THE SIGHTS ABROAD.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 260, 14 February 1889, Page 2

THE SIGHTS ABROAD.

A TWO DAYS’ VISIT TO MOUNT BISCHOFF TIN MINE. ißr an Ex-Gisbornitb.) After a glorious dip in the tide (reminding one very much of the Waikanae beach bathing), a rattling good breakfast, a well filled pipe, a seat in a first class luxuriantly fitted smoking car, at 8 o'clock on a glorious summer morning, we started on our trip. The line is easy, and travelling pretty fast considering that it is all up hill. The country first passed through is very fertile: some cultivated, some semi-ditto, and some in its glorious primitive state, tree ferns, sassafras, myrtles, &e., flourishing in luxuriant profusion. We rose away until we were 2000 ft higher than when we started. As we got further inland and higher up, the country, for agricultural and pastoral purposes, became more inferior. During the latter part of the journey, we descended about 100 ft, and arrived at the township of Warratah at noon. At the station, my travelling companion, a New Zealand professor of geology, met me. I had given him the slip for a day, to go and see some of my old friends. I was soon introduced to Mr Kaper, the wonderful mining manager of this wonderful mine, lie expressed his regret that my time was so limited, but soon mapped out a plan so that I could see the most in the least time. As it jvas then close upon lunch time, we just had a look round the township, and its numerous shops. After lunch, we went down to the battery and got on the engine thac was just going up the Mount with 16 trucks to be filled with food for the battery. In five minutes we arrived at the red face, but as our business with this part of the works was to be next morning, we passed on down the valley to the dams, of which there are three, their duty being to catch all the tin that is washed away by the sluices and that which escapes from the battery. At the end of' the last dam are erected large works for saving the tin, and it is wonderful to see the ingenious contrivances all at work: large rotating convex tables, on to which the yellow looking liquid is continually pouring, and as it is being revolved jets of clear water pour on, washing the mineral away into receivers. There are also concave rotating tables doing their part of the operation, a Chilian mill working away crushing the coarser particles and assisting in separating the iron. There are also classifiers, jiggers, and separators employed, mechanically doing their part, and as the motive power is solely water and works night and day (a manager and a few boys doing all the manual labor required), one would think these works, called the Ringtail, would pay well, but If found on enquiry that they little more than paid expenses. Still, they gave the satisfaction of knowing that no tin worth speaking of is being washed away. Leaving these works we made our way along sluices, over dams, and through bush, until we come to the main works. Here was a busy scene that I never anticipated. It fairly astonished me to see such an enormous quantity of machinery going. I can only attempt to write a description, for I -am writing from memory j but to give some idea, these rotating tables, convex and concave, are 16fc and 18ft in diameter. Of the former there are 38, and of the latter (called “ Monday Buddles ”) 27 in number. There are 75 head of stampers at work. These and all other machinery are driven ' y nine water wheels, some very large—one is 45ft in diameter, the smallest being 15ft. After a run through, we went and had tea. But I was not satisfied, so I got hold of one of the managers after dark, and he showed me round again as socn as the electric light was put on. This was the greatest treat of all. We first visited the men feeding the batteries, They have a large stock of material on hand to keep them going till the train starts work in the morning. Fifty-five head of stampers were battering away. The stuff then passes into classifiers, jiggers, &0., then on to the tables and buddles, is washed anl washed till fit for bagging, is bagged and lifted by machinery, a revolving endless bed with supports for each bag, which is about the size of a 251 b oatmeal bag, and holds about a cwt of ore. It was truly a wonderful sight to stand below and look up and see by the brilliant electric light all th(s machinery working away, hardly a man to be seen. I could hardly be persuaded to leave, although I was reminded that there was a good spread and some very choice whisky waiting for me at the manager’s mansion. I went and did justice to both, especially the latter. Anyhow, with the music of waterwheels, battery stampers, jiggers, &c., and the soothing effects of sundry nightcaps, I slept soundly till 5 a.m., when I was up and off to the top of Mount Bischoff. It was a fine morning. I got on the top of the highest rock, and looking round, saw the town of Warratah at my feet. The enormous gap taken out of the hill, the railway, the public buildings, the stores, hotels, shops, men in hundreds, like ants creeping up the hill to their work. Looking round further afield there was Mount Pierce, Valentins Peak, The Pieman, The Cradle, and other landmarks just the same as when I had stood on this very same spot just 14 years ago; but then, the whole country looked one unbroken wilderness—there was just a manager’s hut, and a few whares for a few men, an immense face of tin ore, which was being dug out and packed to port through a country that then took me three days to travel, and which I had done in two hours yesterday. Shares were then 15s a piece. I had made up my mind to invest at least £5O, but the draft went wrong, and I did not invest. The mine has since paid 142 dividends, amounting in all to close upon a million sterling. I thought of what I had lost, and did not bless the man whose draft was N P.F. Feeling hungry brought me back to the present, anal turned down for breakfast. The business people do not do much business until knock off time, so are not early risers. I did not get my breakfast till 9.10 a.m. I had my revenge on the landlord —he didn’t make a fortune out of my breakfast. We then went and had a good look at a gold prospect that some young fellows were opening out in their spare time. The Professor expressing satisfaction at what he saw, something further may be heard of this. It was a dreadfully warm morning, and as I had to “do ” the red face and the tunnel, off I started up the hill again. The manager of this part of the works showed me round. It was principally pick, shovel, and barrow work. He showed me the powerful engine for pumping air down the shafts ; the races, and different workings. Then I was passed on to another manager on a higher level, where the men were working on the red face. Here was a busy scene; men, principally young men, flying about in all directions, with little trucks, conveying the material to the sluices and the falls, from which it was passed to the larger trucks and taken by train to the crushers. This level was a network of little tramways. I was shown a little hole out of which they had taken £30,000 worth of tin ore at the time when tin was so dear. This was the only time that the management picked the mine. It is always worked on a face, good with bad, a regular output of 250 tons of tin per month. No matter what happens, if they have too much they stack the richer stuff on one side to be crushed only when a drought or accident occurs. I was taken through a tunnel through the Mount, to the north face, where they are beginning work. Tho ground is now so thoroughly prospected that the manager knows almost exactly where to go to get the quantity that he requires. Some people try to make out that tne mine will soon run out, but competent judges say that it is good for a hundred years. As it was getting near train time, I had to hurry through, only half seeing all that there was to see. The most men working were seen at this point of the work. There are over 400 altogether. The trucks were starting soon from below, so the working manager and myself turned down and jumped aboard. In a short time the Professor and self were bidding farewell to and thanking al) who had so cordially received us and shown us round. Then we got on to our smoking carriage, puffed away the lovely summer afternoon down to Emu Bay, and arrived at 5.5,. had a oh&uge of raiment, • good feed, and we coaohmg away at ttf o’oWoki