Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 18 January 1879, page 6


The Hodgkinson Goldfield.

II.

[BY OUR-SPECIAL MINING REPORTER.]

'(Continued from last issue.)

RETURNING to Northcote, and starting thence in an easterly direction, a ride of about two miles brought me bo the Emily reef. 'In tho prospect-ing claim, (Master Brosi) the holders were taking out a block of-stone near the shaft, at the 40ft, level. The »reef here is from 12ft. to 15ft. in width, hut-only about -2ft. of picked stone was being paddoeked. The laBt crushing gave ljoz. to the ton. After coming up from the shaft I waB invited into the humpy for the customary chat, whenil observed what I never anticipated seeing in a baaholor'shnt so far from civilisation : -The' first thing that struck mo waa a clock, then a cluster of fowls, and upon looking beneath the table I. noticed several kinda of preserves and other luxuries that go a long way to nBsist in making life pleasant in this remote district. lu No. 1 west-this is an cnBt and west reef -King and party were following down the reef from a perpendicular shaft which had been sunk to a depth of .'20ft. From the bottom of tho shaft the reef, about'2ft. Oin. wido, had beon fol-lowed a distance of 20ft., and although contain-ing a little gold was not considered payable, fltiiking off at an angle from the above, a ride of a few miles further brought me to Lewisville, situated on the Upper Walsh. A machine of tou stampers, the property of Mr. Morrow, hos beon erected here, but through tho protracted drought that has prevailed in this district-the machine, like the majority on the field, haB been for some time idle. Enquiring at a shanty the whereabouts of the Minnie reef, I was shown the direction in which it lay, and proceeded thero accordingly. This reef is situated on the summit of a hill about a mile from the machine. The holders of the prospectors' claim - Moxam, Larkin, and Colber-.were t^kiug out a block of stoueifrom tho 130ft. level. The reef is about 18in. wide, and runs east nnd west, with oc underlie to the south. About 20 tons of very fair stone was on grass. In all 400 tons have

been crushed from this claim, for a yield of loi., Cdwt. per ton. There are no less than six dif-ferent reefs in this claim, each of them carrying gold. One-called Specimen reef-was 4ft. wide at a depth of 29ft. from the surface. There ia another reof outside the boundary which yielded loz. to the ton. This has heen abandoned for some time. The holders , are working singlohanded, and the mine is well ventilated. This claim is the farthest north on the field, being near the «junction of the granite ranges which are seen at no great distance, and appear very rugged and precipitous, and bare of anything in the shape of herbage. Patches of white barren granito rock gliatenigg/.'n the full glare of the sun, and huge bouldors that have boen dotached through the action -rf water, with occasional clumps of trees of stunted growth, are the prevailing fea-tures. The gold in the above claim is much superior in quality to any yet obtained on this field. It is worth-£4 Os. OJd. peí ounce. From the top of the hill my attention wan directed to a long grayish streak winding away up the ranges upon the other side of the Walsh. This I was informed would lead me to the Christmas reef.

Returning to Lewisville, and crossing the Walsh onco more, 'I discovered the track and proceeded along it until I came to their.bove reef. In the prospectors' claim (WeateBros.) the holders were working at the.60ft. level. This reef is very narrow on the surface, but increases in width below. At the COft. level it is '2ft. wide. The Btone hitherto crushed has returned loz. fidwt. to the ton. (The SS tons that were in the paddock íb «xpected to yield 3oz, per ton. These two brothers, like those of the Emily, have the happy knack of making things comfortable around them. Fowls here also were seen, and some of them were so tame as to stop on to the owner's hand when held out for that purpose. From thence I went on to the Mountaineer reef, which waB the first reef .visited that had a claim nt work on each side of the prospectors. In No. 1 north (O'Brien and party) (¿ia holders weva driving north along the reef at the 50ft. lovel. The reef in this claim is about 8ft. in width, ana from the three crushinga taken out a return of 2oz. to the ton hoe been obtained. There are four men at woik. The water lecrel was cut at 65ft. from the surface. The shaft has beon sunk 81ft. perpendicular, at which depth there was a perceptible change in the character of the quartz, which had every indication of being mundic stone ; but in consequence of the quantity of water that had to be contended with operations at the bottom of the Bhaft wore susponded. The gold here brings only £2 Us. 6d. per ounce, but the quality improves in the stone from the deeper ground. In tho prospectors' claim (Byers and iparty) tho reef haa been followed on the underlie to a good depth, but through a " split " in the rosf the hanging-wall leader was followed until it "petered out." The main reef, it is believed, weet down on the foot-wall. Another shaft has been started about 12ft. north of the above. The reef nuns from 2ft. to 5ft. in width. Some 653 tons bxve been crushed from this claim for a yield of 3oz. Idwt. 12gr. per ton. No, 1 South (Byora and party).-The work hore is confined to driving between the 30ft and 40ft. levels ; the roof, about 18in. in width, Bhowing a fair amount of gold. One crushing has been taken from this claim which gave 3oz. per ton. The reef runs exceedingly flat, and resembles very much those of the Charters Towers goldfield. It, like them, has been blocked off. Byera and party have a lease of twenty-five acres outside the boundaries

of the claims.

I referred above to tho water in No. 1 north,

The quantity is so great that it cannot bo kept down sufficiently by horse-power to enable the men to work in the shaft. Another serious drawback is the enormous expense attending the carting and crushing, the former alone costing 10s. per ton, Added to this, through tlio long

dry Beason crushing operations ore entirely sus-pended. Yet auch a Btate of affairs might bo very easily remedied if the holdorB of each claim could make some equitable arrangement for amalgamating tho claims together and forming themselves into a small company. Steam-power could then be procured and a battery erected on the ground, with the certainty of a permanent Bupply of water all the yenr round for the machine. If this was accomplished the 16s. per ton for carting would bo saved-and that in itself is a very serious item-besides a consider-able reduction being effected in the crushing ex-penses. A largo number of hands would thon find constant employment, and, judging from the aize of the reef and the returns fr m the previouB crushing», the holders would be in receipt of very respectablo dividends.

From the abovo I was directed to a high rugged barren-looking mountain, in the midst of a cluster of othors equally uninviting in appear-ance, and told I should find a track which led around the base to the other Bide, by following which I should fiudBeaconsfield, which place, after a rough, hot, aud exceedingly tiresome journey, I at last reached, Procuring some corn for the horse, I enquired for the Monarch reef. Thia lies about a mile from Beaconsfield, and is about the biggest thing in quartz I have ever witnessed. Everywhere one looks nothing but solid masses of quartz meet the eye. No oue waa visible on top, so, after shouting until I became quite hoarse down a abaft in which no one was working, I stood on the brace and made the following notes:-Big blow of solid quartz about 12ft. wide in one place. A quai-ry sunk in a solid mass of quartz in another. Six ahafts sunk along the line, and about 250 tons of stone in shoots ready for carting to the machine. Black Blate in the mullock heaps. Chinamen in gully below ongaged in " dry blowing"-at which work, by the woy, they seemed very dexterous. This done, I went to another shaft, and after shouting the usual " below," with a crescendo on the lost syllable, someone answered and enquired my business. I informed him I wanted to see the manager, and was informed in return that the "boss" would,be up directly. A few minutes afterwards Mr. Turnbull, the manager, made his appearance. The claim is held by Turnbull and party, under a lease of 25 acres. About two years ago arrangements were made with the proprietor of a quartz-cruaher at the Etheridge to erect hie machinery at Beaconsfield, after which the claim and machine became the pro-perty of one firm. In other words, the proprie-tor simply joined in partnership the claimholders, and threw tho machine into the concern ; nor has either party had occasion to regret the con-tract. Thero are no less than five branchessome 3ft. or 4ft. wide- junctioning into the main reef. All of them have been operated upon, payable atouo having been taken from each. There aro four shafts worked by horse whip. In the centre one the reef, from 3ft. to 4ft. in width, is being stoped out below the 60ft level, and 250 tons of stone have been paddocked, which it ia expected will yield Soz to the ton. From another shaft (No. 1 south) about 30 tons of excellent atone have been paddocked from the 120ft. level. Good Blate country hore. Tho reef is 4ft. in width, and well defined, though it is only a branch from the main reef. Another shaft further north has been put down to the 150ft. level, and a block of ground 100ft in height has boon stoped out. A little water was making at tho bottom of this shaft. In a shaft to the south of the original prospectors' claim, mundic stone has been taken out at a compara-tively shallow lovel. This is very strange, more especially so as there is no water at that levol. I saw se\eral colors-some of thora coarse-in the hig blow mentioned abovo. At Beaconsfield, where the machine is situated, there is about 250 tons of quartz from the saino claim. The machine consists of ten stampers, with sawmill attached, but in consequence of the drought it Ima been idle since the begiuning of October. Since the machine waa erected 2758 tons have been crushed, The first season 899 tons wore reduced; the noxt Benson 1859 tons were put through, for a general averago yield of l^oz. to the ton. During the present year, from the 17th of January up to the beginning of October, the yield of gold amounted to 2564oz. When tho rainy season commences it is intended to employ a larger number of hands in tho claim. Beacons-field, like Northcote and Lewisville, has no par-ticular attractions to commend it to visitors, and through the absence of nu adequate aupply of water to keep tho niachineB employed there is very little money in circulation. The beautifully cool refreshing breeze, so welcome and delicious to the stranger, is to the inhabitants of this gold-field a source of annoyance, for from past experi-ence they are conscious that so long as it con-tinues there is not the slightest prospect of rain. For several months is this endured, aud, as thero has been no proviaion mado for storiug water during tho wet season, the want during the monsoon íb most severely felt. Not only is there uo water for the machines, but that for domestic purposes is eo scarco and impure that much sicknesB íb caused through drinking it. Swelled beads, bands, legs, and feet are quite common during tho dry seaBon hero. The malady is called the "Kingston flash" by the inhabitants. The holders of one claim I visited-a party of i Gormans-were stricken and in the hospital

with this " flash" disease.

Leaving Beaconsfield, I had a laborious ride of isbout twelve miles over a succession of broken and precipitous ranges devoid of anything in the dhape of grass, and as each high ranga was .mounted the aspect of tho surrounding country appeared parched, burnt up, and desolate in the eatreme. The day too waB frightfully hot, and but for beiug endowed with a thick head I believe I should have beon suuBtruck. The horse, too, although a good one, showed symptoma of diotress. However, we managed to worry through, audireached Mulligan's hotel ut Thornborough by Burndown. After spelling a day, I was kindly shown over several claims by Mr. Mulligan.

The Mowbray waa the first reef visited. In the prospectors' claim the holders (Seraught and Qeldou) »were following the reof on the underlie. They wore.dowu 180fc, and intended continuing sinking until the wet Beason, when the levels would tie putiin. The reef, about 12in. in width, lies in <ibe «late formation, and from the 80 tons of stone in the paddock a return of Goz. to the ton is anticipated. Gold was showing very freely in the Etouo examined in tho paddock. Five men are employod, and a horse for the whip. In No. 1 south tlio holders were raising stone from the 70ft. level. The gold from this reef is worth £3 Is. lid. pero<!. In the Empress prospectors' claim the holders wore raising stone from the 100ft. level. In the adjoining claim (Little and party) four men were engaged in stoping from the GOft. level. The reef, about 2ft. in width, is payable, and the 20 tons of stone in the paddock are expected to yield 3oz. to the ton. The last Crushing gnvo a rotura of doo. 7à\rb. pel tun. Nos. 1 and 2 south, amalgamated, are registered.

[TO UE CONTINUED j

The New York Elevated Raïlroad Nui-sance.-The New York public is still " kicking," to use an elegant localism, against the noise made by the elevated railroad, and, failiug to obtain redress from the courts, has concluded to .take the law into his own hands. A correspondent -nays it is at least mildly exciting to ride down on cue of the morniug trips and see whole rows of gloomy-browed citizens standing at their second storey windows, with their left arms full of bricks, waiting to " bat " tho conductors of the objectionable vehicles over the head as they rumble by. A couple of water-front merchants, for itlustatiou, are comparing notes as to the rise in sugar, when a bucket of dish-water is im-partially deposited in their lapa by a Biddy from the story just above their heads. The engineer puts on as much steam as possible to dodge these little mementoes, until the passengers are re-minded of the good old early settlement days, wheu the fadiaus used to chase the mail in every day ahead ot time. Theso cara are a nuisance in other ways. The other day one unexpectedly (¡topped in front of n window through which a young mnn was detected in the act of killing au old, rich, and altogether unnecessary uncle. To-day the young man is in gaol, waiting to be eventually hung, while the property for which ho so patiently waited is being divided among a family of red-beaded Democrats.-San Francisco

Newsletter.

The New Boy.-When a new boy appears at a Boston school (says an American paper) the other boys dou't say anything to him at all, un-less it is to enquires-"Say, you, what's yer name?" "Who's yer daddy!" "Where d'ye live?" " What reader arc yer in ?" "Is them yer Sunday olose ?" " Got a watch ? ' " Gom' to treat ?" winding up with u general invitation

to fight.