THE MINISTER FOR MINES AT TE AROHA [BY OCR OWN RLPORTER.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2011, 28 May 1885, Page 2

THE MINISTER FOR MINES AT TE AROHA [BY OCR OWN RLPORTER.]

Mil JjAUNach, accompanied by his son, Warden Ketuick, Mi Culm in, membei for Coromandel, and the lnspcutni of Mines for the South Island, am ml .it Te Aioha. fioin P.iero.i on Sunday evening, and put up at Warren's hotel. The p.u ty made the tup through the countij ftom Coromandel on horseback. At Te Aroha Mi Larnach was met by Mi J. B. Whyte, uiembet for the district, the chairman of the. I'iako County Council, Mr W. L. C. Williams, Messrs J. C. Firth, Chepmell, <»ould and Murphy, and a nuiuboi of other gentlemen. On Monday morning the paity staited for Waiorongomai at about 10 o'clock, .md rode up to the site of tho new battery known as Ferguson's. Here tho homes were tied up, and the Minister was induced to descend a very steep and very slippery hill to where tho battoiy is situate. A largo amount of work has been done, and the new concern is almost completed. The building is nnmhed, and the main portion of the machinery i& in position. The plant of this batteiy is the first of its kind in the Inland used for crushing purposes. It is known a-t the \nieiicnn amalgamating and grinding battery. The qu.ntz is fiiht biokenoy the stone breaker, and then it goes under a large roller, f i om thence into the amalgamating pans, where it is ground foi m\ hours before it is let go into tho .settler. Here it is allowed to settle for throe hours. The grinding pans are heavily charged with quicksilver, and here the ainalLamation takes place. It is said that by the old style of battery, the Aroha gold being so fine, only about 33 per omit, of it cm be saved, wheieas, Mr Mackay, the engineer tor the new battery, is conndent it will save fiom (iO per cent, to 7"> per cent., according to the natuie of the oie. Mi Liirnach's attention w.is hem di.iun to the necessity <)f a bianch tiamway connecting the main line with th» new batteiy. He fully appreciated the impoitanco of the work, and complimented the promoteis of tho batteiy on then entorpiise. The p.nty then descended to the foot of the hill and m ide a fiesh stait by the upper ti ick to the minus, a distance of about three miles. The tiack is not the veiy best and safest in the world. It is mainly on the corduroy pi maple, and consequently the footing h not by any means as safo as ordinal y moitals, lot alone a Minister of the Crown, might desire. However, no accidents hap pened, the horses maintaining then footing well, Sir Larnach who, by tho way, sits his steed like a veteran huntsman, invariably leading the way. On reaching the New Find the party dismounted. The mine maiiigcr explained to the Ministei after tha f.i-linni of the icdoubtable shopman that they had just *tmck something woith his peison.il scrutiny, winch, like the two headed lion, must be seen to be bM'oved, and so insisted upon his walking in and seeing for hiu.self. The patty uere all provided with candles and entered the duve, along which they pioceeded for many liundied feet. Tho mine was very diy, theie being not more than thru or foui inches of water to w.ido thiough. We weie shown whet e the reef dipped and cinssed, and wlieie it was expected to dip, hut had not done so, together with sundry other interesting facts. The manager, Mi McLiver, afforded us a lot of technical information about the mine, the reef, the leaders and the country generally, uhich everybody seemed to listen to with much interest, and all tried tit look perfectly edihed and thoroughly confident that they understood all about it. We were shown where the "dark house " that was to startle the shareholders had just made its appeal. nice, and many other eucmu aging piospects weio laid b.ue. All agieeing that the right thing had been done, congratulated the manager in the usual way upon the excellent work which he had effected, and retired with the air of gentlemen who had seen vei y little that they understood, but who tiled to feel as if they had seen a gieat deal s\itli which they weie thoroughly comeisant. Mi Lainach who had been habited in a miner's ng-out for the occasion, enjoyed the walk into the mine immensely, and said he had seen quite enough to satisfy him. He was as. tonished with the amount ofwotk which the various mining companies had done, and the great enteipiisc which they had manifested. A st.ut was again made foi the. foot of the hill, the honom ible and agile Minister leidiuif the letreit on foot. Mes-sis Kirth and CM uke's bittery and tailing plant were next inspected, and Mr Lunach shortly aftei wauls leceived a nun.bei of deputations in the batteiy office.