohange occurred yesterday in the drive on the No. 3 reel towards the City of York boundary. It has now been followed a distance of 200 feet towards the City of York boundary and there still remains 100 feet to drive in that direction. Hitherto the reef has been small, but yesterday a great change occured in-the nature of the country, and the lode widened out to three feet it width. The manager is pretty certaii that this change indicates an im provement in the quality as well .as th< size of the lode. It is in all likelihoo'c ; caused by the proximity of the No. 2 reef : which will inevitably form a junction wit! that which is now being followed. Dixon's No. I.—There is little furtbei to report from this mine since the lode was cut through at the bottom level, anc i gold was cut in it. It has not beei opened up furtliel" than to drive througl it, and the manager is now driving furthei into the hanging-wall side, being undei the impression that the whole of the lode is not to hand in tho present face, for thi i lode at present exposed is only 10 inchei ■ wide, but it shows gold pretty freeh when the stones are broken. We ma] add that this new level is 300 feet deepe; than any previously,worked in the mine and the position of the present, gold fine is as nearly as possible vertically placet under the old shaft sunk in the Cariboi ground. Messenger's Tbibute.—Retorting fo: the tributers of Messenger's claim tool place yesterday, after five tons had beei crushed, and an excellent yield of 16ozi lldwts 12grs melted gold was obtained ai the result. Queen of the Mat.—There will be i general cleaning up and retorting for thi Queen of the May Company on *aturda] next, but so far .as can be judged a present, the average of the stuff will no be greatly superior to that of the las crushing. For a few days there appearet to be an improvement in the quality o the rock, but it did not continue, ant while it lasted it did not make a vefj material difference. The stuff which has been, and is being, crushed is, we believe of good payable quality, although not remarkably rich.' Red Queen.—There is not a verj large quantity of stuff coming to banc from the Hed Queen claim, but th< quartz ■ paddock has been gradual]} filling up, and there will be sufficient or hand by Monday next to constitute a fail crushing. The stuff will then be sent tc the mill, and as there is a considerable quantity of picked stuff on hand, there will probably be a handsome return Bat the reef is Bmall, and the country hard, and the manager is therefore not able, with his small mine force, to break out the quartz in any large quantities. Pumping A ssociation. — Yesterday there was no sinking going on, because the clacks of the pump were being renewed, and for the same reason several batteries, including that owned by the company, which are supplied with water from this pump, were at a standstill. But there was a fair start made again last night. The bottom is still as hard as ever, but the contractors are pretty confident that by the end of this week they will reach the depth at which the cistern chamber is to be excavated for the reception of the bottom of the 25 inch pumps. Q,ueen of Beauty.—Repairs to the shaft were completed-last evening," and the cages can now work efficiently. During the last week crushing has been going on pretty steadily at the company's own mill, but Bull's battery on the Karaka, which has been altogether employed on this company's crushing, has been idle for want of water. Yesterday the creek supply had apparently improved, for it was started to work, and the crushing this fortnight will therefore not be so limited as was anticipated. So far as may be judged the quality of the crushing stuff this week is quite up to the usual average, and although tho quantity treated will not be so large as usual, there will nevertheless be a good payable yield, and probably a dividend for the shareholders. Golden Calf.—ln addition to what driving is going on on the large lode at the 300-feet level, the manager is now continuing the main cross-cut to intersect other parallel reefs. In fact it has never been satisfactorily settled whether tho reef upon which they are now working is tho M. 2, or main reef. Many inclipe to the opinion that it is not, and in order to test the matter tho cross-cut is being continued past it. Whether the No. 2 reef is to hand or otherwise cannot be satisfactorily decided by sinking a winze on it from the old workings. It would be too expensive to up those workings again, but a rise might bo put up which would perhaps be quite as effective a means of proving and opening theiode. "f course if the winze could be sunk, it would bo the most effectual means, for, with the proved lode to hand in tho level, it could be easily traced downwards, whereas tho lode now to hand in the bottom may, after all, prove not to be the true reef, and any speculative expenditure in opening a wrong lode would no doubt, in the company's present position, bo looked on with displeasure by

the shareholders, who have to pay the calls as they are made.

POLICE COURT.—Saturday. (Before W. FRASF.R, Esq., U.U.) Dbunkennbss. — One inebriate was mulcted in the usual penalty of 10s and costs. Bbeaches of By-law No. 3,—James Rogers was charged with driving a dray without , the name and residence of the driver being, painted thereon in a legible manner on the right side.—This case was withdrawn. — James Bogers was also charged with leaving a dray without a horse harnessed thereto.—Ho pleaded guilty.—Mr Bullen stated the circumstance. Defendant was draying timber, and left the dray without the horse attached.—He was fined 5s and costs. •Goat at Labge.—Tdward Crowley was charged with allowing a goat to be at large.—Some woman appeared, and said that defendant'was iu Obinemuri. Crowley bought the goat from her when she was about to do away wiih it. Crowley lived in her house.—His Worship desired her to go into the witness box. She refused emphatically to swear. His Worship told her that ho must give her in charge. She said he might do that if he liked, but she persisted in refusing to bo sworn. His Worship then ordered the woman into custody, and Bhe was taken away by the police. Before the Court was adjourned, the case was again called, and the woman was placed before the Court —Sergeant Elliott proved the fact of the goat being at large, and Mr Brown, poundkeeper, deposed that he received tbo goat from Constable iSmith, which was aftorwards released by Edward Crowley.—Julia O'Brien still persisted in refusing to be sworn or to go into the box. His Worship said he would be compelled to send her to jail for 10 days. She said she would take the penalty. His Worship tried to bring her to reason, but it was utterly impossible. She positively refused. His Worship read the clause of the Justices of the Peace Act, and asked her whether she still refused. s he did refuse, and his Worship committed her for 24 hours.—A. fine of 4s and costs was imposed on Crowley. A ssATJtT.—John L. Stevens was charged with assaulting John Tilsley.—Defendant pleaded not guilty.—Plaintiff deposed he was a veterinary surgeon, and knew the defendant. On Friday morning at about 10 o'clock, defendant's son ,was riding past plaintiff's place at a furiouß rate. Plaintiff was going from his own house at Parawai to cross the creek along a track. The lad would have ridden over him him had'he not struck the horse with a Rtick. He rode on at the rate of about 15 miles an hour, and about five minutes after defendant came down on the same horse to plaintiff's place. He stood at the door of the shed, and asked him what he struck his boy for. He told him he struck the horse. He supposed he struck the boy. , Plaintiff then ordered defendant off the i premises. Defendant did not move, and , he caught him by the arm to show him , the way, and defendant struck him in the , eye. Plaintiff then struck defendant; a scuffle ensued, and plaintiff got the i worst of it.—By defendant: I said I would strike the boy again if he attempted | to ride over tre.—Harriet Tilsley, wife of ,complainant, deposed that she saw the , whole affair. She did not see her husband 1 strike the horse. She was getting water | at the time, but she was there when Mr , Stevens came to the shed and called Her ! husband. Mr Stevens told him-if he was a man he would strike him and aot the l boy. Her husband then ordered him off , the premises, and finding he would not . go, he took him by the sleeve to put him . off. Mr Stevens then hit her husband '■ in the eyo and got him on the ground. ! Bhe took up a stick to hammer Stevens. ' She would havo hammered him in her ? temper when , her husband was on the ground unable to defend himself.—For ! the defence, Frank Stevens, a boy 14 years of age (the boy alluded to in the previous evidence), deposed that he was ; riding along the road to his father's house. It passed close to Mr Tilsley's . door. He was not riding fast until he saw Tilsley coming from behind the house | with a stick. He knew, he was going to i hit tho horse, and he tried to get in front of him. He did hit the horse on the ■ head, and witness went home and told his father. They returned to'lilsley's. His father called Tilsley, and he came out from behind tho house with a dung fork in his hand. Witness's father asked liim why he struck the horse.-He said because" witneas had tried to ride over -him. Tilsley ordered witness's father off the premises, but he would not go, and Tilsley struck his father on the shoulder. His father, then struck out with his left, and hit Tilsley in the eye.—Samuel Dufty corroborated the evidence of last witness, and added that Mrs Tilsley got a hig'stick and commenced to hammer Mr Stevens.—His Worship ordered plaintiff and defendant each to enter into recognizances, themselves in £50 and one surety for each in £50, to keep the peace towards each other for six months. iflSAtUT.—Henry Morris was brought up on the charge of assaulting Alathea Mclnnes, It will be remembered that this case was before the Court some days ago, but was adjourned in order | that a croBS-action might be tried, in which Morris charged Mrs Mclanes with assaulting him.-The hearing of the cross-action was called. Mr Macdonald for the plaintiff, and Mr Tyler for defendant—Henry Morris deposed: He saw Mrs Mclnnes on Easter Monday, between 12 and 1 o'clock. He' was coming from his own house to town. Mrs Mclnnes lived about 150 yards from j the road. He heard some one call out, and saw Mrs Mclnnes standing in the tea-tree about 38 feet aboro him. She had her bonnet agee, and made use of very bad names. He told her to go home and hide her face. She wanted to know what she was to hide her face for. She threw three stones at him, and flew at him, caught him by the beard, and dragged him down. He tried to get her loose, but could not,_ so he gave her a slap on the nose, hoping when she saw the blood she would let go the sooner. She did let go, and he left her. Ho said she was drunk. She had no boots on, and one stocking was down about her ankle. She said she would make him pay for it, and he just went away and left her. He had not given her any cause for any bad feeling towards him. He had called her a liar in explaining why she should hide her face, because sho had said to some people that he had crim. con. with some woman.—Maggie Hunter deposed that Mrs Innes was drunk that day.—Andrew Hunter, a boy of twelve years of age, was called. He said he attended Sunday school, but was not told what would be done to him in the next world if he told a lie. He knew ho would be punished. He was sworn. He saw the defendant on Easter Monday at the top of the hill. He had no talk with her. She had some blood on her nose, and her stockings wero down. She had a ,'pair of slippers on. She was near lior own house, and was

— 1 1 coming after witness's mother and himself. She said that he had stolen the key of the gate, His mother was quite sober, but defendant was a little bit on. She fell against the side of the road.—Mrs Campbell asked for leave to speak, which being granted, she said her husband, on last Court day, said he would bring evidence to show that Mrs Innes was a nuisance to the neigbbourhood. He could not attend to day, as he was bad with rheumatics, but she • had a paper signed by a great many people in the neighbourhood to whom she had made herself a nuisance. Mrs" Campbell was daughter to the plaintiff.—Mary Ann Leigh deposed that she saw defendant at 6 o'clock that evening. She was in a deplorable state, with her hair down, and her face scratched, but she was not drunk. She appeared to be in- trouble.—Hugh Kay deposed to having seen defendant on thai day, walking up and down in front of her own house. She had a handkerchief lo her eye. She appeared to him to be solid and sober at the time. Mie walked steadily. He had no conversation with her'.—Joseph Callan, a boy! 2 years of age, was also examined.—l his closed the evidence.—His Worship said there was no'doubt an assault was committed in the last case by Morris on this woman. He was inclined to believe that sho had drink on that day. The only effect of this cross-action was to make him reduce the penalty on Morris. It was clearly shown that the woman did not bear a very good character in the neighbourhood, aud he would impose a penalty of, 20a and costs upon vf orris, and dismiss the case against Alathea Mclnnes The costs were £4 15s, and the. alternative . was made 14 days' imprisonment.