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Thames Star, Volume XXX, Issue 9047, 20 April 1898, Page 2

(By Our Special Reporter,)

MAY QUEEN-HAURAKI.

In company with the manager, Mr W. H. Buroh, *L to-day paid a visit of inspection to this mine, and was surprised at the systematic and energetic manner in which the development work ie being carried on, The first step we

made was to descend the Sixon shaft to the No. 6 level, where men are engaged in driving on the Cardigan Nos. 1 and 2 reefs TTnm Nn 1 lode a distance of about 200 i'eet has benn driven eastward of the croiw-ut. In the greater part of the distance the the reef was of a low gndo, but about 40 feet back from the face gold was found and since then the lode has improved in value There is about 20 feet of the reef now stripped for breaking down. No. 2 lode is opened up about 400 feet altogether—2oo feet on either sid^ of the croesnut. The western face is still in progress, and a. further 20 feet of driving should reach the Cardigan boundary, ihe lode is a little bit .disturbed at present , through a break coming in, but it will •no doubt make again within the next few feet. Seven stopes are in progress over the western drive and eight over the eastern. In the western stopes the reef averages about 18 inches in thick ness. In the crosscut eastward the reef is much smaller, and will only average about 4 inches in thickness, but the ore being won is all payable. The eastern drive on this reef is at a standstill just now, the reef being somewhat poor, and the ground much tighter. The enlargement of the May Queen shaft is almost completed, the sinking down is finished, and there now only remains the placing of timbers. The shaft is being timbered with 9x3 inch planks, and ladders have . been placed to within about 26 feet of the bottom. The new dimensions of the shaft are 12x6 feet. Ibis is avast improvement on the old shaft, which was only 6ft 2in by 3ft. We here ascended this shaft to the surface, by means of the cage, having paid a very interesting visit to the mine. I thanked Mr Burch for his kindness in taking so much trouble in showing me through and then took my leave, thoroughly impressed with the developments that have taken place, and perfectly convinced that the shareholders possess a property which will suitably reward them for their enterprise at no very distant date