MINING NOTES.

Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17764, 11 December 1929, Page 5

MINING NOTES.

OCCIDENTAL-UNA.

VISIT OF INSPECTION

NICE REEF SHOWING. A visit of inspection was made to the Occidental-Una mine yesterday by Mr J. McCormick,’ managing-direc-tor, Messrs C. S. Donovan and F. Sawyer, directors, and a representative of the ‘‘Thames Star,” the party being conducted through the workings by Mr J. Xemp, acting-manager while the manager, Mr J. O’Sullivan, is in hospital. In the last breaking-down of the new reef upon which the men have been working on Monday disclosed some rich stone from which 51b. of picked stone were selected. Some time ago when stoping on ..the No. 1 level a nice leader was unearthed on the hangingwall, and<- work was commenced on this leader. As the work progressed a few colours and dabs of gold were seen in the stone. The drive is now 37ft in from the cross level, and the leader has increased in size to about 10 inches of good quartz, with fine silica and kindly mineral blend encased in splendid country, and several small leaders of encouraging quartz are running towards the reef with every indication that a junction should soon take place on the footwall at the floor of the drive. ' ’ Although no actual gold was found in the stone broken out yesterday, the indications were certainly most encouraging. The work so far has been confined .to the opening up of this reef, which is an entirely new reef In virgin country, and so far has not been stoped.

The reef is running parallel to the main Occidental reef, and the picked stone secured on Monday was found on the hangingwall portion. of the main Occidental lode not far from where the previous company (under the management of Mr J. Caisley) secured very rich stone. By continuing the present drive another 10ft it is expected to pick up the junfction of Dunlop’s or the footwall lode with the main lode. In the stopes above Dunlop’s, the reef was about the size of the reef in the present face and when It junctioned with the main lode returned about £IOO worth of gold, so that there is a good chance of the company meeting with success when the present reef junctions.

Going south, the reef ; and stockwork has been stoped out to a distance of 15ft to 20ft wide, which provided a large quantity of crushing quartz from which the company received payable returns.

’ Numerous small reefs and stringers abound 'on each wall, and if driven on for another 50 feet should meet the famous Occidental Flinty lode from which Messrs Bruce and Styak struck their rich patch-in the early days, and which returned them nearly £IO,OOO. This Occidental Flinty lode is th e main reef system of the mine, and traverses practically right through the Una Hill, being known on the Karaka side as the Hague-Smith. TVherever it has been worked upon it has produced rich values.

In the Occidental section all veins of quartz meeting thisxlode have produced picked stone, so the company has also a fine block of ground to work in this section, which should handsomely reward any expenditure Incurred in opening up the block of country.

On the return journey a visit was blade to the electric pump, which was satisfactorily dealing with the water question.

From the amount of good payable quartz available in the mine • the necessity of the company providing a battery close to the mine i s becoming more evident every day it is therefore hoped that the operations of the company will return it sufficient capital to supply this long-felt want. i