MINING ITEMS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1051, 18 June 1884, Page 5

MINING ITEMS.

New Zealand. The excitement displayed in Wellington some months ago Mams to have completely died out. The '• Post" of Thursday last says: -- "No better evidence of the apathy displayed by Wellington people in mining matters than the fact that none of the three meetings of the Terawhiti companies convened to be held yesterday took place. The only shareholder who turned up at the Poneko meeting was a director. Not a solitary individual attended At either the Empire or Caledonian meeting.", A big yield of gold is reported from the Thames, where, according to the "Advertiser," three large specimen stones, which have been the cynosure of visitors to the Prince Imperial office for several months, were crushed recently, and gave the magnificent return of soz gold to the pound avoirdupois. The collective weight of the jocks was exactly 20lb, and the total yield lOl^oz retorted gold. They have been acknowledged to be the richest g*ones ever obtained from the mine, and their value is enhanced by the fact that they were broken about 420 ft below the sea level in the stopes on No. 2 reef, No stone of equal richness has ever been obtained in a similar depth in any part of this or any other goldfield in the Colony. Victobia. A large gold specimen, which, when crushed, yielded 40ozs. of gold, was found at Ingle wood on 22nd ult. Several rich specimens were obtained in the same neighborhood over twenty years ago, but none so; large as this last. The spot it not far from the line of reef owned by thejSouth Maxwell and other companies. Many years ago a large population of miners found profitable occupation at the Black Range, about 6 miles from Albury, where alluvial deposits of considerable extent were worked with highly satisfactory results. The wash waa followed only as far as it could be worked without machinery, and when the water became too powerful to contend with the ground was deserted. A few months since some Melbourne mining speculators visited the ground, and were so satisfied with the appearances, and with what they ascertained from former holders, that they determined ito properly test the deep ground. For this purpose a company was formed under the title of the Border Town Goldmining Company, and a contract was let for sinking a shaft. The shaft has now been sunk and centred to a depth of 100 feet, and the indications met with are held to be thoroughly satisfactory. At Ballarat, the gold yield continues to be maintained at a very equable level, the district returns, for the week ended 17th instant, amounting to 37180z, of which the quarts furnished 12520z, the difference between the week's aggregate and that of the week before being only 224- >z. The dividends declared amounted to £3714, made up as follows: —Lone Hand, 3s, £1800; Buninyong Estate, Is, £1000; New North Clunes, ss, £514; Reform, Is, £400. - At Stawell the prospects of the Oriental Company have improved, and gold hag again been seen in the quarts. At Castlemaine, the Garfield Company had a yield of only 640z from 450 tons for the fortnight's work. This return, although small, is payable. The yield from the Forest Wattle Gully Company was somewhat in excess of that last reported, averaging nearly £oz to the ton —760z from 160 tons; the mine is unchanged in appearance, except that every day's work done at the several levels tends to establish the permanency of the reef. At Dalesford, the Rising Star yield for the fortnight was 2470z from 760 tons quartz. The yield from the Cornish Company wa3 1440z gold from 400 tons of quartz. New South Wales. At Copeland, a crushing from the No. 2 south Centennial yielded 2foz per ton. Grafton reports state that a new and distinct reef has been discovered on the j Hidden Treasure ground, about 60ft. from the Treasure reef, and about 40ft. (down the hill) below the present work-1 ings- The reef, which is 2ft. wide, is of a different oharacter altogether from the Treasure. It is stated to show good gold throughout, and is highly charged with iron pyrites. ■ ! Tasmania. At Beaconsfield, the Florence Nightingale obtained 2140z amalgam from 98 tons of stone crushed. At Lefroy, the West New Chum tributors have struck gold in the west drive, 420 ft from the surface. At Buckland's Freehold, Mangana, the stone in the bottom has all been crushed, and has averaged over loz to the ton. They obtained a yield of 218oz lOdwt of gold from a crushing of 217 tons quartz. The reef at the 160 ft level was over 3ft! thick, showing good gold, and the stopes were also looking well. Queensland. The following mining items are from the "Northern Territory Times" of 3rd May : —A splendid cake of retorted gold j was received this week by the English and Scottish Bank from Mr Jansen's claim at Pine Creek. The cake weighed 7820z, and is the result of a crushing of 540 tons. The following is the quantity of gold brought down per escort this week : —For Southport, 3600z; for Port Darwin, 310oz; per private hands for Port Darwin, about lOOOoz. Some excitement was caused last Friday (says the " Cairns Post" of the 15th ultimo) by the arrival in town of Messrs Grant and Gebbie with an ingot of gold weighing 2300z lOdwt, obtained from a crushing of 29 tons of quartz taken from the Chance claim on the Mulgrave goldfield. At the last crushing from this mine, when 66 tons of stone was put through the machine, the yield was over 3<>z to the ton, and an equally good return from the present crushing was fully anticipated; but such a splendid result as B<jz to the ton was quite unexpected, and took everyone by surprise. The immediate consequence of this proof of the richness of the field is manifested in the successful floating of the Quartz Crushing Company, and the taking up of abandoned claims for re-working.