My goodness – what a year this was.
1872 stands as the defining year of the NSW goldfields – the year that cemented their place forever in the annals of the world’s richest gold discoveries and the year that also contained the imminent seeds of demise for the NSW gold mining industry.
The iconic image that captures the mayhem and madness of that 12 months will always be that of the massive specimen of gold and quartz removed from the Beyers and Holtermann claim on Hawkins Hill in late October.
Bernard Holtermann had been the former part owner of the mine prior to it being floated as a public company earlier in the year and he retained a key role in its management. It was however, no more his big rock than any other of the company’s many shareholders. He was just flamboyant enough to claim all the PR rights.
“From Tambaroora the news is uninterruptedly good. There have been again some wonderful and scarcely credible finds in the claims of Paxton and Co. and Krohmann and Co. In the former it is said to be like breaking out clubs of gold, and one gentleman who was permitted to inspect the material broken out, describes one particular piece as being like a sirloin of beef with a thick layer of fat, the fat representing the quartz end, the lean the gold.
The piece of stone, if it may be so called, weighed rather more than one hundred and fifty pounds and of that weight there were more than one hundred pounds weight of gold. Krohmann has also got upon a new vein, and is breaking out stone as rich as any he has ever had before.”
When these dramatic pieces of quartz from Paxton and Holmans claim were processed, they again claimed fresh headlines with unheard of results showing over 4,000 oz of gold being recovered from two tons of ore.
To put this in context, this is 2,000 times higher than the then generally considered payable rate of 1oz gold recovered per ton of ore processed.
HILL END AND TAMBAROORA.
This has been a sensational week.
First came the wonderful crushing from Paxton and Holman’s claim, producing a cake of gold weighing 4400 oz., of which 4160 oz. were obtained from two tons.
In six weeks the proprietors of this claim divide over £24,000-not a thing to be equalled every day. The stone to be raised is said to be richer, if anything, and there really seems no knowing where these wonderful finds will end.
The amount of stone crushed by Messrs. Pullen and Rawthorne’e machine for the year 1871, commencing February 16, was 1943 tons, yielding 16,333 oz. This gives an average of about 8 oz. to the ton, a very handsome return for the gross quantity of stone.
The above cruehings were made by Messrs. Pullen and Raws theme’s small machine. This week their powerful new machine, built to order by Messrs P. N. Russell and Co., of Sydney, is to commence operations. The machine has been fitted with the very latest improvements, and will no doubt give every satisfaction to those lucky enough to have . golden stone to send to it.
* GitAriioHTE Gold-Mining Company.-This com- pany ib to be formed to work a lease of six acres, originally taken out by M’Pherson and Naylor, and situate north of the Southern Cross, Hawkins Hill, for which latter com- pany there 6000 applications for the 3000 shares.
The Golden Fleece Company are now putting in a tunnel from the Macquario, to cut the Hit or Miss vein, -which come years ago yielded 6 oz. to the ton ;
Nichol’b vein, in which the Oriental Company is getting good gold;
Simo’e vein (the Welcome) too well knew to require description ;
and Bragg and Co.’s now vein and Williams’» vein. The two latter veins yielded at tho Sydney Mint lately 17 o¿. and 4 oz. respectively to the ten.
This oompany has good prospects and plenty of work before them, bb their tunnel will cut upwards of 60 veins already known. The Lucky Sack and Rose of Victorian claims, next io but one to Bland and Fletcher’s, have amalgamated, and intend throwing their ground into a company.
Being right on the line, they have a good prospect before them, and will shortly form ono of tho companies employed in de- veloping this vaBt reefiing district,with remunerative re- sults. A tunnel is to be put in, to strike Brand’s vein about 200 feet below the latter’u preecnta workings. Pay- able stone, but patchy, is now being got on the ground.
A company Ib being floated in Sydney, to be called the Midas Gold Mining Company, for the purpose of working M’Phcreon’s and Co.’s lease, Red Bul. Monk’s vein, which years ago gave some handsome returns, run through this land, and being in a direct line between Golden Gully, Scandinavian, and Hawkins Hill, it has always been looked upon by the old hands as one of the connecting links in the belt of gold veins, and thiB opinion is being prac- tically confirmed, inasmuch as in the land both east and west of this line nothing payable has been found.
A company called the Enterprise Gold Mining Company is about to be formed for the purpose of working a ten-acre lease on the Bald Hill, near Paxton, Gara, Holman, and Co.’s lease, and adjoining King’s Old Reef. Three distinct gold bearing veins or lines of reef run through this lease, | parallel with the Bald Hill veins and King’s.
The former gave a return of 10 to 30 oz to the ton, and the latter from 4 to 100 oz. (picked stono) to tho ton ; and a few tone from the surface on this lease, went 1 oz. 4 dwts. The gold bearing veins can ho worked from the surtaco, or by driving tunnel, from the deep creek that runs at tho foot of the Bald Hill, which will cut (in three or four hundred feet) several veins known to run through this lease.
The ground on the Bouthorn boundary of the Enterprise wsb ?worked to a depth of fotty feot by King and party nino y care ago, and gave the returns above stated ; but owing to the distance the stono had to be carted to the machine, and bo little being known about the nature of quart« reefing at the time, this line of reefs was abandoned up to some fow months ago. Golden Gully.-The Brown Horse (Doust and Co.’s) are forming a company for their ground. Dellow and Barlow havo bought George Anderson’s claim ; and have made a two-acro leaBo of it with their own ground ; and are I forming a oompany. Thomas and party ara crushing. They are on a poor patch of stone this time ; but bave plenty of tood atone m the ground yet.
White and Co have a big pile of stone np, which looks well. They have bottomed their second stiaft, and aro driving to break thtough Porter and Anderson aro raising first-class stene , tho gold is heavy, and runs well through the solid lhere is one thing looks well for this line-the farther north the ground ia proved the heavier the gold is. Rose of Sharon are srakiDg One half share in this claim has changed bands for jE50. Wood and Slack (Golden Pot) adjoining Porter s aro also sinking They aro down over lot feet, have feone through ono vein showing (it is said) three or four ounces to the ton.
They expect to cut Porter’s vein in about another ten feet A good figure is said to have been offered for a tharo in this claim The next party, Glover and Co , havo gono though a vein carrying fair gold they also aro sinking for Porter’s vein. Some eight or nine other partiea are sinking on this line Paten and Co aro sinking a 360 feot shaft next Langford. Tbeia is no doubt Golden Gully will become ono of tho most nn portant placcB m tho district OVFTl THE Rl>BU
The wonderfully rapid progress which has lately boon made m this line of reefs,, stretching from tho foot of Hawkins Hill to the Macquane (how far beyond even that distance remains to be proved) has naturally drawn the attention of outside capitalista m that direction Indeed, when we consider the activity which has como upon us during the last few months, one cannot but anticipate a splendid future for this district
A very short time ago Hawkins Hill was the sole magnet of alt rao ti on It i tiue stones wero occasionally heard of “ outcropping veins carrying good gold “ over the river, but little attention was paid to them It was known that men wore diligentlv prospecting that ultima Thule, but it was not until the re maming ground on Hawkins’ Hill and ita vicinity wbb “gobbled up’ by leases that general attention was given to the golden ‘’ fresh fields and pastures now “ on th Bide of the Turon A
ll at once come the news thatlei»o after lease m that locality was bolting splendid gold Gentlemen representing Sydney viaited tho district, practieed the chamois hunter s step down “ the Hill “ and on to the Macquarie, applications for leases poured in until the Tambaroora telegraph Ofiico had a thousand different specimens of raligrophy nailed on its front, and wo all at once awoko to the fact that a vast and undeveloped reefing district lay beyond the river
At the present time there is no reason to complain of this portion of our locality being neglected Innumerable eases havo been taken up , and tha primeval bush formerly eacr°d to the great marsupial and the iguana, is i ingmg with the cheerful sound of cold steei tearing the rock to wrest from it the golden treasure From well accredited friends wo have from time to time boen bupplicd with accounts of tho progress mode in thene leases, but, having a day to spare lately, wo determined to make a personal inspection, less with a view of collecting mining Btatietics than with an idea of giving our readers at o dis- tance some idea of tho topography of tho district
From the Turon to “the Yankees” (Inco and Hazelton) -the extent of our day’B journey-every lease is in active operation The beBt known lease in thiB district is that of Sime and Co , the “ Welcome, ‘ which, it has now been amply proved, is a fortune to the proprietors. From here we rode along the lino of claims, Bkirting the banks 0/ the Macquarie Cowlishaw-next the “ Wel- come”-the Leviathan, Paotolus, Horn, and Co’s, the “ Y ankees, ‘ and other leases, are all m good positions, and in the vicinity of the Welcome
Our road back lay up a pleasingly precipitous bridle track called the Zigzag, after accomplishing which we no longer doubted Baron Mun chausen’s ptetpie feat At every leise we visitod wo saw proofs of ultimate success, and marked the self content- ment m the lessees which ib bo easily apparent to the phj siognomist but eo difficult of simulation. There can be no doubt that before very long a largo and busy popula- tion will be burrowing, liko human conies, m the heart of this district
Already several crushing machines are being erected, and this advantage will aid in the speedy develop- ment of the reefs. With the establishment of companies to work theo properties we may safely calculate on their having a fair trial, and there is no doubt of a satisfactory result to a systematic testing of the ground To all of us this is a matter of great importance Equally so is the encouraging progress taking place at the other end of this district-Green Valley-for it foretells tho development of a vast reefing area, employment for thousands of miners, and fortunes in store for those who know how to temper speculation with discretion Dy avoiding “ plunging,” and investing only according to their means.
The TcnoN. Again we a-o settling down to work alter the rasing days, and every one is in working dress Brogg’a Flat, on the river, is pretty full of tenta of all shapes and stecs, and it looks as if they are soon to bo replaced by moro substan tial buildings Not an inch of spero ground is to bo had anywhere, and I hear that as much as £2 per foot was offered for a frontage by a gentleman from Svdney a fow days ago M’Arthur’s crushing machino is getting into ship- shape The shed is up, and the roof on, the bed log for the battery is laid, and the engine bed is nearly finished
They have commenced building in tho boiler, and I thmk three or four weeks more will hoar her doing the double shuffle Mr Butler waB down here the other day laying out the spot for biB new inacliino He has tendera out for the erection of an engine shed and offices, and business will con menee in it next week Ile called a meeting of share- holders on the Turon and Oakev Creek claims, a fow weeks ago, to seo whether they would give, him their support, und they signed a document to tho effect that thoy would kerp her going foi six months, after his engine is ready, and pav 12s 6d a ton, bo 1 think he will have tho run In the reefing lme thore is nothing new struck TravoBki’s least is still the pride of the flat. Thoy aio following the reef down, and raising some splendid stone Wvths lease ib south, and the adjoining claims aro on a little gold, but nothing like Travaski 8. Petera’ spire ground comes next The} aro sinking to catch tho under- lay, about 30 or 40 feot down West of these stands the Honest Luwver Company The shaft is on contract, and down about 60 feet North of it comes the two Champíes Leases, they are dnving along the reef, and getting fan stone. Tho contractors m the South Star finished their con- tract some time ago The Robinson Crusoe is west of the houih Star, The contractors are putting a tunnel in elong the reef, a little gold can be seen now and then, but thev are not far enough by a long way to get under where the crushing was taken from.
Four or five different leases are taken up south of this, and all getting a little gold. Williamson has taken up a couple of new leases on the river, and tunnels are going m by contract along the reef All the claims along Oakey Creek are working, but nothing fresh struck. Several new contracts weie let, and taken at prices that thoy won’t make salt, even if they knew how to work, but they don’t, whiob. makes the thing worse.
The mining report of that month made the telling point that the dramatic revival of interest in the state’s goldfields and the resultant huge flows of investment being generated, were directly down to two reasons.
One was the exceptionally rich returns from the deep lead mining at Gulgong. The other were the exceptionally rich returns from the reef mines at Hawkins Hill.
GOLD AND OTHER MINING.
THE mining news of the present month, is important, not merely as regards the actual increase in the production of the precious metal, but also in respect of the universal interest now taken in mining matters, and of the large amount of capital now invested in our mines.
We have said in previous summaries that the public were becoming more alive to the advantages which our gold-fields offered to the investment of capital.
Until within the last eighteen months our gold-fields may be said to have been all but lost sight of.
The Government, the Legislature, the public almost ignored their existence, and it was not till the discovery of the deep leads at Gulgong, with the extraordinary washings resulting from some of the claims were conjoined with the wonderful yields of gold from the crushings from the rich claims at Hawkins Hill, that people generally began to find out that there was at their very doors a mine of wealth which they had hitherto disre- garded.
The letters of our special reporter, who was sentón seNeral occasions to inspect the two fields alluded to, by the plain statement of facts which they contained, fully confirmed the impressions to winch the icturns of gold had previously given birth. Capital was soon placed at the disposal of the miners, and now at this day we have a line of country opened, extending from the Green Yalley on the north to Chambers’ Creek on the south, or a distance as the crow flies of about sixteen miles.
This line of country contains on innumerable series of reefs and veins of quart?, all more or less auriferous, over a .width of from half to three-quarters of a mile. Some of them, like the Welcome, are very rich, vi hilst others give only good payable stone. The opinion of our reporter, after examining a great number of these reefs and veins, NVBS that throughout the whole of this belt of country there was not one of these veins which would not prove payable under judicious management.
Very many gentlemen from Sydney have visited the ground, and not one of them after Iris N ¡sit has failed to iny est money in one or the other of the many lines of reef now opened to his choice; whilst experienced miners from other parts of our own colony, and from the reefing disiricts of our neighbours, have been unanimous in declaring the Tambaroora district to be the finest reefing country in Australia. With all these separate and independent opinions endorsing each other, it is not to be wondered at that the people of our colony should have invested largely in the mines of that district ;
whilst as regards the miners themselves, they have taken up under lease the whole of the belt of country above referred to, until now there is hardly room enough to put in a spade in any part of that country without trespassing upon some other person’s ground. N
o doubt, much of this ground has been taken up for speculative purposes ; but, in spite of this, the fact still remains that every bit of it will be payable under proper management.
And finally, the big name claims started to surface as publicly floated companies open to the general investor.
Beyers and Holtermann Star of Hope claim was first up, being put on the market for £72,000. Alongside this, Creighton and Beard’s claim was a positive steal at £36,000.
A large number of companies (perhaps some seventy or eighty, but we have no means of ascertaining the exact number in the absence of compulsory registration) have been already formed, and several others are in the market, for working leases at different points on the line of country around Hawkins Hill.
In most of these cases there has been previously a careful examination of the ground enough to justify the confidence of the shareholders.
In addition to these, some of the rich claims | on Hawkins’ Hill have been offered to the public.
1 Beyers and Holtermann’s, after striking a very rich vein, samples from which were exhibited in Sydney has been put on the market for £72,000. Creighton and Beard’s, which struck the rich stone last August, and is now turning out specimens equal to Krohmann’s, is being placed at £36,000.
For one-sixth share in Krohmann’s claim £12,000 in cash have been offered and refused; and Mr. James Brown, after taking £60,000 of gold out of his ground in a little more than eighteen months, is now asking £30,000 for his interest in the ground. ,
In so far as quartz-reefing is concerned, these facts will,furnish some notion of the extent to which the gold fever now prevails in the colony ; for it is not confined to Sydney, but extends to all the large areas , of population in the interior.
The splendid crushing i of 4400 oz. from about 00 tons of stone, taken out of i Paxton and Co.’s claim, and representing the work ‘ of six weeks only, though the bulk of the gold was obtained from some two or three tons of Btone only, the result of other crushings nearly equalling it, and tho exhibition of cakes and ingots of gold, the results of crushings from other claims, and of samples of the stone now being produced, have all tended to keep up the excitement in the public mind.
At present there is no return of geld from Tamba- roora at all corresponding vvith the amount of work being done, or of capital in course of invest- ment. This is owing to the absence of crush- ing power in the lower country ; and until bat- teries are established on the Turon and the Macquarie rivers, all that can be done is to accumulate stone in anticipation of the time when crushing power will be obtainable. Several engine sites have been taken up on both the rivers mentioned, and one crushing-mill ¿s all but completed on the Turon, whilst a second i* on the road from Sydney, and a third is m process ot being manufactured.
As tar as the Macquarie is con- cerned, we have not yet heard of any battery for that river, although there is no doubt at grass a great deal of stone on the Macquarie fall of the range which divides tint river from the Turon, and also on the long line of reefs on the south bank towards Cham bers’s Creek.
As far as the Turon is concerned, taking into account the quantity of work now doing on the lower part of Hawkins Hill, on Oakey Creeki and the short ridges on its western bank, there will be stone enough produced from the numerous claims on this point to keep at least a hundred and twenty head of stampers going. Until something like ade- quate crushing-power is obtained in the lower country, the full value of the reefs wliich seam it in every part cannot fairly be known. From Gulgong, the last escorts just reached the five figures-the amount of gold being 10,000 oz.
This increase was owing to the heavy fall of rain, which, as mentioned in our last Summary, had filled all the dams, and especially thoBC made by claim holders on the line of lead. This has allowed every- body to go to work at washing-up ; and thus little more than this is at present doing on the chief leads.
It must be remembered, in reference to the escort returns, that even this increased amount only repre- sents the additional washing of about eight days ; so that the next escort, haying the washings-up of fourteen days, is likely to be much larger than the one which preceded it. Bebides the Black Lead and the Happy Valley Lead, gold is said to have been struck upon some two or three others ; but they are not yet sufficiently defined to justify us in taking them into account as established leads, though ulti- mately there is every prospect that two of them at the least will shortly take their places alongside of those which are now furnishing such handsome returns. Attention is also being given to the reefs at and around Gulgong, but owing to the more brilliant attractions of Tambaroora the interest in them is nearly exelusively local.
The deep leads at the Currajong are doing well, the run of gold on the Welcome Lead being gradually developed along a line which, now extends to a length of nearly a mile and a half. There have also been some good washings at the Bushman’s Lead, but the supply of water still continues a difficulty, as there are no dams sufficiently extensive to store more than a week’s, or a fortnight’s supply at the outside. Work has been resumed at Araluen, but it is carried on very ilaggingly, owing to the want of labour, as the bulk of the labouring population has cleared out for Gulgong and Tambaroora,
The Adelong reefs are coming into notice, and several companies have been formed privately for working them and others reefs in the southern district. The Nvhole country eastward of the main Sydney road right up to the Snowy Mountains has long been known to con- tain numerous reefs, and many of them have been worked by parties of miners ; but owing to the absence of crushing power, or the cost of conveying stone to the mill, and the comparative poverty of the men, the reefs ‘ were only skimmed, and worked only so long as the stone continued rich enough to enable the men to crush out by hand sufficient to maintain them.
Some of these reefs are being again taken up in large areas by small companies, who include in their plant a crushing battery of sufficient power for their own purposes. Turning now from gold to copper, two very im- portant companies have been before the public within the last fortnight the high price of copper and the great premium to which Peak Downs shares have reached, have induced gentlemen who hold large in- terests in that locality to place their lands before the public in order to make those interests available, and to compete in production with the rich yields of the Peak Downs Company.
The first of- these, the Peak Downs Consols Company, has been successfully fioated by the brokers Nvho had it in charge ; and the other, the Drummond Copper Mining Company, whose lands adjoin those of the Peak Downs Com- pany, was put upon the market about a week ago, and the report from the broker is that so large a num- ber of shares have been taken up, that the subscrip. tion list will most probably close by the beginning of the week. Although these mines are not within the territory of New South Wales, the proprietory and the subscription is entirely confined to this colony, and the venture may be said therefore to be purely a Sydney one. We have had occasion to refer in several of our recent Summaries te the discovery of tin in the northern portion of New South Wales.
These dis- coveries have extended over a vast area of country, where the granitic comes down into near contact with the secondary formation. The localities in which the deposits have been discovered are as yet confined to the Macintyre River, where deposits of ore mixed with alluvium, and of stream tin, have been struck over an area of some ten miles by twelve ; and to the Oban district, being on the first fall from the high table-land of New England down to the Clarence River. In the latter, it has been almost exclusively stream tin that has been hit upon.
It is questionable however, whether as yet a true lode has been found ; but the works have been, up to the present, mere surface-workings, no shaft or sinking having been put down to any great depth. Seeing the large amount of alluvial deposits both of tin ore and Btream tin, the discovery of the true lode is only a question of time, patience, perseverance, and systematic inquiry. Ore from the different localities has been brought down to Sydney, and been Bmelted at Newcastle, where, with only insufficient appliances for the particular work in hand, highly satisfactory results have been obtained, and the blocks of tin, in one instance, weighing a ton, have been exhibited in Sydney;
whilst the assays made by competent chemical analysis have given results varying from 60 to 80 per cent of metal from the wash. Three tin mining companies have been already floated. The Newstead, having a property of 1000 acres, was put upen the market for £60,000, 10s. per share deposit, and 10,000 shares were taken up within the. first hour. The New Cornwall, with 280 acres, was put up at £30,000, half-a-crown deposit, and the whole of the shares were placed within an hour and a half of the list being opened. .
The Belmore, with a nominal capital of £10,000, was worked in a different way, by means of promoter’s shares, and we believe the whole have been taken up. Since then the Sydney, with a capital of £60,000, and the Mount Mitchell of £75,000, have been brought on to the market. The Western Kerosene Company and the Hartley Kerosene Company have recently amalgamated, under the title of the Oil and Shale Company, and with an entirely now directory. From what we have been enabled to learn, the combined company has deter- mined upon working in the most energetic manner. A great number of improvements have been made, both in the refining works at Waterloo and in the mine works at Petroleum Vale-the directors not measuring the cost against the prospective advantages to be obtained ; and they are now confident of being able within a very few months of producing such a quality of oil, and at such a price, as will effectually keep importations out of our market.
What though of the costs in preparing the rich gold claims for sale to shareholders?
A letter from a miner to the Herald at that time explained that the wellbeing of the workers came a distant second in the rush for profits and that Government supervision was needed to ensure mine safety on the field.
TO THE EDITOR HERALD. Sir,
I beg to call your attention to a subjECt of great importance in connection with the gold mining interest, and to express my surprise that it should have escaped attention so long.
It is the total absence of any official supervision of the deep sinking now being carried out on many of the gold fields of this colony, and notably on Hawkins Hill and Tambaroora.
When we consider the rash speculations now going on in. mining ventures, it is pretty evident that their dovolopuiont will to earned out in a haBty and careless manner to get tho gold at any sacrifice, and without attention being paid to the safclv of tho shafts or their proper “slabbing
In- deed it is well known that some of the nchest claims ou Hawkins Hill show signs of giving way, from the inse- curity of the Bkaf te and the carclohB system of tunnelling followed
Tho proper remedy, in my opinion, will bo the appoint- ment by the Government of a competent oxammor, m the samo manner as the cool-workings are supervised, and I feel sure that tho miners tbxruselvos would willingly ooa tnbuto funds for the purpose
Many mines are now man- aged, or rather mismanaged, by self confident people whoso experience is more in tho grocery and provision business than m mining, and what can bo expected as the result of such want of knowledge but blundering and threatened toss of life, besides the nocdless waste of the shareholders money.
Now is the time for somo aotion to bo taken, before the many companies now forming commenco operations, and ) our advocacy of auch an appointment as I havo stated would tend much to the comfort of the working minor, whose life is imperilled by tho present Byatom of shaft sinking Apologising for troubling you, I am, 1 our obedient servant, _ A WORKING MINER. Sydney, 6th March.
Mine safety however it seemed was not the Government’s most pressing concern with mining regulation at that time. When yet another massive set of new mine regulations were issued in April, the problems of the leasing system were once again at the forefront of its attention.
THE NEW GOLD FIELDS REGULATIONS.
As many of the’ persons engaged in mining pursuits have neither time nor inclination to wade through the crowd of regulations, two hundred and thirty-nine in number, which have just been framed for their guidance, we propose to give as brief a synopsis of them as possible, showing the steps requisite to be taken in order to secure a full right to their claims ; and the acts to be avoided to prevent any forfeiture of such right.
Alluvial workings are first dealt with. These con- sist of :-Prospecting protection areas to be con- verted into prospering claims on discovery of gold ; ordinary alluvial claims ; sluicing claims ; tested and abandoned ground claims ; frontage claims ; tunnel- ling claims ; and river or creek claims.
All claims of whatever kind arc to bo taken posses- sion of ( 177) by placing posts 3 inches in diameter, and 3 feet above the ground, at each corner of the claim. Each post to be set in L trenches (called by surveyors “lock spits”) six feet long and six inches deep.
In the case of leases on a quartz reef or vein, bate line pegs (128) of same’height and diameter as corner pegs to be placed on the line of the reef or vein ; and for river bed leases, pegs are to be placed on the banks at each extremity of the portion applied for (128).
Ordinary quartz claims held under miners’ rights to have a T trench or lock spit at each end of the base line. Indication posts (178) are permitted when rock, &c;, will not allow ordinary posts to be sunk. The prospecting protection area, after having been marked in the way above described, must be registered within fourteen days (5) of such marking, and a copy of the registration certificate must be posted on the ground.
If the area is more than half a mile from existing workings of the same character (6), 300 feet in length by a width of half a mile may be pegged ; if more than a mile, 400 feet ; more than three miles, 500 feet ; and more than five miles, GOO feet ; the width lemaining half a mile.
On the discovery of gold, the length is continued the same, but the width is con- tracted to the same number of feet as that held in the length.
The discovery of payable gold in any pro- specting area (179) is to be immediately reported to thc mining registrar-the registrar under the interpre- tation clause being the registrar residing nearest to any cluim, share, or other matter or thing which shalt be the subject of any question or dispute, or of anything required to be “done under these regulations.
At the time time of marking out a claim, or protected area (180), each miner or his representative must be pre- sent, no one representative to appear for more than one miner ; but no objection to mode of marking or taking possession will be entertained after the expira- tion of three clear days, within which period ground must be effectively in work (182).
The extent of ordinary alluvial claims is fixed at 80 feet by 80 feet for one miner, 11-1 by 114 for two miners, 140 by 140 for three miners, and 160 by 160 for four miners, where the depth of sinking does not exceed 60 feet. Where it exceeds that depth, and docs not reach 100 feet, or where the CO feet sinking is through wet ground requiring timbering, or through rock requiring blasting for 20 feet, the extent of claim is increased to 90 feet by 90 feet for one man, 140 by MO for two men, 1”0 by 170 for three men, 200 by 200 for four men, 220 by 220 for five men, and 240 by 240 for six men.
Claims are to bo marked as far as practicable in a rectangular or square form ; but power is given te the Commissioner to give such form us practicable, but in no instance is the length of claim to exceed twice its breadth, whilst the test of depth (10) is to be the bottoming of three or more shafts.
Slucing claims on tested and abandoned ground (ll) are to be one acre foreyerv milo carrying a’ground siuice’Tiead, but not to exceed two acres in any one claim. A. man to the aero to be employed up to four acres, and afterwards one man to two acres. A ground sluice lead is defined (75) as a volume of water 3 inches by 12 inches, to be gauged by a box G feet long and 12 inches wide, having a fall of 1 inch in the foot, and with a scale of inches marked on the inner side of tho lower end. When water is purchased (12) the extent of claim is half an acre per man, and two acres for four men, the largest amount of ground which can be taken.
When machinery is employed, or capital expended (13), one nero per horse-power, or for every £50 expended, is allowed, but the extent of claim is limited to ten acres. Application for registration of the ground claimed (14) to be sent in to registrar, and copv to be posted on ground in form of schedule C. If no objection within fourteen days, certificate to issue. An ordinary claim in tested and abandoned ground (15), described in the interpretation clause as ground upon which three or more shafts have been bottomed and tried, and then abandoned, are to be 1 l l feet by 114 feet for one man, 100 feet by 1G0 feet for two men, 200 feet by 200 feet for three men, and 230 feet by 230 feet for four men ; with the same provision for the extension of area up to ten acres for the employment of machinery and investment of capital.
The frontage system is declared to be in force (18) in dry alluvial 100 feet and upwards in depth, or where the depth being GO feet or upwards the ground is to wet os to require slabbing throughout, or where ‘ rock requiring blasting for a depth of 20 feet has to I be gone through.
The length of a frontage protected I area, as it is termed, being the ground taken up in the first instance prior to proving the lead and blocking off, is in dry ground 50 feet for 100 feet in depth, and an additional 10 feet per man for every additional 00 feet of sinking (19), and in wet or rocky ground, 50 feet per man for GO feet in depth up to 100 feet, and then 10 feet for every additional 50 feet of depth ; the width in every case to be half a mile, though commissioner may extend width to one mile (20) on written application of majority of shareholders, if no prior right be thereby affected.
The protected area is marked out by posts, as above described (21), at each end of the distance claimed along the supposed line of lead ; mid the frontage system is declared to be in opera- tion so soon as gold at a sufficient depth (23) is struck in any prospecting protected area. On this the lead is deemed to be declared for one mile on each side of such aTea, and owners of protected areas are entitled to occupy along the line according to priority of occu- pation. ‘Where shafts have been sunk by owners of protected area to two-thirds the depth of prospecting shaft, they are entitled to hold their ground.
The discovery of payable gold (24) is to be reported to the registrar within seven days, the date of discovery to be then the date of the declaration of the lead, unless the Commissioner (25) under certain circumstances shall otherwise order. A base line is to be laid down (26) by the Commissioner along thc supposed course of the lead ; and three days after survey and allotment work is to be effec- tively and continuously carried on for half-a-mile (27) in advance of the last shaft producing gold. On other protected area shepherding from 9 to ll a.m. is permitted (2S), under pain of forfeiture (29) for absence. Commissioner may alter base line (30) under certain circumstances ; and in a particular manner (31) described, and shown in schedule R. All pro- tected areas within a mile of a gold-producing shaft to be deemed on the same lend as that shaft, and be defined accordingly (32), and protected areas coming within the wings of an extension of the base-line to be.deemed on the lead in the same manner. Red flag to be hoisted (33) when gold struck, and every infoimation as to course of lead to be given; after which twenty-eight clear days (31) are given to prove the breadth of the lead, and to select the ground tc block off the prescribed claim, power being given te retain their shaft in the event of its being outsieh the claim chosen. The claim is to be marked (3G) or a base line as nearly aa possible on the asccrtainet centre of the lead in conformity with the regulador (177) previously quoted, and the wings are to be heit in reserve (37) until the next adjoining claim shal be marked off. Prospective protected area may be tnken up on a declared lead no less than half e, mile (39) from last gold-produciu¡ shaft. Protected areas in one lead coming within th wings of another and senior lead (40) to be held ii reserve until claims on the senior lead have beei blocked oil’ ; und the point of junction of two leads i declared (41) tu bc the point at which lines draw (le.wn thc centro of each lead intersect catii other from, which point (42) the preference is given to prc tcûtcd tu cns on the older lead, ll lock claims withi frontage piotcctcd areas (43) are to bo applied for a’i I regiit i t el ; the application to describe, ns uccuratel as j-Oiiible, thc position oi thc claim applied, {OT, MI notice Pi application to be posted on frontage area. All partie» to application to be present on ground two olear days, from 0 to ll it.m , prior to registration, and from day to day afterwards. The extent of block claim (44) to be as nearly ns possible that of frontage claim, and to be -woiked bj- the same number of men ; but such block claims (45) are not to interfere with protected areas on junior leads. Holders of pro- tected areas assisting prospectors to sink (40) are exempt from occupation on giving notice to tho registrar, and ponting copy of notice on their ground. Measurements on frontage claims (47) to precede registration, and bs made by mining sur- veyor where such officer is appointed ; and business allotments within the wings of a lead (48) to be taken at the risk of the occupant. A lead shall be con- sidered to be abandoned when not more than five shafts shall be at work upon it for twenty-one clear r days (40), but the holders of the working shafts shall 1 be entitled to retain their frontage ; and where not otherwise provided for, questions arising . under frontage claims (50) will be decided by the regula- tions for ordinary claims. (To be continued.) .TuNNEixiNO for alluvial drift is next dealt with, andFix this text the protected area (31) allowed to each miner is 50 feet frontage, with a width through the hill not exceeding one mile ;.to bo registered (58) within seven ûayB of occupation; to-be marked by posts (52), of the usual size (3 foet high and 3 inches in diameter), placed along the boundary lines, at such distance- that each succeeding post shall be visible from the one preceding. On striking gold, a rod flag is to be hoisted (öl), and twenty-eight days allowed to prove the ground. The width is then to be re- duced to 250 feet (55), to be marked out by posts, and an L trench at each corner ; 20 feet on each Bide the ?walls of tho tunnel (56) outside the claim boundary to be protected. On registering their intention (57), two or more parties may join in making o tunnel common to all. River and creek claims to be marked as before described (59) at the rate of 109 feot of the bod for each miner, and parallel posts aro to be placed above ilood-mnrk in case of original posts being washed away. Power is given to construct dams (61), and to make flood-races (GO), but not to injure prior rights ; and the Commissioner ii- empowered (62) to order the lowering or removal of dams. Applications to be made for races tis below (72) under the head of water rights. In ordinary quartz claims, if tho reef be two mile* distant from the nearest quartz workings, a prospect- ing protection area (64) 100 yards along the line of reef and 200 yards wide, may’be nanrked out. The discovery must be forthwith reported to the Mining Registrar, and registered (65), and as soon as practi- cable the Commissioner is to-lay down a base line, nnd allot the claims, beginning with the prospectors’ lind following with the others in order of priority and without any reference to previous markings. All such claims must be registered (69) within four days of allotment. The extent of ordinary quartz claims is fixed (C3) at 50 feet for each miner for any number in the paity along the base lino, with 100 yarda on each side of that line ; and to be marked as previously described. The labour conditions continue the same as formerly, only half the number of the party (66) to -be employed until the claim is payable. The claim io be considered payable (67) when the crushing gives the current rate of wages to the working party, exclusive of expenses. Plant and chnttil property on quartz claims forfeited or abandoned (68) to be deemed the property of person erecting the same. All claims to be registered within four days of mark- ing (69), and all transfers and subdivisions of shares to bo also registered. With »egard to avatcr rights, these are divided into four classes (71) :-River and creek water rights, ground sluicing water rights, right of water for sale or use, and motive power _ rights. Notice to be given to Mining Registrar in form of Schedule K, setting out names of the river, creek, or source whence tho watsr is to bs obtaineil ; particularising with ns much accuracy as possible the point in such source whence the water is. to be diverted, the quantity of water in sluice he;t(l8 required, the number and situation of dams if . any, anti the probable length and course of the race. (72.) Copies of this notice to bo posted at the in- tended source of supply, at the proposed onward extremity of the race, and nt the mining registrar’s office for fourteen consecutive days, when if no objection be lodged and upheld, the right will be registered. If an objection be lodged within 14 days question to be decided by tlie Commissioner. Races, when granted, may be altered or extended (74) on notice, if no existing right be effected. A box-sluice head (75) is declared to be a volume of water 1 inch deep and-12 inches wide, gauged, as previously described under the term ground-filuice head, and no “ party to be entitled to more than two ground-sluice heads under one water right (76). Priority of water right (77) to be decided by date of registration, but the holder of a right in tho bed of the stream to have the preference over one diverting it elsewhere, and at least one ground sluice-head (78) is always to bo kept running in the beds of rivers and creeks. Ten feet on each side a race is protected (70), and 20 feet where cut- tings or tunnels require that extension. No limit to the quantity of water which may be diverted (80) for sale or use, if no right be prejudiced, or public or private injury done; but the Commissioner may diiect_ such portion to be nllowed to flow in its natural channel as he may be satisfied is not required. All holders of water rights (81) are empowered to sell race, or to soil oi let water ; in the event of sale (103) transfer to bo registered, and the avater in the race (82) is de- clared to be a chattel property. Water for motive power (83) will be granted only when not required for public use; and all right to water ceases (81) when discharged into a natural Btream. No water to be taken from a dam or race (85), nor poUuted (86) nor dam or race to be injured. The original line of race may be altered (87) or may be cut through other claims (88), if no prior Tight affected or injury done ; and bridges 12 feet wide and footways 4 feet wide (89) aro to be constructed over roads and footpaths. The Commissioner may order (90) water not used, or avhero a race is leaky (92) to be returned to its natural channel. The right to hired water (91) reverts to the race owners after passing the avorks of the person hiring same. No source of water supply allowed (93) within 100 yards of any prcviousiy granted source without consent. Work to be commenced on the Tace (94) within 11 days of registration, and two men to be employed for every three miles of race on pain of forfeiture. In case ol forfeiture, appli- cant for forfeiture to pay the value of the work actually done to be assessed by the Commissioner ; but if left unused or out of repair for six consecutive months, or become dangcious or a nuisance (95) to be forfeited without compensation. Tail races (96) applied for in the same manner as head races ; and one race may be used (101) for two or more water rights. Diuiis and reservoirs for the storage of storm water (97) rmibt have the site marked out avith posts of the authorised size at each angle. Notice of appli»tion in form of schedule M, setting out the situation of the site, and the area to be occupied, must be lodged with the Registrar, and copies posted on the ground and tit the office of the Registrar for fourteen days, . Such dam must not interfere with any other dam or holding, or cause public or private injury, and must be constructed to the satisfaction of the Commis- sioner, Objections to be lodged in fourteen days (98) or right to be registered and endowed (101) by the Coinmissionor. Catch drains may bo cut (99) on fourteen days’ notice to feed such dams ; Commis- sioner to award compensation (102) if injury done. Dam right to be forfeited (100) if work not com- menced 11 days after application ; or, if work unne- cessarily suspended, or if dam not used and upheld for Rix months. Water-races through private lands permitted (106) on payment of compensation, the, amount of which is to be decided by arbitration (107 to 113); and water may be taken from Crown lands (114) on application, and fourteen days”hotice, as in other cases, for use on private lands. The holder of a business license (115) is entitled to an allotment having 22 yards frontage by 55 yards in depth ; but where not on a street or road to an area ‘ of one acre. Owner of business licenses must register (117) his application for a business allotment avith the Registrar j and when un influx of population is antici- pated (116) the Commissioner is to mark off streets, one chain wide, and business allotments therein. TheBo arc to be given to owners of business licenses, according to priority of registration. Holders of _ miner’s rights are not entitled to ocsupy business allotments, as residences, unless prior to the marking out by the Commissioner they shall have erected improvements thereon to the value of £10; but they may hold one-quarter of an acre in any position not marked off (119) as a residence area. Gold may be searched for on business or resi- dence areas (120) on payment of compensation to be assessed by the Commissioner ; and no right of way shall bo obstructed (121) nor reserved land be taken np (123), by any mining tenement. Machinery siteB of two acies to be marked, and notice of application to be lodged with Registrar, and posted on ground for fourteen days. If no objection lodged (122), claim to be îegi.stcred. (To be continued.) Clarence Eliîchon.-Declaration of the Poll.-Iho Clarence and Richmond Examiner, of March 26th, says:-” Wo aro informed that owing to tho recent floods the polling-places for tho Tweed River [did not roach fiat ploco until Saturday, March lCth, although several attempts wcro made to got thom through botweon the- nomi- nation on tho 28th ultimo, ima that dato. The returning oflicer had fixed Tuetday, 19th March, for taking tfco pull -nt Murwillumbah, Kynumboou, and Terranora, in accord- ance wilh tho powers givan him by the Electoral Act. Should tho weather continuo (lue, the re! urna may bo ox ‘”pcclcQ to reach Grailon cn’Monday next ; and we nndor itind thul tho declaration of the pill will, in that ciso, bo lui’dc al tbo Couit-ht upc, Grafton, ou Thursday Vi cok, tho .Slh April, at noon-that clay being fixed on account of tho Clarenco Agricultural Society’s Show being held the two previous days. UNDEU the hintl e f 1 ciiseel 1 mets the “1 nest changesFix this text have been made iiom the old rrgu’nii’iim Umso eases aro placed uiidei three he ids (121) vi/ Lenses of alluvial greiund, leases on qutit/ leefs or veins and leases m b ds ot muí n id running streams lenses of alluvial ground will be granted m three instances (12Ö) , first unte&tcel; and aban doncel working» (that is whcie three or m ire shifts have been bottomed, tried, anil abandoned) of tiny depth second in new alluvial gr mud of a greater depth than 300 fee , and third in gnund of any depth on any gold held that may havd been pro claimed for more than five yours where the excess of water necessitates the employ mont of ste mi machiner) to keep it under, or where extensive he id and tail races are required or where a heavy bl It of rock has to be blasted, or where from uny other circum- stances ordinary claims cannot be prohtubly worked lho leased urea not to exceed 2J ucrea, and the annual rental to bo £1 per acre Leases on quartz reefs not to exceed 25 ncres (126) though nithtng is said as to annual rent ii , the inference however being, fiom tho antecedent regulation, that the charge is to be £1 per acre On river beds leases of from 100 to 1000 yurds (127) will bo grinted at £1 per annum for every 100 yards The mode of appli- cation is also consielerab y simplified 1/ic applicant must in the first instance bo the holder of a miner s nght (128) He must, in the case ot a quart/ reef, peg out, by posts of the regulation size along the hue oí reef, at the rate of 24 yards for each acre (135), the width being 200 y ords, no corner posts being requisite, in the case of a river bed, on the banks at e ther extremity of the ground applied for , and in the case of alluvial workings, the measurements being rectangular, and the length not to exceed twice the breadth, at each corner ot the area applied for On each post notice of the intention to apply for the lease is to be affixed, containing date of posting, name of applicants, and description and area of lease, Tour days after notice, application must be lodged with the Commissioner (resident) with the rout for one year in advance, and tne survey fee lhe Commis- sioner (resident) will thereafter issue a certificate m tiîplicate in form of schedule P, two to be aflixel on posts on the ground, nnd the third to be posted at the Mining Registrar s office Objections to be lodged within fourteen days (129), after which tune no objection entertained Where an objection is filed, the Commissioner (resident) is to inquire into matters, and forward proceedings to the Commissioner in charge, who will report thereon to the Government, but ground required for public purposes, or previously occupied (130) will not be open to lease If no objec- tion lodged within fourteen days (131), the apph pant must make a statutory declaration that he has complied with the regulations, and the Commissioner may permit occupation , but ground will be held in reseive where an obiection has been lodged Any person entering upon ground murked out for lease (132), is guilty oí trespass under the Gold Tields Act The Commissioner m charge is to issue l0ast when authorised by Government, on the following conditions -1 irst, that the rent sholl be paitl in ad- vance , second, that within fourteen days ot the re ceipts of the lease, labour at the rate of tw o men for four acres, or any less area, and of one man for every additional tw o acres, be kept constantly employed, and in the case of a riv er bed six men for the first 100 j ards, or less portion, and one man for every additional one hundred yards , und third, that the lease shall be subject to the general regulations m force for the time being The lease must be registered (131) by applicant immediately on its receipt Ordinary claims may be cony erted into leases on a statutory declaration that they have been worked for six: months, and existing leases may be brought undei the regulations (13t>) on payment of £1 for survey de scription Labour conditions (137) may be relaxed by the Commissioner in charge, on a statutory deda ration of the circumstances rendering same necessary Leases can only be cancelled (13S) on a written appli cation to the Commissioner, setting forth grounds on which cancellation is demanded A copy to be served at the same time on the leaseholder, and after the expiration of six clear day s, matter to be inquired into by the Commissioner, who shall report to the Commissioner in charge If the lease be cancel el, the applicant for cancellation to hav e the prior right tD the ground or such part of it as he may choose Rent to be paid each year in advance (139) under n penalty of 25 per cent additional for one month, 50 per cent additional for three months, and of forfeiture for six months Survey fee for 10 acres and under £2, 20 ncres and over 10 £2 10s, 30 acres and over 20 £3 The Drainage Regulations (140 to 153) provide-for tile assessment on an equitable system of such claims s s may be benefited by the drainage works, whether by pumping or otherwise, established by any one claim Mining Surveyors (151) are to be appointed to special districts, to be clearly defined and published in the Goie) »meni Gazette, must have an office in such place as the Commissioner in charge shall elircct, to be kept open two hours, at least, each working dav, and shall survey all claims except alluvial block claimB. Certificates of applications for survey to be lodged with surveyor and registered in order (loo), day, date, and number of entry to be endorsed in certificate by surveyor (150), who shall then name a time foi the survey (157) The modeofsuivey is prescribed in (158 and 159), and locality maps are to be made (100) for lecord Base lines and cress lines (Hil) ot quartz reefs and irontage leads to be laid down by surveyor, under direction of the Commissioner , and office plan of same (1G2) to be made, as well as of any encroach- ment (1G3), whether above or below ground. The surveyor is to be in all respects under the orders (104) of the CcinmisBioner, and to be entitled to fees in accordance with schedule I (165) Wherever a mining surveyor is appointed (1GG), he is also to be Mining Registrar, but where no mining sur vejor, cleiks of Petty Sessions (167) are to be ex oj/icw Mining Registrars, unless some other person appointed Registrar may appoint assistant (1GS) on approval of Commissioner , and shall keep his office ‘ open daily, holidays ex-ceptcd, from 10 to 4 o’clock (169) He must keep proper books, &e.; (170 Kbut no neglect o a his part is to injure the right oi a third party (171). He ísiesponsible (172) for the posting of notices during their cuireney, and is entitled to cer- tain fees (17ß). The General Regulations 177 to 259 embrace a laigo variety of subjects, some of which have been dealt with in previous portions of this precis. Owners of claims not employing the requisite labour con- tinuously (187) or absence of shepherd from pro- tected area (188) to forfeit claim ; but the absence of A representative (185) not to forfeit claim without three days’ notice to the owner. “When the right, title, or interest in any claim is declared to be forfeited (189) the value of tile interest of the late holder in any road, shnfc, drive, tunnel, timber, mining plant, or other material absolutely beneficial to the applicant for forfeiture, is to bo assessed by the Commissioner and two assessors, and to be paid for by applicant before he is put in .possession. When a working shareholder (190) absents himself for six days, the sleeping shareholder is called upon to pay for labour, and, if he refuses, his share is forfeited. Liens on mining tenements, leases, or interest?, are authorised (191 and 192), and provision is .made for transfers , (193), and for the sickness, lunacy, or death of a shareholder (194 to 19G). The passage of Btone or other refuse (207) from one claim over another may bo authorised by a Commissioner. Holidays (208), as in the old regulations, are provided for ; and miners are empowered to register (209) vvashdirt, quartz, &e.;, for any period not exceeding twelve months ; but the forfeiture of a claim (210) is declared not to entail the forfeiture of any quartz, vvashdirt, &c.;, which may have ¡been raised. The Commissioner is empowered to issue an injunc- tion against any person (211) complained against for trespassing, and to prohibit him from working ; and on application (218) may appoint a manager and a receiver on disputed claims. Miners may make roads over Crown lands (214), and over other claims (215), if no damage done or obstruction caused thereby. Props or timber not to be removed (221), if removal endanger working of other claims. When under- ground works communicate (222), ventilation is not to be obstructed by either claimholder. The Com- missioner is empowered to make (225) temporary orders, and may order additional timbering (227) where underground workings are considered insecure. Every person engaged in mining to have a miner’s right (229), to be produced when demanded. In the event of its loss a statutory declaration to that effect is to be made (223). Ni claiment togo on forfeited claim 231) until rut into possession by the Com- missioner. Dams, machines, business sites,- &e.;, may be taken possession of (232) for gold-working fn pay ra mt of corni enwtion to be assessed by the Commissioner. Sanitary regulations (233) may te mide by the Commissioner; and breaches of the regulations to lo pui.is’iable by a fine net excee 1 ing £5 for the first offence, and for the second and overy subsequent offence by a fine not exceeding £10, (238) imprisonment as provided by law in default of payment. Right of appeal is given (211) on notice to the Re¿istrtti within seven tins aftea eleciiion Mining is preihibited on rcseived lund (212) and any lent dwelling, house, ive, causing public incou veniente (21o)may bertinuvcd bv order of the Com- missioner AU cases not piovided lor bv the reguli tiens (24S) to be dtcitlcd by the Commissioner Shafts wullin twenty feet of n road or footway (2oj)tobe fenced round unless logged up or barricaded by a mound oi earth In nil cases of valuation (258), the Commissioner 01 either party to the dispute may demand the appointment of ushessors The schedules appendeel to the legulations give the different forms of applications, certificates, Kt, therein alluded to
The effect of the new regulations was the lead item in the mining news feature of that month – closely folowed by some spectacular reports from the Gulgong fields.
Then came further details from Hill End before finishing with a brief summary of news from some of the other fields.
MINING SUMMARY.
Four weeks ago some new mining regulations were issued by the Government, and are now in operation.
The extent and varied character of our gold fields lenders it a matter of extreme difficulty to frame regulations which would be applicable to all districts , but as far as it is possible these new regulations meet the requirements of all.
The regulations were framed with special regard to the reports of the two Commissions which were appointed by the Government to inquire into tho working of the Gold Holds Act, and other matters connected with mining
The holding of a claim under a miner’s “ right,” is made almost equivalent to a holding in fee simple, on terms of the most simple lund The rental of leases has been re duccd from £2 to £1 per acre, whilst the amount of labour to be employed has also been reduced one half, to one man per acre
The main feature m the new leasing arrangement is the provision for dealing speedily with all applications, and by the appointment of local mining surveyors to secure the survey and issue of le ises within the shortest possible period “ Jumping “ has also been practically put .in end to ‘I he quantity of gold received by cscoit is generally regarded as the surest indication of what is being done on our gold fields
During the mist nonth, 31,2b 1 o/ were brought down to bjdncy by escort Seasonable ran s hive fallen on some of tin, fields, therefore next month ought to see a considerable augmentation in the quantity of the precious metal produced
Fresh com- panies .ne floated almost every diy, but the nuning furore which set in a month or so ago has se mewh.it abated, and speculators are acting with more caution ‘lhe quantities of gold that aro being obtained from in my claims keep up a great deal of excitement, and a great amount of capital is being subscribed for working new mines , and the development of this, one of the most important resources of the colony, is being extended daily
At Gulgong, one of the western gold flolds, some extremely rich stone has been struck in the reef on the Jîed Hill, and the hopes of companies formed for alluvial mining are well sustained by favourable reports lhe Hill lind and Tamba roora reefs are still yielding largely, and Krohman’s and Eisenstadter’s claims, of the wealth of which so much hab been heard, are said to be improving in richness At Dun Dun Creek, where prospect- ing commenced only a few months ago, a busy little town has sprung up, a crushing machine is being erected, and over a hundred miners are penetrating the reef along the whole line
Some of the stone has gi en 3 o/ to the ton Lost w eek the very handscme amount of 1311 ounces of gold, and 1337 notes, were brought down by escort from Gulgong Prospecting is being carried on very actively m ev cry direction, with every hkli hood of those who display such an amount of energy being rewarded tor their trouble Anew company, to be named the “ Homeward Bound,” has been floated with Gulgong and Sydnoy capital, to woik a live acie lease. Gold is being obtained all aiound this lease, so the new company has very fair prospects before it
The stone which is now being got from Kroh- man’s celebiated mine at Hill End, Tambaroora, is reported to be richer than ever A company with a capital of £40,000 has been formed to work this claim, and the shares are already at nearly 100 per cent premium
A specimen of stone im- pregnated with gold from this claim has lately been on view, it weighs 202 ounces, and is estimated to contain over 80 ounces of gold At Wattle Flatt, eighteen tons of quartz have been crushed, which jíelded SO oz of gold.
The reef irom which this was obtained is two feet in thick- ness Seveial companies are sinking at a place called Hoot Hog, Tambaroora, and it will be some time before progress can be reported. A rush has taken p’ace to a locality south of Wal- laby Rocks, five miles from Chambers Creek , a large vein, well defined, and containing gold, has bein struck, and numbers of leases have already been pegged out
At Adelong, some excellent stone has been met with in Williams and Co’s claim, which is expected to yield about ten ounces to the ton. The northern gold fields are just now being worked to great advantage The No 1 South Nil Desperandum claim, in the Tenter field district, has, duung the past few days, yielded some very rich stone-a piece weighing about fifty ounces w as supposed to cont un fully thirty ounces of gol_, the precious metal being about an inch thick, and running light through the stone The party from wliose c1 um the above specimen was obtained have some 300 tons of rich stone to crush
At Solferino, a largo area of new ground has been taken up, and there are now some 250 or 300 people on the field, and the number is daily increasing To show the aurife- rous wealth of this locality, it may bo mentioned that a shoit time ago some twelve tons of speci mens yielded about three hundred ounces Some excitement w as caused a few days ago by the discovery of a new reef, it was lound near the smface, and sumo splendid specimens have been obtained from it, ot course there was aiushto the place, and a number of claims were at once marked out
A.t the Perseverance Reef, in the Clarence district, some stone has been struck in a shaft that was being sunk, which is said to be so nch that shares placed in the Sydney market for sale were withdrawn The last stone taken out of the claim will jield, it is reported, more than an ounce of gold to the pound of quart/ Another splendid reef has since been discovered in the same neighbourhood Some little excitement has been caused at Tumut, in the south, by a report of further discoveries Tor some little time past, prospecting has been going on at a reef which had been deserted for several months Some extraordinarily rich stone has at last been struck Simultaneously with this discovery, another rich vein has been unearthed in the same locality These valuable discoveries have given an impetus to mining operations in this district
The last crushing at one of the claims on this held yielded about l8 ounces to tho ton A company has recently been formed to work the celebrated Phanix claim at Wentworth Extraordinary rich jields of gold were formrrly obtained from this field, and there is every prospect of success before the new company.
Following the initial frenzy associated with the set up of new companies at the start of the year, some measure of sober assessment was beginning to creep into the equation. As the above report noted for example, “Fresh companies are floated almost daily, but the mining furore which set in a month or so ago has somewhat abated, and speculators are acting with more caution. The quantities of gold that are being obtained from many claims keep up a great deal of excitement, and a great amount of capital is being subscribed for working new mines. The development of this, one of the most important resources of the colony, is being extended daily.”
“Since the discovery of gold was first made known in the colony in 1851, there has been nothing like the interest in mining enterprises which now prevails.”
MINING SUMMARY.
DURING the past month the formation of new companies for the working of auriferous reefs has proceeded at a rate unprecedented in the history of the colony.
Not a day passes, scarcely, but two or more new companies are “ floated ;” and the excitement respecting gold mining-continues to increase rather than diminish. Nor is this to be wondered at.
The extraordinary success which has attended many of the ventures ia sufficient to arouse the enthusiasm of even the most indifferent citizen.
The other day a telegram waa received from Hill End informing the public that a crushing from Krohmann’s claim was so rich that those in attendance at the machine had to clean tlie plates every hour, and that during the last hour thirty-two pounds of amalgam were obtained.
Sixteen tons twelve hundred weight of stone were crushed, yielding 5020 minces. At. the time this information was sent, K10 tons second-class stone from the same claim wore still awaiting crushing.
Although the yield fnilli other claims has not equalled this, some very large quantities of gold have been obtained ; and some of the claims arc expected to turn out quite as rich as Krohmami’s.
Since the discovery of. gold was first made known in the colony in 1851, there has been nothing like the interest in mining enterprises which now prevails.
There arc in this colony large tracts of auriferous stone which only require the judicious investment of capital, and the application of a fair amount of intelligence, with suitable machinery, to be made profitably productive.
Our eminent geo- logist, the Rev. W. B. Clarke, hi his treatise on gold-fields, lately published in the “ Industrial Progress of New South Wales,” says, “We may at least conclude that gold is known to exist in less or greater abundance in this colony, in an area of which the limits are both of longitude and latitude nearly _ nine degrees asunder, a .sufficiently extensive region to offer expectation of many further developments of the precious -metal.
There is, undoubtedly, a justifiable ground for expectation of future dis- coveries between the limits assigned and the localities long established.” We may make another quotation from the same work pertinent to this point :-”
Actual experience is daily show- ing the correctness of the views expressed by this eminent geologist, There has not been the same disruption, abrasion, and denudation in New South Wales that has taken place in Victoria ; and thus, though the alluvial deposits are more extensive and in many instances richer in the sister colony, the amount of auriferous wealth contained in the reefs of New South Wales far exceeds that_of tho reefs of the Southern pro- vince.
Whilst they are richer, they arc also more numerous^ and only require for their perfect development the con- junction of capital with discreet and intelligent management.”
Capital and intelligence are being applied with a vigour unprecedented to the de- velopment of the colony s mineral wealth ; and the use of superior mechanical appliances is also tending to a surer development of that wealth. The engineers of Sydney are as busy as they can be in the manufacture of mining machinery, for the production of tin, copper, and silver, as well as gold.
The great want now seems to be the establishment of a speci.al department, in connection with the Government, to deal with iill matters relating to miners and mining, and which would furnish to the public, at the least possible cost, information anti data which would pe useful to the colony at large ¡us well as to those more immediately interested in mining enterprise.
At present the business in connection .with mining is carried on in a branch of the Lands (Department. As the mineral resources of the ‘colony become increasingly developed population will be increased, and the intervention of the ¡Government in laying out new townships, and in ¡other ways, will be still more urgently called for. ¡These are matters, however, which will probably ¡receive attention after the present political crisis ¡is over.’ !
The most recent news from the north repre- sents the Yulgibar reefs as very rich, but the Quimber of miners small, being only about 2K), JFour tons of picked stone at the Garibaldi yielded 1000 oz., and it is expected that the rest of the ¡stone will yield 4 oz. to the ton. All the claims ¡are now on the reef. Fine specimens are being i obtained from the Golden Lion.
Similarly good ¡reports come from the Solferino reefs. The ¡ Boorah and Lower Bingera reefs arc also spoken . of as affording excellent stone. A Mint return of j some gold assayed from stone obtained at the ¡ Prospector’s claim, Little River, gives 24 oz. 10 i dwts. to the ton of quartz. Two new gold-fields ‘ have been proclaimed in the Clarence district. ; Many of the claimholders on the Clarence gold it fields are still sinking, with very good pro3pect3 J of success.
From nearly every claim quartz im ! pregnated with gold in payable quantities has 1 been obtained ; whilst in some instances much ‘; richer stone has been raised. At Solferino 3ome , very rich auriferous stone is being raised ; some samples which have been received in town have proved very rich in gold-the metal being encased in what has been pronounced to be limestone. The Western gold-fields are attracting the greatest amount ol’ attention just now. The late crushing ol’ stone from K rollman u’s claim has already been noticed above.
The cake of .gold that was produced has been on view at the Agricultural Society’s Exhibition in Sydney. ‘ The stuff from which it was obtained consisted principally of pyrites. About 9 tons of pyrites were saved by the blankets, from which about 1000 oz were derived. The yield would, it is said, have been larger, but that several speci- mens were picked out and forwarded to the Exhibition in Sydney, which .contained at least 800 oz. of gold. Paxton and Holman’s celebrated claim is also yielding immensely. One-twelfth of a share in this claim, costing originally “£250, and having had dividends since of .£750, sold the other day for ¿1700 ; whilst three twenty-eighths in Kapp’s sold at the rate of £12,000 per share. From Tambaroora we hear that the stone now being raised from Brown’s and Krohmami’s claims is very rich. A quantity of specimens from the latter have been placed in the Joint Stock Batik for security.
Five-eighths of King and Co.s claim has been sold to Sydney speculators at the rate of ¿60,000 for the whole. The Niagara Co.’s stone is reported to be getting richer as it goes down. Paxton’s crushing of 400 tons will bo finished, next week. The average up to the present has been about 3h oz. to the ton. The contractors have completed work at Johnson’s and an air shaft is to be sunk.
The Albion Co.’s tunnel of 127 feet is almost completed. Crichton, Hixson, and Beard’s Amalgamated Co. have 250 tons of stone ready to send to the machine. Stevens and Co. are raisüig rich stone j about 40 tons aro already at grasa Porter, Rawsthorne, and Hurley and Moore have struck Krohmann’svein, and ex- pect to get it as rich as that raised lately. It is said that a tunnel from an adjacent claim has been run through the Lord and Lady Belmore ground, and that gold has been got below where the company’s men are sinking.
The report that the miners at the Lady Belmore are on golden stone is conhrmcd , the van has all the character- istics of tho rich leads found in tho older claims Tho prospectors on the Diyspiing (Culnijong) have a large paddock of stone, and by the time the machine (which is now on the io id from Gradell) is ícady, they will have upw irdsof 600 tons of stone w utmgto bcanshul, and it is likely that the fortunite shaieholdcrs will have a very h indsome dividend to receive, foi tho stone lb saul to be immensely supenor to seine 1h.it was crushed a short time ago, which gave ovei five ounces to the ton Some c1 unis have been lately maiked oil on the old bise line of the Bu«hman’s Le id, Currajong, owing to one of the claims having washed up 2”) lo ids, which gave 34 o/ of gold The reefs generally about this locality present favourable aspects.
A tele- gram received a few days ago from the manager of the Birangambil Mine states that the last shaft has been bottomed, and gives a prospect of from 6 to 8 oz. of gold to the load. At Chambers Creek mining matters are beginning to bear a lively aspect; most of the claims are busily at work. Messrs. Moses, Bell, and Co. have struck an exceedingly rich patch, and stone, equal in richness to that obtained at Hawkins Hill, is said to have been raised. Piggott and Co. have met with a splendid reef with very good stone, specimens of no ordinary character having been obtained, £2000 has been offered and refused for this claim Quartz of extraordinary richness is being brought to grass by the Bismark Company. In the same lot ilitj jresh discoveries ol new and splendid rtifs have been made, and preparations for woik ii g them are in active progress There ha3 been a lush to the ‘ Moonboys,” the general impression hemp that it is a continuation ot the celebrated ‘ Hill End” and Chambers Creek reefs The reefs and lodes at Calool i, in the Bathuist distnct, ue beginning to atti act considerable attention, and sever d blocks ol land have been tiken up Hie Tuena Gold fields are looking up , a new company has been formed for the purpose of winking a iivt acre lease, the tri d crushing of which is said to have yielded the precious metal at the late of 110 ounces to the ton. Just now, Dun Dun is the scene of vigorously pursued operations, and though many of the shotts h ive not i cached the object of search, several, i chid mg that of the Sandhurst Company, have pene tiatcd the gold bearing stone, the crushing ol winch, however, is delayed by want of water At the Turon, the baldness of the ground impedes tlte progress of the sinkings, but the work is per sisfently proceeded with Private information has bet n received from 1 hil End to the effect that Carroll and Beards crushing concluded on Satur diy, the 4th instant, and that 23 tons yielded L()8 ounces Ihe Southern Goldfields .ire being worked with a large amount of success AiTaits m the Bl aulwood district afford substantial evidences of improvement The list ort which left on Tuesday, the 7th instant brought down as much is 3009 ounces-namely, 1683 oz 0 dwts 11 gis from Araluen and 1320 o/ 0 dwts 5 gis from Braid wood This is a very considerable increase upon the returns during the past six months, and mining m this quaitei Will no doubt îeceivc a fui ther impetus when the companies in course of ionnatun have proceeded fairly with then woiks At Adelong bonng is going on at the vauous ( 1 tims along the creek, and good prospects have bien obtained A comp my of Victorian miners lim e taken up a large claim at the confluence of the Yaven and Nacki Creeks, and are evidently going to woik in earnest, as .it considerable cost they are providing fora good penn ment supply of water. The Escort i eturns for the month of Apul show that 27.791 oz w ere received at the Mint from the anous gold fields This is a smaller quantity than was received in Match-a circumstance attributable to the want of more machinery or w ater on many of the gold fields. The imount of gold received by Escort during the four months ending April 30 was 118,482, 07 being 32,042 o? m excess of the quantity received duiing the correbponding period of last year. A return has been published showing the quan tity of land selected in the difleient gold fields of the colony, for the purpose of working gold minerals, during the period from the 1st May, 1871, to the 31st March, 1872 The following are the totals -Number of leases Northern, 24, Southern, 101 , Westein, 003 total, 102S Vrea selected Northern, 1 i~>[ acres, Southern, 3b7acres ison yaids , Western, 4485 acres 300yards totd, öW acres 2100 yards Annual rental North em, £272, Southern, £589 , Weatcrn, £10,73-) total, £11, )90 The following return shows the quantity oi land selected in the Western gold held-, foi the pin pose ot working gold minerals, duiing the same period, 1871 -May, 31 leases, 131 acres, annual îental, £512 June, 38 leases, 101 acres, £992 , July, 28 leases, 125 acres, £720 , August, 26 leases, 92 acres 100 yards, £310 , Sop tcmber, 37 leases, lo7 acres, £¿¿i, Octobei, 46 leases, 171 acres, £432, November, Oi leases, 216 acies, £012, Decembei, 70 leases, 305 acres, £800 1872 January, 112 leases, 723 acres, ±11 lo , February, 180 leases, 1010 acies 200 yards, £2054, Maich, 250 leaseb, 1319 acres, £2087 total. ¿10,7 30
The daily news from the exchange almost read like the call of a horse race.
It only takes a very slight reordering of the narrative to see: Kohmanns out in front pulling away at 45s. a share while Browns closing fast to take in a thousand at 21s. Carol and Beards keeping pace with the field at par while Lady Belmore is showing more activity than we’ve seen from this old stayer for some time … 🙂
MINING.
The altered aspect which some of the largest gold companies have assumed in the share market was very noticeable again today.
A sale of Krohmanns at 45s., reported on ‘Change, elicited offers to sell freely at 40s.
No transactions in Beyers and Holterman’s or Paxton’s.
Brown’s were done at Gd. premium, and we heard an offer to take a thousand at 21s.
Carroll and Beard’s sold at par.
There was active inquiry for Lady Belmore, and a number changed hands at 20s. to 21s.
Tippetts Avere quoted at 12.7, with a. bare market.
Havilah are coming into notice ; contributors’ shares (5s. paid) brought 7s. Gd., and promoters’ fully paid-up shares Avere done at par. Frenchmans Avere firm at 22s. Gd. ; and 1-240th in Eapp’s changed hands at 390.
In report of yesterday’s transactions the quotation, for Armstrongs Avas given for Niagaras, which sold at 21s. ; Armstrongs Avere scarce to-day, and are firmly held.
There Avas less doing in copper ; Peak DoAvns changed hands at a slight decline. Numerous transactions in tin ; Sydney sold readily at 5s. for contributors, and several sales of promoters, fully paid (10s.), Avere reported at from 9s. to 10s., together Avith one at 12s.
They were afterwards offered at par. Pioneers in strong demand at 4s. to 4s. Gd. The Solferino reef* are attracting great attention, and Ave hear that some large transactions in them have taken place privately.
Very rich stone from there Avas exhibited on ‘Change this morning. It is of a different character to any yet raised in the colony, and shows excellent gold and small crystals of quartz encrusted by a substance more like Avhite limestone than the ordinary quartz.
A shipment of stream tin from one of the Queensland deposits was also on view, together Avith samples of copper ore from Cow Flat. The Avorks at the Sandhurst Company’s claim, Gulgong, are said to be progressing satisfactorily; the shait is doAvn 52 feet, and the cutting is finished lo the extent of 177 feet.
A meeting of the shareholders in Eisen stadter’s Royal Standard Company took place to-day, when all matters connected with the formation of the company Avere transacted, and the deed of settlement adopted.
The capital is £50,000, of Avhich 48,000 shares of £1 each have been taken by the proprietors, and 2000 are to be kept as a reserve. Messrs. H. Prince, Hon. S. D. Gordon, D. Eisenstadter, W. Mac Donnell, and J. R. Fairfax Avere elected direc- tors ; Messrs. “W. Mac Donnell and H. Prince, trustees.
At a meeting of the Sailor Prince Company, held this morning, Messrs. J. Hardy, J. Merri- man, W. Smith, J. Booth, and T. Macgregor were elected directors ; Captain Fairclough and Captain Randall, trustees; Messrs. W. T. Cohen and J. SteAvart, junior, auditors. Some very rich specimens of auriferous quartz from the Wentworth Diggings have been re- ceived in town.
The samples shoAvn us exhibit gold of a similar character to that found in the NeAv England and Thames quartz reefs. JVirneor Tin Mininer Company.-Tho official manager ro ports that Captain Pascoe, having cnmp’oted hia lengthened snrvey of the varions neotions belonging to this oompany, has sent in Mb report, wMch is extremely tatiafnotory, and quite confirms the favourable expectations whioh have been entertained respecting this property. Captain Pasooo has been appointed manuger, and is now engaged in forwarding plant and machinery from Sydney. Long Drivo Gold Mining Company.-Tho managing director reports that this mino ia now in thorough working order, and tho tunnel, which is tho largest in the dis riet, íb completed a distance of 160 feet. A now contract waa enture el into on let May for tho driving of another 100 lost.
Work is being carried on night and day, without intor misBion, and tho slate rook is at tho present moat favour« able for working. A horto tramway is about to bo laltj down in tho tunnel, and rook-boring apparatus will ha employed ne soon as procured. Tho mining manager of tho Leviathan Gold Mining Company reporta :-” Aotivo operations ara now being carried on at this mine, and tho prospecting party havo oponed out a number of fine-looking- veins, which travorao tho whole length of the property.
A tunnel has boon com« menccd in the Oriental gully, to intersoot these veins, at a considerable distance below tho surface.” Star of India Gold Mining Company.-On the Bama authority, wo hear that a Ano tunnel, CO feet long, has been completed in this lease, and has been driven along the» main vein, which [íb nearly flvo foot in tronsvorso width.
About 150 tons of sfone aro now to grass. Black Princo Gold Mining Company.-A tunnel is boing driven along tho course of a vein carrying good gold. Tho last reports rocoived from the mining manager ‘if tho Happy-go-Lucky Company, Mr. C. A. AVilliamson, BtatcB that tho tunnel in this claim is driven 63 feet, and ia now on very hard rook, which indicates the cloao proximity of a vein or lode. The claims on both Bidos of this com- pany’s ground are showing good gold, and tho tunnel now being driven will intersect all tho veins in tho ground.
As ever, information was strength in these heady times. Accordingly the annual reports from the Gold Commissioners for for the Western and Southern Goldfields would have been eagerly appraised.
Once again too, the Western Goldfields report was a bit thin on detail, but as he apologised – he had a lot on his plate at that point in time.
WESTERN GOLD-FIELDS.
Sir,-I do myself the honour, for the information of the Honorable the Minister for Lands, to submit my report upon the Western Gold-Fields, for the year 1871.
2. My unavoidable abence from Bathurst during the early part of this year, and pressure of business, both in the office, and on the several gold-fields under my charge, has prevented me from prosenring this report at an earlier period, although tho delay in so far advantageous tUat it will tnnblo me to refer to the unprecedented development und advancement in the prospirity of the Western uoId-ficMs during the past three months.
3. It svouid render this report too voluminous wero I to attempt to onter into a ds taiicd description of each gold-field in this district ; but, in the annexed relurn, I have shown the numb r of businc»s licenses and miners’ rights issued for o.ich field, which is a fair criterion of thoso crnplnjed in mining and business pursuits respectively.
The total population I havo estimated in accordnnrn with tho abovo return, tho propor- tion of women and children being greater on the older than on the moro recently discovered gold-fields, where tho miiers, as a rule, havo not had a sufficient timo tosett’o donn with their families.
I also append a list of quisrt/. crushing machintiy, but having no corresponding return for the previous j ear I am unablo to show tho incroasi under this head.
4. By the first return, it will bo seen t bit 14,173 miners’ rights’ and 012 business licenses wero issued for 1871, as against 7367 minors’ rights and 364 business liconsos for 1870. being an increase of G80G miners’ rights, and 548 business licenses, for the past year.
6. The number of application» for leases of aurifoi ous tracts for tho samo period was 516 and 2¿3 respectively, being an increase of 293 for 1871 over 1870; and I may add that, for tho present year, up to this dato, 11029 minors’ rights and 547 business licenses have already been it-sued, and 686 applications for leased tracts lodged in thi-i Ollico, exclusive of those received at tbo several gold-fields undor the amended regulations »ince tho 1st April, tho number of whioh cannot yet be ascertained, being an advauco of the total for tho previous year.
6. Tho groBS collections for tho Western Gold-fields wero £10,641 7». 6d. in 1871. as against £6996 13s. 6d. in 1S70, being un increase of £1645 Us. for 1871.
For this year, up to tho present tiino, £12,000 havo besn receis-ed, being moro than the whole collections for 1871.
7. With tbo exception of the valuable alluvial dircovories at Gulgong and Curragonfr, in the districts of Mudgee and ForbeB respectively, tho attention of miners, and moro espe- cially capitalist«, has been principally directed to quana- mining ; and among the many dincovories of auriferous quarlz-reefa in all portions of tbo Westarn districts, thoso at Hill End stand prominently forward, and by their ex- traordinary and, in this colony, unprf codented > ields of tho precious meta), havo created quite u furore in mining mat- tera, and led to tho formation of numerous companies for working them and developing the neiphbounug reefs in every direction. That a belt of country permeated by rich reef« and veinB exists, extending from Chaiubera Crenkon the Macquarie River, to Avisford on the Meroo, is satin factorily prived, and the hundreds of leased tracts taken’ up on this lino show tho faith of tho miners in the remune- rativo character of these reefs.
Many of these, howevor, are applied for for purely speculative purposes, and aro boing hastily formed into companies, in many instances without any indications or prospects that would induco a boni fido party of miners to undertake their deve’opmont.
Notwith- standing all this, however, there is ampio room for loaiti mato speculation in quartz-mining in this and other portions of the Western Gold-fields, and the introduction of so much capital to bo expended in this branoh of industry cannot but be of material ads*antage to the oommunity in opening out new sources of national wealth.
At Sofala, Tuena, Gulgong, and at Caloola and Chesher’s Crock in tho immediate vicinity of Bathurst, and indeed in evary part of the western districts, vaiuablo discoveries aro also bein:; made, almost daily, of auriferous reefs. There seems, indeed, to be evorywhero a perfect rage for prospecting, and reefs old and new aro being taken up and reoccapiod in every direction. T
his muat result in mining boing carried on in a more systematic manner than hitherto; and, with tim aid of capital, our reefs, which have as yet been worked out comparatively near the surface, will bo tested to a greater depth, and it is worthy of remark that the rich and appa- rently inexhaustible linda at Hill End havo boen found below the average depth at which our reefs have boen generally proved.
8. Tho discovery of rioh alluvial loads at Gulgong and Curragong, which are found at a consider- able depth, and eitend in all probability for many milos, bas developed a new feature in our alluvial fields, and im- parted to them a permanence not hitherto possessed. Thoro is every prospect of a continuous yield from these fields for many years, and no doubt similar discoveries will be made in the adjacent country, much of which is of tho same for- mation.
9. As tho Rold escorts aro not now in connection willi this department, I am unablo to show the comparative returns for 1870 and 1871, hut I gather from the published statements that an increase of over 50 per cent, has already accrued for the first quarter of this year, and tho pro- portion will doubtless increase with each succeeding quarter.
10. The question of gold-fields’ management having been exhausted by the reports of two separate commissions, i I will not enter upon that topic, except to say that the | defects of tie present system, so forcibly pointed out in , theee reporte, aro more prominently displayed ovory diy, and the dissatisfaction of tho miners and those embarking capital in gold-mining increasing against the present moda of determining mining disputes, from the enhanced valua of the property to be protected or awarded by the decisions of the unpaid and irresponsible magistracy acting on the gold-fields as a final Court of Appeal in mining matters. The miners as a body are anxiously looking for legislation on this important point.
11. In conclusion, I cannot but look forward to a great future for tie mining interests in this colony, and especially the wostern distiicts, where mu gold-bearing country seems almost unlimited in oxtout, and Is developing nobes far beyond ouy previous concep- tion of ita resources. I hove, &o.t; WHITTINOPALE JOHNSON1, Commlsfiioner in chargo for tho WcBt>m Qold-lloldi.
By contrast the report from the Southern Goldfields was far more expansive. It does note the Gulgong rush had drawn a fair slab of miners of the Southern fields in the year just past.
In general it seems that most of the fields under his jurisdiction had very little of the fervour then associated with their neighbours just to the north.
THE SOUTHERN, GOLD-FIELDS.
Sir,-I havo the honour to submit, for the infomration of the Honorable the Secretary for Lands, a report on the goldfields in the Southern Disticts for the jear 1871.
Although no new, discoveries of any importance have occurred during this period, sill I am gin I to he able to state that ncarl) ill the gold hebb, hive produced a jield m excess of trat of the pi cv io us year, in proportion to the number of miners cmplo)cJ
The excitement conséquent on the discover) of the Gulgong gold held, and the “reit atti actions atlordcd therebv, have drawn from mv district ill the surplus nuning population and only those have remained who were in possession of pajable claims and interests
It will, therefore be seen that while the produ rs have eonsideriblv decreased in number tie j told of gold j cr ni in cnipliv id in rmnin0 opei iti ms has increased, and this fat t in mv opinion is indu a tive of an improved ind more satislictoiv state of things
In previous reports I have incidentals taken the opportunity of remarking on the absence of persover ince anti enterprise that generall) ch iracten/ed the decline of the gold holds in this colon) and it niw adonis me much gratification to observe that in this respect a marked improvement is evinced on the pul of the mmcis, und tint the public general)
areniw taking an interest and exhibiting a lonh leuce in mining industiv hitherto unknown and there can be no doubt that the increased energy and appreci mon now observable will have a most Donchi ml eiltet on tin development ot the gold holds ind will ensure their being vvoiked in a more regular, svstematic, and exhaustive manner I shall ha o occ ision to retir moie partie ularlv hore ifter to some of the instances in tv
Inch the perseverance and encouraging spirit that I luive alluded to have been displayed lhe gold holds at and around Grenfell have con turned to hold the premier place as regards productive ness in the feouthern District and although the yield of j,old shows a great filling oh from the previous) ear it must be borne in mind that since that period the number of miners has decreased from 1200 to eiOO
The greater portion of tins j ii Id was obtained lrom the reefs some of which cintinuc to pioducc unftiling quantities ot nell stone Hie well known O Brier s Kcef win h has no« been worked for up» irds of five vr rs, shows no svmptoms of decline oi exhaustion and the stone at the ..rent tlopth of tile present workings continues as promising and as productive ¡is ever Some claims on this îetf previouslv tested and abandoned as impayable luve lecentl) bein re occupied and the holders ifc now sanguine that the) can be worked to advantage
As one illustration of the growing sr mt of et ergy and enterpnse in connection with mimn” previously mentioned, I mnv stJtc that a lease of foul (1) aeres lins been taken up along the westerly parallel of the claims on (J Brien b Keel l towards which direction the reef dips oi inclines and it is calculated th it, should this inclination continue as at present su¡i posetl, the leaseholders will have to sink a shaft to a depth of nearlv COO feet before thev strike or tip the reef
As the sinking will be veiy ditheult and laborious, being for the most part through hard lock this undcitakuig will involve . large expenditure ot capital and no return fir it can be expected within a period of at least two years Hie e can be little doubt that, unless the reef breaks oil or loses its gold bearing properties this enterprise will be crowned with the success it deserves anti will eventually hind somely remunerate the piomoteis lhe other reefs in the neighbourhood of Gi en fell are still being worked to much advantage and again, with res, eot to some of tlieni perseverance in the futthei testing of abandoned claims has been rewarded by thediscoverv nfpavable stone
It will be seen, on reference to the tubular foi m appended to this repoit, that during the post year ¿7 404 tons of quart/ have been crushed, which yieldid 10 512 oz of gold, being an average of upwards oi 14 elwts to the ton, and tins I need scarcely sav is a very high average indeed and boals testimony to the unusual productiveness of the reefs lhe alluvial workings on the Lmu Creek and 1 vagong Creek gold fields have not of late been of anv great importance, and have chieily been confined to the gullies in tile immediate vicinity of what is known as the Seven mile
Some more than ordinarily rich claims have been found there and this his in dueed a mo-e thorough prospecting of gnund than had hitherto been considered as vv irthlcss V few claims in tke Quondong and the lue im’e G lilies have also proved te contain some very pryrble ground I would once more remark that the gold from Gienfell still continues to be transmitted to Svdncy by the W estcrn 1 scort, which is sent all the w iv from Bathurst, a distance oi 110 miles, tor that pulpóse
A large item of expenditure is thus nicurreil that is entirely needless and indefensible is th° fecuthein Escort to “a oung comes within a distance of ‘ miles of Grenfell and the gold lrom the latter pi ice eould easily be brought to “> oung by the pohc on a p ict horse, or inahired vehicle at a verv small cost Ins onlv proper that the gold from the ¡southern gold fields should be conveyed by the “southern 1 scort and I feel confident that a saving of nearlv £o00 per ar num eould be ensured by the adoption oi the plan recommended above
At Araluen the constantly recurring floods, which htivc ever proved so disastrous to the heal mining interests have during the pist year a”uii caused great devastation and have materially interfered with the working of the creek claims, thus inflicting btverc losses to the proprietors win, in main instaiees It st their engines, together, with r-U their mining plnnt notwithstanding thece liscouragmg lnliuenecs work has been recommenced in many ot the flooded claims, and the most undaunted per severance has been shewn in overcoming the thflicul tie that hail to be contended with Ihcse disasters, however, have had an almobt imperceptible in fltienec in the retirn of gold is compared with that ot the previous year 1 he gold fields around Biaidwood have not shewn much alteration suire the date of my last repor and they still continue to give steady employment to n limited number of miners
The sluicing claims it Mii-ior s < reck show no falling o/fin their yield “nd the works there are graduallv extending, and I thuik, I may rarely say, lnereosmg in importance Ih se íeniaiks may also be applied to the workings m the neighbourhood of the “shoalhaven lhe quart/reefs near Braidwood have not been very successfully de v eloped but I feel assured that this branch of mining is now, as reparils that district, only in its infincy, and that at son e future period it will r>roe oí great impo-tance and value It is gratifying to me to be able to report that the importance and prospects of the AdelonB gold fields have much improved of late, and are at present aurai ung much attention lhc quart/ reefs at I oner Adelong are producing richer stone than for som» yearspabt, mil sev er il new and valuable veins have been struck causing the operations in coimectnn with them to be pursued with renewed vigour T
he creek claims more particularly have assumed greater importance, and have revealed the existence of valuible deposits which had in a most unaceountaole manner, remained so long undisturbed The Wyn yard Company after undergoing for some years various vicissitudes ot fortune, are now reaping the reward for their untiring energy and enterprise by the re ceiptot very handsome and regular returns from their leased tract, and their success has liad the effect of causing lar{,e portions of the creek to be taken up under lease, and I have every confidence tint the results of these undertakings, ii pursued with the proper determination, will be equally satisfactory lhe sluicing claims at Reedy Hat, near 1 pper Ade long, continue to exhibit sincular productiveness and are a ccitam fortune to the proprietors
11 egret to state that the mining companies formed for working the wet ground near oung, on the Bur rangong gold held, have been compelled to suspend their operations, and that no success has attended their endeavours to subdue the water and work the ground satisfactorily
A new company is now in course of foimation to take up the lease latclv held by the Telegraph Company, and it is to be hoped that the real value of tins ground may be soon tested and prov ed A quart/ reef at the Seven mile, near “i oung, ar d another at Wombat, have attracted some attention, but little is known of their extent or value as yet, crushing plants are now being erected in connection with them, which is an evidence of faith on the p.rt of the chnmholders m their gold bearing properMea 3 may here also »eport that a reef has been discovered ¡>r Oiinnweham Cieek, about J5 miles from oins, and bevond the boaiulary of the Bu-rangong gold field, which promises to be of unusual extent and richness lhe only crushing mill on the ground has hitherto been emploved on the stone from one claim, which hau produced upwardo of 1300 ounces of gold during the lost
three months, and it is anticipated that the stone from the adjoining claims will yi»ld in an equal proportion The ground about this locahtv . fiflortls indications of tie existence of other reef« and ? valuable deposits, which perhaps will lead, to the opening up of a gold iielil of some importance
The iode tu Junee and Sebastopol have borne out mj anticipant ns with regard to them, and the work- ings on them have been rcductcd to some three or four claims, which ma) be said to pit) nieielirattlj Hie gold fields at nerrimunga, Gulf Creek, Dele Rite, hituidrn, and Tumbarumba do not cull fur any special remark, -mil ma) be pronounced to bo in much tlie s une state as when the j last formed tho sublet I of report Ihcv continue to atTird profitable cm plovmrntto those engaged in mining At Ournie, fcoine 21 miles smith of lnmbirumbn nnel bejond the limits of that gold held, n ver j promising quart/ reif lias bien discoveied, which, frompresentappearances, bids fair to be rich mid extensive lins discover) I am inclined to believe vvnl eventually prove of im portance in attracting attention to the country towards the head of the Murra}, where there can be no doubt some rich deposits will jet be found fee nie exutement was caused a few wooka ago bj a ruth thut took place to the westward of I tike Con al, in the lllnnd District, and mj inspection of that pi ice wnb the subject of n special report Hie workings there were of a vcrv insignificant nature, and hive now been abandoned I am tirmly of belief however that a pay oble gold field exists somewhere in that ii iijibourhood Hicsc remarks will conclude mv notice oi the gold lields in m> district
Appended hereto will be fount! a tabular statemtnt tontniiniig a variot) of statistic ii information respecting each gold held that 1 trust mo} prove of interest It will be seen that during tin v ear 4814 mincis have obtained ‘JS,a 0 o? of gold, giving an average ot ncarl) l’) o/ , or in mane} value equal to X7) Is Gd per man engaged in mining 4. .3 o/ of this was obtained from quart/ reels and ol Ho u/ fiom alluvnl and creek or river claims Thei-t} nine mills, of the aggregate value of £1.’ 130 were engaged in crushing 70 Jib tons of quartz, and other machiner} to the v due of £l7r»l) hat been cmploved in extracting gold from the alluvial ground llieie are 420 water races in the ¡southern ¡District, convevmg 810 sluice heads oí vvatei, and of an nggre ga’c length of lOio miles, and v lined it £21,110 HO dams and reservoirs represent u eapitd ex pended m their construction amounting to £11,71) Hie total amount of mv collections has been £31 !7, of which £2171 10s were for miners rights, £221 10s for business licenses, and £72S for rents of leased tracts Hie leased tracts consist ot lab acres of alluvial ground 122 aries in quart/reef», anil 2700}tirdsof liver bed”; I mav state that none of these figures arc stneth ntcuritc, i ut mav betaken as a fair approi mition of what thev are a mall} intended to repie scnt Hit îeccnt publicati n of the îeport of the Gold fields Commission renders it almost unneicssar} f)> me lo oflei anv general lcmarks ‘Noone cm feel ft more sincere desire than I do, that the labours of the (. oinmisBiontrs and the information and recommend t tions lontamed m their report mav have the eiicct of causing the promulgation of laws and regulation); leinung to the gold holds, that will cure the defects or evils that may at present exist lheie can be no doubt whatevri that the pre? ut Cold fields Act anl llcgulation« aie verv unsatisf c teir},and from their ambiguity and d ticicncits ire constant!} causing muih pciplcxitv mid annoyance to those engaged in mining pursuits Hie Appe ii Couit, under its present i institution is looked up in as a delusion the hearing of mining disputée hi ordinär} Tustices of the Peace is regarded OB most unsatibfactorv, tnd the perpetual promulgation of IILW regulations, and the alterations aflccUng thom, leuel tb nothing but bewilderment md doubt . ‘11 e course to be j urbued as to the proclamation of gold fields is a matter that demands immediate atten- tion and some method to secure the protection of mm ing interests on I row n lands bevond the hunts of gold- fields airead} proclaimed, ouDht to bt determined upmi at once A uise that has rectntl} oicuired at Ournie discloses a vcr} glaring delect in the present mining laws in this respeit and is one that if allowed to continue must for the lui re inevitabi) paral) se prospecting Hie easel refer to is this -Aquirtf reef was discovered at Ournie, bevond the limit« of the lumbarumba gold held and a number of claims taken up on it a ptirtv oí nitners on some technical points ‘ jumj-td une of thebe claims Hie case wa-, heird b) the local police magistrate and was decided in favour of the jumpers ?Vu appeal followcl and the previous decision was reversed lhe ‘ jumpers, anticipating this lad tn the mean time itee seht ted tie land on uhich tie quarL reef leas situaieil Comment on such a state of things is »careel) necessary I onl) wish to pom., out that as the law at present stands it is impossible to ¡,uard against the recurrente of similar abuses Ali) poison desirous of pi osptcting for gold be)ond the limits of a proclaimed c,old held, will now hive to free select the grounel to protect himself, or will otherwise bi liable to ha» e it irte selected b) otheis, and thus lose ins chum as the Coveminent cannot be cpicted to pre el um a gold ícld in iiiiieipiition ut u discoverv Ihcbuggc non m tdc b} mc ni mv cv 1 ence bcfuie the Gild iields Commission is tlu unh cure th it presents it»-ell to ii») mind and it is-that the discover) of gold on Crown lands, not included within a proclaimed gold field should reserve such lands loi a rathus ol (MIV) three miles around suuh discoverv, for the purposes of a gold held and ti at no laid within that ridius should be selected or olienated without til” special report of thcCoimris mom r 1 would lure observe that the Supreme Court las rccentl) decided that the Gold heidr» Act and lleru latioiiB hav c no e fleet, and do not applv bc)ond the limits of i proclaimed gold n»ld I am aviare that the n alters 1 have alluded to have all been elaborately dwelt upon in the report ol the Gold fields Commission but I have deemed it mv dutv also to bring them onie more under the notice of the Government I believe thpt thebe evils have hud a v ery discouraging influence on our gold fields and ore in ever) way calcul ned to retard their s)8temitic development, and I sineerel) trust that buch reforms ma) speedily be introduced as will efTectu tlh cure ill existing abuses, and will ensnre to the mining inte rest the attention enterprise, and importance that the undoubtedly v iluable md extensive aunferous re fcourccs of the colon) ouvrit to secure for it I have i»c , (ï. O’MAU.tY ClATtKV, Commissioner in charge Southern District. 4 September 1
Fortunately with the creation of many new crushing mills around the town, getting the ore out for processing was no longer the big problem it had been in previous years. Production rolled on as did the incredible reports still issuing from the big name claims.
The lead news item at the start of spring was “the magnificent stone from Beyers and Holtermann”.
The remarkable thing was it wasn’t even the legendary Holtermann Gold Specimen – that particular rock was still buried!
MINING NEWS.HILL END.
The great topic of conversation in mining circles was the magnificaent stone from Beyers and Holtermanns claim. It ecclipsed everything previously unearthed. From Krohmann’s, too, stone of the usual grand auality is being brought up. Creighton, Hicluon, and Board» Amalgamated Company are crushing again at Pullen ana Bewsthorne’s machine.
They are certainly marvellously rapid in their movement», for hardly ia ono crushing of duo ton« over than another rake» plaoe. “ One down and t’other come on!”
The prospeot» of Paxton and Holman are improving, as much richer stone is being fonnd. Rape’s continue to sink in the vein lately out; and Carroll and Beard, Brown, Hurloy and Moore. Cock, Attwood, and ‘Dwyer, Rampant Lion, &o.;, aro all busy raising stone, or otherwise striving to develop the resources of their respective claim«.
The Cormopoiitsn Company, on Oeldon Gully, are now cruth- ing a lot of stone, 180 tons, at Vickery’« machine The mill started to work upon it on Saturday last, and no doubt tba return will be satisfactory. It is a small company (capital, £3000 only), «o that an inferior crushing will pay a decent dividend.
Our reporter waa shown some specimens taken from the claim since the crushing commenced, and they cer- tainly looked remarkably well. Tho manager (Mr. Viokory) bas tent them down to Sydney to gladden tho eyes of the shareholders. Vickery’s machine, like the other«, ha« been Idle for a week or two past, and daring that time extensive .Iteration» and improvements have boen made.
The dam hos been thoroughly cleansed, the works put into thorough repair, and new tablos Jaíd down. They work admirably-lhere being no vibration, for they are not connected with the machino; the water run» over thom very evenly, and falls in a steady shower into the boxee, from whence it finds its way back again into the dam. Hawkins Hill.
-Beyern and Holterman: The usual work going on, and stone is being brought up daily of a mag- nificent description. Hickson, Creighton, and Beard are now cruthing at Pollen and Rawsthorne’* machine,’where over 200 ton» will be put through the mill.
Thia is . moat prolific claim, and ene that should pay well, as so little time elapses botween the crushing!/ It ii not more tuan a month ago that a lot of nearly 300 tons waa crushed, and here we have another of over 200 from whioh to extract the “needful.”
Scandinavian Line. – Locomotive: Still continue to drive, and break down the reef. The reef ie about 10 inches wide, and gold ha» been seen in it. Great Exhibi- tion : Sinking still. Water as usual. Never Fail : Going on steadily with the work in their shaft. Bxpeot to cut a gold-bearing vein shortly.
Sons of Freedom : Tho con trsstoraare «inking steadily. Book very hard. Royal Saxon : Work going on well. Water as usual-trouble- some.
Scandinavian : Still sinking. Have had somo very bard rock to battle with. Water tolerably easy. Research: Driving.
Napoleon: Still doing nothing, which work they bave been steadily progressing with for the lut two months or more.
Golden Gully.-Cosmopoli- tan ‘: A largè lot of stone from this claim is now being crushed- at Vickery’s machine.
I was shown some specimens yesterday (taken out since the crush- ing commenced), and they were really magnifioent. At a depth of 300 feet they should get grand stone, aa some years since Mrs. Beard did out of a shaft of nearly that depth, which shaft is only a few feet from the Coemo.’» ground.
The »tone obtained from Mrs. Beard’s, I am in- formed, went about 30 oz. to the ton, and then, water coming in strong, the shaft was abandoned, Star of Fame : Enlarging the old shaft.’ Rose of Sharon : No work is being performed upon this claim at present.
Atlas : Work progressing well. Great Empire : Going on well with their perpendicular shaft ; water slightly troublesome. Paxton and Party : Registered. Black Watch » Sinking. Wot of Scandinavian Line.-The Lombard-street :
Busy timbering in tho daytime, and working the shaft with a night shift They are down about forty feet, and are sinking to catch Hermann’s vein. Only three week and a half have elapsed since this ground – waa first touched by pick.
Boston: Are sinking at a depth of over (¡0 feet, and are working for Hermann’s and Blocker’s veins. Sergeant’s Reef.-Excelsior: Stripping the reef prepara- tory to a small crushing which will take plaoe shortly. I wa» shown some speoimens taken ont yesterday, and they look good enough to come from olaîms a great deal more talked about.
Marshall’s Line of Reefs.-Bald Hill Co. : Are still actively engaged, and the company is at present making the necessary arrangement» for placing their tram- way in the tunnel opposite Mr, ChappeU’a machine. This tunnel is in about 200 feet. I was informed that the con- tractors had struck in the perpendicular shaft owing to the extreme hardness of the rook.
Union Jack : Mr. Parker is tunnelling in from the bottom of Oakey Creek. I have «eon, lèverai nice specimens taken off the eurfaee of this ground.
Enterprise: Herd work is carried on with great vigour. Their shaft which is going down with the underlay of the reef is down 99 feet. The reef is daily increasing with depth, and I was shown several fine speoimens whioh had just come up in the bucket while emptying. the water ont. of the shaft.
The water hore ia troublesome, and until the tunnel whioh has been started from Oakey Creek reaches the shaft there will be no difficulty in keeping the water down. It is computod the tunnel will have to be driven 240 feet to reach the shaft. There aro two shifts at work on this claim with three men in each. Mr. J. Mar. shall’s two-acre lease : The workmen being all down the shaft I was unable to get any information. I saw about two tons of good looking stone at grass. Mr. W. Mar- chall :
The shaft is down about 80 feet. The ground here comprises two acres, and there is about 60 tons of go Jd stone at grass. Marshall’s rich vein: The work-is now confined to stripping the moat easterly voin. This, with the casing ia thrto inches in thickness, and I am informed that the stone ie thickly impregnated with gold.
The work here ha» bees pushed on with vigour, and-from what I have seen of tho «peoimens obtained off the surface 11auoy the shareholders will have no cause of complaint in their investment- This lease comprises five acres taken up under the old regulations. Shela and other ‘appliance« have boen lately erected in order to facilitate tho work. Page and Jefferies : A good deal of prospecting has been done here with very satisfactory results.
Mr. Jefferies ix at present engaged in sinking a perpendicular shaft between the easterly and westerly veins. Che Bhaft is down 26 feet. Merrie Heart : The work bas been confined to sinking a perpendicular shaft. Owing to the extreme hardness of the rock little headway has been made of late, bnt during the last week they have come into the slato again. The reef is expected to bo cut in another 20 feet.
Price and Fletcher ; The work done here has been to sink a perpendicular shaft, which is down about 23 feet. Littlo Wonder: There are three ‘men at work here. Tho shaft, whieh is per- pendicular, to cut the easterly vein is down about 30 feet. Howard and Co. : A tunnel han been driven in here about 16 feet. Little work doing on the claim at present. Connor and Co. : This is a 6 aero lease, and the work is confined to tunnelling. Mr Con- nor informs me that he is at present stripping the vein, and anticipates having a small crushing before long. Doust and Co. : Several rich specimens have been taken off the surf ace, but as yet work has not been commenced. Hack and Party:
No work doing hero. Tambaroora. Ajax Line.-Ballarat (6-aore lease, H. Stuart and Co.) : The manager reports sinking down right »haft to out the reef at about 100 feet. The present depth is 46 foet. Three shifts of men are now employed on the ground, and the work is being carried on with energy. Ballarat (2 acree, H. Stuart and Co.) : This ground is about to be put into a promotive company for the purpose of sinking and testing the ground. Albion (3-acre lease) : Forming promotive company. Hawkins Hill.-Allen’s Loase, or Conoord: Still hard at work here
In driving in tunnel from Oakey Creek. Be- lieve that tho advantages this claim possessed for tunnelling are greater than those of any other in the district. Red Hill.-United Reefers : Sheds over shaft and storehouse have been erected, also whip shaft logged up and water baled out. CroBB cut extended another four feet. Ground continuing good, with numerous threads of quartz inter- lacing it. In hopes of cutting the vein in a few mora feet.
Just in Time: Tenders out for erection of storeroom pre- paratory to the arrival of the steam machinery, which, now that there is aproBBeotof fair weather, is expected will soon be on- the ground. Golden Crown: Tenders have boen called for timbering 40 feet of this shaft with double centres and footway, immediately af ter whioh »inking will be resumed. The following parcels of gold were forwarded to Sydney by the escort whioh left Bathurst on Wednesday :-Forbes, 2053 oz. 9 dwts. 6 grs. ; Grenfell, 1824 oz. 12 dwts. 6 gre. ; Carcoar, 919 oz. 8 dwts. 18 grs ; Bathurst, 282 oz. 6 dwts. ‘ 1 gr. ; Gulgong, 4400 oz. 9 dwts. 17 grs, ; Mudgeo, 168 oz IS dwts. 14 grs. ; Hargraves, 74 oz. 12 dwts. ; Tambaroora fr . ^’lAi*’8, * 8«.; Sofala, 464 oz. 4 dwts, 12 grs. Total, 10,442 oz. 2 dwts. 4 gr». °
When the monster mass of gold did emerge from the Beyers and Holtermanns claim in late October it created quite a stir – even in a town used to seeing and hearing of large masses of gold and quartz.
HILL END.
On Friday night last, the largest and richest specimen this colony has produced, I suppose, was taken from the claim of Beyers and Holtermann.
It is really a wonderful one – A SLAB OF GOLD. ITS WEIGHT IS ABOUT 6½ CWT. ; and I believe I am within the mark in saying that THERE ARE 2 CWT. OF GOLD IN IT.
I went, together with nearly the whole town, to look at it.
The claim was like a fair, and a regular stream of people threaded the steep packing tracks leading down to it. On Sunday it was hung up for exhibi- tion, and during the day hundreds, including many of the fair sex, went down to see it.
At the same time that I went to look at this, Mr. Bullock, the manager, kindly revealed the treasures of the iron box, in which are specimens not so large certainly, but prettier to look upon.
The monster is not alone in his glory ; he has fellows bigger and richer below, I am told. He appears to form part of a lode rather than a vein, as no quartz seems to be showing-nothing but mundic and a slate casing. Shortly before he was unearthed the township was startled by a severe shock of an earthquake, which is jokingly said to have thrust him up from below.
The earthquake commenced a few minutes before 7, and lasted over a minute, perhaps two. Its direc- tion seemed to be from N.W. to S.W. Sitting at tea at the time, the first indication of it was a sound as of a heavy waggon passing by, the sound intensified into a shaking ; each looked at the other; the old chimney began to rattle.
Some one mentioned the word earthquake, a panic resulted, and a general rush was made to the door, regardless of overturned chairs and tables. The quaking seems to have been very generally felt, and every one seems to have taken refuge in the open air from an expected visitation of bricks, plaster, and beams.
Being curious to know what sensation was produced under ground, I questioned various men, and found that in every instance it was put down to something other than an earthquake. The most general opinion in each claim seems to have been that they were running a still in the adjoining claim.
In the Undaunted shaft they thought that Rapp’s people were “going in” heavy. None as, far as I can discover, thought of an earthquake.
I suppose the great nugget will attract attention to the marvellous belt of veins traversing our hill once more, and for the information of those who know them not, I propose giving an idea of their number and position as they stand in Paxton’s claim, which may be taken as a fair standard in all on the same line.
The main belt occupies a meta- morphic slate dyke about 90 feet wide, and having a general direction of about 8° E. of N. On either side of this dyke, and separated from it by courses of dioerite, are other veins, to wit-on the E., Stevens’s, the Frenchman’s, Rowley’s or Daddy’s, and others; on the W., Brandt’s, Gard’s or Eisenstadter’s, and others. The Main Line.-Commencing with Paxton’s, we find three veins occupying about 8 feet in width, together with ihe inclosing »late. TbiB 8 feet is knuwn as Paxton’a workings, ond varies in width, having been as much as 16 feet wide.
Seventeen feet E. of Paxton’H are three veins woiked upon formerly by Paxton, and new tbo ino^t easterly “ one, 1 believe, nuakicg a gcod show in the Rampant Lion, boing 10 inches wide, and expecttd to go 6 oz. to tba ton. Breiwn’* line tee me to have cut out at the present depth. Forty feet west of Paxton’» working« is a vein known as Holieininnn’s, because, I believe, that gentleman first got gold in it.
This ÍB tho vein at present working in the Star uf 1’encc, and giving gocd gold, moro o-pecially aa it goes towaida Dr. Fischer’s. Kext in eider, and about 12 feet moro to tbe west, comes Krobmann’s working«, whioh are ‘rim ten to twelve feet wide, and not got through at that. People telk of our veins being narrow-granted; but see hlw rich they are, and how numerous. Crueidnuble apprehension bas becu excited amenget some rlaim-bolders north of the hill by a recent survey of Maibewscn’e.
In hi* claim the voins run N. 8- E. ; another turvey gave thf> Frenchman’s as N. ß- W. Do those veins gradual!) converge till they meet ? Do they amalgamate or cióse ene another, ordo they by altering their direction, run parallel ? These are the questions asked.
The Never Fail has cut a vein at 180, which should not have been reached cider double that depth. Is this a now vein, or has it altered its course. Time will, I suppose, tell us the secret. Paxton’* ciushing is finished ; 366 tong yielded 1386 oz. of gold, very pretty return. At the same time that this , te ne WBB put through, 6 cwt. of pyrites and sand, saved (uni tbe Tich stuff crushed at Vickery’«, was heated in the amalgamating vessel, and gave 40 oz. of gold. This had been heated two or three time», and was supposed to contain Lotting, and will tend to show how much gold is loBt here. Pnxtrn. 1 may remark, has his N. shaft within 30 feet i.f the W. veins, and is aleo putting in a cross-cut to [get the most E, ones. Tbo Frenchman’s *fone is finished, and has gone much better than was expected, 68 tons returned 110 oz. 1 dwt. 15 gr*,, or nearly 2 oz, to the ton.
The claim is in first >ate working order, opened out from one end to the ether, snd the vein increasing in thickness. Seventy-one tons of Krobmnnn’s stone were crashed to make room in his “plat,” and yielded 479 oz.
Btv era and Holterman are crushing at Pullen’*. I do not know whether it is decided to put the big specimens through cr not. I ibink Hurley and Moore aro now crushing at Chappie’s, but em not sure. , Semo stone of Tallenttre and Beard’s waa being packed tho other day, and will, I suppose, bo put through Vicker j’*. Tho last rain flooded the Excelsior, on Sargeant*« reef, almost filling it with water. On baling it another small «tin, almost all gold, was laid bare by the water running into Sargeant’s vein.
There is some talk of crushing the stone now at grass, which is expected to go 30 oz. to the ion, but something much richer is shortly expected ; ? rushing will he deferred. ‘J here has been much talk of a rush in the neighbour hood, though no one seems to know where. I was shown a Ltuutifnl specimen from the surface to-day, coming «omt-whero between this place and Tambaroora,-perhaps from the scene of tho unknown rush.
At tbo Dirt Holes, Eisenetadter is reported ou good gold. Rcretean has got gold in a reef west of the Valen t ne. Tbc Golden Belt will shortly boon payable stone. The Marguerite has cut a reef 4 feet through, showing cold both in the «olid and in the casing ; and the engine is ncaring completion. There seems to be a decided improvement in the stone of the Peep-o’-Day Company in the Green Valley, and at Dun Dun, where work seems all suspended. The manager cf Bonshaw’s claim, apparently the only one at work, F>raks in most encouraging terms of the results of the next e rushing. Mr. Gard has lately sent some specimens of copper, ibiekly impregnated with gold, to Sydney, for assay, and coming from a lode situate somewhere between here and Wattle Flat. The lode is thin, but contains some good silver grey ore and green carbonate«.
Apart from mining, tbe principal topics of conversation are the races, the Oddfellows’ picnio (to come off on Thurs- day week), and the deaths, by drowning, of two mon in attempting to cross the Macquarie, after Sunday’s rain. One body was recovered on Saturday ; the other is still missing. October 21._
As news of the find hit the Sydney markets it once again caused a spike in the already high demand for stock in the main Hawkins Hill mines.
MINING. WEDNESDAY EVENING.
GREAT activity prevailed in the Share market to-day.
The demand was chiefly for gold; and in these the favourite claims on Hawkins Hill had the call at advanced rates.
Browns have gone to 15s., and Beyers and Holtermans to 55s. ex div.
Carroll Beards opened at 32s., and closed at 5s. Gd. dearer. Hixson, Creigh- ton, and Beards brought 21s. Gd’.
Krohmanns are again the dearest stock in the market, 57s. to 61s. was paid this morning; sellers at GOs.
Rapps have shared in the excitement, and although no change is reported to have taken place in the mine, shares rushed up to 19s. closing with buyers at 17s., sellers at 18s.
Mount Mitchell Tin proprietary were sold at 5s. Peak Downs shares changed hands at advanced rates, 5J to £5 16s. Gd. paid, 5£ offered, 6 asked;
Wolca sold at 10s. and offered ; Normanby 11s. ; Shale Oil, 36s. The jield of the Band and Albion mine to-day was 112 oz. 9 dwts. At a special general meeting of the Royal Standard G. M. Co., Hawkin.1- Hill, held yester- day, Mr. J. H. Butchartwas elected a director.
The secretary of the New South Wales Brokers’ Association reports the following sales :-Carroll and Beards, 31s. 3d., 31s. 6d., 35s., 36s., 36s. Gd., 37s. Gd. ; Daysprings, 7s. Hd., 7s. 3d., 7s. Gd. ; Hickson, Creighton, and Beards, 21s. 3d. ; British Lion, 16s. Gd. ; Krohmanns, 55s., 56s. Gd., 57s., 58s. 8d., 58s. 9d.; Mount Perry, 30s.; Normanby, 11s.; Marcolini, 17s., 18s.; Star of Tenterfield, Is. 3d.; Rapps, 14s. Gd., 15s., 15s. Gd., lGs.; Beyers and Holtermanns, 55s. ex div.; Great Western Undaunted, 12s.; Shoalhav en Diving, 7 ; Cow Flat, 24s. 6d. ; Tippets, 8s. Messrs. Bradley, Newton» and Lamb will hold a sale of tin and tin ore to-morrow. At a meeting of the shareholders in the Rose, Shamrock, and Thistle G. M. Co., held this afternoon, the company was declared formed, and the following gentlemen were then elected office-bearers :-Trustees, the Rev. Dr. Beg and Mr. W. Olliver ; directors, Messrs. F> A. Blake, H. Lumsdaine, J. J. Brenan, J. Allum, and R. J. Dunford; auditors, Messrs. F. C. Rooke and J. O’Grady; secretary, Mr. Alfred Chandler.
This brief surge in gold stock prices however was amongst the last the market would see for a very long time to come. By year’s end the return on investment of even the richest mines was being questioned.
More importantly however was the level of widespread fraud and speculation that had attended the creation of so many ‘duffer’ companies that year. Already it seems the party was over and the hangover commenceth.
MINING SUMMARY.
The recent splendid crushings of Krohmann’s, Beyers and Holterman’s, and Williams’s com- panies had only a temporary effect on the Stock and Share market.
The dividends received by a small portion of those interested in mining have not compensated the larger number who have speculated in mines not yet classed as dividend paying, nor removed the effect produced by the knowledge that some companies formed have already proved a delusion.
When proprietaries of the latter character are wound up, and the value of other properties developed under careful management, capitalists will not hesitate to invest their money, instead of viewing everything with distrust, as many of them do now.
Glowing prospectuses and illusive statements made by mining speculators have been too readily believed, and the reports of persons supposed to bo competent authorities hitherto accepted with an undue want of caution.
The past has proved unmistakably that New South Wales possesses mines surpassing in richness any known in the world.
If a number of others do not pay handsome returns upon the capital invested, it will not be from any paucity of mineral wealth. In the Hill End district, Krohmann’s are working away in the usual style, with stone remaining about the same. The last crushing gave a divi- dend of 8s. per share, with a reserve of .£5000 to meet current expenses. The Hill End TimcSj in its last report, remarks with regard to the principal mines :-”
Forty-one tons belonging to the Great Amalgamated Company were, in the early part of the week, finished at Vickery’s machine, and a return of nearly 2, oz. to the ton has been obtained. Krohmann’s crushing will como up very close to the estimated yield (10,000 oz.). Over 460 oz. were obtained from the 70 tons of seconds’ passed through a short time previously, and that amount should be placed to the credit of the present crushing, and as the whole has been obtained from the mine during the period of 13 weeks, the yield has been equal to the highest yet got.
The claim is looking as well as tjver, and stone of the richest description is still being raised. The same good account is due to the claim of Beyers and Holtermann’s Company, and as the workings are in first-rate order, and ready to turn out any amount of the “ real stuff,” another crushing equally as good as the last is to be looked for at no distant date.
Creighton’s Amalgamated Company are again ready for another good crushing. Nearly 500 tons of excellent payable stone have been knocked out very quickly, and another dividend will soon be declared to the shareholders in this claim. This will make the third since the company was formed some six months ago.
At Carroll and Beard’s everything is going on well again, and at all the other claims matters are steadily pro- gressing, but nothing particular presents itself for notice.
The Star of Peace Co. has finished crushing 103 tons of stone ; the yield was 483 oz. Our correspondent, writing from Hill End on the 12th instant, says :-The escort from here on the 9th instant carried over 24,000 oz. of gold to Sydney, principally the result of the crushing from Beyers and Holtermann’s and Krohmann’s claims-a magnificent result truly, and one likely to prove to the fainthearted that the noble hill is not only not exhausted, but not even in its prime. Of course it is not to be expected that such results can be obtained from every claim, or even from many ; but there is no doubt that there are those at present under a cloud which will contribute their quota shortly, and that in quantities sufficient to pay a respectable dividend.
The cakes of gold representing Beyers’ crushing, in the order of production, weighed respectively 5885 oz., 52Ü3 oz., 3200 oz., and 709 oz., making with some small ciuantity from the blanketings, a total of 15,600 oz. from 200 tons quartz. Krok mann commenced with a small cake of 479 oz. this week ; the first washing up gave 7623 oz., and the next 655 oz. : total, 8757 oz. Some seconds remain to be put through, which will swell the total, probably, to 10,000 oz. Beyers and Holtermann’s cakes Lave been photographed.