71

e.—s

Golden Rise Hydraulic Elevating Company, Wetherstones (F. Whelan, manager). —Area of claim, 54 acres. Sluicing operations have been continued up the flat, and the claim is said to pay its owners well. The plant being in good order, and the ground easy to work, a large amount of material is sent through the elevator. An average of seven men employed throughout the year. Local Industry Gold-mining Company (W. 0. Dawson, manager).—Area of claim, 50 acres. This plant is still operating on terrace ground at the head of Wetherstones Plat with fair results. Four men employed on the claim. Tuapeka. Blue Spur and Gabriels Gully Consolidated Gold-mining Company, Blue Spur (J. H. Jackson, general manager ; J. Uren, mine-manager).—Operations have been fairly steady throughout the year, but the working-time is regulated by the supply of water available for sluicing and elevating. A start was made to work the deep ground, but success became marred by the collapse of the underground drainage-tunnel at a point unknown. Since then operations have been confined as formerly to the remaining higher parts of the deposit. The material in one section of the face is broken down and swept along a flume tail-race into the hydraulic lift by which it is elevated 70 ft. From the other section the material is broken down, then lifted 60 ft. by one elevator to the foot of another elevator lifting 70 ft. An average of twenty-six men are employed. Mr. J. Howard Jackson, general manager for the company, kindly furnishes the following extracts of statistics and information from his report to directors in London relative to the working of their mine. Amount of cement treated, 170,562 cubic yards ; amount of water used for sluicing, 407,385,000 cubic feet; amount of water used for pumping, 31,725,000 cubic feet: total water used, 439,110,000 cubic feet. Water used in sluicing : 1902-3—No. 1 Division, 3,630 hours (453-6 days) ; No. 2 Division, 3,873-5 hours (484-2 days ; total, 7,503.5 hours (937-8 days) : 1903-4 —No. 1 Division, 3,769 hours (471.1 days) ; No. 2 Division, 1,726-5 hours (215.8 days); total, 5,495.5 hours (686-9 days). Water used in pumping : 1902-3—403-5 hours (50-5 days) ; 1903-4—1,382-5 hours (172-8 days). Work and values for 1903-4 : No. Iβ Division—Hours sluicing, 3,769 ; cement, 113,070 cubic yards ; gold, 1,392-66 oz. ; value per cubic yard, 5 - 912 gr. = 11 - 676 d. : No. 2b Division —Hours sluicing, 1,726-5 ; cement, 57,492-5 cubic yards ; gold, 276 - 82 oz. ; value per cubic yard, 2-309 gr. = 4.560 d. : Totals —Hours sluicing, 5,495.5 ; cement, 170,562-5 cubic yards ; gold, 1,669 - 48 oz. ; mean value, 4-698 gr. or 9 - 278 d. per cubic yard. Gold won, 1,669.5 oz. ; value, £6,633. Cost of winning gold, £2 12s. sd. per ounce, or 66 per cent, of its value. Amount paid in wages, £2,676 ; amount paid for explosives (roburite), £366 : total colonial expenditure, £4,375. Average number of men employed, twenty-six. Owing to a long and severe winter followed by a dry summer the decrease of water as compared with last year amounted to 624 - 8 hours or 78-1 days : this also applies to decreased wages-expendi-ture. Early in the year the main drain failed in such a position as to render its repair beyond the means of the company ; in consequence of this failure 7'B per cent, of the available water-supply has been diverted from hydraulic sluicing and elevating (remunerative work) for the purpose of unwatering the mine. By improvements recently introduced in the pump this percentage will be lowered in future. No accidents have occurred during the year. Kitto and Party's Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company, Munro's Gully. —This claim is held and worked by a party of private shareholders, whose operations are evidently attended with a fair measure of success. The plant is now operating on the cement on the west side of the Blur Spur deposit, the tailings being discharged into Munro's Gully. Mills and Party's Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Company, Munro's Gully. —This party is still elevating tailings in the bed of Tuapeka Creek. Evidently the ground pays for working, as the year's operations do not cover a large area of ground. Mr. Mills has recently sold out his share at a satisfactory figure to a small syndicate. It is proposed to increase the carrying-capacity of the water-race and otherwise improve the efficiency of the plant on the claim. P. P. Thomas and Party's Claim, Munro's Gully. —A water-race is under construction from the head of Munro's Gully. A claim has been secured in the gully and including adjoining terrace-ground carrying fair gold. Active operations will soon be commenced with, it is anticipated, payable results. William Hogg and Party, Tuapeka Flat. —There is a large area of auriferous terrace-ground in the valley of the Tuapeka River. This party have applied for a claim of 30 acres and have been granted first rights to seventy heads of water from Tuapeka River. A company is in process of formation to erect the necessary plant and begin sluicing operations. The ground is known to be payable but has been too wet for hand-labour. S. Lee and party had a portable engine and boiler and centrifugal pump on this claim. With the power available good results were obtained, but more powerful machinery is required to insure success. John Roach and Party, Tuapeka Flat. —This party having secured a claim comprising terrace-ground and flats in Tuapeka Flat, a water-race from Gabriel's Gully has been applied for. Waipori. William Brown and Party's Sluicing Claim, Bungtown Flat.— Sluicing operations were started during the year. This is a private concern and the plant is small. Golden Padlock Hydraulic Elevating Claim, Mitchell's Flat (J. Gare). —Area of claim, 4 acres. This claim continues to provide employment to four working shareholders. Mode of working is by hydraulic sluicing and elevating. Reef Creek Hydraulic Sluicing and Elevating Claim, Mitchell's Flat (F. Sandager and party).—During the year a race was cut to bring in water from the Reef Creek and other gullies to work a claim at the foot of Mitchell's Flat. Actual sluicing operations have not yet commenced, but the plant is now being erected on the claim.