THE CITY OF LONDON.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1725, 14 July 1874, Page 2

THE CITY OF LONDON.

I visited this mine yesterday, and so far as the underground works are concerned there is little to report, other .than that the reef running into the City of York boundary remains a thickness of five or six feet, a trial crushing from which is said (I use the word said advisedly) has given 36 ozs 5 dwfcs of gold from the retort, which, when melted, placed 35 ozs 10 dwts of, gold to the company's credit. Although there is not much to report so far as the mine workings are concerned, the managerial atmosphere of the City of London Company is in a most disordered state, both here, and at head quarters in Auckland—an Auckland and a local paper charging the mine manager, Mr. Hicks, with little less than having sent stuff to the mill from one part of the mine/ and representing it as having come from totally distinct workings. There have been lately two crushings from the City of London Company completed at Webb's battery ; one of 85 tons, yielding 24 ozs 10 dwts, and another of 43 tong, yielding 35 ozs 10 dwts. It has cost me some? time and trouble to get at the bottom of the implied charge against Mr. Hicks, but from what I have gathered it seems that the 85 tons were first sent to the battery; this lot yielding in six days 100 ounces 17 dwts of amalgam. This stone, Mr. Hicks assures me, was taken from No. 2 winze, and entirely unmixed with stone from the City of York boundary. When this stone had been put through, ihe battery boxes and plates were thoroughly cleaned out, and the second lot of 43 loads, taken from the City of York boundary, was put through for a yield of 36 ounces 5 dwts. Mr. Hicks assures rde on his honor that not one; ton of stone in the two lots was either mixed in the paddock or on the battery platform, and Mr. Webb, the owner of the battery where tho stone vras crushed, distinctly informed me that tho battery boxes and plates were washed off when the 85 load lot was through. He also shewed ■ me the daily return of amalgam from the two lots; that is the 85 ton lot from the winze, and the 43 ton lot from the City of York boundary. I made further inquiries at the mine, and found that it is almost an impossibility for the stone to be mixed in the paddock without being so thoroughly amalgamated as to make the return from both lots nearly equal. There were some strongly-worded telegrams quoted yesterday about this matter. JBut I think Mr. Hicks will hold his own. Somebody may get into trouble over the matter, but it is no light thing to charge a mine manager with wilful misrepresentation of the mine he is in charge of. Would it not simplify matters if 60 tons of stuff were to be taken out of No. 2 winze and 50 tons of stuff from the City of York boundary for crushing at separate batteries ? The public would then be aWe fo ju##c for themselves, as to theipros and cons of the case. The cost.of getting the stone from the winze would perhaps be considerable, and there no doubt would be a difficulty in procuring a crushing from the City of York boundary ; but at any reasonable cost the trial should, if possiblej be made, in fairness to Mr Hicks, as mine manager, and those who have invested their money in the City of York venture.