OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2134, 13 March 1886, Page 3

OHINEMURI GOLDFIELD. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE.]

Karangahake. l'unov, ThuMday. There is very little fioh in the way of mining news in this p.ut of tho field. The Woodstock furnace, which i-> the observed of all observers i* -till unfired. A cargo of iron ore for fluxing v.is understood to have armed at the Thames for this furnace, but owing to pecuniaiv. complications, it was appropriated by tho Thames smelting works. There is a very good -how of gold in the R'i-e. which is one of the most profitable cl-iinis on the hill. The Golden Ciown .il-o X slnping very well. There aic nine uefs in this inme, all of which are auriferous.

Waihi. SrLVtRTOJf. — This claim, under the management of the popul.u Mr J. H. Mooro, is one that has l( future before it. A iiirirace assay of «i largo pireeK probably ten or twelve toil", will be made in order to get really an average idea, of what the stuff is made of. The idea of an avenge assay, in my mind, it :tb-urd in any case. It Heems impo-abln in .such a uatchy yield as this, where regularity in the ore is the exception and not the rule, that any particular portions of a leef, however, and by whom chosen, cannot htnctly be regarded as being averages of that reef. There is at least one chance in ten that it may be either under or over the value of the next parcel of stuff treated. This i_ the weak link id the ■issay chain, and this being so the word average should not be u^ed in the matter of assays. It is misleading, and likely to do much harm, by either inking false hopes, or by not raising hopes enough. Apropos of assaying, tke La Monte people have inanguratpd a very fair system. At their -.tart their style of assaying was v ery arbitrary. They made one assay themselves, .md offered a price for the quartz on that, which the vendor could either refuse or accept of course, but as a refusal would compel him to rehandle his quart/, to go to double expense in carting, &c , in nearly all _.ises> he, however, gruinblmgly, accepted. Now they have changed all that. Three snidll paicelsaro made up of the dirt; one for the furnance authorities on which they buy, a second is given to the vendor m order that he may if he likes test the acciuaoy of the No. 1 assay. A third sample is sealed by the company and th^ vendor, and deposited with the Bank of New Zealand. This is in case arbitration is necessary. If the first two partie-. to the contract disagree as to price the Bank of NewZealand then makes a final assay, which decides the matter. This is eminently satisfactory, as there has been considerable growling in the place, concerning the prices given by the company for dirt sent to them. Mautha Extended.— The battery i* hungup for lack of the neces-ary O. H. 2, but mine work is beinor proceeded with. RonEMONT. — The win_e is now down fifty-two feet. Really good dirt is to Brass. Good report^ continue to come from Whangamata and Parakowai.

General News. A valedictory tea meeting was given on Tuesday last by Mesdames Vuglar and Jackson to the Rev. Mr Willis, who is leaving the district for Gisborne. A very enjoyable evening was passed. A musical programme wa_ arianged in which Mesdames, Sulivan, Cock, Sharp and Edw.uds took pai t. Speeches vv ere made by Me.shrs C. F. Mitchell, J. M. Robson and Edwin Edwards and a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Wills was pi\en by those pieaent, who represented all sorts of religious and nonreligious thought. Mr Wills leaves with everybody's be>t wishes. The natives have recently put a tapu on the fish in the river and Haui.iki Gulf because of the drowning of the Chief Parcana recently. Several of thoso h jwever, who are of the advanced school, finding that this dogma of tapu affects their pocket (or its native synonym, theirstoinachjl'i.iveiesolved to throw tapu to the winds and in defiance of tho ancient tradition have given themselves up to the full enjoyment of the flatfish in sublime indifference <ih to whether the respected Paereana forms pai t of their meal or not.